Courses | B.A. in Cinema and Media Arts

Summary

Below are some of the courses you’ll have an opportunity to take as a student in this program. Note: This list is intended to give you a quick glimpse into the program’s academic offerings, and should not be used as a guide for course selection or academic advising. For official program requirements see catalog for details.

Course Overview

The following documents outline a suggested course schedule.

Concentrations

Production

A production concentration offers students a thorough grounding in the creation of film, television or audio and new media. Students are encouraged to develop their technical skills, training for positions as director, cinematographer, gaffer, editor, sound designer, recording engineer, new media creation and/or production designer. Whether pursuing careers in the entertainment industry or media ministry, students discover a spirit of cooperation and collaboration is essential.

CNMA 101	The Art of Storytelling
Giving filmmakers an introduction to the building blocks of storytelling: character, setting and plot. Students will read and study the steps of the Hero's Journey as used in current Hollywood films. They will analyze story structure, write short stories based on real and imagined events and create film ideas and short screenplays. Special emphasis will be given to the history, art and aesthetics of storytelling. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 102	Visual Aesthetics
Through an introduction to the building blocks of visual storytelling, students will learn to use film grammar to tell their stories effectively. Special emphasis will be given to lighting, color, shape, line, and space. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 104	History of Cinema
Creating historians via a survey of the development of the motion picture including the evolution of motion pictures as an art form, classic Hollywood narrative structure, technological developments, communication medium, and industry. 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. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 251	Sound Recording
An introduction to the theory and practice of storytelling with sound. Topics include physics, acoustics and psychoacoustics of sound, field and studio sound recording, multi-track mixing and editing, and sound effects as applied to film, television, recording arts and other media. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 262	Directing for TV and Film
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. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 301	Transmedia
Transmedia introduces the techniques of telling a story across multiple technology platforms and formats. Topics include: web design, media streaming, small screen production and apps for pads or smartphones, graphic design, interactive, virtual reality, audio and video formats for new media; computer hardware, operating systems, networking and server systems. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 302	Production Management
Covers the budgeting and scheduling necessary for media production. Students learn the parameters considered in making decisions to balance the creative goals and logistical demands of production. Matters of insurance; deal negotiation; contracts; union rules (including SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE) copyright and clearance issues; management of crew; liaison difficulties with studios, clients and outside publics; and other issues will be covered. Evaluation of students' understanding will be based on a budget and schedule for a one hour single camera drama they will be required to complete, as well as pertinent test and quizzes. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 303	Cinematography
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. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 315	Editing for Film and Television
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. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 353	Media Literacy
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. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 358	Motion Picture Pre-Production
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. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 359	Motion Picture Production
Principal photography will be done for the film project begun in 358. Emphasizes lighting, camera operation, sound recording and directing. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 440	Cinema and Media Arts Internship
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. Notes: Sixty hours of internship is required for each academic credit. May be taken multiple times for a maximum of 6 credits. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 452	Motion Picture Post-Production
The final course in a three-course film production sequence (358, 359, 452). Emphasizes editing, music, sound effects, mixing, laboratory coordination, and distribution. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 456	Senior Media Project
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. Grade Mode: A.

Writing for Film and Television

The Writing for Film and Television concentration covers the fundamental elements of storytelling—from conception (the pitch and the outline), to execution (the script), to the all-important rewriting and polishing process.

CNMA 101	The Art of Storytelling
Giving filmmakers an introduction to the building blocks of storytelling: character, setting and plot. Students will read and study the steps of the Hero's Journey as used in current Hollywood films. They will analyze story structure, write short stories based on real and imagined events and create film ideas and short screenplays. Special emphasis will be given to the history, art and aesthetics of storytelling. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 102	Visual Aesthetics
Through an introduction to the building blocks of visual storytelling, students will learn to use film grammar to tell their stories effectively. Special emphasis will be given to lighting, color, shape, line, and space. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 104	History of Cinema
Creating historians via a survey of the development of the motion picture including the evolution of motion pictures as an art form, classic Hollywood narrative structure, technological developments, communication medium, and industry. 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. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 203	Screenwriting I
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. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 204	The Entertainment Business
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. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 312	Screenwriting II
Advanced work in writing an original feature-length screenplay. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 351	Writing the Scene
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. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 352	Character Development and Dialogue
An exploration of characters and dialogue in film and television formats. Scenes and sequences will be written by students during the course. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 353	Media Literacy
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. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 354	The TV Writer's Room
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. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 405	Understanding Representation
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, learning basic contracts that professionals in the industry will need in order to do business in their areas. In addition, this will include packaging and pitching of projects, which students will learn to reduce ideas to basic components enhancing verbal presentation skills. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 420	Coverages and Rewrites
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. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 440	Cinema and Media Arts Internship
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. Notes: Sixty hours of internship is required for each academic credit. May be taken multiple times for a maximum of 6 credits. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 453	Beauty as Truth
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. Grade Mode: A.
CNMA 456	Senior Media Project
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. Grade Mode: A.
ENGL 344	Creative Writing: Fiction
Fiction workshop. Students will read and critique each other's work, study selected modern and contemporary short stories and investigate the creative writing process. Grade Mode: A.

Biola University

Courses | B.A. in Cinema and Media Arts

Summary

Course Overview

Concentrations

Production

Writing for Film and Television

Media Management

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