The Lifton Institute of Media Arts & Sciences, or LIMS, uses its full service motion picture studio in Castaic to provide hands-on training for those interested in starting a career in the production trade — including programs designed specifically for veterans.

Because of the myriad of streaming platforms and television stations now in existence, the production trade is the busiest it has been in decades, creating unique job opportunities for those with a variety of skill sets, according to Jimmy Lifton, the studio’s president.

The LIMS studio lot. Photo courtesy of LIMS.

“This is an amazing, amazing time to be in production,” he said, noting that most of his students have never been in the movie or TV industry before beginning their training. “Most people out there today have some sort of skill that can be translated to work in one of the positions in the movie industry.”

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For example, someone with a background in construction could easily translate their skills to work on set construction, and an electrician could easily work in a production’s lighting department.

Students participate in a 10-week program where they have the chance to utilize LIMS’ four-acre movie studio, six sound stages, screen room and more to create a full feature film from day one.

“We’re focused on getting people jobs,” Lifton said, “or at least certainly training them so that they can walk out onto the movie or TV set having the prerequisite skills and the confidence to go ahead and get a paid job.”

LIMS offers several new programs catered specifically to military veterans, like the VET 50 program for homeless vets and the Post-9/11 Veterans program for vets who enlisted after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

“We love all the people, but we have a real soft spot for our veterans,” Lifton said. “We work with all kinds of vets … and we help them translate and transform their skills so we can put them to work in the movie industry — and it works fantastic.”

To see the full collection of KHTS “Voice for Veterans” stories, click here. 

Lifton Institute of Media Arts & Sciences (LIMS)

27567 Fantastic Lane

Castaic, CA 91384

Toll Free: 844-433-5467

The Lifton Institute of Media Arts and Sciences, or LIMS, not only offers full-service movie studios Los Angeles filmmakers can use, but also doubles as a film production school. While LIMS students usually have never worked in the industry before, President Jimmy Lifton says that most people have skills that can be easily translated into the production trade. LIMS offers 10-week film production training and veterans job training programs designed to prepare students to go out and get a paid job on a movie or TV set.