FILM 702 The Context of Filmmaking
Current and historical ideologies and issues are explored relative to their potential for filmmakers' objectives. Critical issues of concern in contemporary society are integral to the topics.

FILM 704 Producing for Film and Television
This course examines the creative, organizational and managerial roles of the producer in narrative and non-narrative genres. Special attention is given to the challenges that face producers, directors, writers and production managers. Topics include feature filmmaking, independent production, television programming, financing and distribution, and the collaborative process. Students are expected to break down, schedule and budget a feature film.

FILM 709 Sound Design
This course offers an advanced examination of sound design technologies and techniques employed in audio-for-video production, as well as a critical exploration of sound aesthetics for scoring images. Students receive training in all phases of analog and digital sound recording, multitrack mixing and mastering. Students work on the digital audio workstation, which combines hard disc recording with editing tools, digital signal processing and high resolution digital mixing.

FILM 713 Directing for Film and Television
This course focuses on the theoretical and aesthetic challenges faced by the director. Students screen and discuss selected films, analyzing specific issues related to framing, screen direction and camera placement. Strategies for preparing actors, character development and casting are addressed through a survey of various schools of acting theory. Workshops provide students with practical experience in staging dramatic narrative scenes. This hands-on experience emphasizes dialogue analysis, dramatic script content and shot design. The course is conducted in a collaborative environment to reflect the director-actor working relationship.

FILM 717 Postproduction
This course explores current postproduction techniques, combining analysis of editing styles with an examination of editing technology. The philosophy of edit decisions and the management of edit decision lists are developed through a series of exercises and assignments. Emphasis is placed on editing for maximum time and budget efficiency.

FILM 723 Writing for Screen
This course prepares students to write scripts for a variety of film and television formats. Lectures and writing exercises introduce students to basic script format and the principles of story creation, character evolution, and dialogue and plot construction. Students apply this understanding to the development of the shooting script and learn how scene development, lighting and space, the interaction of plot and character, and other aspects of filmmaking are integral to the screenwriting process. Students are expected to write several short scripts and at least one feature film script.

FILM 727 Cinematography
This course introduces students to the art and craft of motion picture photography, making distinctions between cinematography and videography, including their unique preproduction and postproduction concerns. Students are expected to build on their knowledge of videography and apply their skills to cinematography. Students are introduced to the practical operations of a variety of 16mm and 35mm film cameras. The technical concerns of various media, such as lighting for film, emulsion sensitometry and on-set procedures, are emphasized. A strong focus is placed on the aesthetics of film as a means of visual expression.

FILM 732 Field Production
An in-depth examination of field production techniques, this course combines hands-on shooting experience with analysis of in-class screenings. Students are expected to solve creatively and effectively the common problems of scheduling, budgeting and managing personnel in a variety of field production situations. Emphasis is placed on developing a personal directing style.

FILM 747 Graduate Seminar in Film and Television
This special topics course examines issues critical to the film and television profession. The focus of the course varies each term.

FILM 748 Film and Television M.A. Final Project
All M.A. students in film and television are required to develop and complete a final, comprehensive project. The project represents the culmination of the student's progress throughout the program and must constitute a mature and professional body of work.

FILM 753 International Video Seminar
In this course, students are directed to produce a videotape using the architectural and natural backdrops of foreign locations. Students are expected to use the footage to produce a sample reel.

FILM 759 Advanced Production Technologies
This advanced production course focuses on different areas of production technology such as Steadicam and dolly. Prerequisites: FILM 709, FILM 717, FILM 732.

FILM 760 Producing Interactive Television
In this course, students explore the use of computer interactive technology that combines text and hypertext, digital audio and sound design, digital film and television, 2-D and 3-D computer animation, graphics and interactive programming for CD-ROM, DVD and Internet publication.

FILM 761 Television and Society
This course explores the cultural, sociological and political relationship between television and American society. The course defines a variety of theoretical perspectives to assess the role of television as a cultural agent.

FILM 762 Writing for Television
This in-depth analysis of writing for television is designed to increase competence in media literacy through the analysis of television writing styles and practice in the scriptwriting process.

FILM 764 Critical Concepts in Media
In this course, students learn to approach time-based (specifically film and television) media from an in-depth and comprehensive theoretical and critical perspective. While this course covers established critical traditions such as semiotics, gender theory and postmodernism, students are expected to research and foster an understanding of important new areas of study (film audiences and reception, the digital revolution, identity politics) and how they pertain to students' work. Students are required to demonstrate in a series of class projects a theoretical and conceptual understanding of their media of choice.

FILM 766 Commercial Production for Television
This course is designed to help students understand the art of advertising commercial products. Each student writes, produces and directs advertising spots targeted to local and national television. The course can be used to fulfill the Seminar in Film and Television requirement. Prerequisite: FILM 709.

FILM 767 Digital Cinematography
This course enhances the collaboration between the director and digital cinematographer. Particular topics of emphasis are lighting and composition of the digital moving image, visual storytelling, and unification of the film and digital video. Prerequisite: FILM 727.

FILM 768 Directing Actors
This course emphasizes a variety of topics relating to facets of the art and craft of directing actors. Through individual projects, academic research and screenings of renowned screen, stage and television directors' work, this in-depth practicum allows students to accomplish the casting, mounting and realization of a sequence from a feature screenplay focusing on character, sequence and their relationship to the camera composition. Prerequisite: FILM 713.

FILM 769 The Television Pilot
In this course, students are introduced to the design and creation of the television pilot. They study the latest trends in TV programming, both network and cable, and survey the history of network and cable television. Drama, comedy and reality genres are analyzed. As the culmination of the course, students create and write a television pilot. Prerequisite: FILM 723.

FILM 770 Film and Television Professional Development
This course provides the opportunity for film and television students to develop and design publicity materials including program descriptions, publicity stills and news releases to publicize various accomplishments. Students develop an understanding of distribution practices and various computer networks and service providers, on publicity and professional advancement opportunities. Prerequisites: FILM 709, FILM 717, FILM 732.

FILM 780 Special Topics in Film and Television
This elective course provides an opportunity for students to focus on particular issues in the field of film and television or to study advanced techniques and processes. Faculty, course content and prerequisites vary each time the course is offered. The course may include lectures, discussions, individual projects and critiques, depending on the nature of the topic.

FILM 787 Film and Television M.F.A. Thesis Preproduction
This course focuses on the preparation phase of film and television thesis work; it is designed to guide graduate students through the stages of preproduction including concept pitching, story development, scriptwriting, budgeting, scheduling, storyboarding, photo-scripting, crewing, casting and advanced production planning.

FILM 790 Film and Television M.F.A. Thesis
As the culmination of the M.F.A. experience in the film and television department, the thesis is designed to demonstrate a mastery of the skills required to produce professional film and television programming. The visual component of the thesis consists of a completed film and television program, accompanied by appropriate supporting material as outlined in a written contractual agreement between the student and the thesis adviser.