Department
Chair: John S. Blakemore, M.A.
Mass Media Faculty:
Mark Smith, M.A.
Olga Missiri, M.A.
The
Bachelor of Science major in Digital Filmmaking offers intensive
training in all aspects of filmmaking to prepare students for the
rapidly growing employment opportunities for women in the filmmaking
industry . The elements of the major will include script writing,
production (lighting, cinematography, special effects), postproduction
(editing, sound, graphics), business and history. By the time
a student has reached her senior year, and has experienced the several
areas available for study , she will concentrate her work in one
of four areas.
Narrative filmmaking, creating a film based on the Classical Hollywood Narrative style
Documentary filmmaking, creating a documentary film
Commercial filmmaking, creating an entire television advertising campaign
Corporate filmmaking, creating a corporate video .
The product of the senior year's study will be a completed digital film project.
Because of the rigorous nature of the major, students are expected to demonstrate a level of dedication, effort and ethical behavior consistent with that demanded within the profession. Any student who, in the collective judgment of the department faculty in consultation with the department chair, fails at any time to live up to these standards may be required to withdraw from the DFM major. Some of the courses will be taught in intensive workshops and master classes given by industry professionals
Requirements for Bachelor of Science in
Digital Filmmaking
The bachelor of science major in Digital Filmmaking requires completion of liberal arts requirements, and 51 semester hours in the major as specified below. The final capstone project must be a completed film in any one of the four areas of concentration. An overall GPA of at least 2.0 in all DFM courses listed in the major is required.
All students are required to take an internship between their junior and senior year. The internship can be taken with any company/organization within the film industry. An internship might even be taken abroad.
Students will be required to buy their own personal hard drive for storing and editing their movies.
Digital Filmmaking Advisory Board
| Rob LaZebnik | TV screenwriter and producer, "The Simpsons" , "Less Than Perfect", "The Ellen Show" |
| Ken LaZebnik | Screenwriter, "Touched by an Angel" and many of the "Star Trek Enterprise" stories |
| Dawn Wells | CEO, Spud Film Institute, Inc., actress, "Gilligan's Island" and many current stage plays around the US and Canada |
| Amy Lippman | Co-creator and Executive Producer, "Party of Five", Fox Network |
| Jonathan Mostow | Director of the features: "Terminator 3", "U-571", and "Breakdown" |
| Alex Rockwell | Vice-President, Henson Productions, Executive Producer of the children's show "Bear in the Big Blue House", Executive Producer of many Henson movies |
| Nell Scovell | Creator and Executive Producer of "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" and writer/producer of other sitcoms. |
| Greg Daniels | Co-Executive Producer, "King of the Hill" and Producer on "The Simpsons" |
| Martha Williamson | Creator of "Touched By an Angel" |
| Per Holst | Oscar-winning producer of "Pelle the Conquerer" |
| Suzanne Daniels | Former Head of Programming for WB network, now has her own production company. |
Courses with MCO prefixes can be found listed under Mass Media.
Required Courses
DFM 187: American Cinema/Culture (3 hrs.)DFM 188: Cinemas of the World (3 hrs.)
DFM 200: Screenwriting I (3 hrs.)
DFM 210: Screenwriting II - The Narrative Structure of Film (3 hrs.)
DFM 300: Directing For Film (3 hrs.)
DFM 310: Advanced Digital Video Editing (3 hrs.)
DFM 400: The Business of Film (3 hrs.)
INT 210: Internship Development (1 hr.)
MCO 101: Media and Culture (3 hrs.)
MCO 103: Writing for the Mass Media (3 hrs.)
MCO 104: Studio Production (3 hrs.)
MCO 211: Digital Film/Video Production (3 hrs.)MCO 311: Advanced Digital Film/Video Production (3 hrs.)
MCO 362: Media Law (3 hrs.)
MCO 464: Women and Media (3 hrs.)
MCO 483: Advanced Internship: Case Study and Report (2 hrs.)
Chose one of the following in your senior year:
DFM 410: Narrative Digital Film Production (6 hrs.) DFM 420: Documentary Digital Film Production (6 hrs.) DFM 430: Corporate & Organizational Digital Video/Film Production (6 hrs.) DFM 440: Commercial Digital Film Production (6 hrs.)
Electives
DFM 380: Topics in Filmmaking (3 hrs.)
DFM 490: Master Class (3 hrs.)
Digital
Filmmaking Courses
DFM 187: American Cinema/Culture
(3 hrs.)
(Open to all students)
This course examines twentieth-century American culture and society
through film. The primary text for this course will be American
films. We will critically analyze how American cultural and social
conflicts are portrayed and worked out in popular films. By watching,
discussing, and writing about these films, we will examine how motion
pictures create a window into modern American society. Students
will learn how to read American films as cultural text that help
us better understand our history and culture.
DFM 188: Cinemas of the World
(3 hrs.)
(Prerequisite: DFM 187 or permission of instructor.)
A continuation of American Cinema/Culture I with a greater emphasis
on Foreign films, mise-en-scéne, cinematography, editing,
sound, narrative film, documentary and experimental films, genres.
DFM 200: Screenwriting I
(3 hrs.)
(Prerequisites: DFM 187, DFM 188, MCO 104 or permission of instructor.)
This course will focus on the fundamental structure of the screenplay.
Principles of character, conflict, visual storytelling, dialogue,
and plot will be studied. Students will learn the skills of
professional screenplay analysis, including writing a concise plot
synopsis, evaluating a script based on structure, character, theme,
and marketability, and developing a detailed plot outline.
Professional formatting will also be introduced.
DFM 210: Screenwriting II - The Narrative Structure of Film
(3 hrs.)
(Prerequisites: DFM 187, DFM 188, DFM 200 or permission of instructor.)
This course will focus on the development of a feature film screenplay,
beginning with an original concept, students will outline the story,
develop characters, write a treatment and complete a first draft.
Writing techniques and formats required for television, non-fiction
film and multi-media will also be studied.
DFM 300: Directing for Film
(3 hrs.)
(Prerequisite: MCO 311 or permission of instructor.)
Students will gain hands-on experience by directing, shooting, and
editing a series of exercises designed to transform scripted text
into visual storytelling. Casting and working with actors
in preparation and execution of scripted scenes will be the focus
of the course.
DFM 310: Advanced Digital Video Editing
(3 hrs.)
(Prerequisites: MCO 311, DFM 300.)
This class is a study of picture and sound editing using Final Cut
Pro. Editing dialogue, music split tracks, and use of change
and cue sheets will be explored.
DFM
380: Topics in Filmmaking
(3 hrs.)
Topics may include such areas as the art of film, experiemental
film, film genre studies, career studies of famous women directors,
and pre-code women in film. Each topic will be women-centered.
DFM 400: The Business of Film
(3 hrs.)
(Prerequisite: must be a DFM major with junior standing.)
A study of the business of film including film financing, business
strategies, audience analysis, distribution strategies, preparing
a business plan.
DFM 410: Narrative Digital Film Production
DFM 420: Documentary Digital Film Production
DFM 430: Corporate and Organizational Digital Video/Film Production
DFM
440: Commercial Digital Film Production
(6 hrs., 3 hrs. each semester)
(Prerequisite: finished all courses in the digital filmmaking major
prior to capstone)
This extensive, full school-year production course constitutes the
capstone courses in this major and requires completion of a short
narrative film, or a documentary film, or a corporate video or a
television commercial campaign to include one for theatre showing.
Students will write, produce, and direct their film in the fall
and do post-production in the spring semester. Finished films
will be exhibited at the end of the semester.
DFM
490: Master Class
(3 hrs.)
Visiting industry professionals will become an Artist in Residence
for a semester and teach in different areas of filmmaking.
