Course Descriptions

FILM 100 Introduction to Film and Video Production
This course is an introduction to both 16mm and digital camera systems, and how these tools are used to tell a story visually. Students learn basic lighting, editing, and field sound recording while developing an expressive use of the medium.

FILM 101 Introduction to Video Production
This course introduces students to basic video production techniques and provides an overview of film and television theory and criticism. By combining theory and hands-on exercises, students develop the technical, analytical and critical foundations necessary in the video preproduction, production and postproduction phases. Students acquire the conceptual abilities needed to plan and execute a variety of video projects.

FILM 105 Preproduction
This course explores all aspects of preproduction planning for both film and television. Students assume the role of producer, developing production companies to take the concept from inception to completion through the development phase of the video and filmmaking process. Prerequisites: ENGL 123, and FILM 100 or MPRA 103.

FILM 106 Introduction to Screenwriting
In every facet of filmmaking, storytelling skills are critical. This class explores the elements essential to developing those skills, from concept development, to story structure and character development. Special emphasis is placed on the use of visual imagery in the storytelling process. Prerequisite: ENGL 123.

FILM 132 Lighting and Field Production Techniques
This course examines the theoretical and practical application of the production process. Students gain field production experience in lighting, filming and audio recording and also assume various roles on the production team. Field trips are conducted to a variety of locations, encompassing as many different environments as possible. Prerequisites: FILM 101, FILM 102, FILM 105.

FILM 205 Language of Cinema
In this course, students study films in order to comprehend the language of image and montage, the relationship between form and content, text and subtext. Students participate in screenings and discussion of the works of master filmmakers and innovators like Griffith, Renoir, Hitchcock, Kurosawa, Coppola, Scorsese, von Trier and many others, including less well-known filmmakers. Screenings and discussion of scenes from seminal documentaries and works that were created from a fusion of cinematic techniques and/or a mix of genres foster an examination of contrasting styles through a range of analytical approaches and cultural influences.

FILM 210 Postproduction Techniques
This course emphasizes both the technical and theoretical aspects of videotape editing. Students are provided with hands-on training and are required to produce various editing exercises, exploring many editing techniques in both narrative and nonlinear narrative contexts. Prerequisites: FILM 105, FILM 132.

FILM 215 Screenwriting
Students in this course are exposed to the core elements in screenwriting such as dramatic structure, film language, story and character development, and techniques for writing effective dialogue for the screen. Students also analyze and discuss successful screenplay mechanics as well as write their own series of short screenplays. Prerequisite: ENGL 180.

FILM 224 History of Film
The development of the motion picture medium is examined through lectures, readings and screenings of landmark works. Students are expected to analyze film as an art form, a communications tool and an entertainment source. Technological developments and sociological influences are considered, as well as the present and future directions of the medium. Prerequisite: ARTH 110.

FILM 302 Production Practicum
A hands-on-studio workshop designed to expose students to the daily preproduction operation and expectations of the Producer for a small scale film and television project from its inception to its completion. Production Practicum functions as a tangible Production Office where each student has the opportunity to take on the role as Producer for senior level student projects. Prerequisite: FILM 105.

FILM 304 Commercial Production
This course is designed to help students understand the art of advertising and the television commercial production process. Students are introduced to writing, producing and directing both local and national television spots. Prerequisites: FILM 210, SNDS 201.

FILM 305 Directing the Narrative
This course combines hands-on exercises, screenings and demonstrations of the fundamental directing skills required for visual storytelling. Students are introduced to plot development, scene continuity, dramatic motivation of talent, the main narrative models and the language of various narrative structures. Prerequisites: ENGL 180 or FILM 106, FILM 210, SNDS 201.

FILM 310 Television Comedy Writing
An analysis of historic and current trends in network and cable television comedy serves as a foundation for students to create original material, either in the comedy sketch format, the hour, or the half-hour situation comedy format. Prerequisites: ENGL 180, FILM 215.

FILM 312 Panther Dolly Seminar
This course experiments with basic camera moves inherent in the Panther Dolly system and introduces students to how the choreography of camera and actors can be integrated. The ultimate goal is to encourage and facilitate a varied use of space, camera angles and composition, thereby stretching the limits of the film and television frame. Prerequisite: FILM 132.

FILM 313 Advanced Lighting
This course advances and expands on basic video and film lighting techniques and establishes a correlation between lighting for film and television. Also covered are the technical considerations and aesthetics of lighting in both media. Students are introduced to the collaborative role of the director of photography through analytical and hands-on applications of lighting and film/electronic cinematography. Prerequisite: FILM 132.

FILM 315 Advanced Screenwriting
This course explores longer narrative forms, the documentary, and experimental story structure. Emphasis is placed on understanding commercial viability, character development, alternative concepts and treatments for narrative, shooting and revision of scripts, shot analysis, and molding an artistic vision for feature film and television productions. Prerequisite: FILM 215.

FILM 321 Advanced Field Production
This advanced course deals with complex situations experienced in typical field production. Students address camera shading, lighting and sound gathering, as well as aspects of advanced field production. Prerequisites: FILM 132, SNDS 201.

FILM 322 Advanced Postproduction
This course explores current postproduction techniques, analyzing various editing styles and examining current video technology. The philosophy of edit decisions and the management of edit decision lists are developed through exercises and assignments. Specific issues relating to aesthetics of editing, such as editing dialogue, parallel editing, and Brechtian distanciation and reflexivity, are also discussed. Prerequisites: FILM 210, SNDS 201.

FILM 323 Art Video
The technological and conceptual concerns of video art reflect and are incorporated into contemporary culture. This course introduces students to a vast range of video artists and explores the theoretical and/or political underpinnings of their work. Prerequisites: FILM 210, SNDS 201.

FILM 330 Aesthetics of Film Editing
This course addresses the discipline of film editing as an art requiring a historical perspective, a knowledge of contemporary aesthetic trends, and practical experience as well as knowledge of the technical aspects of industry standard hardware and software. This course addresses these issues in a studio setting where students screen and analyze scenes from seminal works as well as scenes of their own choosing. Scenes from an Oscar-winning film are supplied for the editing projects. Prerequisite: FILM 210.

FILM 337 Directing the Documentary
Through critical analysis and hands-on experience, students grapple with the art of documentary production. The class examines the techniques and conceptualizations of established and self-made directors. Production assignments explore documentary techniques so that students develop an understanding of nonfiction objectivity with a critical eye for and appreciation of a genre's implicit subjectivity. Prerequisites: ENGL 180, FILM 210, SNDS 201

FILM 361 Theory and Application in Film
The course provides an overview of the major theoretical and critical approaches involved in the production of time-based media and the relationship of these movements to the students' own work. Students are introduced to rudimentary critical theory and asked to apply it to their own artistic interests through a series of video ???sketches???. This class is designed for undergraduate students to develop an understanding of the content of their work through practical studio application of the themes addressed. Prerequisites: ENGL 180, FILM 210.

FILM 365 Experimental Film and Installation
This course is an investigation of alternative processes in the conceptualization, production, and exhibition of time-based media. By experimenting with both traditional and innovative methods, students approach working with the moving image as a means of artistic expression. Conceptual and theoretical issues, aesthetics, and installation-based venues of presentation are realized through the production of student work. Prerequisites: ENGL 180, FILM 210.

FILM 366 Production for Alternative Distribution
Students in this course create original work for methods of distribution other than those traditionally used by cinema and television. Special attention is given to analyzing new trends in time-based media distribution via the internet, mobile hand held devices such as cell phones and the iPod, and other emerging technologies. Prerequisite: FILM 210.

FILM 367 Directing and Producing the Music Video
Using industry standard music video production equipment, as well as pre-production, production, and post production techniques, this course is an exploration of music video production techniques and an overview of music video theory and criticism. By combining theory and hands-on exercises, students are expected to develop the technical, analytical and critical foundations necessary for all music video preproduction, production and postproduction phases. Students acquire the conceptual abilities needed to plan and execute a professional music video. Prerequisite: FILM 132.

FILM 393 Digital Cinematography
Through various exercises, students learn how digital cinematography techniques are utilized in current film and television productions. Students explore and evaluate digital image capture as executed by digital cinematographers and develop necessary digital moving image techniques essential for digital image capture. Prerequisite: FILM 132.

FILM 401 Directing Actors
This course explores the theoretical and practical considerations of the director in relationship to the multiple facets of directing actors. The course is an in-depth workshop involving casting, mounting and realization of a sequence from a screenplay emphasizing characterization and shot design. Students are introduced to basic techniques in film, television and theater acting; script and character analysis (text vs. subtext); the director's breakdown; casting actors; special skills in rehearsals; improvisation; pacing the actor's performance; and navigating multiple film performances from the ensemble perspective. Prerequisites: FILM 101, FILM 102, FILM 105, FILM 132.

FILM 403 Cinematography
This course builds on students' knowledge of video production and applies their skills to film. Students learn to load film magazines, operate film cameras and light for film. Topics of discussion include careers in film and television and the aesthetic of working with film. Students develop expertise in film processing and printing the film to tape transfer, film stocks and double system sound recording. Prerequisite: FILM 132.

FILM 408 Steadicam
This advanced production class focuses on the Steadicam, a stabilizing system designed to have the mobility and flexibility of a hand-held camera while dramatically increasing image stability. Prerequisite: FILM 132.

FILM 410 Documentary Film Preproduction
Documentary filmmakers rely on special abilities to successfully prepare their films for production. This course leads filmmakers through the development and pre-production processes as they correlate with nonfiction content, specifically the documentary. The course emphasizes preparation and writing and also addresses proposal writing, outlines, treatments and scripts. Prerequisite: FILM 337.

FILM 413 Special Topics in Film and Television
The topic of this course varies from quarter to quarter. Each seminar focuses on various issues in the field of film and television and allows students to pursue individual projects related to the subject of the course. Prerequisites: Vary according to topic.

FILM 420 The Distribution Revolution
Special attention is given to analyzing the new trends in film distribution via the internet and mobile hand-held devices. This course examines from a practical application and contemporary perspective the rapidly changing landscape of content distribution in the global marketplace. Topics include theatrical distribution, cable and television sales, simultaneous global distribution, the impact of the internet on the production, marketing and distribution of film, and the future of content distribution in all media. Prerequisite: FILM 210.

FILM 431 Film and Television Senior Project I
Students define the preproduction, production and postproduction stages of their senior projects. Emphasis is placed on analyzing the script, preparing a budget, determining a schedule, casting, identifying the target audience and deciding on a method of distribution. Students are expected to focus on very specific career goals, setting expectations and creating strategies. Prerequisite: FILM 305 or FILM 337.

FILM 432 Film and Television Senior Project II
In this course, students concentrate on the physical production of their senior project, applying their acquired knowledge of the filmmaking process and focusing on the completion of the filming component prior to ???beginning postproduction work. Experience in preproduction, scriptwriting and research, lighting, camera techniques, audio, directing, computer graphics and postproduction are utilized. Prerequisite: FILM 431.

FILM 433 Film and Television Senior Project III
This course represents the third phase of the senior project. Students focus principally on the postproduction of the final project, as well as on preparing their sample reels, solidifying career goals and determining strategies to reach them. Prerequisite: FILM 432.

FILM 453 International Video Seminar
This course allows students to produce a videotape, utilizing the architectural backdrops of Provence as a stimulus for creating unmatched footage for a sample reel. Prerequisites: FILM 101 and permission of the professor.

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 706 Screenwriting: The Short Form
Students explore the process of writing a short screenplay or screenplays suitable for production as a graduate thesis film. Lectures and writing exercises introduce students to basic script format and the principles of story creation, character evolution, dialogue and plot construction. Students apply these principles as they pitch, develop and write a short script.

FILM 707 Screenwriting
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 710 Film and Digital Media Production Technology
Students in this course acquire an understanding of the role of picture capture in regard to the entire filmmaking process, and experience the full collaborative process of making movies, including film and digital cameras, lighting for film and video, and recording location sound. In addition, focus is placed on the aesthetics of the image.

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 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 35 mm 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 728 Theory of Motion Picture Editing
The theory of motion picture editing is analyzed through both historic and contemporary films. Students screen and analyze scenes from these seminal works, and apply that knowledge by editing the dailies from an award-winning film. This course is an in-depth investigation of the theory of editing and is designed to impart a greater understanding of the art of the motion picture editor. Prerequisite: FILM 717.

FILM 729 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 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 757 Advanced Postproduction
Students focus on advanced postproduction techniques and theories with a unique chance to use Avid Symphony and Avid Unity Media Network nonlinear editing systems. The students understand the workflow of a high-end postproduction facility and learn to use their advanced editing skills for creative, dramatic, and artistic purposes. Prerequisites: FILM 717, SNDS 701.

FILM 759 Advanced Production Technologies
This 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
Students in this course 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 763 Writing for Television: Comedy
Students examine current comedy trends on network and cable television and apply that knowledge to create spec comedy material, including sketch comedy and a script for an established television series. Prerequisite: FILM 707.

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 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 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: SNDS 701.

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 729.

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 707.

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 717, FILM 732, SNDS 701.

FILM 771 Designing Shots
Students learn to master the creation of visually compelling and emotionally powerful images in a studio setting, where they choreograph the camera with the actor. Effective and eloquent shot listing is developed to correspond with blocking a scene for performance. Emphasis is placed on the aesthetics of cinematic design. Prerequisite: FILM 768.

FILM 772 Advanced Lighting Design for Film and Television
Graduate students advance their knowledge of lighting for dramatic film and digital production by creatively working with light and shadow as visual storytellers. Students use the tools of the professional cinematographer to develop the skill for understanding and working with light in professional and artistic environments. Prerequisites: FILM 710, 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.