From Rochester to LA, student maximizes experience as film student

Over the last year, RIT’s School of Film and Animation has steadily climbed prominent rankings that highlight top film schools in the country. 

For Carson Munn ’26 (film and animation BFA - production option), the recognition from the likes of Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and TheWrap further confirmed the school’s qualities that stood out during his college search. 

“From the beginning, I knew RIT was the school for me,” the Amsterdam, N.Y., native said. “I wanted to go to a university where I could leave with confidence and stability as I went about my career search before and after graduation. I have no doubts I will graduate from RIT with the proper skills because every person I’ve talked to says RIT is one of the best schools in the world.”

“But most importantly,” he added. “I know my professors and counselors will support and guide me throughout my career journey.”

While visiting RIT as a high schooler, Munn was inspired by the state-of-the-art filmmaking and digital media resources inside MAGIC Spell Studios. With 52,000 square feet of creative splendor, MAGIC sports a large soundstage with virtual production technology, sound mixing and color correction suites, animation labs and much more. 

“As students, we have access to a plethora of industry-standard equipment at no cost, and I fell in love with the sense of community that the School of Film and Animation brings to its students,” Munn said. “The staff and faculty are all very welcoming and supportive of our ambitions as film students.”

As someone with hearing loss, Munn also appreciates the offerings of RIT’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf and the bonds he formed within the university’s Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community. 

“NTID provides me with accommodations in my classes (like real-time captioning) that no other college would have been able to give me,” Munn said. “NTID also allows me to connect with other Deaf and hard-of-hearing students inside and outside of my major. I have made countless friends throughout my time here.”

‌

Carlos Ortiz

Munn, in the clubhouse of a Burbank, Calif. apartment complex, takes a break from his classes and the professional networking opportunities available through the RIT in LA study-away program. 

Last fall, Munn enrolled in the RIT in LA study-away program, which enables students to spend a semester exploring the entertainment industry in Los Angeles through classes, networking, co-ops and internships, studio visits and other excursions. 

Munn interned at production studio Echobend while in LA, focusing on post-production work. He interacted with editors, producers and directors while cutting short trailers and interviews for the company’s website. 

“I was taught a whole new post-production workflow that I wasn’t familiar with,” Munn said. “It changed completely how I edit my videos, being more organized and developing additional shortcuts to increase my proficiency as an editor. I got to see first-hand what working in the film industry is like outside of college. It was truly an experience I thought I never would have had.”

Munn has set his career sights on editing and post-production, an aspiration he realized in his Production Processes class, affectionately known as “P2.” 

The class teaches the foundations and intricacies of various roles on a film set — from directing to sound mixing to lighting to set design. The wide exposure to different positions gave Munn the direction he was seeking. 

“In a nutshell, P2 is basically film boot camp,” Munn said. “The class was extremely helpful for me as I was unsure what I wanted to focus on. "It taught me that although I appreciate the collaborative atmosphere on set, I've found that I enjoy post-production the most, crafting stories through editing. It allows you to discover what your strengths and weaknesses are and I think that is important.”