Oklahoma City Community College

PROJECT PURPOSE

Purpose: Create a film industry workforce development center and build a state-of-the-art virtual set that becomes an economic engine of prosperity for Oklahoma. Fast-track film industry courses and certifications will allow students to move quickly into the workforce. Topics will include Digital Cinema Production, Visual Effects, Grip and Electric, Set Construction, Scenic Painting, LED Technician, and Virtual Set Technician. Courses will be taught by world-class professionals. OCCC will build a state-of-the-art virtual set with ceiling, operated by staff and instructors, to draw more film productions into Oklahoma and boost its economic development. Virtual sets are revolutionizing film production since they eliminate the need to travel. An entire film can be shot in one location, which is a huge savings to productions. The virtual set will be rented to film companies at a reduced rate in exchange for taking on OCCC students as apprentices. This will connect students directly to the industry, much like the Georgia Film Academy. OCCC?s virtual set and workforce development center will strengthen Oklahoma?s growth in film production to the educational and financial benefit of students, filmmakers, and all Oklahomans.

EVIDENCE

Virtual sets are revolutionizing film production, eliminating the need to travel. An entire film can be shot in one location, which is a huge savings to productions and a boon to the economy where the film is shot. For example, when Marvel filmed Black Panther in Georgia, more than 3,100 local workers were employed, earning more than $26.5 million in wages. In New York, the filming of The Post and The Greatest Showman contributed more than $108 million to the state?s economy. In Georgia, home of the Georgia Film Academy, they have invested $2 billion, and Television and Film production is projected to generate 40,000 jobs in Georgia in the next 18 months alone (Georgia Film Academy).

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

Racial and ethnic minority groups have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, according to the CDC. NPR reported that job losses were higher among people of color during the pandemic. Due to inequities in access to high-quality education, minority groups are often limited to lower paying, less stable jobs. OCCC is an affordable, open access college, serving a high percentage of minorities. In the fall of 2021, 48.4% of students identified as non-white or two or more races, while 45.9% identified as white (5.7% did not report). With scholarships and grants from the federal government, the OCCC Foundation, and other public and private sources, the majority of OCCC students receive enough financial aid to make education affordable. When larger films come into the state, they bring with them high paying jobs that are built on trade skills. Digital Cinema Production at OCCC offers short term, fast track training for in demand well-paying jobs in the film industry. The Digital Cinema Production workforce development certificates are intended to get skilled workers who have lost their jobs into the film production workforce in as little as five weeks.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

Success of the program will be evaluated through a variety of quantitative and qualitative measures. Program success will be tracked through the following: Program success will be evaluated through quantitative and qualitative measures, including the following: ? Number of student placements in the Oklahoma Department of Commerce film apprenticeship program, a requirement for films to receive the state rebate ? Number of students becoming employed in desired film-related career tracks ? Ethnicity and gender subdivisions of apprentices and employed students ? Numeric ratings and written comments from student and employer surveys, conducted by OCCC?s Office of Institutional Effectiveness ? Number of film productions in Oklahoma, using data from the Film and Music Office and Oklahoma Department of Commerce

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma