Overview
Application deadline: Wednesday, Oct 1st, 2025 -11:59pm [CLOSED]
In the Pritzker Pucker Studio Lab (PPSL) courses, we will creatively interrogate how mental illness/health has been represented in cinema and on TV. Students will develop a more nuanced understanding of the underlying issues and media representations and will apply these critical insights towards their own creative projects.
The next PPSL courses will be offered during the 2026 Winter and Spring quarters, with the first focusing on production and the second on post-production.
Students will develop, write, produce, direct, record and edit short individual projects that center on mental illness/health. Final projects can be 5-15 min. in length and need to be completed by the end of spring quarter. Projects will be screened publicly and students will participate in a Q+A at a culminating PPSL event at the end of Spring quarter.
Students’ short individual media projects may take any form – including fiction, documentary, animation, experimental, docu-fiction/hybrid, essay film, sound installation, multi-media performance, and more. Diversity of storytelling, perspective, form, style, genre, and even technology are all supported in this next iteration of PPSL.
The courses will meet twice a week, with one daytime class session and one evening class session. The daytime class session will focus on students’ projects and presentations, feedback sessions, discussions, workshops, and more. The evenings will be dedicated to select public events, screenings, lectures, visiting artists etc. Students are required to attend and participate in both sessions.
Project Funding
Each project will be supported by funding across two quarters that can only be applied towards project expenses. PPSL will provide detailed guidance on financial processes and paperwork.
Technical Competency
Students need to have foundational technical media-making skills to enroll and succeed in the PPSL courses.
Northwestern undergraduate students who are not RTVF majors and have not previously enrolled in the foundational RTVF 190 Media Construction course will still be considered for PPSL if they can enroll in RTVF 190 during Fall or Winter quarter. Please note that graduate students are not eligible to take RTVF 190, so will have to prove technical competency in a different manner.
Equipment Access, Crew, and Collaboration
Students will have access to equipment housed in the PPSL “mini Cage” as well as equipment from the RTVF Cage, depending on each student’s individual authorization level. Class time will be dedicated to learning equipment that is unique to the PPSL Cage. A $50 refundable deposit is required and all regular Cage policies apply. PPSL students may use their project funds to rent additional equipment from a rental house.
Each student will develop their individual short project, but collaborating and crewing on their peers’ projects is highly encouraged. The goal is to develop a supportive and collaborative environment together that encourages creative exploration. We prefer a small footprint for PPSL projects and are not able to support large scale projects.
Application Timeline and Process
Wednesday, October 1st, 2025 -11:59pm: online application deadline
Mid-October: Finalists will be selected for interviews
Oct 15-30: Interviews
Early November: Final selections for the 2026 cohort of PPSL Fellows will be announced and selected students will be issued permission numbers prior to registration.
APPLY NOW
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FAQs
Is this opportunity open to freshmen/first-years?
Alas, no, but you can apply as a sophomore, junior or senior. The good news is that you are invited to all of our public events and screenings where you can engage with our guest speakers and meet some of the current PPSL students. Please consult our events page for upcoming listings.
Is this opportunity open to graduate students?
Yes, graduate students are eligible to apply as long as they have foundational video production and post-productions skills.
Will there be comprehensive technical instruction related to all aspects of filmmaking?
The PPSL classes are intermediate-to-advanced level courses, so foundational technical competency is a pre-requisite. You should feel comfortable recording and editing your own projects. However, some class time will be set aside to learn PPSL-specific equipment and additional tech workshops can also be arranged depending on the skill level and needs of the cohort.
How psychologically challenging will this course be?
Students should be prepared to watch and discuss contemporary and historical fiction films, documentaries, experimental works, TV shows etc. that foreground mental health concerns, illness, and trauma. Some of these media art works might be difficult to watch. Please consider how viewing this material will affect you and if this is the right time for you to apply.
Students should be ready to present and discuss their own work, which includes receiving constructive feedback from instructors, visiting artists, and their peers. For students who want to tell personal, autobiographical stories, please consider if you have enough emotional distance to receive feedback on your work.
I have a completed script ready to go. Should I apply to PPSL?
If your script is finished and you’re ready to begin filming and aren’t in a place where you want feedback or additional perspectives, the PPSL course might not be the best match. The expectation of this program is that you will create a new work that is informed by what you’ll be learning about media representations of mental illness/health and that you are still open to revisions. We recommend that you apply for one of the RTVF Department’s MAG grants or one of the student group grants instead.
I want to apply to PPSL and create a film with a larger crew model. Is that doable?
Large crew model projects can’t be accommodated in the PPSL courses.
Other questions? Please email studiolab@northwestern.edu