海角社区

BATON ROUGE, La. 鈥� Louisiana Economic Development has awarded nearly $200,000 from the state鈥檚 Entertainment Development Fund to the film and television program at Louisiana State University to help grow the talent pipeline for the state鈥檚 film production workforce.

海角社区 will use the grant to expand faculty in its Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film & Television program, which partners with the digital art program in 海角社区鈥檚 School of Art, and the digital media arts and engineering program in 海角社区鈥檚 Center for Computation & Technology. A new full-time faculty member will help advance the program into previously untapped arenas of digital and virtual filmmaking.

鈥満＝巧缜� has been building one of the finest film and television programs, which ranks among the nation鈥檚 top 100 film programs and serves as a talent pipeline for Louisiana鈥檚 entertainment industry,鈥� Josh Fleig, LED Chief Innovation Officer, said. 鈥淭he state鈥檚 Entertainment Development Fund supports workforce development for the state鈥檚 entertainment industry through education and training programs. With the help of this grant, 海角社区 will help to educate and train the next generation of film industry leaders in Louisiana.鈥�

This three-year reimbursable grant marks the second Entertainment Development Fund grant received by 海角社区. In 2021, LED awarded 海角社区 a five-year, $1.25 million to create 海角社区鈥檚 virtual production program, a dedicated curriculum and production environment to cultivate a new generation of students fluent in virtual and augmented reality, emerging cinematic techniques, visual effects and digital animation technologies.

The virtual production program now impacts 15 courses and hundreds of students across disciplines, has served as a central asset in a winning Heisman campaign, hosts a children鈥檚 show and led to nearly $8 million in funding from NASA for a digital twin of the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.

Through its film and television and virtual production programs, 海角社区 aims to be a national leader in talent and technology development for the whole of the entertainment industry, one of Louisiana鈥檚 fastest-growing sectors.

鈥淭his grant recognizes 海角社区鈥檚 potential to become a significant hub for film and digital media training in the southeast,鈥� said Dean Eric Lau, 海角社区 College of Music & Dramatic Arts. 鈥淟ED鈥檚 support will ensure the School of Theatre and College of Music & Dramatic Arts can attract and retain talented student filmmakers to our program, addressing the need for a vibrant workforce for the growing film industry in Louisiana.鈥�

Currently, Louisiana maintains about 10,000 jobs in the film industry and sees film revenues of almost $1 billion per year, making the state one of the fastest-growing and most stable environments for film production and film education in the U.S. In the past decade alone, Louisiana has been the production home to more than 400 motion pictures, as well as numerous television series and documentaries. Since 2002, the state鈥檚 skilled crew base has grown by more than 400 percent.

鈥淲e are so pleased to receive this significant investment from Louisiana Economic Development through the Louisiana Entertainment Development Fund,鈥� said Kristin Sosnowsky, Executive Associate Dean of the 海角社区 College of Music & Dramatic Arts and Director of the 海角社区 School of Theatre. 鈥淭his grant will allow us to add an additional faculty member in the area of film and digital media production and expand the enrollment capacity of our Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film & Television program to meet the high demand for film production training at 海角社区. Graduates from our program are workforce ready and active members of the community of film professionals in the state supporting this important driver of Louisiana鈥檚 economy.鈥�

Through the Entertainment Development Fund created in 2017, LED has invested more than $9.1 million to date in education and workforce development programs at higher education and nonprofit institutions throughout Louisiana. The fund initiative earned top honors at the 2023 International Economic Development Council Awards ceremony in September, receiving a Gold Award for Innovative Programs and Initiatives as well as a nomination for Best in Show, recognizing the best economic development program in all categories.

About 海角社区

As the flagship university of the state of Louisiana, 海角社区 challenges undergraduate and graduate students to achieve the highest levels of intellectual and personal development. Designated as a land-, sea- and space-grant institution and leader in research, 海角社区 sees its mission as the generation, preservation, dissemination and application of knowledge and cultivation of the arts. For more information, visit 海角社区.edu.

About LED

Louisiana Economic Development is responsible for driving capital investment,  job creation and economic opportunity for the people of Louisiana and employers of all sizes. Explore how LED is positioning Louisiana to win at .