PMA Studios is back for Spring 2027! Following an exciting inaugural semester, PMA Studios returns for Spring 2027 as a collaborative filmmaking experience where students, faculty, staff, and guest artists come together to write, produce, and direct a professional movie production. Join us as we continue the journey from creative vision to movie magic!
What is 1611: PMA Studios?
PMA Studios is a production company, a class and an event. Led by four professionals of the field, Jeffrey Palmer (Producer, Director, Documentarian), Doorim Kim (Independent Filmmaker), Warren Cross (Sound Designer), and Carolyn Michelle Smith (Actor), students will develop, cast, and shoot a short film written by one of their peers.
Students will focus on one aspect of the production but will gain knowledge of the entire process. We are looking for students interested in all aspects of movie making: Actors, Directors, Assistant Directors, Producers, Directors of Photography, Grip and Lighting, Sound, Set Design, Production Assistants, and Writers.
Important Information!
This class will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5pm – 8pm, starting Monday, January 25 and ending Friday March 26. Film Production will happen the weekends of March 12th-14th and March 19th-21st with possible additional filming on March 25th-26th. Students MUST commit to these times to participate. PMA 1611 Rehearsal and Performance: PMA Studios is a 3-credit course.
Enrollment by permission of instructor. Interested students should reach out to Professor Jeffrey Palmer (jpp237@cornell.edu).
PMA Studios Script Contest Winner
The Department of Performing and Media Arts is proud to announce the winner of the PMA Studios Script Contest.
Congratulations to Nicholas York ’27, a Performing & Media Arts major, whose script The Honeymoon has been selected as this year’s winning submission. PMA Studios is excited to bring this compelling story into production during the Spring 2027 semester.
Genre: Horror
Setting: An abandoned cabin in the woods
Time Period: Present day
Cast: Maximum of 6 speaking roles
Additional non‑speaking background extras permitted
Characters should be in their late teens to early 20s
PMA posted a Call for Actors inviting Cornell students to submit audition videos through Nov 20!
Production crew will be selected at the beginning of the course based on interests and experiences.
Stay tuned for updates as we bring "The Honeymoon" to the big screen!
PMA Studios Film Screening
Wednesday, May 5, 5:00 pm, Kiplinger Theatre
Join us as we celebrate the world premiere of The Honeymoon!
PMA Studios Faculty Spotlight
Jeffrey Palmer is an Associate Professor and an award-winning filmmaker and media artist. His first feature film, N. Scott Momaday: Words from a Bear, premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and aired nationally on the PBS series, American Masters. In 2020, the film was nominated for an Emmy. He is currently working on his second feature film Ghosts and completing a project for the Barack Obama Foundation and the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Warren Cross is a Teaching Professor and the Resident Sound Designer for the Department of Performing and Media Arts. In addition to designing sound for department productions, Warren teaches courses in Sound Design, Post Production, and Interactive Performance Technology. He attended Five Towns College for Music Technology, Manhattan School of Music for Composition, and SUNY Stony Brook for Technical Theatre. He is a designer/builder of acoustic and electronic musical instruments.
Doorim Kim is an Associate Teaching Professor and works across various media, including film, video, and animation. Her films have been showcased at prestigious festivals like the Mise-en-scène Film Festival in Korea. As the director of TOFU Studio, Doorim focuses on the interplay of image and sound, creating works that invite introspection through symbolic imagery and rich soundscapes. Her debut feature film A Whale Who Drinks a Fishbowl highlights her storytelling vision.
Carolyn Michelle Smith is a PMA Visiting Lecturer, actress, and producer from Washington, DC. She stars in Paramount+’s The Chi and the upcoming season of HBO Max's And Just Like That. Her TV credits include Russian Doll, House of Cards, and Law & Order, with film roles in He’s Way More Famous Than You and Familiar Touch. As an educator, she co-directed Lena Waithe's Hillman Grad Mentorship Lab. As a founding member of Juilliard's Black Alumni Association, she advocates for diversity and empowerment within the arts.
PMA Studios Production Team
Andrew Deppen, Production Manager
Alexa Alfonsi, Production Stage Manager
Sarah Eckert Bernstein, Teaching Professor
Randy Henderickson, Media Assistant
Fritz Bernstein, Technical Director
Tim Ostrander, Props and Paint Coordinator
Lisa Boquist, Costume Shop Manager
Savannah Relos, Assistant Technical Director
John McCall, Head Electrician
Learn more about the previous project Milkshake Kiss (Spring 2025).