Education
Rapid Training Courses Offered at Highlands College
The training will take place at Highlands College, 25 Basin Creek Road, on August 13 - 14, 2022.
This will be the first time a film and media Rapid Training course will be offered in Butte. The classes will enable Montanans to quickly gain the skills needed for employment in the state's fast-growing film and media industry.
"Highlands College is excited to work with Accelerate MT to support film productions coming to Butte," Dean of Highlands College Karen VanDaveer said. "This rapid training course gives community members an opportunity for employment within the film production industry. This partnership exemplifies a community and industry working together to make a positive impact."
"After more than 11 years in the film industry here, I wanted to see more Montanans hired onto film sets and able to take advantage of this growing industry in our state. So, I launched the Media Training Center to create the opportunity for a film set Rapid Training Courses," Lynn-Wood Fields, CEO of Media Training Center and Coordinator for Accelerate Montana, stated. "I am beyond excited to partner with Highlands College, Accelerate Montana, and the community of Butte on August 13 & 14 with the introduction of these courses."
There will be three courses offered over what should be a busy weekend. The first, "Introduction to Production," is a two-day course focusing on the training needed to become a Production Assistant and examining the film lingo, equipment names, paperwork, and walkie-talkie protocol. The two-day course will run from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. On Sunday, trainees will be able to shadow a camera team as they film video materials and get hands-on experience. The cost is $100.
The second course offering is the "COVID Compliance Officer (CCO)" training. The COVID-19 Compliance Officer (CCO) is a new position for many film and production sets and is extremely necessary and in high demand. The CCO will work with the set medic to prevent the spread of COVID-19 or other airborne diseases by using CDC-recommended measures. This half-day course is offered on Sunday, August 14, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. The cost is $75.
Any major film production requires "extras," and those filming in Montana are no exception. Therefore, the third course to be offered over the weekend is training on becoming a "Film Extra." This half-day course will be offered on Saturday, August 14, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The course will discuss how to apply, what to expect, and how to continue working as an extra. A standard rate for a single day of background work is between $100 and $200. The cost is $75.
Upon course completion, participants will receive a Course Completion Certificate. Additionally, participants will receive a link to valuable resources, including the class syllabus, examples of production company protocols, county COVID-19 guidelines, and much more. Participants will be given the opportunity to be listed in the Media Training Center database, a well-used resource for productions filming in Montana that need to source talent.
To lower the bar to entry, trainee scholarships are available from Career Futures, depending on eligibility.
“The goal of Career Future is to get work for families, and this is a perfect opportunity,” Executive Director of Career Futures, Inc. Sarah De Money said. “We are here to help promote our community. We are thrilled to help recruit and work with businesses to help acquire talented individuals in Butte and our surrounding counties representing a melting pot of cultures in Montana."
To register for the courses, please visit: mediatrainingcenter.co
Contact Lynn-Wood Fields for questions: lynnwood.fields@mso.umt.edu
Contact: Career Futures at 406-723-9101.
