Film Studies - Course Descriptions
COMMUNICATION STUDIES COURSES
Visit the Communication Studies course descriptions.
FILM COURSES
FLM 216 Film Production I
An introductory level study of how to tell a story utilizing films visual language while simultaneously learning the expressive potential of the moving image. Each student, in groups of four rotating between cast and crew, will write, shoot, and edit four black & white films. The third and fourth film projects incorporate a sound track. This course emphasizes the collaborative effort of film production while encouraging individual storytelling through films vast array of aesthetic approaches. All work is screened and critiqued in class.
FLM 312 Film Production II
An intermediate 16mm production course which builds on the lessons and skills learned in FLM 216 with the addition of negative color photography, synchronized sound, and editing with non-linear computer-based software. Each student creates four narrative film projects with a collaborative team where they rotate through the crew positions of writer/director, cinematographer, sound, and lighting. This course places a premium on story concept, cinematic aesthetics, editing impact, and soundtrack design. In formal classroom discussions each student project concept is pitched, analyzed, and critiqued by peers and faculty for its artistry, audience appeal, and technical aspects prior to filming and then again upon completion.
COM 243 Studio Production
An introductory television production course utilizing three cameras in a live studio environment. This course emphasizes the demands of live television production, such as collaborative team effort, preproduction, time management, and the importance of deadlines. Through a series of exercises students learn the skills required to produce a live 30 minute news magazine program.
COM 247 Documentary Video
An introductory video production course which explores documentarys non-fiction art form. Through a series of four video projects students learn the elements and structure of stories that observe the world through a lens. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of research and story development as well as learning to collaborate in a team during production and post-production. This course explores the influence documentaries have on our culture as well as the effect culture has on reality based stories. Familiarity with non-linear computer-based editing software is advantageous.
COM 348 Digital Video Produciton
An intermediate video production course that explores the potential of digital cinema. Emphasis with be placed on the visual aesthetic of the digital image while exploring the craft of storytelling through a variety of forms. Collaborating in teams of four, each student will produce an exercise in each of films three main genres (narrative, documentary, and experimental). The fourth project allows the student to creatively express themselves through a story form of their choice. This course is intended to expose students to a broad range of production techniques, professional production values, and the influence digital medium exerts on our culture. In formal classroom discussions each student project concept is pitched, analyzed, and critiqued by peers and faculty for its artistry, audience appeal, and technical aspects prior to principle photography and then again upon completion.
FLM/THR 230 Scenic Painting for Stage and Film
Scenic Painting is an introductory study of the art of scenic painting for the stage, film, and faux application. Through a series of foundational painting projects, reading assignments, informal lecture, discussion, and a final cumulative painting project students will develop the required skills and understanding of what it means to be a scenic artist and what role the scenic artist plays in artistry of theatre and film.
FLM 420 Issues in Contemporary Cinema
This course will examine cultural, artistic, commercial, and theoretical concerns that occur in world cinema today. Our purpose is to help students both contextualize the cinema they see in appropriate and insightful ways, and to provide a sophisticated critical apparatus to help them read films as texts and to interpret the cinema’s larger societal value and impact. (Prereq.: ENL 371)
FLM 490 Film Studies Keystone
This course is required for the major, and enrollment is normally restricted to students who have nearly finished their coursework. The film keystone is a final production seminar emphasizing collaboration, professional standards, and the creation of a long form film or video. Students seeking keystone credit must register for this no credit, P/N course, along with FLM 495. Selected topics vary by instructor.
FLM 495 Advanced Documentary Film
This advanced production seminar examines the process of team collaboration in the production of a long form documentary story. Students will be required to select a specific production task from a list including, but not limited to, producer, director, writer, cinematographer, sound, and editor to accomplish the pre-production, production, and post-production of a project. Emphasis will be placed on professional standards at every step during the creation of the finished project. The topic of the documentary will be selected by faculty and vary by instructor.
FLM 399 Internship
FLM 499 Independent Study/Research
