Making a 16mm Film in Prague with CET and FAMU September 02, 2026
By Maria F (film and electronic arts, Bard College) - abroad from 01/15/2026 to 05/14/2026 with
CET Film Production at FAMU
I learned a lot about story development and about the whole production process for film, which makes me feel more prepared to make my senior film.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
During the first part of the program, we had a larger number of classes than American college programs, providing a great variety of resources and reflections for the development of our semester-long films. Close mentoring also was essencial to the creation of our projects, going from production to post-production consultations. After the end of classes (around half of the program), academic assistance was vital to support each group. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I never felt alone in the program and always had support from the on-site coordinators and staff to help with different needs. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My house was spacious and great for living, but also for hosting meetings with my crew. Everything worked perfectly, and it was very close to the tram stop, where we could go to the city center. |
| * Food: |
The program has no meal plan, but every housing is close to markets. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program offered Czechtivities often, where we could engage with the local culture, meeting new places and doing activities for free. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have any health problems, but all my friends who did had no problems with it. One friend in particular had a more intense health issue, and the CET staff was very attentive to her needs. |
| * Safety: |
Prague felt very safe during the day and at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
It was great to intensively learn how to make a 16mm film, with very hands-on classes. It helped me be more creative, and I would love to develop more films in that context |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
Prague has its own currency, and CET explained the best way to exchange dollars. We only had to spend money on food. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Advanced |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Try to use it in real-life scenarios, like when doing groceries. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I knew some of the story limitations (no animals, no children under 12, etc), so I could have started thinking about my pitch earlier. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
