School of Film & Media Arts Frequently Asked Questions

A:  The School of Film & Media Arts is located in the Idea Center at Playhouse Square, 1375 Euclid Ave, Cleveland OH 44115. The school is located on the sixth floor of the building. Currently enrolled FMA students can access the school through the Euclid Entrance or the Dodge Court Entrance with their student I.D. present to scan in the Dodge Court elevator. Any outside guests must enter the school through the Euclid entrance and must sign in with security once in the building.

A: The closest parking garage that is owned and operated by Cleveland State University is the West Garage located on East 17th Street and Chester Avenue. PLEASE NOTE that the West Garage is a Green Parking Permit ONLY garage. There are other public parking lots close by the school. The nearest covered parking is the Playhouse Square Garage. Please call 216-861-0617 for info on specific day rates. The open lots surrounding the school include 1369 Chester Ave. Please call 216-621-0328 for specific day rates for this lot. Please refer to the Cleveland State Campus Map in regard to where each CSU parking lot, and additional lots are located.

A: The Euclid Ave. doors regularly open at 8 A.M. Monday through Friday. The Editing labs also open at 8 A.M. and are available to use until shortly before scheduled classes begin as well as between classes. The Euclid doors regularly lock at 6 P.M. and FMA students will not be granted access to the school without their school I.D. The editing labs are open until 8:00 P.M Monday through Thursday and until 5:00 P.M. on Friday. Students are expected to leave the building after closing time.

A: The editing labs are not typically open on the weekends but announcements will be made if extended hours are offered. Please email Rick Pitchford for all requests for special access to the editing lab outside normal hours of operation.

A: A student should fill out an FMA Idea Center Location Request Form if they are interested in using any of the rooms or spaces on the sixth floor at any time for any reason. Please fill out the request form 7 days in advance and submit it to Rick Pitchford at r.pitchford@csuohio.edu. More information is available on the Location Information page.

A: No, you may not not film anywhere else in the Idea Center without first obtaining written permission to do so. We are only one of many tenants in this building and filming elsewhere unannounced can be very bothersome to our neighbors.  Contact Rick Pitchford or Aaron Connor concerning proper procedures to request locations in or around the Idea Center building. More information is available on the Location Information page.

A: Any student interested in filming on the Cleveland State campus must contact Aaron Connor - email a.r.connor@csuohio.edu -  This will require written permission from the CSU office responsible for the location as well as from Conference Services at least 10 days in advance of the shoot. More information is available on the Location Information page.

A: The Lost and Found is located in room FM615. Additionally, items found in the computer labs may be returned to the Lab Tech desk.

A: The student printer is located in the Open Lab, FM634.

A: Please visit the IT desk located outside room FM606 or send an email to fmatech@csuohio.edu regarding any issues with the printer.

A: The School of Film and Media Arts equipment is only available for use by film students and faculty. Please refer to the FMA Equipment Cage Policy for specific details.

A: Equipment should be turned in during the time that was scheduled in WebCheckout. Any early returns will not be accepted. Also see the FMA Equipment Cage Policy.

A:  If you receive any broken equipment during check-out please notify one of the equipment cage lab-techs immediately. If any equipment breaks while you are renting it please notify the Equipment Coordinator, Katie Martin, when checking back in. Also see the FMA Equipment Cage Policy.

A: You can find out who your major advisor is by logging in to Starfish. You can also schedule a meeting with your major advisor on there as well.

A: Any questions regarding internships should be addressed to Maria Gigante. To schedule a meeting please visit her during her office hours or email her at m.f.gigante@csuohio.edu. Also see the Information for FMA Seniors page.

A: Once a month Engage CSU organizes a large guided group tour of the School of Film & Media Arts. Please visit the Engage CSU Website  to look at a calendar of when the guided tours are planned. We encourage all tours be scheduled through Engage CSU but if any pre-planned tours do not match with your schedule please email csufilm@csuohio.edu to organize a meeting or a tour outside of the regularly scheduled tours.

A: Any student interested in working at the School of Film & Media Arts can apply to be an Equipment Cage Tech, Lab Tech, Studio Tech or Odyssey Camp Counselor. Please note: With a few exceptions, students with work study scholarships are prioritized for the Cage Tech and Lab Tech positions. The Odyssey Camp Counselor position is open to students with or without work study awards.

Students who work in the Equipment Cage as a Cage Tech help students with equipment orders for all of the projects during the school year. Cage Techs specialize in understanding the ins and outs of all of the equipment we offer at the school.

Student working as Lab Techs help supervise the editing labs at the school. They help students reserve time on a computer for editing and are also available to help with any troubleshooting on the computers. Lab Techs specialize in understanding all of the editing software we offer at the school.

Studio Techs monitor the studios during the day to ensure they are clean and in proper order. They set up the studios for the various studio classes and special events.  They also work in the Prop Room, taking orders, checking props in and out and help procure new items.

The School of Film & Media Arts also offers job opportunities for student workers during the summer months with the Odyssey Program, which provides a series of overnight summer camps on filmmaking for ages 13-18. Odyssey Camp Counselors assist Camp Instructors with delivery of the film curriculum and help provide a safe and memorable experience for the campers both inside and outside the classroom.

Anyone interested in working as a Cage Tech should email the Equipment Coordinator, Katie Martin at k.martin17@csuohio.edu.  To become a Lab Tech, email Rick Pitchford at r.pitchford@csuohio.edu. For Studio Tech positions, contact Aaron Connor at a.r.connor@csuohio.edu. Inquiries about the Odyssey Program and the Odyssey Camp Counselor position can be directed to odyssey@csuohio.edu. For further information on student employment opportunities, including upcoming and additional positions, please email csufilm@csuohio.edu.

Mailing Address
Cleveland State University
School of Film & Media Arts
2121 Euclid Ave., FMA
Cleveland, OH 44115

Campus Location
Idea Center Building
1375 Euclid Ave, Suite 600

Contact Us
Phone: 216.687.5080
csufilm@csuohio.edu