Muskegon Community College to launch film industry class
March 02, 2010, 11:35PM
Contributed photoMitch
Nyberg, shown on the set of a movie, is set to be the instructor for
Muskegon Community College's new course, Introduction to Film
Production.MUSKEGON — Muskegon Community College
is starting a new academic course designed to provide people with
skills to work in West Michigan’s emerging film industry.
As
part of the college’s Continuing Education program, the Introduction to
Film Production class is intended to give students the knowledge to
land entry-level jobs on film crews.
The eight-week, intensive
training course is scheduled to begin March 22. College officials are
touting the possibility that some of the students who take the course
may find work on upcoming films planning to be shot in Michigan.
 Mitch Nyberg
 Dale Nesbary
Mitch
Nyberg, a Hart Township resident with extensive movie experience, will
teach the course. He helped teach a similar course last year in a
collaborative effort between West Shore Community College and 10 West
Studios in Manistee.
Nyberg said the Muskegon area, with its
wide range of scenery from beaches to urban districts, has the
potential to be a popular destination for filmmakers. The only issue
currently is the lack of a trained crew base.
“We are on the
radar in a big way,” said Nyberg, who worked production on three recent
films shot in the Grand Rapids area, including “The Gun” starring Val
Kilmer and 50 Cent. “I see West Michigan continuing to emerge in the
film industry.”
MCC President Dale Nesbary announced his
intention to have a film program at the college before he even started
his new job here last year. He helped launch a film industry program at
Adrian College three years ago, taking advantage of the surge in films
being shot in the state.
“Muskegon Community College is excited
to be a part of developing skills in area residents that allow them to
participate in new emerging industries,” Nesbary said. “Mitch’s
expertise and strong experience in the film industry really elevate the
quality of this training and will equip students to compete for
positions filmmakers will need to fill right here in Muskegon over the
next year.”
In addition to providing a general understanding of
the film industry, the course is set up to provide students with skills
for employment as production assistants, grips, set electricians and in
film art departments. One of the four sections of the course will
include information on resume building and the skills necessary for
potential job placement. An emphasis will be put on understanding
industry terms and on-set protocol.
College officials are
awaiting word to see if the course will qualify as a Michigan Works!
program. If it does, students could qualify for No Worker Left Behind
money to use toward the registration cost of $2,200.
A trained
local crew base is key to a movie’s bottom line. With local crew, the
production company can save money on transportation and hotel costs
associated with bringing crew in from elsewhere. It also helps produce
a larger economic impact to the area where the movie is filmed.
Michigan has been drawing more filmmakers since 2008, when tax incentives that are among the nation’s most generous took effect.
E-mail Eric Gaertner at
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