Low Residency Program 

General Information

The Low Residency Program (LRP) is a week of hands-on training at the SFFS campus in San Francisco. LRP takes place every semester.  If a student is enrolled in either 101A Intro to Producing & Directing, 101B Intro to Producing & Directing, 201 Documentary Producing & Directing, 301 Commercial Producing & Directing, or 401A Advanced Producing & Directing, 401B Advanced Producing & Directing, then they are required to attend LRP. 

Students starting in a mid-semester start will not be enrolled in a production course their first semester and will not have to attend LRP that semester.   

Attendance at LRP

Attendance is mandatory for all students. This is true whether you are Local or Remote.  There are no exceptions. Students will be placed in an LRP course in Populi showing the dates when they must attend.  Students will also receive a form to RSVP for the LRP.  

Absences from LRP week are evaluated on a case by case basis for non - VA students:

• If the student is unable to attend due to medical reasons, they will need to notify the Registrar as soon as possible.  They will need to provide a statement from their Doctor and any other supporting documentation.  

• In the case of a natural disaster, the student must contact the Registrar as soon as it is safe for them to do so. 

• Family emergencies.  If something does happen that will prevent the student from attending, they need to contact the Registrar as soon as possible and provide any documentation that may be necessary. 

• For any other situation that may prevent the student from attending LRP, please contact the Registrar. 

If a student wants to change their scheduled LRP to a different week, they will first need to notify the Registrar at least two weeks prior to their LRP start date.  The student will need to provide the reason they are requesting the change.  There is no guarantee that the request will be approved. 

Not attending LRP will affect your academic standing.

VA students that do not attend LRP, please see the Veterans/Financial Aid section. 

Academic 

Participation in LRP will weigh heavily on the student’s grades for the semester. 

We are doing the LRP for a variety of reasons:

• Allows students to get to know one another to build professional relationships; 

• Students have the opportunity to crew on productions being filmed during the LRP week; 

• Project classes will be required attendance during LRP;

• The LRP is a way for all students to gain access and valuable experience using these unique resources: 

  • Hands-on audio and cinematography classes to help students hone their technical skills, 

  • Training on the school’s professional film and audio equipment,

  • Filming on the school’s sound stage and using the green screen; 

• Students have the opportunity to meet some of their instructors in person, as well as the administrators of the school. 

• If the student is a Veteran, the LRP will fulfill the  “in residency” requirement.

• Most importantly, LRP gives students an amazing chance to experience being a filmmaker in real life. 

Veterans/Financial Aid

VA students have to attend LRP week every semester at our campus to receive the "in residency" housing allowance BAH for the school zip code.  There are No Exceptions.  Unfortunately, we can not accept excuses such as (I have not received my housing payment, have no funds to travel to the LRP, I am moving, appointments that can be changed, etc.).  

The attendance to satisfy your semester "in residency" is Monday to Friday, 10 AM-5 PM.  So that means that you have to be at the campus on Monday at 9 AM to check in and attend all week, which also includes Friday until the last scheduled event for that day.  If there is nothing scheduled or an early break is given by the school, please email vets@sanfranciscofilmschool and advise of those changes right away.  We want to make sure that you get credit for attending LRP at a 100% rate.

Students must attend the designated week given by the Registrar's Office.  The only excuse for any changes of LRP week would be (medical emergencies within an allowable time.  You have to contact Tammy at the VA department with such a request and legal proof of the reason for the changes needed.  Email:  vets@sanfranciscofilmschool.edu

Once the school reports to the VA the student's absence from LRP or less than 100% attendance for the assigned week of the mandatory "in residency" requirement, the student can reach out to the VA directly and discuss any medical issues or life events. The school has no authority to approve or waive a semester LRP.   No attendance or less than 100% LRP attendance will result in adjustments made by the VA to your housing rate of the school zip code.  

Extremely important: You will have to pay back to the VA any funds that result from the adjustments due to non-attendance or not fulfilling a 100% attendance to the LRP week. 

Gear

Students at San Francisco Film School who are pursuing a degree full time will become eligible for a gear package in their second regular semester (not mid-semester) who are enrolled in 101B: Introduction to Producing & Directing.  The student will need to meet the following requirements to receive their gear:

• The student's file is reviewed after the first 30 days of the semester. To be considered in good academic standing, the student must meet the following:

  • Have an attendance rate of 70% or higher

  • Have a GPA of 2.0 or higher

• Be in good financial standing:

  • No outstanding balance due on their account

• Student must be enrolled in a Production Course to qualify for the gear package. 

If the student meets these requirements, they will receive their gear package on the last day of their 101B LRP week.  This will be in time for the student to shoot the Fiction Short (not the Montage/MOS in 101A: Intro to Producing & Directing).  

For a list of the recommended gear, please refer to the Student Intranet: Recommended Gear

Rules While Attending LRP Each Semester

Students are not allowed to film in the elevators, main lobby, or in front of the building at 155 Sansome. 

The school is open from 9 am to 5:30 pm, Monday through Friday.  Students will not be admitted to the building prior to 9 am or after 5:30 pm unless given special permission to do so. 

There is no smoking within fifty feet of the building. 

There is to be no loitering in front of the building. 

Questions

If you would like to know more, please use one of the links below to contact the correct staff member:

Veterans Affairs: vets@sanfranciscofilmschool.edu

Admissions: admissions@sanfranciscofilmschool.edu

Academic: registrar@sanfranciscofilmschool.edu

Financial Aid: finaid@sanfranciscofilmschool.edu

Gear: gear@sanfranciscofilmschool.edu 

Registrar: registrar@sanfranciscofilmschool.edu