Film Curriculum
Production I
Students will be introduced to basic film equipment, the principles of working in a crew, how to compose a moving frame, technical vocabulary, and cinematic storytelling. Students learn basic pre-production, production, and post-production skills.
Production II
This class introduces students to the five stages of filmmaking: development, preproduction, production, postproduction, and distribution. Students will learn the process of how a film is made, from pitching the idea to screening the final product. Students will learn the industry standards and professions of each stage of the filmmaking process. Students will gain an in-depth knowledge of the film industry and its workings.
Honors Production III
This class builds upon the acquired skill set from Production I and II. Students will be given the opportunity to practice different roles on student-led film sets, learn safety measures for film productions, and implement multiple lighting setups, shooting styles, and script executions using advanced gear and techniques.
Honors Advanced Production IV
This class is designed to hone and strengthen students’ production skills. We will be learning in-depth technical skills while simultaneously exploring students’ own unique artistic voices. The class supports the senior capstone projects.
Foundations of Visual Storytelling
This class explores the traditional elements of stories as they have developed over history and examines the structures used to convey such stories to an audience. The class has a lecture and a writing lab component where students will construct original stories that pastiche the structures learned in class.
Screenwriting
In this class, students will “break” scripts and analyze the constituent elements of composition. This class will require students to read screenplays, understand the conventions of genre, and evaluate the choices a writer, director, or editor has made to communicate to an audience an intended effect.
Screenwriting Workshop
The class will develop students’ writing skills with a focus on episodic writing. Students will acquire a deeper understanding of the elements of a script and ways in which a script functions as both a narrative and a blueprint for production. Equal time will be devoted to practical skills that will inform students’ writing and prepare them for work in a professional writers’ room.
Honors Screenwriting Seminar
In this class, students compose original short to medium-length screenplays in support of their senior capstone projects. Students will further develop their ability to write scripts with enduring characters, themes, and settings. Moreover, students will be expected to locate their work within an established genre (e.g. Romance, Action, Comedy, Noir, etc.) This class will support the fourth-year production of an original narrative film.
Film History I
In the first semester, students will get an overview of sequential art as it applies to the moving image. Students will view traditional animation formats such as stop motion, pixilation, 2D and 3D. In the second semester, the class will students will give a selected overview from the dawn of film leading up to the 1930s. Students will learn about significant contributions by filmmakers and film movements to the development of the cinematic language and the art of film.
Film History II
Students will be introduced to the birth of Hollywood and the rise of the studio system. The class will survey critical approaches in American and International Film post-WWII. Emphasis is given to the historical and cultural aspects of the films and the visual and narrative structure. The class will conclude with a focus on documentary filmmaking.
Honors Film History III
This class will examine the body of work of selected film directors, including film analysis. Students will gain a more comprehensive understanding of a director’s artistic choices and styles.
Honors Film Seminar
This class will survey and explore special topics in film. Students are required to participate in discussions that are informed by assigned films and readings, as well as the acquired knowledge from the past three years of Film History.
Production Studio I, II, III, and IV
These classes are an accompaniment to all art classes in the film program for each grade. They serve as hands-on, independent workshops for students honing their software skills, and completing class assignments and projects for their film classes.
Audio I
An introductory course focusing on the basics of capturing, processing, and manipulating sound and how it is used in creative storytelling. Students will explore the science of how sound is created and perceived in nature. Technical exercises include using field recorders to capture sounds and editing audio
Honors Audio II
This class focuses on sound design and mixing for film. Students will explore with various audio sources, layering effects, multi-track mixing, and outputs. Students will learn foley and sound effect design, dialogue clean-up, audio restoration, and automated dialog replacement.
Digital Imaging for Filmmakers
Students will learn various design elements and concepts and be able to implement these concepts within their projects. They will become well-versed in the basics of Adobe Photoshop’s various tools and how to use them throughout the design stages of their projects. This course will give students a fundamental understanding of the film department’s standard operating procedure for file management systems and digital professionalism.
Photography for Filmmakers
A foundation course designed to teach students the fundamentals of framing and composition. Students will consider the measured use of light, as well as the technical skills to operate a Canon Rebel camera. Through ever more complex assignments, this course will culminate in the construction of a narrative sequence of still images that will explore the expression of visual themes.
Storyboard Drawing
Students will acquire the necessary skills to render figures and spaces sufficient for storyboard illustrations. Students will learn about the different industry storyboard types and will understand the importance of storyboarding as a visual tool in film production. This course is fundamental to the pre-production aspect of filmmaking. Semester class.
Acting for Filmmakers
This class explores core elements of acting technique through a variety of exercises. Students will learn the fundamentals of analyzing a scene from an actors perspective. Semester class.
Cinematography and Editing
This class is designed to hone and strengthen students’ cinematography and editing skills. The focus is on in-depth technical skills while simultaneously exploring students’ own unique artistic voices. Students will learn techniques specific to the areas of cinematography, camera operation, lighting, and media management. Basic and advanced editing skills are introduced, along with a fundamental understanding of the art of visual story construction and the technical and artistic aspects of editing.
Motion Graphics and Compositing
This class will cover motion graphics, cinematic effects, and video compositing in Adobe After Effects.
Honors Editing
This course is divided into two sections: Documentary Editing and Episodic Editing. The first semester is a study of the techniques of documentary editing. The second semester will focus on the editing of episodic material. Students will develop the cinematic language through hands-on practice, scene analysis, and the exposure of various editing styles.
Honors Experimental Filmmaking
This class will introduce students to various filmmaking processes that have helped form the aesthetics of DIY, alternative, and experimental filmmaking. Students will learn about the history of experimental and avant-garde cinema through a series of projects, screenings, and discussions. They will shoot with the hand-cranked 16mm Bolex camera, learn how to hand process their own film, and consider alternative forms of presenting moving image works.
Junior Electives
Photography II
Students will learn the basics of analog photography, including composition, developing of film, and printing negatives. Students will produce a series of handmade prints.
Animation II
Students will further techniques and concepts from Animation I. This class will extend students’ skills with digital, traditional, and stop-motion animation. Students will create using industry-standard software and practices. Students are highly encouraged to work collaboratively on animation projects.
Film Scoring
This class is an interdisciplinary class offered to Film and Music students working collaboratively on producing short films with musical scores.
Senior Electives
Video Production
This class allows students to explore their interests in independent and personal projects and further develop their skills. Joint class with SDP majors.
Digital Photography
This class allows students to explore their interest in photography and further develop their skills. Joint class with SDP majors.
Practical Effects
Students will learn an array of visual effects techniques with a focus on practical effects and shooting techniques to create visually stunning cinema. Joint class with SDP majors.
Horror Film
This class will examine what “horror” is, and where it originated. We will look at how film directors use sound, creative filmmaking, low budgets, and SPFX to scare the viewer. We will survey national and international films, from the silent era to the present. Joint class with SDP majors.