FILM 100 Introduction to Film and Video ProductionThis 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 ProductionThis 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 PreproductionThis 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 ScreenwritingIn 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 TechniquesThis 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 CinemaIn 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 TechniquesThis 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 ScreenwritingStudents 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 FilmThe 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 PracticumA 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 ProductionThis 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 NarrativeThis 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 WritingAn 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 SeminarThis 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 LightingThis 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 ScreenwritingThis 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 ProductionThis 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 PostproductionThis 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 VideoThe 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 EditingThis 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 DocumentaryThrough 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 FilmThe 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 InstallationThis 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 DistributionStudents 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 VideoUsing 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 CinematographyThrough 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 ActorsThis 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 CinematographyThis 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 SteadicamThis 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 PreproductionDocumentary 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 TelevisionThe 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 RevolutionSpecial 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 IStudents 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 IIIn 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 IIIThis 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 SeminarThis 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.
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