Film Production School in Springfield

Learn film production alongside an industry insider in a working Springfield film studio. Work directly with a film industry pro. We do things different, learn in the real world and build industry connections.

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This isn’t a boring Springfield film school classroom. This isn’t an overcrowded college laboratory. This is life. Real Life. YOUR LIFE.

Welcome to the future of filmmaking, Film Connection Film School in Springfield, IL. Production companies that have worked on both narrative and documentary films have teamed up with us to provide mentors that will help get your career off the ground by providing you with studio or on-location experience.

There are two paths you can take. The first is our 6-month behind-the-scenes track that pairs you up with mentors who work in the Champaign or Springfield corridor.

The second, more comprehensive, path is our 8-month director’s track. More mentors and more opportunities for you! No film program anywhere offers you a chance to see your project come alive before your very eyes and pitch it to someone who can make it happen. No one except the Film Connection.

Don’t Spend More on your Film Education if You Don’t Have to

The cities of Champaign, Decatur and Springfield are located a short distance from each other along a stretch of Interstate 72 in central Illinois. Springfield is the state capital of Illinois, and the historical place where Abraham Lincoln began his political career. The combined population of the three cities exceeds 200,000 people, and several production companies call this area home. The Champaign-Springfield-Decatur area is within driving distance of several major cities, including Chicago, Indianapolis and St. Louis, making it a good central hub for diverse filming locations. Illinois is a film-friendly state, offering tax incentives up to 30 percent for films shot in the state, and several major film festivals are held annually in the region. The Champaign-Springfield-Decatur area makes a surprising alternative location if you want a career as a film director, film producer, screenwriter, film editor or cameraperson–but would rather not relocate to New York or L.A.

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Meet Our Mentors

Adam Weber

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Daniel Lir

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Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs

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Alejandra Huerta

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Daniela Larsen

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Get Real World Film Production Experience in Springfield

Many major movies, commercials, TV shows and documentaries are filmed in Illinois. Among the known films that have shot in the Champaign-Springfield-Decatur area and surrounding regions are Mission: Impossible, The Informant, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde, and the Jimmy Stewart classic film Call Northside 777. The Champaign-Springfield-Decatur area has also seen filming for television episodes and documentaries, including the Great American Road Trip, Lincoln’s Last Night, and the documentaries Route 66 Road Trip and Lincoln.

Our Springfield Film Industry Mentors Help you Build Real World Connections

FILM CONNECTION Film School of Champaign-Springfield-Decatur will put you in the heart of this production activity by hooking you up with a working film or television professional, who becomes your personal instructor and mentor.

You’ll gain valuable hands-on experience on real film and video shoots, making valuable industry connections along the way.  In fact, many of our graduates get hired, many before they even graduate. FILM CONNECTION can help you realize your dreams; let us show you how.

Learn the skills you need to take your idea from paper to the big screen.

Real world film education by filmmakers for filmmakers, optimized for today!

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Success stories

Since he started his extern program with Uptone Pictures in Raleigh, NC, Grant Gilbert has been taking…

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Please take the time to read the experiences of one of our own, Korey Hehn of Pineville, OR…

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The Film Connection program provided me with an opportunity to "see it and believe it"!…

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