Up and Running: Altos de Chavón’s New Film Studio!

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The Altos de Chavón School of Design’s Cinematography program that officially opened last month has already made some impressive changes within the school’s facilities. Among the plans for the new two-year program is a projection room that has recently been completed. Located in Classroom #2, the studio seats upwards of 75+ people and is an ideal area for reviewing films, classroom instruction, and lectures and presentations. Many of the events held there will also be open to the community!

Whereas space may be limited in Chavón, Carmen Lorente, Director of Special Programs for the Altos de Chavón Cultural Center Foundation, headed a project to renovate one of the classrooms along with Tanya Valette, Director of the Cinematography program, to optimize the area for film. Now with reinforced sound-proofing, the walls limit the amount of noise heard by nearby school rooms. Soon to be added are sound panels and scale-shaped ceiling tiles for better acoustics – all of the features and equipment make for professional movie quality.

The students watch a different movie every night in line with each visiting professor’s lessons. Focusing on film aesthetics, semantics, and the process of production, students follow-up screenings with in-class discussions. These 1-2 week modules from various instructors allow students not only to learn the theoretical and academic knowledge of film-making, but be put in contact with real working professionals. So far, the students have received instruction from Jaime Guerra, Nelson Carlos, Johanne Gomez, and Laura Amelia Guzman and Israel Cardenas.

The next stage of development for the Cinematography program includes the conversion of a lab space into a sound and video editing/ recording room. Currently, film students are working with analog film, 8 mm film format, that they learn to process in the dark rooms. With a synergy between the Cinematography and Fine Arts careers in Altos de Chavón, the two departments are taking time to overlap their curriculums. Film students sit in on art classrooms to learn color, composition, perspective, and visuals that are fundamental aspects for film; and likewise, art students are exposed to the nightly movies and discussions wherein their work can be part of a film’s artistic direction, set and costume design, original titles, storyboards, and more.

We can’t wait to see the creativity behind the students’ work that will have the program inviting Casa de Campo community members to the film studio in no time! All of this was made possible my two very generous donations by two private individuals. If you would like to contribute to phase two of the project, contact Carmen Lorente or Maria Elena Moré with the details below.

THE ALTOS DE CHAVÓN CULTURAL CENTER FOUNDATION The Altos de Chavón Cultural Center Foundation, located in Dominican Republic, is a non-profit cultural and educational institution. Since 1983, it has been dedicated to the creation of a multifaceted arts community that includes visual arts, crafts workshops, performing arts and teaching programs. With its other components—The Regional Museum of Archaeology, the Artists in Residence program, The Gallery, and The School of Design—The Foundation has contributed to the enrichment of the intellectual, artistic, and cultural panorama of the Dominican Republic for more than 30 years. The Foundation’s work has reached many, with impressive results. Its diverse educational and arts programs, gives Altos de Chavón the cultural dynamism that nourishes and stimulates the creativity of the designers and artists of today and tomorrow. In 2013, The Altos de Chavón Cultural Center Foundation celebrated 30 years of continuous and invaluable contributions to art and culture in the Dominican Republic giving each artist the opportunity to find their individual expression through constant research and development. Contact: Carmen Lorente, Director of Special Programs: 809.523.8011 | 809.885.0720 Maria Elena Moré, Director of Operations: 809.563.2802 | 809.330.9975

CHAVÓN | SCHOOL OF DESIGN Founded in 1983, The Altos de Chavón School of Design offers careers in applied arts in the areas of Fine Arts, Visual Communication and Fashion. This type of intensive two-year program provides the graduates with an associate degree at a technical level, which provides them with a solid education that enables participants to compete as professionals in the field of design and arts both locally and internationally. Graduates of the School of Design are eligible to transfer directly to Parsons School of Design in New York. More than 2,000 Dominicans and students from around the world have graduated from the School of Design, demonstrating that a solid background in design, parallel to an emphasis on the development of the industry is the best formula for a successful career. The highly practical and market-oriented curriculum, provides students with a unique set of skills that allows them to be easily inserted into the work environment.