This course will introduce the art, technology, language, and appreciation of film, exploring the varieties of film experience, film and the other arts, and the ways of viewing. Students will learn about the basic cinematic techniques and structures, including mise-en-scene and montage, use of cinematic time and space, the image, soundtrack, and the script. Consideration will also be given to analyzing the fundamentals of film production, directing, acting, and editing; how the elements of the production process are analyzed separately, then brought together to show how they create the emotional and intellectual impact of the film experience. Film examples will be screened in class. This course is intended as a beginning course to introduce students to cinema.

This course is designed to teach the student the basic tools of scriptwriting for film, television, or theater, focusing on the aesthetic and commercial demands of each medium.

This course is designed for students who are interested in transforming a creative concept into a practical production plan. By viewing, discussing, and analyzing scripts, television, and film, students will learn skills necessary to start production of a film or video.

This is an introductory course covering both the basic techniques of digital filmmaking and of critical appreciation while emphasizing students’ personal and creative expression. Topics will include the theory and practice of visualization, the grammar of cinematic storytelling, the aesthetics of various film movements, camera technique, lighting, sound recording, directing, and other fundamentals related to learning the craft of digital filmmaking. Students will engage in critical appreciation and individual and group analysis of movies, as well as in filming exercises under the direct and continuous supervision of their instructor.

This course focuses on intermediate techniques of digital filmmaking and theoretical and critical rubrics, allowing the student to gain proficiency in producing, directing, cinematography, production design, sound recording, grip/ electric, and editing. Students learn the roles and responsibilities of various facets of the filmmaking process during pre-production, production, and post-production. Working with previously produced scenes written by industry professionals, students learn skills that include the visualization of the screenplay, script breakdown, preparation of shot lists, direction of actors, and the staging of action for the camera.

This course focuses on intermediate techniques of digital filmmaking and theoretical and critical rubrics, allowing the student to gain proficiency in producing, directing, cinematography, production design, sound recording, grip/ electric, and editing. Students learn the roles and responsibilities of various facets of the filmmaking process during pre-production, production and post-production. Working with previously produced scenes written by industry professionals, students learn skills that include the visualization of the screenplay, script breakdown, preparation of shot lists, direction of actors, and the staging of action for the camera.

In this course, students go through the process of making a short narrative film together, emulating a professional working environment. Supervised by their instructor, students develop, pre-produce, rehearse, shoot, and edit scenes from an original screenplay that is filmed in its entirety in the lab component course (Film 33L) at the end of the semester

In this course students will collectively develop and shoot one narrative short film throughout the semester. This course is the laboratory component for Film 33 and will parallel the lecture topics of that course.

This course focuses on advanced techniques of digital filmmaking and theoretical and critical rubrics, allowing the student to gain increased proficiency in producing, directing, cinematography, production design, sound recording, grip/electric, and editing, while at the same time producing original content. Students hone their skills in various facets of the filmmaking process during pre-production, production and post-production. Working with original content that has not yet been produced and/or material written by themselves, students advance their skills in the visualization of the screenplay, script breakdown, preparation of shot lists, working with actors, and the staging of action for the camera.

This is the laboratory component of Film 34. The laboratory projects will parallel the advanced filmmaking lecture topics taught in Film 34. The lab projects will foster advanced skills in producing, directing, cinematography, production design, sound recording, grip/electric, and editing. Students will produce elaborate and well-crafted original content based on narrative film scenes written by themselves or derived from scripts that have not yet been produced. These advanced projects will be filmed in their entirety in class, working in collaboration with all the students enrolled in the course.

In this hands-on course, students will delve into the art and craft of cinematography: the methods and techniques by which motion picture photography and lighting help give a film meaning and aesthetic purpose. Through lectures, demonstrations and exercises in a supervised classroom environment, students will learn to operate state-of-the-art digital and electronic equipment while applying the fundamental principles of lighting, composition, exposure, focus, lens selection, and camera dynamics into purposeful visual storytelling.

Basic introductory course in writing for all forms of screen and new media. Emphasis on preparing scripts in proper formats, including fundamental technical, conceptual and stylistic issues related to writing scripts for sports, informational and entertainment purposes. This course also offers basic training and practical experience in writing, producing, shooting, music selection, and directing voice-over talent for short-form media projects. These project forms include on-air promos, commercials, public service announcements, web series, and special marketing campaigns. The course will take a hands-on approach to enable the development of basic copywriting and production skills, and will provide students with an introductory understanding of television, radio, and alternative media branding and marketing strategies. Includes a writing evaluation component as a significant part of the course requirement. Storytelling, scriptwriting, and coordinating essential production elements will be emphasized.

Effective project management plays a key role in the execution and completion of digital media projects. In this introductory course, students will learn step-by step how a project develops and evolves through the project management process. The entire digital media workflow from scripting, budgeting, shooting, post-production, finishing, distribution and marketing will also be covered. Students will get an overview of how the courses at the CMD interrelate and fit within this total workflow. Guest speakers will provide current industry trends on how projects are produced, finished and distributed.

This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of digital audio design and provide them with the basic tools to use the technology appropriately, creatively, and effectively. A large element of “hands-on” practical experience will be balanced by an emphasis on understanding the fundamental theoretical principles of the technology and its applications within the entertainment industry. Topics covered will include the basic characteristics and differences between analog and digital audio; principles of good audio design; the essential hardware and software tools of music production in a digital environment; characteristics and differences between the main digital audio formats; basic principles of sound waveform editing; and recording techniques for multimedia and video integration. This course uses Avid Pro Tools.

This introductory course familiarizes students with the fundamental aspects of digital video production. Covering acquisition formats, authoring formats and delivery formats. The class provides a strong foundation for working with visuals and sound in non-linear digital video postproduction. Topics will include digital vs. analog, time code, frame rates, frame size, aspect ratios, broadcast and streaming codecs and distribution formats. This course uses Adobe Premiere Pro

This course covers the skills and concepts needed to create and manipulate images specifically for use in digital media projects. Students will learn the core concepts of working with image formats, brushes, selection tools, channels, and layers as well as digital painting and color correction techniques. This course uses the Adobe Creative Cloud.

This course focuses on the advanced techniques, skills, and theories of editing as well as the technical requirements for assembling a digital video project. Through a series of hands-on projects, students will put traditional theories of picture and sound editing into practice using advanced techniques of layering, rotoscoping and motion graphics. This course will utilize a industry standard editing application with a shared storage server. This course uses Avid Media Composer.

Digital compositing is the process of digitally manipulating a combination of source images to produce a seamless whole. This course provides a complete overview of the compositing process as it is used in film/television, visual effects, and multimedia. Areas covered include image creation and manipulation techniques as well as design and color fundamentals. Through a series of exercises and projects, students will develop the aesthetic and technical skills necessary for integrating diverse visual elements into cohesive imagery. This course uses Adobe After Effects

This course introduces the process of finishing a film. Students will learn the normal workflow in post-production of converting all the original footage to lower resolution proxies for editing. Students will use industry-standard software to conform these proxies back to the original footage and prepare the footage for final color correction. Students will learn to analyze with technical scopes to adjust each shot, balance the exposure and contrast, adjust the color tint and saturation, and to correct any inconsistencies from one shot to another. This course will cover the technical as well as the aesthetics of film finishing with the use of professional monitoring equipment and industry-based control panels

This hands-on course focuses on communication design for motion. Students will conceptualize, design and produce visual communication solutions using motion. Motion Graphics is a form of communication with a range of applications: film, television, communication design, branding, advertising and web. Projects will cover best practices for animation and visual effects in broadcast design, film titles, and video production by combining narrative storytelling, graphics and typography.

This course covers the construction, painting and rigging of stage scenery, properties and effects. It includes the use of construction tools, shop safety and procedures, and an introduction to scenic design.

This course introduces the student to the theory and practice of modern stage lighting. The properties and control of light are covered, including electricity, color, instrumentation and design.

Costume construction theory and practice are the essential elements in this course, including a survey of the history of costume.

This course explores the artistic and organizational techniques and practices required of stage managers. Topics covered include production preparation, safety, rehearsal documentation styles, execution and calling of shows. The course also addresses the necessary collaborations and relationships with other artists and staff.