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FSU Film School branch in West Palm now in jeapordy

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Some of you might remember that, not too long ago, FSU pissed off MJS by setting up a deal with an animation-effects company called Digital Domain to build a branch campus of the FSU film school in downtown West Palm Beach. It was going to be an impressive building indeed:



The deal was engineered by West Palm Beach Commissioner (and FSU grad) Kimberly Mitchell in conjunction with WPB mayor Jeri Muoio. To move the project forward, the city had paid $2M toward the deal and transferred the land.

Problem is, Digital Domain has filed for bankruptcy and now the whole thing may not happen. Some FSU students and staff are in place but no one's sure for how long.

Meanwhile, the Florida Board of Governors is questioning how this project came to pass essentially without their vote, causing political issues for FSU.

This is tangentially related to us because, as Mary Jane Saunders pointed out, the state universities are not supposed to impinge upon each other's service territories, a courtesy treated like a hardfast rule. FAU technically has a "film" program, and though we argue it may be duplication of services in our region, the reality is that we don't have a film school, we have a communications degree with a focus on film criticism (and a few production classes sprinkled throughout). That degree is a ticket right to the VIP line of the unemployment office. It's not even on the same planet as what FSU does. Hate to say it but it's true.

It's sort of nice to see this rebuffed for now because the flagships seem to think that they can go anywhere and do anything in this state (remember UF setting up their MBA program in Broward? That pissed off FAU too).

Maybe it will inspire MJS to move forward with a legit film school program in the near future.

In the meantime, FAU earned a victory for the little guys.
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Re: FSU Film School branch in West Palm now in jeapordy

FSU Film School branch in West Palm now in jeapordy

Since when has it been know as "The" Florida State University as shown on the sign on the proposed building? Too bad we can't just get that built with OUR name on OUR campus in OUR County! But in conjunction with Pixar/Disney! How cool would that be?
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Re: FSU Film School branch in West Palm now in jeapordy

GeorgiaOwl said

Since when has it been know as "The" Florida State University as shown on the sign on the proposed building?

*shrug*
Who knows. But I would do it if I were them too.

GeorgiaOwl said

Too bad we can't just get that built with OUR name on OUR campus in OUR County! But in conjunction with Pixar/Disney! How cool would that be?

It would be awesome. Even though we don't have a film school, we do have a computer animation program. But I wouldn't be surprised if UCF is already trying to hook that up because they have an existing relationship with Disney (and EA sports).

As far as film schools go, the ones I know about are UM, FSU and UCF here in Florida. FSU's program is particularly popular because they devote a lot of resources to it (they essentially pay for all your films too) and their alumni have entered a lot of contests like those Coca Cola shorts you see before the feature film at a movie theater.

UCF's claim to fame would be that their alumni made the Blair Witch Project.

But the schools you really want to emulate are NYU, USC and UCLA. That's the thing: for FAU to open a film school, they have to invest in professional equipment, green rooms, prop rooms and pull experienced directors in to teach. It's not just a matter of adding a new degree and hiring two more professors.
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