Tom Greenberg: The Art of Editting

Tom Greenberg has a message for film directors, and it’s the same message he has for directors of photography. The only person his message might not be for in the creative chain is the screenwriter.
“The screenwriter is first in the production process. The editor is last,” says Greenberg, from his edit suite at Compass Film [...]

CFA Board of Advisors Adds Four More Experts

Compass Film Academy continues to strengthen its position as the region’s premiere film school with the addition of Mark Clayman, Dick Rolfe, Joel Schoon Tanis, and Dr. Paul Worfel to its Board of Advisors.
Clayman, a Los Angeles-based producer,  initiated development and served as Executive Producer on Sony’s box office hit, “The Pursuit of Happyness.” The [...]

CFA Certification Featured in Grand Rapids Business Journal

It’s getting more difficult for Compass Film Academy to fly below the radar.

The 10-year-old private vocational school, which instructs students in movie script writing and film production and is located on Fifth Street near Seward in northwest Grand Rapids, was certified in late May for Title IV financial aid from the federal government. Title IV is offered to college students through Pell grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity grants, Perkins loans and other subsidized and unsubsidized direct loans.

High School Film Camp Produces “Future Ken Burns”

Blake Cortright is all smiles. And he should be. Because it’s almost unheard of for a 16-year-old to produce a documentary and have it air on PBS television. Blake took the skills he learned from Compass Film Academy’s Summer Film and Acting Camps, and used them to produce The First Encampment. [...]

Compass Films Win Big at Detroit Independent Film Festival

The 2009 class of Compass Film Academy made its presence known at the Detroit Independent Film Festival this weekend with the short films “The Commandant” and “1 New Message.”
Nominated for Best Michigan Short and winning for Best Actor (Robert William Ford), “The Commandant” tells the story of three Russian soldiers hiding in Poland during World [...]

Elixir Alert

Thank you all for your support as Elixir continues to grow. We appreciate that you are sharing your thoughts on our new endeavor.
As we continue to shape the way Elixir is delivered to you, the audience, we want to keep you updated as tweaks are made. In an effort to maintain a more active and [...]

CFA Exceeds Fundraising Goal

It’s official. The numbers are in. CFA exceeded its 2009 $100,000 matching grant and raised a total of $100,140. All told, that puts Compass’ official total of funds raised at $200,140.
We’re really good at mental math.
This is good news on two fronts. First, this money allows Compass to continue pushing forward. Already several new pieces [...]

CFA Turns Filmmaking into Fundraising - Watch the Films Here!

Always willing to try something new, Compass Film Academy is creating a weekly web-series to air in conjunction with their year-end giving campaign.
The four-part series (possibly five) parodies life in and around the Academy during the final month of fundraising, and was written specifically for the alumni.
“The impetus for the whole thing was really the [...]

Title IV and the Starship Enterprise

It wasn’t long before I realized that entering the realm of Federal Title IV Student Aid mirrors the dismantling of the Starship Enterprise.
For readers unaware, Compass is currently in the early stage for approval to administer Federal student aid. This is a huge leap forward for the school, and its one that no one will [...]

CFA Shines as Co-Host of Film Office Advisory Council Luncheon

The Michigan Film Office Advisory Council (MFOAC) and a slew of Michigan’s top filmmakers enjoyed a networking luncheon hosted by CFA and the West Michigan Film Office (WMFO) in late November. The meal followed the MFOAC’s quarterly meeting held at the Crowne Plaza in Grand Rapids.
While the luncheon primarily allowed filmmakers and small businesses opportunities [...]