Media & Film Studies | Skidmore College

Media and film studies explores the images, stories, technologies, and communication systems that shape contemporary life. Study film, documentary, photography, digital art, animation, and other forms of media while developing the skills needed to understand and engage with today's media landscape.

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At Skidmore, we see media and film not just as a potential career path but as a way of thinking, seeing, and knowing — in true liberal arts fashion. Combine critical inquiry with creative practice as you study both the cultural impact and creative possibilities of media with faculty who bring deep knowledge in a wide variety of disciplines.

What will you learn?

From comic books, sports cinema, and Asian pop to visual sociology, photography, and documentary studies, you’ll explore media from multiple angles. Drawing on approaches from sociology, history, anthropology, and critical theory, examine how media shapes culture, representation, and power while gaining new perspectives that complement a wide range of majors.

Where will you go?

A minor in media and film studies pairs easily with many of Skidmore’s majors and helps prepare students for work in fields such as film, journalism, marketing, design, arts and culture, digital media, and more.

Career paths	Recent employers	Graduate schools and programs
Arts administrator Brand manager Creative director Filmmaker Graphic designer Marketing strategist Media producer Multimedia journalist Web developer	A&E Networks American Academy of Arts and Letters Area 23 Boston Children's Hospital CNN FX Hearst Media New Era Creative Space	Penn State University School of Visual Arts University of California, Santa Barbara

Jonah Cadorette kneels on a log holding an axe in a wooded area.

Put storytelling into practice

Through collaboration with MDOCS and access to the DOCLab production and post-production workspace, students can apply their learning through hands-on projects and community partnerships. For Jonah Cadorette ’26, that meant partnering with the Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Community on a cultural preservation initiative.

Hear Jonah's story

A student looks into a camera on a tripod

Why study media and film at Skidmore?

Max Restifo-Bernstein ’25 says Skidmore gave him the resources, creative freedom, and opportunities he needed to grow as a storyteller. Through the minor, Max developed technical skills while learning how to create thoughtful, compelling work.

Hear Max's story

Learn from those who've done it.

Acclaimed screenwriter Stuart Zicherman ’90 — whose credits include FX's “The Americans,” Apple TV+'s “The Shrink Next Door,” and Showtime's “The Affair” — is one of many Skidmore alumni who stay connected to the College as mentors. Through relationships like these, media and film studies students gain valuable career insights into working in film, television, and other media.

Faculty

Scholars. Storytellers. Media makers.

Meet your professors

Contact Media & Film Studies

Office

Tisch Learning Center

Program Director

Paul Benzon
Assistant Professor of English
pbenzon@skidmore.edu

Administrative Assistant

Beth Miller
bmiller@skidmore.edu