Film and Moving Image

Description

Film & Moving Image Program Description

The Department of Film & Moving Image educates its students to be adaptable lifelong artists, craftspeople, and learners who are capable of maintaining focus, resilience, self-control, and motivation through both success and failure. Graduates must be able to navigate the ever-changing technological landscape while developing and maintaining an original and personal aesthetic vision and be able to effectively communicate this vision to others. The Department focuses on teaching a wide array of equipment and software to complement its commitment to teaching film and moving image history and technique.

Graduates of the Department emerge as flexible and capable practitioners of filmmaking - be it on film, digital media, or the next emerging format - who can work both alone as self-starters or collaboratively in groups, and be directors, writers, producers, cinematographers, editors, motion graphics artists, sound designers, some combination of all of these or a specialist of their own design.

In their final year, Film & Moving Image students demonstrate the skills acquired in their chosen area of expertise by creating a capstone project and by developing a portfolio of work for distribution in a variety of current media outlets.

Cinematography Track Description

Students in the Cinematography Track pursue an additional course of study in the art, craft, techniques, changing technologies and history of film and digital cinema image capturing, and how to become a professional Director of Photography (the industry term for cinematographer) and/or work in other camera-related positions.

Editing Track Description

Students in the Editing Track pursue an additional course of study in the art, craft, techniques, changing technologies and history of editing, as well as how to become a professional editor and/or work in other editing-related positions. In addition, students in this track learn the basics of motion graphics creation and design.

Producing Track Description

Students in the Producing Track pursue an additional course of study in techniques, changing technologies and history of moving image production, the business side of filmmaking, and how to become a professional producer and/or work in other producing-related positions.

Writing Track Description

Students in the Writing Track pursue an additional course of study in the art, craft and history of scriptwriting, both for television and for film, as well as grant/proposal writing and other commercial and media writing opportunities in the field.

Policies

Students must earn a minimum GPA of 2.00 in the major, and the lowest acceptable grade is a "C" in all major and Stevenson Educational Experience (SEE) courses. No student, regardless of major, will be permitted to advance to the next course without earning a grade of "C" or better in the prerequisite course(s). When a grade below "C" is earned in a major course, the student must repeat that course.

Objectives

Film and Moving Image Program Objectives

Upon completion of the Bachelor of Science in Film and Moving Image, graduates will be able to:

1. Create films and other moving image projects, using current crafts and emerging technologies and grounded in a strong sense of personal style.
2. Write film and moving image proposals and screenplays.
3. Think and write critically about film and moving image history, aesthetics, global perspectives and production techniques.
4. Navigate the business of film and moving image production and distribution.

Cinematography Track Outcomes

Upon completion of the cinematography track graduates will be able to:

• Capture moving images on both film and video, using current and emerging camera technologies.
• Compose and light moving images that reflect a highly developed personal aesthetic style.
• Supervise the grip and electric members of film and video crews.
• Develop shot lists and film/video crew and equipment plans with a director and producer, as part of a team.

Editing Track Outcomes

Upon completion of the editing track graduates will be able to:

• Import and manage film and video footage, and creating special effects and titles using current and emerging editing applications.
• Edit moving image projects with an aesthetic style appropriate to the production.
• Deliver a finished product through a variety of current and emerging post-production processes.
• Work with a director and/or clients and completing a project as part of a team.

Producing Track Outcomes

Upon completion of the producing track graduates will be able to:

• Create organized industry-standard production plans for film and moving image projects.
• Write grant proposals and industry-standard budgets for film and moving image productions.
• Develop effective marketing strategies for film and moving image projects, using current and emerging understandings of the industry’s legal and financial structures.
• Work with a director, as part of a team, to create an efficiently run film and moving image production.

Writing Track Outcomes

Upon completion of the writing track graduates will be able to:

• Analyze and write complex film and television scripts, both short and feature-length, according to industry-standard formats.
• Write grant proposals for film and moving image productions.
• Write about films and film criticism with a highly developed personal aesthetic style.
• Work with a director and/or producer and completing a project as part of a team.

Requirements

The courses listed below are required for completion of the bachelor’s degree in film and moving image. Students must also complete the requirements for the Stevenson Educational Experience (SEE).

Specific pre- and co-requisites for each course are listed in the course descriptions.

Major Requirements (all students):

Students must also complete the courses for one of the tracks listed below.

Cinematography Track:

Editing Track:

Producing Track:

Writing Track:

Minor in Film and Moving Image

A minor in film and moving image is available. All course prerequisites must be met to be eligible to take the selected course for a minor. Please see an academic advisor for more information. Specific information regarding minor requirements may be found in the Academic Information section of the catalog.

Course Descriptions

See Film and Moving Image Course Descriptions