Filmmaking Core Curriculum

This course explores all aspects of the screenplay including professional development work such as the art of pitching stories. We approach the literature of screenwriting through the integration of story content and cinematic style. Students read and analyze professional screenplays, and workshop their own work. All screenwriting is student driven, and students set specific goals for their work. All enrolled students should be serious about their screenwriting.

Students have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of directing for the camera. Students work collaboratively to create 2-3 minute films in which each student will participate as both actor and director. Focus will be on the clear articulation of movement and story through performance and shot design. This course focuses on single camera directing techniques with emphasis on filming the narrative script and the director's relationship with the actor. Through exercises in class, student directors will learn script analysis and methods which will increase their ability to penetrate a text and communicate with actors. Visualization skills will be introduced to help students discover the most effective means of telling their stories.

This course introduces students to the fundamental techniques, programs, and possibilities of Editing and Motion Graphics. Through a variety of projects, students will learn about both the theory and practice of editing video and integrating motion graphics and special effects. Students will cultivate problem solving skills by working through projects that require group participation and creative solutions. With emphasis on flexibility, this course will utilize different programs and techniques to create projects that challenge and further our creative practice. Students will learn how to use industry standard programs like Premiere and After Effects, while also learning about the core theory of editing with purpose.

This course introduces students to the mindful exploration of their identity in the arts. Students reflect on personal influences, mentors, and aspirations, synthesizing them into an Artist Statement. Forum challenges students to use the Artist Statement as a compass of values with which they examine their creative work in the attempt to keep it consistent with their ambitions, influences and priorities. Forum meetings are made regularly, by appointment, with Film Faculty Advisors/Yodas.

This course offers students an in-depth examination of film as an art form, analyzing specific elements of film to discover how they create cinematic language. Students focus on the theories of narrative structure, mise-en-scene, color, sound, space, and editing, and be able to identify how filmmakers use each element to communicate story, character, and theme.

The Capstone project is a way to stretch and play with the skills learned in the Film and New Media division, applying them to new, unexplored territory, with in-depth research and practice in arts and academics. It is a pilgrimage of sorts, an agreement to embark on a difficult journey toward a clearly articulated, creative destination. The path should be surprising, challenging, and ripe for successes, failures, and growth. A response to the student's research/exploration, the Capstone outcome can take the form of new media, non-fiction or narrative production, or scriptwriting. No matter the medium/format, the Capstone student is required to present a project proposal for faculty review, demonstrating plans for presentation, execution, and a public performance of the project, upon its completion.

This course rotates topic yearly, giving students an opportunity to immerse themselves in a specific movement, genre, or area in cinema. Critical examination of the subject may be explored through screenings, readings, discussion, and written analysis.

This course explores the historical eras of cinema from its birth in the late 1800s through current trends, focusing on Hollywood's formation and transformation as well as major international movements. Students gain an understanding of how technological advances, business practices, and cultural influences have changed the art of filmmaking, and how cinemas of different countries have influenced each other.

This course introduces the concepts of writing for the screen from an analytical and creative viewpoint. We will explore all aspects of the screenplay including structure and format, character, setting, conflict, theme, tone, dialogue and subtext, and seek to gain an understanding of how to use the tools of the filmmaker to create cinematic language and write visually. Students are also given an introduction to some of the professional aspects of screenwriting and available resources including the art of pitching stories.

This class is a hands-on introduction to skills and techniques in cinematic location lighting. Through discussions, guest artists, demonstrations, and class exercises, this class explores the artful use of light, with emphasis on aesthetics, exposure, instrument placement, rigging, safe use, and motivation.

This course is designed to guide students toward a clear understanding of digital workflow and the essential techniques used in narrative film editing. Exercises help students organize post-production assets. Students apply creative strategies with their cuts by paying close attention to sequence, tone, rhythm and/or collision of images and sound to clarify and heighten their visual story's meaning.

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of cinematic storytelling and motion picture arts production. Through assignments and projects, students learn the basics of composition, sequencing and shot design, including the basics of cinematic language and grammar. Students learn the basics of camera operation, audio recording and editing and film set etiquette, including the responsibilities of various crew.

This course is a compendium of the great cinema traditions in Sub-Saharan Africa, East and Central Asia, Northern, Southern, Western and Eastern Europe, the Indian Subcontinent, MENA, North, Central and South America, and Oceania arranged by highlighting 1-2 directors from each of these regions. Additionally, every decade from the 1930’s to the 2020’s will be represented by at least one film. Each film will be studied from several angles: its historical, cultural, industrial and geographic context, its director’s biography, thematic, compositional and technical elements and the film’s relation to the history of cinema. Additionally the films chosen will have a demographically diverse selection of directors from a standpoint of gender, LGBQT+, and BIPOC designations.

Semester I

Required Courses
Film Forum / FNM051
Story / FNM101
Visual Story / FNM201
Lighting / FNM303

Sample Academic Courses
Algebra I; Biology; English I; French I

Semester II

Required Courses
Film Forum / FNM052
Film History / FNM203
Production Workshop / FNM309
Jazz History / MUS209

Sample Academic Courses
Algebra I; Biology; English I; French

Semester III

Required Courses
Film Forum / FNM051
Resident Artist Class / FNM302
Film Genres / FNM306
Production Workshop / FNM308
Film Aesthetics / FNM311
Post Production / FNM323

Sample Academic Courses
Geometry; World History; English II; French II

Semester IV

Required Courses
Film Forum / FNM052
Resident Artist Class / FNM302
Introduction to Screenwriting / CRW306
Production Workshop / FNM309
Scenes and Shorts / FNM312
Post Production / FNM323

Sample Academic Courses
Geometry; World History; English II; French II

Semester V

Required Courses
Film Forum / FNM051
Resident Artist Class / FNM302
Film Genres / FNM306
Production Workshop / FNM308

Elective Courses
Elements of Fiction / CRW301
Elements of Poetry / CRW303
General Dance / DAN101
Jazz History / MUS209
Students are encouraged to take one foundational elective in another arts area each semester.

Sample Academic Courses
Algebra II; U.S. History; English III; Chemistry

Semester VI

Required Courses
Film Forum / FNM052
Resident Artist Class / FNM302
Production Workshop / FNM309
Advanced Screenwriting / CRW314
Directing I / FNM330

Elective Courses
Elements of Fiction / CRW301
Elements of Poetry / CRW303
Acting Foundations / THA102
General Dance / DAN102
Dance for Musical Theatre / THA324
Jazz History / MUS210
Students are encouraged to take one foundational elective in another arts area each semester.

Sample Academic Courses
Algebra II; U.S. History; English III; Chemistry

Semester VII

Required Courses
Film Forum / FNM051
Resident Artist Class / FNM301
Film Genres / FNM306
Production Workshop / FNM308
Directing II / FNM331
Capstone / FNM400

Elective Courses
Elements of Fiction / CRW301
Elements of Poetry / CRW303
General Dance / DAN101
Jazz History / MUS209
Students are encouraged to take one foundational elective in another arts area each semester.

Sample Academic Courses
Precalculus; Ecology; English IV 

Semester VIII

Required Courses
Film Forum / FNM052
Resident Artist Class / FNM302
Production Workshop / FNM309
Capstone / FNM401

Elective Courses
Advanced Screenwriting / CRW314
Elements of Fiction / CRW304
Elements of Poetry / CRW302
Acting Foundations / THA102
General Dance / DAN102
Dance for Musical Theatre / THA324
Jazz History / MUS210
Students are encouraged to take one foundational elective in another arts area each semester.

Sample Academic Courses
Precalculus; Ecology; English IV