THE FILM/TELEVISION DEPARTMENT in the Creative Arts Division at De Anza College is the largest and most successful film/television department in the entire California Community College system. Over 1,000 students are enrolled each quarter in 27 course offerings in film and video remote and studio production, screenwriting, animation, and media studies.
Housed in De Anza's new Advanced Technology Center, the Film and Television Department offers a comprehensive curriculum taught by an experienced, dedicated faculty. Teaching is career-path oriented. Students prepare to enter the film, video, animation and entertainment profession by learning fundamental concepts, gained through hands-on experience using a wide variety of film, video and electronic equipment in the context of the rich historical production tradition and aesthetic foundations of world entertainment media.
Established in 1974 by coordinator Zaki Lisha, the Film and Television Department remains committed to change and innovation. Faculty keep abreast of cutting-edge developments in the field through regular contact with the motion picture and video industry, professional alumni, local film commissions, and the art house, film exhibition and film festival circuits.
More complete information of the animation emphasis in the program can be accessed by clicking Animation
Our students have launched successful film and television careers and have produced award-winning television programs, films and animations.
De Anza film and television students have won more Student Academy Awards, Emmy Awards and Focus awards than students at any two-year school in the nation. Within the last decade, our students have won 2 Student Academy Awards, 3 Cine Golden Eagles, 4 Rochester Institute awards, 1 Silver Eagle and 2 Emmys. Student projects have been exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, New York Film Festival, Los Angeles International Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, USA Film Festival, Bilbao Festival, Waterloo Festival, Cinequest, San Jose Joey Awards, MTV and Liquid TV. Five of our students' productions have been chosen for the Tournee of Animation and Spike and Mike animation anthologies.
Former and current students are now working at Warner Bros., Pacific Data Images, Lucasfilm, Pacific Media, Sony, Colossal Pictures and Silicon Graphics Media Center. We count over 125 recent De Anza students working in the electronic games industry., and many have their own production companies. Numerous former students have achieved major studio or independent film careers in southern California.
Eric Luke - director/screenwriter
Joe Murray - filmmaker/animator
Vance Piper - cinematographer
David Casci - filmmaker/screenwriter
Al Hernandez - experimental filmmaker
Peg McClure Moudy - animator
John Dorst - video coordinator, PDI
Jason Kaufman - model maker, Sony Studios
Chris Clement - producer, TVA
James Marlowe - line producer, NBC
Mark Morris - producer, NFL Films
Will Santa Cruz - screenwriter
Rob and Rod Myers - filmmakers
Elizabeth Bartfai - filmmaker
Ross Guidice - filmmaker
Chris Spain - filmmaker/screenwriter
Program inquiries may be made of all of the full-time faculty or directed to:
Zaki Lisha, Program Coordinator
phone: (408) 864-8519
email: lishazaki@deanza.edu
De Anza College Inquiries: Visit De Anza home page or the Creative Arts Division website
Creative Arts Division
21250 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Cupertino, California 95014
(408) 864-8832
FAX: (408) 864-8492