Programs
Signature Programs

Institute for Film & Video Literacy

The film industry has a long-standing reputation as a men's club, and recent statistics support this claim. According to a 2016 report from the USC Institute for Diversity and Empowerment at Annenberg, two males appear onscreen in speaking roles to every one female, and female characters fill only 28.7% of all speaking roles in film. Only 18% of stories evaluated were gender balanced, with film the least likely to depict balance. Behind the camera, about 85% of directors were male and 15% were female. Women also represent only 20% of corporate boards, chief executives, and executive management teams in the film industry.
The Archer Institute for Film & Video Literacy strives to overcome these statistics by encouraging a new generation of female filmmakers.

Archer Film Festival

Archer's annual student-run festival is open to high school filmmakers in California and all girls' school students nationally. While the festival is dedicated to empowering female filmmakers, the goal is not to exclude men, but to include women. Each year, participants get the rare opportunity to screen their films at the festival and learn from high-level industry professionals at a series of panel discussions. 

Click here to visit the film festival's website.

MediaSpace

The MediaSpace opened on January 14, 2015, and it is the hub of Archer’s Institute for Film and Video Literacy program. It furthers Archer’s commitment to addressing the persistent lack of women in film and television. Designed for multiple courses to occur at once and to encourage cooperative learning across disciplines, the physical space is filled with bright colors and modern elements to nurture an active, collaborative environment.

Course Offerings

List of 2 items.

  • Film Courses

    • Filmmaking: Introduction
    • Filmmaking: Advanced

  • Media Art Courses

    • Advanced Study in Visual and Media Art
    • Media Tech: Yearbook
    • Advanced Media Tech: Yearbook Editing
    • Graphic Design
The Archer School for Girls admits students of any race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin, sexual orientation or other legally protected status to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin, sexual orientation or other legally protected status in its hiring or in the administration of its educational policies and programs, admissions policies, financial aid programs or other school-administered programs. 

The Archer School for Girls’ mission is to educate students in an environment specifically designed for girls. As such, the school will consider any candidate for admission who identifies as a girl. Once admitted to Archer, all students in good academic standing who abide by Archer’s code of conduct and who meet requirements for graduation will be eligible to receive an Archer diploma, regardless of any change in sexual identity or other legally protected status.