LMU School of Film and Television

What LMU School of Film and Television does

LMU School of Film and Television (SFTV) is an academic unit within Loyola Marymount University, a private Jesuit institution headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Founded as a formal school in 1986, SFTV enrolled 1,164 students as of the most recent disclosure (910 undergraduate and 254 graduate), supported by a 9:1 student-to-teacher ratio. It offers six undergraduate programs (Animation, Film and Television Production, Film/TV/Media Studies, Recording Arts, Screenwriting, and Study Abroad) and graduate MFA programs in Film and Television Production, Writing and Producing for Television, Writing for the Screen, plus an Entertainment Leadership and Management program cross-listed with LMU's College of Business Administration. SFTV is currently ranked the #5 film school in the nation by The Wrap (2024).

The school's core technology and facilities footprint is concentrated on professional film, audio, and animation production rather than on a proprietary software or data platform. SFTV operates two Los Angeles-area campuses: the Westchester main campus (One LMU Drive, approximately four miles north of LAX) and the Playa Vista campus in Silicon Beach (12105 E. Waterfront Drive), with the Howard B. Fitzpatrick Pavilion having opened at Westchester in Fall 2021. Equipment includes Sony Venice 2 and Arri Alexa Mini cameras, Zeiss/Canon/Panavision/Laowa cinema lens collections, Avid S6 audio consoles, and the Walter and Grace Lantz Animation Lab with 53 workstations and virtual cinematography/motion capture capability. Production sound facilities include ADR/Foley suites, mix rooms, and a music recording studio with an API Legacy+ console.

SFTV's revenue model is tuition-driven as a non-profit academic unit. Revenue streams include undergraduate and graduate tuition and fees, alumni donations through the "Giving to SFTV" program, and industry-internship partnerships with more than 400 companies including Netflix, HBO, Disney, Nickelodeon, and DreamWorks. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via application portals, campus tours of both campuses, virtual information sessions, and industry events. SFTV has no publicly disclosed financials, no external venture capital, and no product API or software integrations; its strategic positioning is anchored on Los Angeles location, faculty of industry professionals, alumni outcomes, and a 15-year partnership with The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program.

Name

LMU School of Film and Television

Legal name

Loyola Marymount University - School of Film and Television

Website

https://sftv.lmu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LMU School of Film and Television is a private Jesuit film school in Los Angeles serving 1,164 undergraduate and graduate students through programs in production, screenwriting, animation, recording arts, and media studies, anchored by a Top 5 national ranking and 400+ industry internship partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film and Television Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAJAE

Film, Television & Media Arts Colleges

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Arts, Music & Design Colleges

SECONDARYEDAGAEAB

Higher Education Digital Courseware & Modules

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Digital Learning Content & eLearning Modules

SECONDARYMPAJABAH

Educational Digital Courseware & Learning Platforms (LMS-Integrated)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Educational & Academic Publishing (Textbooks, Scholarly, STM)

SECONDARYMPADADAL

Educational & Instructional Nonfiction

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Documentary & Nonfiction Production

SECONDARYEDAGALAB

Higher Education Lecture Capture & Course Media

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Educational Media & Multimedia (Video, Audio, Interactive)

Keywords

• Film school education
• Screenwriting programs
• Animation degree programs
• Recording arts training
• Film production courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue generated from undergraduate and graduate tuition, including program-specific fees for production courses, lab fees, and equipment insurance fees.
2. Alumni Donations and Giving: Revenue from alumni donations through the Giving to SFTV program, supporting scholarships, facilities, and program development.
3. Internship Program Partnerships: Industry partnerships with 400+ companies creating internship opportunities that strengthen industry relationships and career pathways for students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

LMU School of Film and Television delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in film, television, animation, screenwriting, recording arts, and media studies. Programs combine classroom instruction with hands-on production experience on professional-grade facilities, supplemented by internship placements with 400+ entertainment industry partners and career development events including the annual First Pitch networking showcase.

Product overview

LMU School of Film and Television offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs in film, television, and media arts. The institution provides six undergraduate programs (Animation, Film and Television Production, Film/TV/Media Studies, Recording Arts, Screenwriting, and Study Abroad Programs) and four graduate programs (Film and Television Production MFA, Writing and Producing for TV MFA, Writing for the Screen MFA, and Entertainment Leadership and Management). The school operates from state-of-the-art facilities including the Howard B. Fitzpatrick Pavilion (opened Fall 2021) with screening rooms and media labs, and the Playa Vista Campus in Silicon Beach featuring production stages, editing suites, and sound mixing facilities. The Walter and Grace Lantz Animation Lab provides specialized animation training with motion capture capabilities. Student support services include the Student Production Office (SPO), career development with 400+ internship partner companies, and the annual First Pitch networking event for graduate screenwriters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SFTV: Common abbreviation used for the School of Film and Television

Products and services

• Animation (Undergraduate Program) Undergraduate degree program covering 3D computer animation, storytelling, and animation techniques for film and media. Utilizes the Walter and Grace Lantz Animation Lab.
• Film and Television Production (Undergraduate Program) Comprehensive undergraduate production program covering directing, cinematography, editing, post-production, and producing for both fiction and documentary formats. Provides hands-on production from freshman year.
• Film, TV, and Media Studies (Undergraduate Program) Undergraduate critical studies program examining film history, theory, world cinema, and media analysis.
• Recording Arts (Undergraduate Program) Undergraduate program focused on sound design, audio engineering, music recording, post-production sound, and audio for film and television. Uses 6 audio editing rooms, 2 small ADR/Foley suites, 1 large ADR/Foley suite, 2 mix rooms, and 1 music recording studio.
• Screenwriting (Undergraduate Program) Undergraduate program covering feature film screenwriting, television writing, and storytelling for visual media.
• Film and Television Production (MFA Graduate Program) Graduate MFA program covering advanced film and television production for emerging filmmakers.
• Writing and Producing for TV (MFA Graduate Program) MFA graduate program focused on developing television writing and producing skills, culminating in the First Pitch networking event where graduates present projects to industry managers, agents, and producers.
• Writing for the Screen (MFA Graduate Program) MFA graduate program in screenwriting for film and emerging media platforms.
• Entertainment Leadership and Management (Graduate Program) MBA-focused graduate program combining entertainment industry knowledge with business management skills, delivered through the LMU College of Business Administration.
• International Documentary Minor (Study Abroad Program) One-semester study abroad program in Bonn, Germany, training students in international documentary production through partnership with FITS Europe / Academy for International Education. Includes German language preparation.
• Budapest Film Academy Program (Study Abroad) Screenwriting study abroad program in Budapest, Hungary, conducted in partnership with Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE). Located in Central Hungary, blocks from the Danube River.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400+ internship placements annually with major entertainment companies
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NetflixcoreOthersSFTV internship partner company providing career opportunities for students. Students placed with Netflix for hands-on entertainment industry experience.
• HBOcoreOthersSFTV internship partner company providing career opportunities for students. Major premium cable network offering industry experience.
• DisneycoreOthersSFTV internship partner company providing career opportunities for students. Major entertainment conglomerate offering industry experience.
• NickelodeoncoreOthersSFTV internship partner company providing career opportunities for students. Children's entertainment network offering industry experience.
• DreamWorkscoreOthersSFTV internship partner company providing career opportunities for students. Animation studio offering industry experience.
• FITS Europe / Academy for International EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFTV International Documentary Program partner in Bonn, Germany. Has been collaborating with LMU for more than 20 years. Provides semester-long rigorous production instruction for students.
• Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university for Budapest Film Academy screenwriting study abroad program. Located in the heart of Hungary's capital, blocks from the Danube River.
• The Film FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMartin Scorsese's Film Foundation partners with Il Cinema Ritrovato festival, which SFTV students attend through the Bologna, Italy summer program. Foundation works with 25+ institutions dedicated to film history, preservation, and restoration.
• Il Cinema RitrovatominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual film restoration festival in Bologna, Italy partnered with more than 25 institutions dedicated to film history, preservation, and restoration. SFTV students attend through summer program.
• THR's Women in Entertainment Mentorship ProgramminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHollywood Reporter partnership providing mentorship and full-ride scholarships to high school students. LMU has celebrated 15 years of partnership with the program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AFI Conservatory: Highly selective MFA-only film school in Los Angeles focused on cinematography, directing, editing, producing, and screenwriting. Directly comparable on curriculum and LA placement but serves only graduate students and emphasizes conservatory-style training.
• NYU Tisch School of the Arts: Premier East Coast film school offering graduate and undergraduate film, television, animation, and screenwriting programs with strong industry placement. Competes with SFTV for top applicants and faculty, but operates in New York rather than LA and is significantly larger.
• USC School of Cinematic Arts: The most directly comparable institution: a top-ranked private university film school in Los Angeles offering undergraduate and graduate programs across film production, animation, screenwriting, and interactive media. Shares SFTV's LA location, premium-facility strategy, and industry-internship model, but at materially greater scale.
• Chapman University Dodge College of Film and Media Arts: Private Southern California film school offering undergraduate and graduate programs with strong industry placement, comparable student body size, and similar premium-facility positioning. A close tier-competitor to SFTV in the Western US market.
• CalArts School of Film/Video: Private art school near Los Angeles specializing in character animation, experimental film, and film/video programs. Strong direct competitor for animation-focused applicants SFTV targets through the Lantz Animation Lab.
• Columbia University School of the Arts (Film MFA): Ivy League-affiliated MFA film program with concentrations in directing, writing, and producing. Competes with SFTV's Writing and Producing for TV and Writing for the Screen graduate programs for top-tier applicants.
• Emerson College Visual and Media Arts: Private college with film, animation, and media arts programs at undergraduate and graduate levels. Comparable in scale and program mix, though based in Boston rather than LA.
• SCAD School of Entertainment Arts: Private art and design university with strong performing arts, film, and television production programs at undergraduate and graduate levels. Comparable program mix and tuition positioning.
• UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television: Top-ranked public university film school in Los Angeles offering MFA programs in film/TV production, screenwriting, and animation. Direct competitor for in-state and out-of-state applicants who want an LA-based film education at a different price point.

Emerging players

• Full Sail University: For-profit entertainment and media arts university offering accelerated programs in film, recording arts, and animation. Adjacent competitor for price-sensitive applicants; weaker brand prestige but flexible online/on-campus formats.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lmusftv
• YouTubeyoutube.com/loyolamarymount
• Facebookfacebook.com/LMUSFTV
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lmusftv
• Instagraminstagram.com/lmusftv
• TikToktiktok.com/@loyolamarymount

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LMU School of Film and Television