Creative Semester France

I had such a good time on this program. The faculty were so fun to work with. They all pushed me to keep learning and trying new things while encouraging me to be more independent. I started the program wanting to experiment with light painting. None of the faculty members had a lot of experience, but a few faculty waited till it was dark and we all experimented together. The results turned out pretty cool. I also was able to experiment with new forms of cameraless photography, jewelry making, developing film, and even making a magazine. This program has helped me create a more experienced portfolio.

The Berridge Program opened my eyes to how teamwork and collaboration not only allows for converging opinions to form a creative project, but also boosts creativity. Meeting friends with similar creative interests, I could not have asked for a better environment to learn, film, and explore - especially in a foreign country. I would recommend the Berridge Gap Year program to anyone who is looking to expand their creative horizons and wants to get out of their comfort zone and learn about various creative fields in a beautiful place.

The staff and kids are really dedicated in the projects that they are working on. The food is great, the housing system is really cool. I do wish that the two houses could interact more, as each house only holds 13 students, and we did most of our socializing at night because we were so busy during the day. Overall, I learned a ton and made a bunch of new friends. You also get to be in the middle of nowhere France, which is amazing because you get real French culture and you get to get away from your day to day life. It is definitely what I would search for in a gap year experience.

Join this program if you want to come out with powerful cinematic skills. Don't think about it twice. Literally. There are programs out there that have purely technical classes, others that are just theory, etc. This program will teach you how to THINK, WRITE, and DIRECT, like a true filmmaker. They teach you the importance of imagery and emotion, while getting hands-on experience at the same time. You are dealing with genuine industry professionals that will teach you how to behave on set and ways to be successful in this industry. Completely worth it.