Courses | B.A. in Cinema and Media Arts

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 and create film ideas and short screenplays. Special emphasis will be given to the history, art and aesthetics of storytelling. Grade Mode: A.

Student creates a capstone project with advice and guidance from faculty. The project will represent the student's highest achievement in media creation. Projects can include scripts, recordings, films, and other emerging media. Projects premiere publicly at the end of the semester. Grade Mode: A.

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 and create film ideas and short screenplays. Special emphasis will be given to the history, art and aesthetics of storytelling. Grade Mode: A.

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, Foley, automatic dialog replacement, and sound effects as applied to film, television, games, recording arts and other media. Grade Mode: A.

Introduction to the techniques of storytelling across multiple emerging technology platforms and formats such as streaming on YouTube and virtual reality. Explores the history and convergence of the Internet with personal computers. Topics include web design, media streaming, small screen production, apps for smartphones, graphic design, interactivity, augmented reality, audio and video formats for new media; computer hardware, operating systems, networking and content management systems. Grade Mode: A.

Explores the aesthetics and technology of the film image. Students will understand basic composition, lighting and exposure and what makes an image attractive to the human eye. Significant lab/hands-on experience included with an emphasis on cameras, lighting, grip and electric. Grade Mode: A.

An intense study of the craft and role of the editor as storyteller. Covers various genres and formats such as features, documentaries, short films, and trailers. Emphasis on the editor's role in other aspects of post-production, including audio, music, color correction, digital effects, and distribution masters. Several individual projects allow hands-on practical learning. Grade Mode: A.

Student creates a capstone project with advice and guidance from faculty. The project will represent the student's highest achievement in media creation. Projects can include scripts, recordings, films, and other emerging media. Projects premiere publicly at the end of the semester. Grade Mode: A.

Introduction to the basic elements of modern marketing including the study of the marketing environment framework, target market, market segmentation, marketing ethics, and the marketing mix variables of product, promotion, price, public relations, and place/distribution. Notes: This course is intended for students that do not have marketing or marketing management as a concentration. Grade Mode: A

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 and create film ideas and short screenplays. Special emphasis will be given to the history, art and aesthetics of storytelling. Grade Mode: A.

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

Introduction to the techniques of storytelling across multiple emerging technology platforms and formats such as streaming on YouTube and virtual reality. Explores the history and convergence of the Internet with personal computers. Topics include web design, media streaming, small screen production, apps for smartphones, graphic design, interactivity, augmented reality, audio and video formats for new media; computer hardware, operating systems, networking and content management systems. Grade Mode: A.

A study of the television business from a programming perspective. Students learn how programming of each season reflects the culture, sociological, and economic trends of the times. A variety of sitcoms, dramas and variety shows are viewed and students learn how current programming has developed from formats that were successful in the 1950s through the present. Grade Mode: A.

Student creates a capstone project with advice and guidance from faculty. The project will represent the student's highest achievement in media creation. Projects can include scripts, recordings, films, and other emerging media. Projects premiere publicly at the end of the semester. Grade Mode: A.

The dynamics of organizational communication centering in systems, structures and patterns of work/workplace communication; the role of communication in organizational development. Grade Mode: A

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 and post-production. Also covers the director's spiritual preparation and integration into the craft. Students complete one short film. Grade Mode: A.

Explores the aesthetics and technology of the film image. Students will understand basic composition, lighting and exposure and what makes an image attractive to the human eye. Significant lab/hands-on experience included with an emphasis on cameras, lighting, grip and electric. Grade Mode: A.

An intense study of the craft and role of the editor as storyteller. Covers various genres and formats such as features, documentaries, short films, and trailers. Emphasis on the editor's role in other aspects of post-production, including audio, music, color correction, digital effects, and distribution masters. Several individual projects allow hands-on practical learning. Grade Mode: A.

This workshop-based course will require students to edit entire short films to understand not just what makes a scene work but an entire story arc. Through the critiquing of one another's work, students will learn to articulate what is, and is not, working in their weekly cuts. Grade Mode: A.

Introduction to the techniques of storytelling across multiple emerging technology platforms and formats such as streaming on YouTube and virtual reality. Explores the history and convergence of the Internet with personal computers. Topics include web design, media streaming, small screen production, apps for smartphones, graphic design, interactivity, augmented reality, audio and video formats for new media; computer hardware, operating systems, networking and content management systems. Grade Mode: A.

An examination of digital visual effects for film, television, games and other media. The class covers basic 2-D and 3-D modeling, compositing, digital lighting, mattes, animation and the vfx pipeline. Participants should have extensive computer experience. Grade Mode: A.

An introduction to the creation of 3D models using industry-standard software. Topics include hard surface modeling, texturing, lighting, rendering, and character modeling and rigging, and keyframe animation techniques to develop movement and realism. Grade Mode: A.

An advanced workshop in visual effects, this course continues to build compositing and motion graphics techniques while exploring new topics such as 3D camera tracking (match moving), motion capture, pre-visualization, and production-quality 3D content creation. Grade Mode: A.

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, Foley, automatic dialog replacement, and sound effects as applied to film, television, games, recording arts and other media.

Methods, problems and factors involved in launching and managing startup and new business ventures, all viewed through the lens of redemptive entrepreneurship.

An examination and evaluation of financial decision making in the Corporate environment valuing future cash flows, characterizing risk and return and evaluating options available to firms to finance their operations or fund growth opportunities. Students will learn how to analyze financial data to provide information to management on how to improve the financial performance of their firm. Grade Mode: A.

This course will examine the various sources of funding available to start-ups, including friends and family, crowdfunding, commercial lending institutions, angel investors, venture capitalists, and various governmental programs. The Initial Public Offering (IPO) process is also examined as a means for accessing public capital markets and growing the business. Grade Mode: A.

A survey of the major mass media: film, television, music, print, radio, Internet and others. Includes history, growth, societal, business practices, legal and technological aspects of each. Includes individual considerations for the influence, world views expressed, and integration within mass media. Notes: Open to non-CNMA majors with departmental permission. Grade Mode: A.

A study of the television business from a programming perspective. Students learn how programming of each season reflects the culture, sociological, and economic trends of the times. A variety of sitcoms, dramas and variety shows are viewed and students learn how current programming has developed from formats that were successful in the 1950s through the present. Grade Mode: A.