Television, BA

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Overall Purpose of the Program

Television Department Mission Statement

Our mission is to offer an education in Television that balances creativity, technology, and ethics in an environment of collaboration and support for the individual creative voice.

We provide industry-oriented opportunities through process and project centered education and are committed to preparing a student for both life and career.

Television is the medium that best captures and reflects the culture of our time. Our students contribute to both the local and global communities as they inform, entertain, and inspire us all.

Curricular Structure

The curriculum structure is based on the idea that we instruct both “the head and the hands” simultaneously. That means that in the first two years students are creating television, in a wide variety of production classes at the same time they are learning storytelling and analytical skills. The idea of the core is to give a solid foundation in all aspects of television, both preparing them to proceed onto their concentration and making sure they are ready to succeed at whatever opportunity the industry presents as they set about a career. While students are being challenged by a wide variety of technical, creative, and intellectual work in the core classes, we never lose focus of the foundation of storytelling that is at the heart of television.

The concentrations are built on the broad knowledge of the core and students focus in one of four areas: Writing/Producing, Directing/Production, Post-production/Effects, and Interactive Television. Each concentration explores in-depth their area, offering the students a wide range of experience, working both individually or on one of the variety of award winning departmental shows. The end results are skills that will be their entrée into the career they want. Ultimately, the student experience in the department is more than an exceptional learning community; it is one of real cooperation and creativity.

Concentrations

Writing/Producing

This concentration focuses on the skills that revolve around the creation, planning, and management of television programming. Television is known as a producer’s medium and at the present time almost every major producer in American television is also a writer. Writer/producers oversee series development and production, create new programs, and see to the coordination and conceptual coherence of series in progress. Their skills are highly valued and highly rewarded. This concentration is the backbone of the department’s creative output as these students are responsible for the creation and execution of varied departmental programs and the running of the television station, Frequency Television.

Directing/Production

This concentration focuses on the skills that revolve around the production and directing of television programming. The success of all television programs is based on the creative professionals directly involved with the production process. This concentration will focus on the visual and audio interpretation involved in creating what the viewer will ultimately see and hear on the screen. From live studio production to field shoots, post-production, and graphics…from camera and sound operation to directing studio and remote productions…from individual professional work to collaborative departmental television shows…all are part of the most hands-on segment of our upper level curriculum. Students with a focus in directing will also progress through this concentration with many opportunities to direct either individual projects or departmental programming in a collaborative environment with other students.

Post-Production/Effects

This concentration focuses on the skills that revolve around the editing and finishing of programs including the creating of title and special effects sequences. Post-production is much more than just editing. It is the stage where you build your story, give it structure, polish the visuals, create special effects, and bring your vision to the screen. In the post-production and effects concentration, students learn advanced editing skills and graphic design, create visual effects and title sequences, and design and author DVD s. Students work in a wide variety of editing genres, on individual productions, and on programs produced for broadcast television.

Interactive Television

This concentration focuses on the skills that revolve around the integration of television and a variety of interactive media like the Web and DVD s. The classes mix in-depth work in traditional video production as well as classes in graphics and content creation. Participation in the departmental shows is possible through creating online content and/or interactive DVD s. In addition, individual creative work is encouraged, exploring the technology and developing the aesthetic of interactive television.