Frequently Asked Questions

How can I join TTV?

There are a couple ways to get involved at TTV. Anyone can join our Discord and attend our weekly meetings (Wednesdays at 6pm). These are a great way to find out about film opportunities on campus, get to know the film community at UCSD, and—if you’re working on a film of your own—to find a cast/crew.

If you’re looking to get direct access to training and equipment, we take applications for our training programs during Fall and Winter Quarter. We offer a two-quarter internship (no experience required) and an accelerated one-quarter junior producer program for those with prior experience. Once you successfully finish a program, you’ll become an official TTV producer and will have the ability to check out equipment from our inventory.

Our training programs are open to all undergraduate UCSD students—regardless of year or major.

How many interns do you take? What does the internship workload look like?

Historically we get around 70-80 applicants, selecting 20 interns and 10 junior producers. In our most recent cycle, we got nearly 100 applicants and expanded to 28 interns and 14 junior producers. 

The internship lasts two quarters. In your first quarter you’ll go to weekly intern lessons (~2 hours and work on a small-scale short film. In your second quarter you’ll work in a group with other interns to create a larger-scale project.

If you have prior experience in film, we strongly recommend applying to both our intern and junior producer programs to maximize your chances at getting accepted. Junior producers have fewer lessons; most of their work is independently scheduled.

What happens after the internship?

Completion of a training program will grant you producer status. Producers can check out equipment from us to freely use for their own projects.

Producers can apply to be senior producers. Senior producers act as mentors to our interns and get several perks including

  • Access to our most delicate/specialized equipment

  • Priority when selecting media coverage teams for our most in demand events (like Sun God)

  • Exclusive (free) merch

  • Special social events

Senior producers are selected based on a mix of factors, but the two biggest are

  1. Level of involvement/activity in TTV

  2. Are they responsible enough that we can entrust them with a new member?

The admin team are the most involved members of TTV. Applications open in Spring, however there is a strict limit on how many admin positions there are (whereas there is theoretically no limit on how many senior producers we can take).

Do I need to pay to be a member?

No! There are no quarterly or annual fees. All of our events are free to UCSD students.

Members who complete one of our training programs can rent out our equipment for free. The only time you would be charged would be if it is returned damaged (especially if it is knowingly undisclosed).

What is GBM? What other events do you hold?

GBM stands for our General Body Meeting. We hold one every Wednesday at 6pm 

Open to anyone, they are a great way to get involved with the UCSD Film Community. You can meet new people, screen your work for feedback, recruit for cast/crew, and find out about local opportunities in film! If you’re unable to attend, we always post notes from GBM onto our Discord.

We hold events throughout the quarter. Some are weekly (like Writers’ Room), some are monthly (like Game Night), and some are more special (like Open Studio or the 48 Hour Film Festival).

What is the Film Festival?

We run the New Wave Film Festival (formerly known as the UCSD Film Festival). Submissions are free for UCSD undergraduate students and close around mid-March. The festival is held in late April. Winners are announced at the end. Past prizes have included equipment, gift cards, and cash money.

There are four categories: narrative, documentary, experimental, and animation. Our past sponsors have included Nikon, George’s Camera, Prism Lens Fx, and Canon.

Are there any on campus opportunities?

Yes! Most of our events (and the events organized by our frequent collaborators SICCA) take place on campus! Any that aren’t (like our end-of-year showcase) are accessible via public transit.

Most of the student productions we work with film on campus. Any that don’t will usually arrange transportation for cast/crew.

How can I check out equipment?

Only TTV producers (members who have graduated from one of our training programs) may checkout TTV equipment. For more information on equipment checkouts, see this guide