This 20-month immersive program will blend hands-on coursework with mentorship and apprenticeship opportunities, led by industry professionals from the entertainment industry. Students will have the opportunity to learn from renowned industry professionals who are at the heart of entertainment, as well as expert Otis College faculty.
Courses for the certificate program take place across four terms at Otis College and features capstone projects. Students attend classes each day for approximately six hours and can choose from two concentration areas including design and editing.
What You’ll Learn About the Entertainment Marketing Industry
Entertainment marketing is a specialized field that blends storytelling with client services. Unlike film production, which focuses on creating a singular, original work, entertainment marketing involves innovation to engage audiences using dynamic posters, billboards, trailers, products, and social and community engagement. Entertainment marketing blends data analytics, like trend analysis and demographic data while successfully capturing the filmmaker’s vision through creative content that hooks audiences and promotes brands. This program offers a unique opportunity to understand and contribute to the process of forming marketing campaigns used by major studios and creative agencies around the world to promote TV, movies, music, and other immersive entertainment experiences.
Program Sequence
Students take coursework specific to one of two tracks, Design or Editing. Courses teach digital skills and techniques, conceptualization and research, and employing foundational concepts of design and storytelling through producing artwork. In addition, students establish knowledge required for writing clear and effective communications to articulate visual and conceptual ideas.
Students advance skills and knowledge with focus on applying craft and individualized aesthetic and conceptual approaches to visual communications. They dig deeper into the processes of execution, including creative briefs and trailers. Additional coursework teaches the business of design, strategy, and writing.
In this culminating term, students refine their skills crucial to industry workflows, They build on prior knowledge developed in Terms 1-3 to serve advanced execution of projects through finessing skills and techniques. Through the capstone project, they collaborate in a multidisciplinary team to develop a comprehensive campaign, including visual design, illustrations, and audiovisual content.
Industry Guidance
Through instruction, guest speakers, and critiques, students receive ongoing critical feedback which provides guidance towards refining and completing projects.
Mentorship Program
The goal of the mentoring program is to nurture, teach, guide, develop, and prepare students to work in the entertainment marketing industry while supporting their academic experience at Otis College. Through one-on-one meetings, the mentor shares experiences, insights, and feedback that guide students through the curriculum learning objectives, and uncover key opportunities or potential obstacles for their personal and professional development.
Agency Immersion
Through site visits to creative agencies, students have the opportunity to meet working professionals, gain knowledge, and gain awareness of industry, and exposure to available agency roles.
Growth and Guidance
The Growth & Guidance Series is a curated collection of workshops, panels, and coaching designed to support the personal and professional development of students in the ACCESS program.
Led by creative professionals, coaches, and industry leaders, the series helps students build self-awareness, strengthen their communication skills, and navigate the realities of creative work with confidence.
The goal: to prepare students not just to enter the industry — but to thrive in it, with a strong sense of who they are, how they work, and what they need to grow.
Capstone Project
Students will work closely with an assigned industry mentor as they develop their capstone projects, with ongoing guidance throughout the program in areas such as critical thinking skills, professional guidelines for analyzing campaigns, communication, and presenting a career toolkit. Students will complete professional products including a finished portfolio, resume, and interview materials to be used towards an apprenticeship/job application process.