Media Arts

Students currently in 8th-11th grades may apply for the Half-Day Arts Conservatory (9-12 Grade)

The Media Arts Department at NOCCA provides a foundational framework for film, animation, audio arts, and immersive media to prepare students for this dynamic and transformative field . From story development to visual storytelling to sound design, students are immersed in the fundamentals of media arts while being challenged to work critically and creatively as artists. NOCCA Media Arts students have the opportunity to explore filmmaking from script to screen, animation, stop motion, motion graphics, and audio arts, from sound design to audio engineering.

Media Arts houses a professional recording studio with a green screen, professional lighting, and two Apple-based computer labs. Industry-standard software, including the Final Draft, Studio Binder, Adobe Suite, Ableton Live, Avid Pro Tools Studio, Toonboom, and Dragon Frame. Students can utilize (both on and off-campus) professional-grade DSLRs, BlackMagic cameras, lighting rigs, portable audio recording equipment, and studio-grade audio interfaces. Media Arts annually updates equipment to reflect current industry standards of the creative fields.

Admission to the Media Arts program is based on the application and audition. The audition consists of a portfolio review, a 15-minute media analysis, and an interview. The first year of the program is a fundamental class focusing on Media Literacy Representation and Collaboration, in which we explore all the concentrations. Starting the second year at NOCCA is when they choose their concentration for the rest of their time at NOCCA.

First Pre-Screening Round

Upload with your completed application:

• An Artist Statement answering the following questions.
  • Why do you like to make media art?
  • What subjects/themes do you explore?
  • What processes and techniques do you use?
  • What are your goals and aspirations as an artist?
  • Who or what inspires you?
• Creative self-portrait video (1-2 minutes in length) describing yourself as an artist and collaborator.
• A portfolio that includes any 5 of the following (can have more than 1 of each type): short film, photo story, storyboard, comic, illustration that tells a story, two to five page screenplay, recorded music/sound art, music video, short animatic or animation film.

We welcome applicants to approach the material in their artistic voice. Your portfolio should ONLY include your 5 strongest works, finished or unfinished.  

The strength of your work will be largely analyzed based on Media Arts’ roots as a time based medium. Therefore, demonstrating one’s understanding of how story, character, space and/or tone develop over time is an essential element of the portfolio. We are looking for originality, creativity, curiosity, and a passion for storytelling.

All applicants are ranked based on a score from their audition. Class sizes are limited, and admittance to NOCCA goes to the top-ranked students. Placement into levels is determined at the discretion of the Media Arts faculty.

In addition to department requirements, each applicant will include: 

• "My Artistic Self" Video - Upload a 1-2 minute video of the applicant responding to the following, "Tell us what you have learned about yourself as an artist. What do you hope to discover, develop and contribute as a member of the NOCCA community?"
• Report Card - Upload your most recent report card. Applicants must have a minimum 2.0 GPA.
• Recommender Email Address - Be prepared to provide the email address of an adult who is not related to you to complete your recommendation. The recommender will receive an email from Acceptd with a link to complete the recommendation form. There is no need to ask the recommender to write a letter.

Selected applicants from the first Pre-Screening Round will be invited to the second In-Person Audition Round at NOCCA.

Second In-Person Audition Round at NOCCA (by invitation only)

At the Audition:

The audition consists of an individual critique of a short piece of media (song, animation, live action), portfolio review and interview.