nm below-the-line crew training programs

Over the past seven years, New Mexico has seen a significant increase in college-level training programs for film crew statewide. Starting in 2004, in an effort to raise the number of qualified crew members for New Mexico’s film and media industry, the New Mexico Film Office in collaboration with the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 480 and the Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) created the Film Technicians' Training Program (FTTP). By 2007, Central New Mexico College (CNM) in Albuquerque, Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) in Roswell, Doña Anna Community College (DACC) in Las Cruces, and Northern New Mexico College (NNMC) in El Rito had developed Film Technician Training Programs at each of their respective schools. In January 2011, Luna Community College in Las Vegas began their first semester of crew training.

These programs have provided hands-on, academic training to New Mexico residents interested in entering the physical production side of the film industry in over 100 different crafts. After an introduction to production workflow, students choose a specific craft to pursue. They then apply their new skills on short-form productions (i.e. public service announcements). Some schools may offer experience on larger projects, such as shorts and independents, under the supervision of experienced crew members. As each school administers their own program, please contact a school below for more information about a program near you:

Albuquerque
Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) (Formerly TVI)
Jim "Grubb" Graebner: (505) 280-4070 or (505) 224-3000 or jgraebner@cnm.edu

Espanola
Northern New Mexico College (NNMC), El Rito Campus
Mateo Pumphrey: (505) 747-5402 or mateo@nnmc.edu

Las Cruces
NMSU Doña Ana Community College
Lamaia Vaughn: lavaughn@nmsu.edu

Las Vegas
Luna Community College
Kenneth Bachicha: kbachicha@luna.edu or
Rand Kennedy: 505-454-2564 or rkennedy@luna.edu

Roswell
Eastern New Mexico University – Roswell (ENMUR)
Alan Trever: (575) 520-9228 or Alan.Trever@rm01.enmuros.cc.nm.us

Santa Fe
Santa Fe Community College (SFCC)
Monique Anair: (505) 428-1738 or monique.anair@sfcc.edu

For questions regarding below-the-line job positions and the NM film union, please contact IATSE Local 480: visit www.iatselocal480.com or call 505-986-9512.

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