Courses | Cinema and Media Arts, B.A.

Creating poets via an introduction to the building blocks of storytelling: character, setting, plot. Students will read, analyze and create poetry, short fiction, non-fiction, drama, and film ideas. Special emphasis will be given to the history, art and aesthetics of storytelling.

A survey of current industry practices and careers in film, television, music and emerging technologies. Students will learn to research and analyze the career and business choices of current professionals in the industry and create long-term strategies for entering into and succeeding in the entertainment business. Special emphasis will be given to the unique ethical questions and biblical applications that arise within the Hollywood context.

Introduction to the use of computer technology in the field of media production. Topics include: web design, media streaming and other Internet delivery systems, small screen production for iPod and cell phone; graphic design, audio production and video production for new media; computer hardware, operating systems, networking and server systems for new media.

Covers the budgeting and scheduling necessary for film, television, audio and Internet production. Students learn the parameters considered in making decisions to balance the creative goals and logistical demands of production. Matters of insurance; deal negotiation; travel; contracts; union rules (including, but not limited to SAG, DGA, WGA, IATSE, AFTRA); copyright; music license and clearance issues; management of crew; liaison difficulties with studios, clients and outside publics; managing the demands of volatile talent; and other issues will be covered. Evaluation of students' understanding will be based on a budget and schedule for a feature length film they will be required to complete as well as pertinent tests and quizzes.

This course will cover the effect of visual media on society and the noticeable absence of learning the grammar of visual language within the educational process. Instead of relegating the study of media to a simple inoculation against negative images, this course seeks to understand and celebrate the quite human process of media creation and consumption with the hope of restoring agency to the audience and accountability to the creator.

The first course of a three-course sequence (358, 359, 452) in which a dramatic film will be produced. This course emphasizes the essential pre-production aspects including script development, budgeting, casting, set construction, location surveys, and develops skills in using production equipment.

Principal photography will be done for the film project begun in 358. Emphasizes lighting, camera operation, sound recording and directing.

Advertising principles and techniques. The study of effective and ineffective forms of advertising. Applications linked to public relations, media events, marketing, and communication encounters.

Study of theoretical approaches to the First Amendment as well as specific areas of concern to professional journalists such as defamation, privacy, fair trial, obscenity, copyright, shield laws, sunshine laws, etc. Exploration of applied professional ethics and contemporary professional issues of ethics for media professionals.

A real-world learning experience beyond the university classroom. The focus is working in a media-related organization such as a production company, network, studio or media ministry. This course will test students' commitment, aptitude and stamina for work within the entertainment industry. Includes on-campus sessions designed to strengthen and expand professional skills.

Producers make film and television happen. This course covers what a producer does to create a budget, to find financing, to manage the production process, and to market and distribute a film or television project.

The final course in a three-course film production sequence (358, 359, 452). Emphasizes editing, music, sound effects, mixing, laboratory coordination, and distribution.

Covers management strategies as applied to media companies, including television stations, cable systems, motion picture production companies, companies in the emerging technologies and ministry media. In addition, students will receive guidance geared toward final preparation for entering into executive positions in the entertainment industry. Projects include resumes, cover letters, interview and meeting techniques, reader coverage, and concludes with students pitching projects to current entertainment executives.

Student produces a "calling card" project with advice and guidance from faculty. The project will represent the student's highest achievement in media production. Projects can include scripts, audio recordings, video, motion pictures, and other emerging media.

Methodology for mass communication research, including sampling, questionnaire design and introduction to statistics. Students conduct an audience analysis, focus groups and research project. A major goal is to become adept at reading and evaluating research reports.

A rotating variety of topics and production experiences often employing special guests from within the media industries. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, Fund Raising, Event Planning, Visual Effects, Audio Recording, Cinematography, Production Design, the Sundance Film Festival, the City of the Angels Film Festival, the Biola Media Conference.

Creating poets via an introduction to the building blocks of storytelling: character, setting, plot. Students will read, analyze and create poetry, short fiction, non-fiction, drama, and film ideas. Special emphasis will be given to the history, art and aesthetics of storytelling.

Creating painters via an introduction to the building blocks of visual storytelling: camera and lighting. Students will learn how to light and photograph on set and on location, indoors and outdoors, through the use of various cameras and film stocks. Special emphasis will be given to production design and the use of color/contrast/movement.

Creating historians via a survey of the development of the motion picture. Films screened in the course will be analyzed from perspectives of auteur theory, genre theory and thematic criticism. Special emphasis will be given to cultural criticism locating films in their unique time and place.

An introduction to field and studio audio recording, multitrack mixing and editing and audio effects as applied to film, television and the recording arts.

Covers all aspects of directing for motion pictures and television. Includes emphasis on the director's role and responsibility in the following stages: script, casting, actors, pre-production, camera, post-production. Also covers the director's spiritual preparation and integration into the craft. Students complete one short film.

Introduction to the use of computer technology in the field of media production. Topics include: web design, media streaming and other Internet delivery systems, small screen production for iPod and cell phone; graphic design, audio production and video production for new media; computer hardware, operating systems, networking and server systems for new media.

Covers the budgeting and scheduling necessary for film, television, audio and Internet production. Students learn the parameters considered in making decisions to balance the creative goals and logistical demands of production. Matters of insurance; deal negotiation; travel; contracts; union rules (including, but not limited to SAG, DGA, WGA, IATSE, AFTRA); copyright; music license and clearance issues; management of crew; liaison difficulties with studios, clients and outside publics; managing the demands of volatile talent; and other issues will be covered. Evaluation of students' understanding will be based on a budget and schedule for a feature length film they will be required to complete as well as pertinent tests and quizzes.

Explores the aesthetics of the film image. Students gain the ability to talk and write about the aesthetics of an image and the practical business of image capture. Students will understand basic composition, lighting and exposure and what makes an image attractive to the human eye.

Instruction and application in the art of digital editing with emphasis on Final Cut Pro HD. An intense study of the craft and role of the editor as storyteller. Covers various genres and formats (e.g., features, documentaries, short films, trailers). Emphasis on the editor's role in other aspects of post-production, including audio, music, color correction, digital effects, DVD authoring. Several individual projects allow hands-on practical learning.

This course will cover the effect of visual media on society and the noticeable absence of learning the grammar of visual language within the educational process. Instead of relegating the study of media to a simple inoculation against negative images, this course seeks to understand and celebrate the quite human process of media creation and consumption with the hope of restoring agency to the audience and accountability to the creator.

The first course of a three-course sequence (358, 359, 452) in which a dramatic film will be produced. This course emphasizes the essential pre-production aspects including script development, budgeting, casting, set construction, location surveys, and develops skills in using production equipment.

Principal photography will be done for the film project begun in 358. Emphasizes lighting, camera operation, sound recording and directing.

A real-world learning experience beyond the university classroom. The focus is working in a media-related organization such as a production company, network, studio or media ministry. This course will test students' commitment, aptitude and stamina for work within the entertainment industry. Includes on-campus sessions designed to strengthen and expand professional skills.

The final course in a three-course film production sequence (358, 359, 452). Emphasizes editing, music, sound effects, mixing, laboratory coordination, and distribution.

Student produces a "calling card" project with advice and guidance from faculty. The project will represent the student's highest achievement in media production. Projects can include scripts, audio recordings, video, motion pictures, and other emerging media.

Creating poets via an introduction to the building blocks of storytelling: character, setting, plot. Students will read, analyze and create poetry, short fiction, non-fiction, drama, and film ideas. Special emphasis will be given to the history, art and aesthetics of storytelling.

Creating painters via an introduction to the building blocks of visual storytelling: camera and lighting. Students will learn how to light and photograph on set and on location, indoors and outdoors, through the use of various cameras and film stocks. Special emphasis will be given to production design and the use of color/contrast/movement.

Creating historians via a survey of the development of the motion picture. Films screened in the course will be analyzed from perspectives of auteur theory, genre theory and thematic criticism. Special emphasis will be given to cultural criticism locating films in their unique time and place.

An introductory course to the art of writing for film and television. Includes emphasis on structure, especially the hero's journey, archetypes, genre and story outline. Students will develop a detailed treatment before creating a feature screenplay.

A survey of current industry practices and careers in film, television, music and emerging technologies. Students will learn to research and analyze the career and business choices of current professionals in the industry and create long-term strategies for entering into and succeeding in the entertainment business. Special emphasis will be given to the unique ethical questions and biblical applications that arise within the Hollywood context.

Advanced work in writing an original feature-length screenplay.

This course will take students through the study of story premise, outline, treatment and draft as it pertains to both feature motion pictures and television plays. Students will write each of these various elements in the process of screenplay development. There will be thirteen writing assignments during the semester. Each student's material will be reviewed and critiqued by the instructor and the students in the class one week later. Several of the assignments will be rewritten after notes have been given.

An exploration of characters and dialogue in film and television formats. Scenes and sequences will be written by students during the course.

This course will cover the effect of visual media on society and the noticeable absence of learning the grammar of visual language within the educational process. Instead of relegating the study of media to a simple inoculation against negative images, this course seeks to understand and celebrate the quite human process of media creation and consumption with the hope of restoring agency to the audience and accountability to the creator.

Re-creating the format and method of the television "writer's room," students will collaborate to pitch, develop, outline, and - as a group - write (and then re-write) episodes of an existing television show. TV story structure, scene writing, note-taking, and collaboration will all be addressed.

This course will involve learning the importance of representation for the writer, how to get representation, and how to develop this relationship to one's best advantage. In addition, this will include packaging and pitching of projects, which students will learn to reduce ideas to basic components enhancing verbal presentation skills.

A course in learning to perform coverage of scripts and in rewriting and polishing dramatic scripts for television and motion pictures. An emphasis will be placed on critical analysis of story structure from classic films to contemporary works. Includes identification of key story concepts and elements of three-act structure.

A real-world learning experience beyond the university classroom. The focus is working in a media-related organization such as a production company, network, studio or media ministry. This course will test students' commitment, aptitude and stamina for work within the entertainment industry. Includes on-campus sessions designed to strengthen and expand professional skills.

This course will explore the idea of how to get one's worldview into the story without ruining the story. It will study how story works to impact an audience, and how the filmmaker uses the many aspects of film apart from just dialogue to tell the story and shape the message.

Student produces a "calling card" project with advice and guidance from faculty. The project will represent the student's highest achievement in media production. Projects can include scripts, audio recordings, video, motion pictures, and other emerging media.

Fiction workshop. Students will read and critique each other's work, study selected modern and contemporary short stories and investigate the creative writing process.