Catalog

Contents
Catalog Links

Filmmaking (BA)

Kristen Fuhs, Ph.D.

Chair

Accreditation

National Association of School of Art and Design (NASAD)

Introduction

Woodbury’s BA in Filmmaking is a professional liberal arts degree that places emphasis on the study of film through a focus on the entertainment industry. Our students engage with film from multiple angles: as an artform for communicating ideas, as a business for selling cultural products, and as a technology for creating memorable moving images.

The BA in Filmmaking integrates historical study with practice-based education in a variety of filmmaking disciplines. The program shares a common foundation with the BFA in Filmmaking during the first two years of study. All students receive a broad introduction to the concepts, tools, and techniques of filmmaking via instruction in the building blocks of film production, the industrial processes of the entertainment industry, and the history of moving images. Then, students focus their upper-division studies on the history, aesthetics, and industry of moving image media by taking advanced classes in producing, marketing, and media studies before culminating their degree in a research-based, multimedia thesis project. In addition, as part of our program’s focus on the business of the entertainment industry, all students gain hands-on professional experience by completing an internship as part of their academic journey.

Mission

The Filmmaking program at Woodbury University empowers students to hone their critical, creative, and professional talents by fostering learning in the history, industry, and practice of film production. Our aim is to cultivate a collaborative environment where students can develop their stories, express their ideas, and master new technologies that will help them succeed in a wide range of fields in the entertainment media industries.

Internship/Career Experience

Prior to graduation, students must complete 120 hours of internship or work experience at a production or post-production facility, agency or management company, or other job related to the entertainment media industry. The career experience is usually accomplished in the junior or senior year. Woodbury’s Career Development Office offers a variety of programs, services, and resources to assist students in exploring careers and securing internships. The staff works with students one-on-one to develop successful search strategies to help students connect with employers through internship postings, résumé collections, on- and off- campus interview opportunities, alumni connections, and employer outreach in the United States.

Technology and Computer Requirements

The Filmmaking program requires its graduates to be literate in the current media of representation and communication, as demonstrated by the following:

  • Proficiency in computer system operations, including communications, upgrades, and management.
  • Proficiency in internet research through completion of LSCI 105: Information Theory and Practice, or appropriate equivalent. Bibliographic documentation of database use and citation of web-based sources is required of all Filmmaking students.
  • Proficiency in word processing, document formatting, and file management for both print and digital distribution.
  • Proficiency in computer-based programs for editing, screenwriting, sound design, budgeting, and pre-production planning.

Media literacy is embedded in the curriculum at all levels, and Filmmaking students are expected to demonstrate these proficiencies through successful completion of their coursework.

Program Learning Outcomes

Film & Media Production

  • Recognize and execute key elements of the pre-production, production, and postproduction processes.
  • Develop an understanding of the communication, aesthetic, and design principles fundamental to the filmmaking process.
  • Attain competency in the equipment and technologies necessary to move from concept to finished film/video project.

     

    Film & Media Industries

  • Recognize the institutional, economic, technological, and regulatory factors that shape the circulation of cultural objects within the entertainment industry.
  • Develop practical skills in marketing and producing procedures for film production, distribution, and exhibition.

     

    Film History & Theory

  • Recognize the significance of film and media forms, theories, makers, technologies, and movements that predate the contemporary moment.
  • Recognize and gain fluency in the key concepts and theories of film and media studies.

     

    Professionalization

  • Attain practical experience in the film and media industries via an internship or other work experience.

Assessment Process

Student performance and outcome attainment is evaluated systematically throughout the program via ongoing assessment strategies at the formative and capstone levels. Each year, the program specifies key areas for measured assessment of student learning outcomes that involve programmatic outcomes, as well as core competencies and institutional outcomes. The process provides a vehicle to assure program quality and promotes continuous improvement in student work, teaching effectiveness, and curriculum design.

Capstone

Student work in the BA is evaluated through a research-based, multimedia thesis project.

Students take a two-semester course sequence during their senior year in which they research,

develop, and produce a multimedia project with a focus on the history, aesthetics, and/or industry of moving image media. With guidance from the instructor, students are expected to identify an area of interest, engage in independent research, and determine the scope of a year-long

individual or collaborative project that will serve as a capstone for their study of filmmaking at Woodbury.

Program Specific Standards

A minimum grade of “C” is required of all Filmmaking studio courses. Students receiving a grade below a “C” must successfully repeat the studio prior to enrollment in the succeeding studio. It is strongly recommended that students take no more than 12 studio units in a single semester.

Curriculum Summary

Program Major Curriculum

Program Major Curriculum

Unit Type (UT) Number of Units (U)
Major (MA) 69
General Education (GE) 37
Unrestricted Electives (UE) 15
Minimum Total Units Required 121

First Year

Fall Semester (16 units)

FILM 104 Intro to Film Art & Style 3, MA

FILM 110 Film Production I 3, MA

FILM 220 Editing 3, MA

INDS 1__ Interdisciplinary Core Elective 3, GE

WRIT 113 First-Year Academic Writing 3, GE

LSCI 105 Info Theory and Practice 1, GE

 

Spring Semester (15 units)

FILM 200 Intro to Screenwriting 3, MA

FILM 115 Cinematography 3, MA

FOUN 108 Drawing for Moving Image 3, MA

MDST 241 Media Industries 3, MA

MDST 120 Public Speaking 3, GE

 

 

Second Year

Fall Semester (15 units)

FILM 101 Film and Media History I 3, MA

FILM 140 Sound 3, MA

FILM 215 Directing 3, MA

MDST 237 Media & Identity 3, GE

MATH 2__ College Math 3, GE

  

Spring Semester (15 units)

FILM 102 Film and Media History II 3, MA

FILM 210 Film Production II 3, MA

ENVT 220 Environmental Studies 3, GE

________ Social Science 3, GE

MDST 235 Media Ethics 3, GE

 

Third Year

Fall Semester (15 units)

FILM 402 Producing 3, MA

FILM 351 Career Development 3, MA

________ Advanced Media Industries Elective 3, MA

WRIT 313 Advanced Academic Writing 3, GE

________ Natural Science w/Lab 3, GE

Internship/Work Experience

 

Spring Semester (15 units)

FILM 401 Entertainment Marketing 3, MA

________ UD Film/Media Elective 3, MA

INDS 3__ UD Interdisciplinarity Elective 3, GE

________ General Education Elective 3, GE

________ Unrestricted Elective 3, UE

 

 

Fourth Year

Fall Semester (15 units)

FILM 4__ BA Thesis 1 3, MA

________ Advanced Producing Elective 3, MA

________ UD Film/Media Elective 3, MA

________ Unrestricted Elective 3, UE

________ Unrestricted Elective 3, UE

 

Spring Semester (15 units)

FILM 4__ BA Thesis 2 3, MA

________ Advanced Film History Elective 3, MA

________ UD Film/Media Elective 3, MA

________ Unrestricted Elective 3, UE

________ Unrestricted Elective 3, UE

 

 

 

Advanced Media Industries Electives (choose one of the following):

MDST 309 History of Hollywood

MDST 343 Stars & Celebrity

FILM 352 The Art & Business of Commercial Directing

FILM 420 Entertainment Law

FILM 490 Internship

 

Advanced Producing Electives (choose one of the following):

FILM 304 Pre-production

FILM 360 TV Writing and Producing

FILM 400 Pitching

 

Advanced Film History Electives (choose one of the following):

ARTH 341 History of Avant-Garde Film

ARTH 343 History of Digital Art and Electronic Media

AVFX 302 History of Women in Animation

FILM 302 Film Styles: Art & History

MDST 300 Censorship

MDST 309 History of Hollywood

MDST 338 History of Documentary 

MDST 340 Film Genres

MDST 341 Film Noir

MDST 350 World Cinema

 

Upper Division Film/Media Electives (choose from any course listed above, or one of the following):

FILM 300 Advanced Screenwriting

FILM 306 Advanced Editing

FILM 310 Documentary Production

FILM 425 Production for Content Creators

MDST 306 Radio in the Age of the Internet 

MDST 308 Studies in Narrative

MDST 323 Cultural Studies 

MDST 327 Gender and Media 

MDST 330 Social Media

MDST 335 Media & Social Change 

ARTH 337 Video Art

 

 

Program Minor Curriculum

 

Filmmaking Minor (15 units)

Students may take any five (5) courses in the Filmmaking program to complete a minor. Film 110, Film Production I is strongly recommended, since it is a prerequisite for many subsequent courses. 

Suggested Sequence of Courses

First Year

Fall Semester

FILM 110Film Production 1

3
FILM 220Editing

3
WRIT 113First-Year Academic Writing

3
INDS ___
Interdisciplinary Core Elective

3
____ ___
Unrestricted Elective

3
Total Credit Hours:15

Type:

FILM 110 and FILM 220: MA.

WRIT 113 and INDS (Interdisciplinary Core Elective): GE.

Unrestricted Elective: UE.

Spring Semester

FILM 115Cinematography

3
FILM 200Screenwriting

3
FOUN 108Drawing Workshop for the Moving Image

3
MDST 120Public Speaking

3
LSCI 105Information Theory and Practice

1
____ 2__
Mathematics Elective

3
Total Credit Hours:16

Type:

FILM 115, FILM 200, and FOUN 108: MA.

MDST 120, LSCI 105, and Mathematics Elective: GE.

Second Year

Fall Semester

FILM 101Film History

4
FILM 140Sound

3
FILM 215Directing

3
MDST 237Media and Identity

3
MATH 200Math 2XX Elective

3
Total Credit Hours:15

Type:

FILM 140 and FILM 215: MA.

FILM 101, MDST 237, MATH 2__ College Math.

Spring Semester

FILM 102Film History 2

3
FILM 210Film Production 2

3
ENVT 220Environmental Studies

3
MDST 235Media Ethics

3
____ ___
Social Science Elective

3
Total Credit Hours:15

Type:

FILM 102 and FILM 210: MA.

ENVT 220, MDST 235 and Social Science: GE.

Third Year

Fall Semester

FILM 351Career Development

3
FILM 402Producing

3
____ ___
Film/Media Elective

3
____ ___
Natural Science with Lab

3
WRIT 313Advanced Academic Writing

3
Total Credit Hours:15

Type:

FILM 351, FILM 402,and Advanced Media Industries Elective  : MA.

Natural Science w/Lab

WRIT 313 GE.

Spring Semester

FILM 401Entertainment Marketing

3
____ ___
Film/Media Elective

3
____ 3__
UD Interdisciplinary Elective

3
____ ___
General Education Elective

3
____ ___
Unrestricted Elective†

3
Total Credit Hours:15

Type:

FILM 401, and UD Film/Media Elective: MA.

UUD Interdisciplinarity Elective, General Education Elective  and Unrestricted Elective GE.

 

Fourth Year

Fall Semester

FILM 482Thesis 1

3
Total Credit Hours:15

Type:

FILM 4_ BA Thesis 1, Advanced Producing Elective and UD Film/Media Elective: MA.

2 Unrestricted Electives.

Spring Semester

FILM 483Thesis 2

3
____ ___
Film/Media Elective

3
____ ___
Film/Media Elective

3
____ 3__
Upper Division General Ed. Elective

3
____ ___
Unrestricted Elective

3
Total Credit Hours:15

Type:

FILM 483 and Film/Media Elective: MA.

Upper Division General Ed. Elective: GE.

Unrestricted Elective: UE.

Third Year

Fall Semester

FILM 360TV Writing and Producing

3
FILM 302Film Styles: Art & History

3
FILM 402Producing

3
FILM 490Internship

3
ENVT 220Environmental Studies

3
FILM 351Career Development

3
Total Credit Hours:18

Type:

FILM 360, FILM 402, and FILM 351: MA.

FILM 302 and ENVT 220: GE.

FILM 490 (Internship) IN.

Spring Semester

FILM 304Pre-Production

3
FILM 310Documentary

3
FILM 401Entertainment Marketing

3
____ ___
Art History Elective

3
____ ___
Natural Science with Lab Elective

3
Total Credit Hours:15

Type:

FILM 304, FILM 310, and FILM 401: MA.

Art History Elective and Natural Science with Lab Elective: GE.

Fourth Year

Fall Semester

FILM 484BA Thesis 1

3
____
UD Film/Media Elective

3
____ 3__
______-Advanced-Producing-Elective-3

3
____ ___
Unrestricted Elective

3
____ ___
Unrestricted Elective

3
Total Credit Hours:15

Type:

FILM 484,Advanced Producing Elective and UD Film/Media Elective: MA.

 Two Unrestricted Electives (6).

 

Spring Semester

FILM 485Thesis 2

3
____ 3__
______-Advanced FILM History Elective-3

3
____
UD Film/Media Elective

3
____ ___
Unrestricted Elective

3
____ ___
Unrestricted Elective

3
Total Credit Hours:15

Type:

FILM 485, Advanced Film History Elective and UD Film/Media Elective: MA.

Two Unrestricted Elective (6): UE.

Program Minor Curriculum

Pick five of the following courses:

Total Credit Hours:15

Program Minor Curriculum

 

Filmmaking Minor (15 units)

Students may take any five (5) courses in the Filmmaking program to complete a minor. Film 110, Film Production I is strongly recommended, since it is a prerequisite for many subsequent courses. 

 

Advanced Media Industries Electives (choose one of the following):

MDST 309 History of Hollywood

MDST 343 Stars & Celebrity

FILM 352 The Art & Business of Commercial Directing

FILM 420 Entertainment Law

FILM 490 Internship

 

Advanced Producing Electives (choose one of the following):

FILM 304 Pre-production

FILM 360 TV Writing and Producing

FILM 400 Pitching

 

Advanced Film History Electives (choose one of the following):

ARTH 341 History of Avant-Garde Film

ARTH 343 History of Digital Art and Electronic Media

AVFX 302 History of Women in Animation

FILM 302 Film Styles: Art & History

MDST 300 Censorship

MDST 309 History of Hollywood

MDST 338 History of Documentary 

MDST 340 Film Genres

MDST 341 Film Noir

MDST 350 World Cinema

 

Upper Division Film/Media Electives (choose from any course listed above, or one of the following):

FILM 300 Advanced Screenwriting

FILM 306 Advanced Editing

FILM 310 Documentary Production

FILM 425 Production for Content Creators

MDST 306 Radio in the Age of the Internet 

MDST 308 Studies in Narrative

MDST 323 Cultural Studies 

MDST 327 Gender and Media 

MDST 330 Social Media

MDST 335 Media & Social Change 

ARTH 337 Video Art