Academy of Media Arts Homepage

Mission Statement

The Academy of Media Arts (AMA) is a small learning community for students interested in digital filmmaking or film animation. It seeks to foster a community of storytellers focused on creative and collaborative project-based learning.

Career Pathways

Starting their ninth grade year, AMA students pick one of our two career pathways to focus on: Digital Filmmaking or Film Animation. In addition the Visual and Performing Arts department offers music, dance, theater, art, ceramics, and photography classes for additional elective enrichment. These classes are not part of the two AMA pathways though.

Pathway Curriculum

In addition to college preparatory classes, AMA students take one yearly elective within their pathway. Each class builds on the skills learned the year before and must be taken in order.

Digital Filmmaking Pathway //

Introduction // Dramatic Production
Concentrator // Digital Video Design and Production and Digital Filmmaking (DVP)
Capstone // Independent Film Projects (IFP)
Extension // Capstone class year two, dual-enrollment El Camino College classes

Animation Pathway //

Introduction // Art 1
Concentrator // Film Animation 1
Capstone // Film Animation 2
Extension // Capstone class year two, dual-enrollment El Camino College classes

Industry Partnerships

Currently, the AMA is working to strengthen partnerships with companies and individuals throughout the business, education, and entertainment industries. Notable partners include:

UCLA SHAPE (Students Heightening Academic Performance through Education) tutoring
Pullias Center for Higher Education, University of Southern California
Lawndale Cable Channel
Omega Props
Mole-Richardson
Cal State University Dominguez Hills
Columbia College of Hollywood
Musicians Institute Los Angeles
El Camino College
South Bay Workforce Investment Board (SBWIB)
South Bay Digital Media Arts Consortium

Manhattan Beach Studios

Other individual partners include people from Lionsgate, Warner Brothers, and NBCUniversal.

AMA Student Learning Outcomes

College and Career Ready Individuals

By creating an individualized graduation plan students will prepare for their post-secondary future with a balance of core content and AMA pathway classes that can help them actualize their own college and career goals.

Effective Communicators

Academy graduates will effectively communicate and express ideas through verbal, written, audio, visual, and/or performance mediums.

Ethical Leaders

Academy graduates will take ownership of their behaviors by understanding the cause and effect of their actions, delegating responsibility in groups, and identifying and asking for help.

Independent and Collaborative Critical Thinkers and Problem Solvers

Academy graduates will demonstrate the ability to conduct meaningful investigations when they can assess the soundness of an argument and consider its larger implications and/or apply problem-solving methodologies to real world situations.

Academy graduates can accept and act on criticism/feedback with an open mind to revise and improve their creative and academic work.

Socially Aware and Responsive Community Members

Academy graduates will develop community partnerships that will allow them to employ the skills of their branch of the arts to educate others regarding social issues and to provide support for socially disadvantaged groups and individuals.

Academy graduates will create opportunities for showcasing work in a real world context for authentic purposes and audiences.

Academy Statistics

The AMA average attendance rate was 95.30% while the AMA A-G completion was 47% for seniors.

Our Graduate Careers

Writer, Producer, Director, Actor/Actress, Cinematographer, Production Designer, Art Director, Film Editor, Filmmaker, Grip, Electric, Stage/ Set Designer, Lighting/ Sound Operator, Fly Systems Operator, Costume Designer, Make-up Designer, Music Composer, Music Producer, Audio Engineer, 2D/3D Animator, Game Art, Computer Animator, Illustrator, Advertiser Marketer, Photographer, Music or Film Distributor, Graphic and Interactive Communications

Our graduates are accepted to:

University of Southern California
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Riverside
University of California, Santa Cruz
Cal Arts
Cal State Los Angeles
Cal State Fullerton
Cal State Northridge
Cal State Long Beach

Cal State Dominguez Hills
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Columbia College Hollywood
Texas Christian University
Warren Wilson College
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Northern Arizona University
San Francisco State University
Chico State University
Keuka College
Hofstra University