Charlotte once again has a film and television media training studio
A message from: The Media Arts Center
A new education center offering broadcasting and filmmaking-based courses just opened in South Charlotte.
The Media Arts Center, "The MAC," offers four-week courses taught by local media professionals in filmmaking, audio and video production and social media management.
What's in it for you: The MAC's programs are designed to give you the hands-on experience you need for less half than the cost of broadcasting school.
- These programs are geared toward recent college graduates, high school students considering a future in radio, television, or digital media, and creative people seeking a structured way to learn digital media skills and connect and collaborate with local industry pros.
Why it's important: Demand for skilled media production professionals is growing in North Carolina. Filmmakers spent more than $258 million on productions in the state in 2022, the sixth-highest yearly sum since 2000.
Plus, plus, plus: The MAC fills a gap left by the closure of the Carolina School of Broadcasting in 2021, and the Connecticut School of Broadcasting in 2023.
The courses
All MAC programs follow the same basic structure.
- Duration: Four consecutive weeks.
- Classes: Eight in-person, three-hour classes that meet twice weekly.
- Labs: Sixteen optional two-hour lab sessions that occur twice weekly.
- Cost: $1800 ($1650 for tuition plus $150 for labs).
Here's the syllabus for the Audio Production program, which is currently underway.
The MAC offers different programs throughout the year. Here's the lineup through April.
January
- Filmmaking and Script Writing
- Audio Production
- Audio Performance
February
- Filmmaking, Casting and Directing
- Audio Performance
- Audio Production
March
- Filmmaking Production
- Video Production
- Video Performance
April
- Filmmaking, Editing and Promoting
- Video Performance
- Video Production
Students get access to all the technology and software needed for courses, including new Apple M3 Macs for editing and professionally-outfitted studios for podcasting, live recording and video editing.
Get involved: The MAC offers group tours of the facility every month — the second Tuesday of the month at 7pm and the second Thursday at 10am.
Ready to learn a new skill? Schedule a tour of the facility or register for upcoming courses.
Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Charlotte.