Motion Pictures & Television MFA

Actors, directors, and writers will work together to analyze screenplays collaboratively in a professional context. Focus is on developing a more sophisticated approach to story and subtext. Creatively, students will work together to identify and deliver a range of performance options. (This course is cross-listed with ACT 469 and LA 469.)

Learn to navigate this complex 3D software and its many tools and workflows as they are used in major animation and VFX studios, preparing you for specialized study in the track of your choice.

Get an education in color. You'll enhance your capacity to make informed color choices in your artwork by studying scientific research (theory) and through a series of hands-on projects (practice) designed to help you personalize color.

Produce your interior architectural construction documents including floor, lighting, electrical, furniture, and finish plans. You'll apply lettering, line weight, dimensions, and graphic symbols to interior sections, elevations, details, and schedules.

The design you see in your mind will flow through your hand. Learn expert visual communication skills to convey your design solutions to colleagues and clients. You will create ideation and conceptualization hand drawings and perspective sketches to represent your interior design concepts.

Immerse yourself in the world of imaging software. You will develop skills to enhance presentations, create graphic layouts, and integrate various media into your design projects.

Become a documentary filmmaker. In this course you will explore the roots and trajectory of this ever-expanding form of filmmaking. You will watch numerous award-winning documentaries to examine how the genre pushes boundaries to tell real stories. You will conceptualize, shoot and edit your own documentary projects. (This course is cross-listed with MPT 805A and MPT 341.)

Gain visual storytelling skills by shooting and directing short scenes. You'll use the camera as an optical tool to learn bracketing, depth of field, shot size, framing, composition, and more.

You will learn how to light actors on the set. You will learn how to light the moving master shot.You will learn how to design lighting set-ups for different film genres such as horror, romance, comedy and more. With a full lighting and camera crew rotating positions week to week, You will employ exposure control, contrast ratio, color temperature manipulations and staggering key techniques to design the master, medium, close-up and reverse angles of short scenes selected from feature films released by the motion picture industry.

In this hands-on directing class you will learn how to direct actors in a movie or TV show. You will gain the techniques and communication skills needed to work with the actors on set. While mastering the process of communicating your vision of the story to your actors.

Students will generate ideas for a short film. They will acquire the skills necessary to tell stories in a logical and emotionally connective way. Students will develop either original ideas or ideas adapted from existing material, through the outline stage.

What does it really take to make a film? In this course, you will explore the roles of time and money. Examining and practicing the key functions ofAssistant Directors andUnit Production Managers by scheduling and budgeting a feature film.Working within unions, guilds,clearances andcontract perimeters, you'll gain skills regarding scheduling, supervising crews,creating reports, and problem solving on the set. (This course is cross-listed with MPT 246.)

Learn to edit using non-linear Adobe Premiere Pro. You will explore the roots and theory of montage editing, screen direction, continuity, and elements of style across all genres. You will additionally learn how to create titles, basic color correction and visual effects.

Experiment with camera concepts to develop your personal direction. Explore the advanced techniques in film and digital camera work. You'll produce a 16mm color film that tells a story without dialogue.

What we hear is just as important as what we see. In this hands-on course you will learn the most important elements of creating effective, dynamic sound design for film: recording and editing dialog, sound effects, music and more - then add effects and do a final mix - all in synchronization with video. Learn the art and craft of sound design!

The purpose of this class is to produce films that tell stories cinematically without the use of dialogue. This course is designed to give students an introduction to the technical and conceptual aspects of DV cinematography through short format filmmaking.

This course offers an investigation into lighting, staging of scenes and blocking for the camera, as seen from the director of photography's perspective. Projects will be in 16mm color film with dialog recorded. (This course is cross-listed with MPT 259.)

Discover the power of visual storytelling by studying the work of great directors and cinematographers. You will make numerous short films demonstrating a variety of pictorial concepts, refining your visual vocabulary. (This course is cross-listed with MPT 377.)

You will learn to capture incredible performances from actors by thoroughly analyzing your script and mastering the technique of holding auditions. Actors have a special language, and your job as a director is to know how to guide them to get their best performance on screen. This is the first half of a two-part class coupled with MPT 664/MPT 299 Organic Blocking for Camera. (This course is cross-listed with MPT 378.)

As the second half of a two-part class joined with MPT 644/MPT 378 Directors Rehearsing Actors, you'll not only learn how to direct scenes in a professional, efficient manner, you'll experience the technical side of movie-making by decorating sets, operating camera, lighting performers, and recording sound. Follow that up with editing the scenes you'll direct, and you're experiencing the film-making process from all sides. (This course is cross-listed with MPT 299.)

This course examines the relationships during production between four crew positions and departments; Camera Operator, Camera Assistant, Gaffer, and Grip. Students work in digital video format with professional cameras, lighting, and grip gear to practice their production skills. The course teaches students to recognize and execute industry standards as a unified crew. Take MPT 679L concurrently. (This course is cross-listed with MPT 479.)

This course will throw you into the game-changing world of crowdfunding and social media. No matter what project you are creating- a film, an app, fashion line, game, product, or another endeavor- you will build a crowdfunding campaign from the ground up, from inception to launch! You will learn how to define your brand, find your target audience, build a social media community, pitch your project to fundraise, and bring your dream to life. (This course is cross-listed with GLA 685, MPT 304 and LA 304.)

Learn how to find, option, and develop material for feature films and television. Practice composing effective script notes to help writers, and learn to evaluate the appropriate marketplace for your developed content. (This course is cross-listed with MPT 288 and MPT 888.)

Students will build on the skills acquired in Lighting 1, focusing on advanced lighting and photographing actors on sound stages with discussions of real world situations. Homework assignments will be shot on digital cameras that students must provide. (This course is cross-listed with MPT 272.)

Learn professional trailer, teaser, and promo editing and practice editing techniques that relate to this unique form of storytelling. This course will guide you in the process of pitching, writing, pre-vis, music cutting, titles, and VFX needed to cut promos for documentary, narrative, serials, and more. (This course is cross-listed with MPT 457.)

Do you have the chops to work as an editor in Hollywood, and/or to work with professional editors? Avid Media Composer is the industry-recognized standard for nonlinear editing, and Avid itself designed this course to build the skills and competencies needed to become a fluent, professional-level editor. You will prepare for and take the certification exam to become a Certified Avid User. When bidding for a gig, Certification can serve as a validation of your expertise. Real skills, proven. (This course is cross-listed with MPT 236.)

You will be taught 35mm techniques in both Arriflex and Mitchell formats from the viewpoint of the first assistant cameraman along with how to light and shoot night interiors and products. Image quality of 35mm and HD cameras will be compared. Specialty cinematography is discussed, including underwater, car mounts, rigs, and aerials. (This course is cross-listed with MPT 469.)

Learn the business side of show business. You'll write option/purchase, submission, producer, employment, non-disclosure, and negotiating agreements. Plus, you'll explore right-to-work laws, insurance requirements, financing, intellectual property protection, negotiating fees, profit participation, compensation, and more. (This course is cross-listed with MPT 367.)

Sound design is a powerful storytelling tool. Increase your abilities in audio editing, psychoacoustics, plug-ins and mixing to develop soundtracks based on script and character analysis. You'll also collaborate intelligently with directors, editors, and composers.(This course is cross-listed with MUS 320.)

Characters are the heart of every story. You'll acquire the skills to develop compelling three-dimensional characters and to create strong, believable backstories.

View, read and discuss screenplays and films. You will gain the tools to analyze theme, story, structure, plot, characters, and dialogue in screenplays and films that have influenced major screenwriters and the art of filmmaking. (This course is cross-listed with WRI 240.)

Create various premises for original series and write a spec episode of an existing series. You'll explore the past and present of episodic dramas and comedies on television, streaming media, and other contemporary platforms.(This course is cross-listed with WRI 200.)

Gain the skills to generate feature film ideas, develop characters, craft an outline, and begin your screenplay. (This course is cross-listed with MPT 870.)

Complete the work on your original screenplay that you began in Writing the Feature Film 1 (Fall). (This course is cross-listed with MPT 872.)