501 Film Symposium: Current issues of film studies. Presentation by students, faculty and guest speakers.
511 Filmmaking I: The first course in a three-course production sequence for the first year MFA student. Designed to build a foundation in the practical, technical, and aesthetic aspects of the filmmaking process. Production of individual silent 16mm narrative projects.
512 Filmmaking II: The second course in a three-course production sequence for the first year MFA student. Designed to build a foundation in the practical, technical, and aesthetic aspects of the filmmaking process. Production of a 16mm short narrative film with a mixed soundtrack.
513 Filmmaking III: The third course in a three-course production sequence for the first year MFA student. Designed to build a foundation in the practical, technical, and aesthetic aspects of the filmmaking process. Production of a short digital video documentary.
515 Film Studies I: This course offers an in-depth examination of the various formal dimensions of film introducing selected key events and movements in film history and selected texts in classical film theory.
516 Film Studies II: An advanced introduction to key methodologies, central issues, and debates within the film studies field.
521 International Film I: Analysis of the relationship between film and culture, with emphasis on how cultural meanings influence film aesthetics and the critical assessment of the medium. Examinations of the works of such nations as Brazil, China, India, Sweden and the United States.
522 International Film II: Development of a nation's or cultural region's filmmaking is traced with emphasis on the films of self-defined identity groups such as Asian- or African-Americans and women's films. Weekly screenings.
523 International Film III: Aesthetics and uses of film and related technologies into the study of Western and non-Western peoples, with emphasis on ethnographic and documentary filmmaking. Weekly screenings.
525 Sound I: The first course in a two-course sequence for the first year MFA student. Designed to build a foundation in the practical, technical, and aesthetic aspects of sound for the filmmaking process.
526 Sound II: The second course in a two-course sequence for the first year MFA student. Advanced study of audible elements of film including dialogue sound effects, music, dubbing, looping and post-production mixing.
531 Film History I: Study of the history of the motion picture. Emphasis on alternatives to the film canon and revisionist approaches to film history. Weekly screenings.
532 Film History II: History of international silent and sound documentary film. Weekly screenings.
533 Film History III: History of international silent and sound experimental film. Weekly screenings.
538 Studies in Documentary Film: Development of naturalistic and polemic traditions, cinema verite and personal documentary. Weekly screenings.
541 Film Analysis: Overview for screenwriters and directors of dramatic and filmic structure in contemporary narrative film. A lecture/screening format is used to study dramatic action, characterization, plot, and scene structure; students analyze motion pictures as well as scripts on which they were based.
542 Screenwriting I: The first course of a two-course sequence for the first year MFA student. The focus is on the short narrative screenplay.
544 Media Arts Management: Administration, fiscal management, marketing/promotion and media arts programming as applicable to arts management and non art situations involving similar office/fiscal activities. May be repeated 3 times.
545 Screenwriting II: The second course of a two-course sequence for the first year MFA student. The course builds on the skills learned in Screenwriting I to enable the student to prepare a narrative screenplay for production during their second year.
551 Film Theory and Criticism I: Examination of various approaches to film theory and criticism including formal aspects of cinema, tools for stylistic analysis, and ideological implications of film. Weekly screenings.
552 Film Theory and Criticism II: Examination of materialist approaches to film theory and criticism including works of Eisenstein, Arnheim and Burch. Weekly screenings.
564 Video Art I: The development of contemporary video and music video within the context of art. Emphasis on time, motion, and color.
565 Video Art II: A continued study of contemporary video and music video within the context of art with emphasis on recent technological innovations and their effect on expressions.
571, 572, 573 Film Topics Seminar
572A Media Arts Management
575 Directing: Examination of various theories and techniques of motion picture directing including script analysis and interpretation, directing actors for film and video, mise-en-scene, coverage, and continuity through practical directing exercises and lectures.
581 Digital Editing I: An introduction to digital nonlinear editing techniques covering the post-production work flow from logging of source footage through capture, editing, and output.
582 Digital Editing II: Participants will extend their knowledge of the editorial tool set, professional video standards, terminology, and aesthetics of editing.
583 Film Video Post-Production: Practicum course in post-production for students with a film or video project requiring a final edit, conforming or sound mix.
611 2nd Year Productions I: The first course in a three-course sequence where the second year MFA student develops and completes the creative 2nd Year Portfolio.
612 2nd Year Productions II: The second course in a three-course sequence where the second year MFA student develops and completes the creative 2nd Year Portfolio.
613 2nd Year Productions III: The third course in a three-course sequence where the second year MFA student develops and completes the creative 2nd Year Portfolio.
614 Documentary Production Seminar: This course focuses on production practice in documentary ranging from project development through post-production. Case studies focus on the documentarian's process from inception to development to production and finally through post-production. Fund raising and ethical issues are also considered.
633, 634, 635 International Film Seminar: Advanced topics in film scholarship. Weekly screenings.
643 Advanced Screenwriting: Seminar/tutorial approach to the study of advanced problems in writing the narrative screenplay.
645 Adaptation for the Screen: This course studies the many different types of screen adaptations including theater, literature, biography, news reports. Students will identify a work they wish to adapt and will undertake writing the adaptation during the course.
650 Cinematography I: A workshop in cinematographic techniques. Specific attention will be paid to use of the camera and interior lighting.
651 Cinematography II: Further study in the art and craft of cinematography with an emphasis on location shooting.
662 Editing: Advanced study of techniques and aesthetics of film and video editing.
665 Producing: Examination of function of producer in financing, organizing, scheduling, budgeting, managing, and securing distribution for a film.
671 Film Topics Seminar
680 Motion Picture Compositing: This course will introduce students to compositing capabilities including horizontal and vertical effect constructions, mattes, keys, color, and motion effects.
681 Graphics Integration & Advanced Compositing: This course explores techniques used to create, format, and integrate third party graphics. 3D warp effects, matte keys, paint, animation tools, advanced color correction, and lab/broadcast standards compliance in finishing are included in the course.
682 The Art of Editing: This course is an introduction to editing styles of the 20th century film masters and provides students with an aesthetic framework to integrate creative, technical, and analytical skills in editing.
691 Professional Seminar: Presentation and discussion of thesis projects in progress. May be repeated.
692 Independent Study: Advanced individual creative or scholarly work in film. May be repeated.
770 Master Class I: This is the first course in a three-course sequence for the MFA student making a thesis film. Students will confront the basic and the advanced filmmaker's storytelling craft, and be asked to write and workshop a script for a short narrative or documentary thesis film.
771 Master Class II: This is the second course in a three-course sequence for the MFA student making a thesis film. This second component focuses on the director's craft as the student prepares a project for production.
772 Master Class III: This is the third course in a three-course sequence for the MFA student making a thesis film. This third component focuses on the production and post-production of a thesis project. Particular attention will be paid to editing a storytelling craft.
790 Individual Production Problems: Individual production of motion picture. May be repeated.
791 Individual Readings: Readings and reports on works related to motion pictures. Reading list selected by student in consultation with faculty member. May be repeated.
795S Film Studio Thesis
795W Film Written Thesis
Requirements and course listings are subject to change in the normal course of ongoing curriculum revision.
