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2018-2019 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Cinema Art and Science, BFA
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 Return to: Majors and Programs
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Cinema Art and Science is designed specifically to help students meet the qualification for direct entry to the profession and is built around extensive modeling of professional practice integrated with research and collaborative production of thesis work. Students can earn a BFA with a concentration in Cinematography, Directing, Editing and Post-Production, Sound for Cinema, Cinema Visual Effects, Producing, Production Design, or Screenwriting.
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PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS: 70-81 credits required
Cinema Art and Science: Cinematography
Students seeking a Cinema Art and Science BFA may choose a concentration in Cinematography. The goal of the cinematography program is to provide students with a pre-professional level of knowledge and competence in cameras and lighting necessary to conceive and create images for the screen in relationship to story.
As a result of successfully completing program requirements, students should be able to:
- demonstrate a professional level of knowledge and competence necessary to conceive and create images for the screen;
- demonstrate the concept, practice, and aesthetics of lighting;
- demonstrate the ability to link a lighting concept to dramatic material;
- develop and articulate a film or video with the emphasis on communicating a piece’s message visually;
- demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of all film and digital camera systems as well as the responsibilities of the cinematographer, camera operator, camera assistants, gaffer and key grip;
- demonstrate the skill to collaborate with all key departments (directing, producing, production design, special FX, etc.);
- demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of electronic imaging, image optics, special effects, film stocks, laboratory practices, and finishing the film (color correction and final delivery for exhibition);
- demonstrate the ability to translate a director’s concept into a complete short film that illustrates proficiency of craft and creativity and fulfills the director’s vision;
- interpret a narrative screenplay and break it down into a visual treatment, shot list, storyboard, and floor plan in collaboration with the director; and
- demonstrate the ability to critically examine their own work and others.
Cinema Art and Science: Cinema Visual Effects
Students seeking a BFA in Cinema Art and Science may choose a concentration in Cinema Visual Effects. This specialized area of study combines analytical and practical application of technical, creative, and physiological studies in support of creating effects that support the film’s cinematic vision.
As a result of successfully completing program requirements, students should be able to:
- identify and construct a design preparation and implementation for digital composites;
- demonstrate the skills to use color grading, format transformation, and element correction tools for dramatic construction;
- demonstrate the ability to apply basic digital editing and use compositing techniques for creating animated type sequences for film and video titling;
- utilize the proper methods of creating mattes from Chroma-key extraction methods and for applying motion tracking and stabilization tools to visual elements;
- demonstrate an ability to plan, pre-visualize, and create visual effects sequences, titles, and graphics in a 3D, node-based composite system environment, working individually and collaboratively as part of a team;
- utilize cinematography techniques and studies of historical examples of visual effects sequences to effect planning, design, and execution of a series of cinema visual effect assignments;
- articulate the aesthetic role and history of visual effects in film and television; and
- communicate and collaborate with art department, directors, and/or producers on pre-visualization of VFX elements.
Cinema Art and Science: Directing
Students seeking a BFA in Cinema Art and Science may choose a concentration in Directing. This concentration is designed to provide training and practice in all aspects of fictional directing, with courses that allow students to study the craft of directing through the eyes of and in collaboration with screenwriters, casting directors, editors, cinematographers, production designers and others.
As a result of successfully completing program requirements, students should be able to:
- interpret a narrative screenplay visually and aurally to generate a completed short film ready for exhibition and distribution;
- analyze a narrative screenplay and prepare a director’s breakdown and visual treatment;
- prepare a shot list, lined shooting script, floor plan, and storyboards in collaboration with a cinematographer, producer, and an assistant director;
- effectively communicate and collaborate with actors to create psychologically believable cinematic performances;
- effectively tell a visual screen story through cinematic elements including camera, lighting, production design, editing, and audio;
- critically examine their own work and that of their peers; and
- develop and articulate a personal vision of cinematic storytelling while effectively collaborating with producers, cinematographers, production designers, and editors in all phases of filmmaking from pre-production through to completion.
Cinema Art and Science: Editing and Post-Production
Students seeking a BFA in Cinema Art and Science may choose a concentration in Editing and Post-Production. This concentration prepares students for careers in editing for picture, sound and other related post-production specializations of cinematic storytelling.
As a result of successfully completing program requirements, students should be able to:
- integrate advanced cinema editing skills, concepts, and practices in the editing and finishing of an original short film;
- apply dramatic structure with provided materials including the effective arrangement of time, dramatic arc, dialogue, and character development within the work;
- evaluate and articulate effective critical analysis and critique of other filmmakers’ work;
- compose a statement of intention for a project that reflects a personal point of view and apply that statement to their work;
- combine the ability to control rhythm, emotional content, transitions of sound and picture, and other editing techniques to facilitate audience response;
- assess and incorporate critical analysis in their work;
- utilize and arrange sound elements such as dialogue, sound effects, voice over, and music throughout the post-production process;
- collaborate with directors, producers, and post-production personnel to facilitate, implement, and integrate the director’s vision for the film through all phases of filmmaking, from pre-production to completion;
- apply technical proficiency within the responsibilities of an editor, assistant editor, and post-production professional on a cinematic work; and
- demonstrate proficiency in one or more of the following areas on advanced student projects: sound design and mixing, motion graphics, compositing and VFX, on set data wrangling and workflow, and color correction and mastering.
Cinema Art and Science: Producing
Students seeking a BFA in Cinema Art and Science may choose a concentration in Producing. The curriculum balances creativity with business acumen and production management skills. The learning culminates in a thesis consisting of a finished short film, a slate of feature films ready for the marketplace.
As a result of successfully completing program requirements, students should be able to:
- research and write project-based investment proposals;
- write story notes, script coverage, and edit notes appropriate for entry-level industry positions;
- define the key differences between a creative producer and a line producer or a unit production manager (UPM);
- use industry-standard software to create professional production budgets and schedules;
- create producer-driven paperwork and documentation such as call sheets and production reports;
- manage a crew in all phases of filmmaking from development to exhibition;
- negotiate and execute deal memos relating to cast and crew and define the role of unions and representation in these processes;
- articulate and pitch projects;
- research, make offers, and secure the involvement of principle actors for film projects;
- develop short- and feature-length projects in collaboration with a creative partner and secure the legal rights to these projects;
- articulate trends in distribution and customary acquisition (deal) terms; and
- create a project-based plan including key art, festival and distribution strategies, cast and crew biographies, press, and promotions.
Cinema Art and Science: Production Design
Students seeking a Cinema Art and Science BFA may choose a concentration in Production Design. The Production Design concentration offers students the opportunity to develop the creative and problem solving skills necessary for professional level design of sets, props, and special effects as well as the collaborative skills necessary to work with directors, cinematographers, and producers.
As a result of successfully completing program requirements, students should be able to:
- formulate and conceive a visual concept to support the theme of a film as interpreted by the director;
- demonstrate a body of working knowledge in the history of art forms relevant to production design (e.g., architecture, fashion, interior design, industrial design);
- communicate a concept visually to collaborators through concept art and storyboards;
- communicate a concept visually through technical drafting done traditionally and with CAD;
- assemble and manage an art department, both creatively and logistically, from preproduction through production;
- develop and manage an art department budget;
- implement a design through the construction and/or acquisition of the set decoration, props, and costumes;
- implement a design through the construction and decoration of a set or modified location; and
- effectively collaborate and communicate with directors, producers, and cinematographers in all phases of filmmaking from pre-production through production.
Cinema Art and Science: Screenwriting
Students seeking a BFA in Cinema Art and Science may choose a concentration in Screenwriting. The concentration offers students the opportunity to develop the understanding and skills to translate stories into both cinematic and emotional experiences for the audience.
As a result of successfully completing program requirements, students should be able to:
- develop short- and feature-length scripts both on their own and in collaboration with creative partners;
- write scripts either for themselves or others to direct;
- generate, develop, implement, and revise story ideas into screenplay format;
- critique the work of peers, both orally and in writing, and apply critiques to their own revision process;
- develop tools for effective collaboration and communication on writing projects and in filmmaking environments;
- negotiate and execute an option agreement including a writing services component to the agreement; and
- produce production-ready scripts based on creative producer and instructor notes throughout the development process.
Electives
15 credits of Electives are required with a minimum of 3 credits per elective group.
Cinema Art and Science: Sound for Cinema
Students seeking a BFA in Cinema Art and Science may choose a concentration in Sound for Cinema. The concentration prepares students to handle the various audio steps involved in pre-production, production, post-production and the release of the motion picture.
As a result of successfully completing program requirements, students should be able to:
- define basic audio concepts and terminology that relate to audio pre-production, production, and digital post-production;
- demonstrate and articulate basic knowledge of the digital post-production process, material preparation, archival processes, and the manipulation of a sound track for a desired effect;
- define audio principles and terminology as they apply to the motion picture;
- demonstrate proficiency in the use of location sound packages;
- demonstrate a proficiency of audio production from pre-planning to communication with crew during production through delivery to post-production;
- design an effective soundtrack that enhances a completed project’s story;
- edit and mix dialog, music, and sound effects;
- record, edit and mix ADR (replacement audio dialogue) and Foley (replacement audio sound effects);
- collaborate with a director and/or producer and other post-production personnel to create a complete soundtrack of dialog, music, and special effects suitable for distribution;
- utilize advanced audio mixing hardware and software to create mono, stereo, and surround mixes for multiple release media; and
- demonstrate advanced knowledge of the digital production process (material preparation for dialogue, sound effects management, delivery and archival processes, the manipulation of a sound track) with an emphasis on professional best practices.
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