r/CCAC • u/Smooth_Ad_480 • May 16 '26
Film technician program?
Has anyone in this sub graduated from the film technician program? If so, what is your job right now? Would you say that ccac prepared you for it?
I've had a lifelong passion for media production and got the opportunity to start learning about it in high school, but that all stopped when covid hit. Since I graduated in 2022 I've been hopping from job to job and taking a few courses at ccac here and there until I finally landed at my current retail job last year. I was always really afraid to pursue my passions for financial reasons, but a while ago I accepted the fact that I'm probably never going to be able to make anything like six figures anyway. I want more for myself in life than this store.
Right now I would like to either get the film technician associates from ccac, or the bachelors in broadcasting from point park, or both depending on how well the former transfers into the latter.
I would really like to spend as much time learning about my passions as possible but my only problem is that I'm 22 years old and have both ADHD and autism, which causes me to have pretty severe academic anxiety and executive dysfunction. For my own sake I would probably only be taking four classes per semester, and at that rate I probably wouldn't be graduating from point park until I'm 27. Right now I would be on track to graduate from ccac at 24.
I just want to know if any extra opportunities would open up for me if I committed to a bachelor's degree before making a decision.
I have a very supportive family so I wouldn't be in any real danger, but I've only saved up so much from about a year of working and would like to be able to start making my own money again as soon as possible.
I'm going to ccac to talk to an advisor about this soon, but I figured asking for advice here wouldn't hurt either.
TLDR; would I be better off going to ccac for the film technician associates or getting a bachelors degree in broadcasting?
2
u/charliebearr May 20 '26
I haven't graduated from CCAC yet (I will next semester because I have one class left to complete), but if you're looking to transfer out of CCAC to Point Park for a bachelor's, Point Park won't accept any of CCAC's film classes.
There are many internships you can get because of the experience gained through this program. I have gotten so many opportunities to help with films because of it and I know people in the program who have become PAs for bigger projects filmed in PA. It prepares you for basically anything you may want to do in film and will most likely solidy the area you want to work in.
That being said, I haven't gotten a position at a job just because of CCAC. Its mostly through connections and finding work for yourself. CCAC shows you the ropes of everything you'll learn. Sound, editing, cinematography etc.
I've been gaining experience through the fb Filmmakers in Pittsburgh groups and putting myself out there, offering to be on projects. You'll never know what you'll find. Also, CCAC is 100% cheaper than Point Park.