Create full-length movies as a JPCatholic student!
John Paul the Great Catholic University's Feature Film Program is a revolutionary model of education that integrates feature film productions into our curriculum. This platform provides students the opportunity to work under the mentorship of professors each year in bringing a new film to life.
2021-2022 Project:
O, Brawling Love!
Two rival acting students who are forced to reconcile their differences and play lovers Romeo and Juliet in their final school play, vying for a $25k cash prize.
Learn More2022-2023 Project:
No Reception
A posh city dweller gets lost in the wilderness with nothing but his pepper spray, and is soon caught up in a longstanding feud between two forest hermits.
Learn More2023-2024 Project:
Pitch your story for Year 3
Students and alumni are invited to submit their story pitches by March 31st, 2023.
Submit Idea
IMDB Credits
The Feature Film Program gives students the opportunity to participate in multiple feature films throughout their education, beginning as production assistants and working their way up to key leadership roles senior year.
Hands-on, Real World Experience
What better way to learn filmmaking than by working on movie sets? The Feature Film Program creates opportunities for students to apply what they’ve learned to a large scale project with high creative and professional stakes, while receiving mentorship from experienced professionals.
Increased Impact
By producing and distributing a feature film every year, JPCatholic students will have the opportunity to reach a wider audience with masterfully produced stories that inspire audiences to truth, beauty, and goodness.
Sophomore - Winter Quarter
Story Development
All students and alumni are invited to develop their story ideas and submit their eight essential story points. A panel of JPCatholic faculty will review loglines and treatments and provide creative development notes. Story concepts should be:
- Producible on an indie budget
- Reflective of JPCatholic's values
- Incredibly entertaining
Junior - Spring Quarter
Beat Sheets & Commissioning Screenplays
Students whose projects have been selected as candidates will submit beat sheets (a plot outline comprised of one sentence for every scene of the film), and begin writing their screenplay.
Classes integrated this quarter: Feature Film: Creative Development
Junior - Summer Quarter
Completing the First Draft
Students utilize the insights that they gained in Feature FIlm Development to complete the first draft of their screenplays.
Classes integrated this quarter: Advanced Writing Seminar
Junior - Fall Quarter
Pitching, Rewriting, and Marketing
Students are invited to pitch their projects at the Feature Film Pitch Night, where they receive feedback from industry professionals. Students take the feedback that they received and integrate it into writing the second draft of their script through the Rewriting course.
In addition, students and faculty will assess each project and develop marketing strategies to determine which project has the greatest chance of succeeding in the marketplace. Faculty will select the strongest projects as finalists to be considered for production.
Students who are interested in participating in the film will submit applications for consideration in roles that they are passionate about fulfilling.
Classes integrated this quarter: Rewriting, Advanced Marketing and Distribution Strategies
Senior - Winter Quarter
The Feature Film is Greenlit
At the beginning of the Winter Quarter, the Feature Film will be greenlit from among the finalists by a panel of faculty.
Students whose applications have been accepted for key leadership roles will be enrolled in Feature Film Pre-Production I to begin the first stages of preparing for the film. Key roles include Director of Photography, Producers, Art Department, Costume, Concept Art, Assistant Director, etc.
Classes integrated this quarter: Feature Film Pre-Production I
Senior - Spring Quarter
Pre-Production
With the final script locked, students will be able to move forward with planning out the finer details of production, including scheduling and budgeting, casting, locations, set building, storyboarding, costumes, and props.
The number of students working on the project will increase, as each department recruits positions from among the student body.
Classes integrated this quarter: Feature Film Pre-Production II
Senior - Summer Break (June)
Production
It’s time to make a movie! The Feature Film production is a 6 unit experience, taking place over the 3 week break in June in San Diego County and the surrounding area.
Students gain professional experience on a feature film set, preparing them to launch into their chosen career. Select alumni may be hired to participate in key mentorship roles, contributing valuable insights and expertise.
Underclassmen will have the opportunity to participate in smaller roles on set, getting exposed early on to a professional film environment.
Senior - Summer Quarter
Post-Production
Because the Feature Film production over the June break counts as 6 credits, your final quarter at JPCatholic will contain a lighter course load of 3 courses.
Post-production students work throughout the summer to achieve picture lock on the film. A post-production professor will oversee the editing process by assigning segments of the film to students in the class, providing support and mentorship throughout the process.
Students who have demonstrated exceptional talent and proficiency as editors are selected to finalize and unify each segment of the film into a cohesive cut.
Classes integrated this quarter: Feature Film: Post-Production
And Beyond
Final Cut and Distribution
With picture lock achieved, the film enters the final stages of post-production, including sound design and mixing, musical score, color grading, and titles.
The completed film will be distributed based on the strategy that was crafted in the development process. Faculty will utilize their connections with reputable distributors to bring the film to market.
Classes integrated this quarter: Feature Film Post-Production II, Advanced Marketing and Distribution Strategies
Sophomore - Winter Quarter
Story Development
All students and alumni are invited to develop their story ideas and submit their eight essential story points. A panel of JPCatholic faculty will review loglines and treatments and provide creative development notes. Story concepts should be:
- Producible on an indie budget
- Reflective of JPCatholic's values
- Incredibly entertaining
Junior - Spring Quarter
Beat Sheets & Commissioning Screenplays
Students whose projects have been selected as candidates will submit beat sheets (a plot outline comprised of one sentence for every scene of the film), and begin writing their screenplay.
Classes integrated this quarter: Feature Film: Development
Junior - Summer Quarter
Completing the First Draft
Students utilize the insights that they gained in Feature FIlm Development to complete the first draft of their screenplays.
Classes integrated this quarter: Advanced Writing Seminar
Junior - Fall Quarter
Pitching, Rewriting, and Marketing
Students are invited to pitch their projects at the Feature Film Pitch Night, where they receive feedback from industry professionals. Students take the feedback that they received and integrate it into writing the second draft of their script through the Rewriting course.
In addition, students and faculty will assess each project and develop marketing strategies to determine which project has the greatest chance of succeeding in the marketplace. Faculty will select the strongest projects as finalists to be considered for production.
Students who are interested in participating in the film will submit applications for consideration in roles that they are passionate about fulfilling.
Classes integrated this quarter: Rewriting, Advanced Marketing and Distribution Strategies
Senior - Winter Quarter
The Feature Film is Greenlit
At the beginning of the Winter Quarter, the Feature Film will be greenlit from among the finalists by a panel of faculty.
Students whose applications have been accepted for key leadership roles will be enrolled in Feature Film Pre-Production I to begin the first stages of preparing for the film. Key roles include Director of Photography, Producers, Art Department, Costume, Concept Art, Assistant Director, etc.
Classes integrated this quarter: Feature Film Pre-Production I
Senior - Spring Quarter
Pre-Production
With the final script locked, students will be able to move forward with planning out the finer details of production, including scheduling and budgeting, casting, locations, set building, storyboarding, costumes, and props.
Classes integrated this quarter: Feature Film Pre-Production II
Senior - Summer Break (June)
Production
It’s time to make a movie! The Feature Film production is a 6 unit experience, taking place over the 3 week break in June in San Diego County and the surrounding area.
Students gain professional experience on a feature film set, preparing them to launch into their chosen career. Select alumni may be hired to participate in key mentorship roles, contributing valuable insights and expertise.
Underclassmen will have the opportunity to participate in smaller roles on set, getting exposed early on to a professional film environment.
Senior - Summer Quarter
Post-Production
Because the Feature Film production over the June break counts as 6 credits, your final quarter at JPCatholic will contain a lighter course load of 3 courses.
Post-production students work throughout the summer to achieve picture lock on the film. A post-production professor will oversee the editing process by assigning segments of the film to students in the class, providing support and mentorship throughout the process.
Students who have demonstrated exceptional talent and proficiency as editors are selected to finalize and unify each segment of the film into a cohesive cut.
Classes integrated this quarter: Feature Film: Post-Production
And Beyond
Final Cut and Distribution
With picture lock achieved, the film enters the final stages of post-production, including sound design and mixing, musical score, color grading, and titles.
The completed film will be distributed based on the strategy that was crafted in the development process. Faculty will utilize their connections with reputable distributors to bring the film to market.
Classes integrated this quarter: Feature Film Post-Production II, Advanced Marketing and Distribution Strategies
CASE STUDY
RED LINE
Feature films are actually not new to JPCatholic. In 2011, JPCatholic students and faculty wrote and produced a feature length film called Red Line, a thriller about ten passengers trapped in a subway car after a bomb explodes. The project was filmed almost entirely in the University’s soundstage. Industry professionals were hired to lead various departments, and students were mentored by them throughout the production process.
Red Line premiered at the San Diego Film Festival in September 2012, where it won the U-T San Diego Award. It later received domestic and international distribution in Redbox, Target, Netflix, and various other streaming services.
With the new Feature Film Program, JPCatholic is implementing the lessons learned from Red Line to craft a sustainable, repeatable experience, so that every cohort can have this incredible opportunity.
WATCH BTS VIDEO
