BATON ROUGE — LSU's film and television program is expanding to meet the needs of the Louisiana entertainment workforce.

Louisiana Economic Development gave the program $200,000 to add a full-time new faculty member to take on more students and train them in traditional film techniques.

LSU's Digital Art Professor Jason Jamerson said by adding a new teacher there will be more specific courses available to students.

"We're going to offer another one. We're going to also offer cinematography. We're going to offer film sound. We're able to get specific and the students will be able to get more high-end and really specific training and get a job after their time here," Jamerson said.

This is the second grant that the school received from LED. In 2021, the school received a five-year $1.25 million grant to create its virtual production program.

Jamerson said by expanding this program, more students will be able to take on more jobs in the state's film industry.

"So our hope is that we can represent the heart of students coming from high school, going through training, to work creatively and build their lives around that and to serve the film industry that's already here in Louisiana," Jamerson said.

Students in LSU's production program are excited to use the new technologies the funding will bring to the university.

"This is just a whole new horizon that you can add to your belt," Shelby Scianneaus, a student, said.