Production Option - Film and Animation BFA - Curriculum

Production Option - Film and Animation BFA

Film and Animation (production option), BFA degree, typical course sequence

Course Sem. Cr. Hrs.
First Year
SOFA-101
Production
A fundamental course in non-synchronous film production and an introduction to digital video editing. Filmmaking is presented as a means of interpretation and expression. This course combines technical information in motion picture exposure and editing with a theoretical and practical approach to motion picture continuity. Production is in non-sync format and post-production is digital software. Students furnish film, tape and processing. **Fee: There is a lab free required for this course. ** (This class is restricted to 1st and 2nd year students in FILMAN-BFA or DIGCIME-BS.) Lecture 2, Studio 3 (Fall or Spring).
3
SOFA-105
Documentary Field Practices
This foundation level course introduces students to documentary film as a creative and socially engaging form of storytelling. In addition to aesthetic and conceptual skills, production techniques focus on the ability to develop filming strategies, gathering clean sound, filming to edit, and interviewing skills. In addition, the relationship between filmmaker and subject, will be examined, including the ethical challenges of representing real life subjects. Critical thinking skills will be employed as we analyze the different styles of documentary film. Students will work in small documentary crews out in the field learning the use of microphones, field lighting, handheld and other non-traditional camerawork, selecting/interviewing documentary subjects and capturing material with proper coverage in order to build scenes in the edit room. (Prerequisite: SOFA-101 or equivalent course.) Lab 3, Lecture 3 (Fall, Summer).
4
SOFA-112
Fundamentals of Screenwriting
This course will introduce students to the forms and techniques of writing for visual media, particularly the short film. Students will develop resources for finding stories and concepts that can be turned into films. Students will be responsible for writing a short script of their own choosing and for completing several brief written exercises in areas such as personal storytelling, character development, dialogue, and plot. Scripts written in this course can be used as the basis for films produced in other classes. (This class is restricted to 1st and 2nd year students in FILMAN-BFA or DIGCIME-BS.) Lecture 3 (Spring).
3
SOFA-121
Animation I (General Education – Artistic Perspective)
This class will introduce students to the gamut of animation thinking and making through classroom instruction and hands-on practical experience. Lecture and readings will emphasize the process, theory and practice of animated filmmaking with extensive film screenings to illustrate each technique and related aesthetics. Hands-on supervised studio sessions will guide students to an intuitive understanding of the process of producing animation and students will use this understanding to analyze various animated works. Each student will develop their personal vision through assigned projects utilizing the material discussed in class. **This course has a facilities fee for Non-SOFA students.** Lab 3, Lecture 2 (Fall, Spring).
3
SOFA-122
Fundamentals of Computers and Imaging Technology
This course provides an introductory overview to computer systems and to principles associated with motion picture technologies. Topics covered include computer history, basics in computer architecture basics, operating systems, HTML and networking. Human vision and perception, image capture and display technologies (both analog and digital), digital image processing and post-production equipment and software are also covered. The course focuses on exposing the students to basic principles necessary to proceed with subsequent courses with production or animation focus. (This class is restricted to 1st and 2nd year students in FILMAN-BFA.) Lab 3, Lecture 2 (Fall, Spring).
3
SOFA-131
Film History and Theory I
Film History and Theory I is a motion picture examination and readings course. It will give media production students the opportunity to trace the development of many of the techniques and forms in what now constitute traditional and expanded definitions of cinema. The course is taught from the perspective of a practicing filmmaker involved in the critical exploration of film language as well as its historical and cultural dimensions. In addition to lectures, the course includes weekly screenings of seminal works from the history of cinema. Screenings support class lectures. (This class is restricted to 1st and 2nd year students in FILMAN-BFA or DIGCIME-BS.) Lec/Lab 5 (Fall).
3
YOPS-10
RIT 365: RIT Connections
RIT 365 students participate in experiential learning opportunities designed to launch them into their career at RIT, support them in making multiple and varied connections across the university, and immerse them in processes of competency development. Students will plan for and reflect on their first-year experiences, receive feedback, and develop a personal plan for future action in order to develop foundational self-awareness and recognize broad-based professional competencies. (This class is restricted to incoming 1st year or global campus students.) Lecture 1 (Fall, Spring).
0
ARTH-1##
Any 100-level ARTH course (General Education- Global Perspective)
3
 
General Education- Elective
3
 
General Education – First-Year Writing (WI)
3
 
General Education – Ethical Perspective
3
Second Year
SOFA-502
Production Processes
This course is an introduction to all aspects of professional film/video narrative production. Students produce short projects while learning basic shooting and crewing procedures, studio protocol, equipment handling and maintenance, and basic sync editing. (Prerequisites: SOFA-105 or SOFA-205 or equivalent course.) Lecture 2, Studio 10 (Fall or Spring).
6
SOFA-205
Basic Sound Recording
Students will learn to work with sound and to distinguish and evaluate proper sound techniques for film and animation productions. The course lays the foundation for professional work in the sound industry. Each student records audio and prepares a mixed soundtrack to professional quality standards. (Prerequisite: SOFA-101 or equivalent course.) Lab 2, Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
3
SOFA-206
Directing
This course is an introduction to the arts of directing and acting with an emphasis on script analysis, performance, and blocking. Students direct and act in scenes from professional productions. Scenes are rehearsed outside of class, and then staged and critiqued in class. (Prerequisites: SOFA-102 or SOFA-101 or equivalent course.) Lec/Lab 3 (Fall, Spring).
3
SOFA-208
Dramatic Structure (WI-PR)
This course explores the theories of dramatic structure from Aristotle to the present and applies these theories to current and classic dramatic works. The class also explores dramatic script structure as it is used in dramatic works on stage and screen. (Prerequisites: SOFA-112 and (SOFA-131 or SOFA-106) or equivalent courses and completion of First Year Writing (FYW) requirement.) Lab 3, Lecture 2 (Fall).
3
Choose one of the following:
4
   SOFA-211
 Documentary Workshop
Students will make a short documentary film on a subject they choose. Students plan for pre-production including research, contacting possible subjects, and writing a project proposal. During the production phase of the film, students will learn interviewing skills, how to direct a documentary crew, and how to work with their subjects. During post production, students will learn how to organize their material into a short film. Students will complete projects for screening at the end of the semester. (Prerequisites: SOFA-105 or PHPJ-315 or FDTN-141 or equivalent course.) Lecture 4 (Fall, Spring).
 
   SOFA-212
 Fiction Workshop
Students will direct short fiction projects using either film or digital media and also serve on the production crew for other projects. Students specializing in a cinematic craft will work in important creative capacities (cinematography, editing, and sound) on two or more projects. Students are encouraged to explore individual styles and concepts. Intensive pre-production protocol and documentation are followed. Students will devise how to best translate a screenplay into a fleshed-out motion-media dramatic experience. Acumen in areas such as shot selection, performance motivation, and resource management will be necessary. Editing and sound design will be completed as well. Students will complete projects for screening at the end of the semester. (Prerequisite: SOFA-502 or equivalent course.) Lecture 4 (Fall, Spring).
 
   SOFA-537
 Radical Cinema Workshop
Students will produce at least one completed artistic work that uses the moving image. This course demands the use of alternative expressions in concept, style, or technology, and students are encouraged to take risks, break "rules" and explore their own unique creative potential. Students may work in a variety of media, depending on their proficiencies and their vision of the project. Students will complete projects for screening at the end of the semester. Students can retake this course as a CAD elective once they have completed their Production Workshop requirement. (Prerequisites: SOFA-105 or SOFA-502 or equivalent course.) Lecture 4 (Fall, Spring).
 
Choose one of the following:
3
 
 General Education – Natural Science Inquiry Perspective
 
 
 General Education – Scientific Principles Perspective
 
 
 General Education – Mathematical Perspective A or B
 
SOFA-214
Fundamentals of Editing
This course introduces students to the approaches editors use to make aesthetic choices within a variety of genres. Students will review and analyze the work of master editors, and deconstruct editors’ choices that “leave the script behind” and honor the essence of a story through innovative editing. Aspects of editing to be studied include continuity editing, associational editing, dialogue editing, building a character’s point of view, pacing, performance, building montage, and storytelling. Students will examine editing theories and styles in a workshop environment, developing the ability to start and manage an edit in current software. Students will demonstrate technical understanding of importing, organizing, and managing media for complex projects; visual and time-based effects; sound processing; track building; multi-camera editing; and graphics. (Prerequisite: SOFA-105 or equivalent course.) Lab 3, Lecture 2 (Spring).
3
 
CAD Elective‡
3
 
General Education – Social Perspective
3
Third Year
SOFA-306
Senior Capstone Seminar
Students are guided through the process of composing a successful Senior Capstone proposal. Students conceive and develop projects through idea to script. Craft students develop collaborative plans and mood boards. A draft of a written proposal with script will be presented in the fall to faculty for signatures and approval. This course is a pre-requisite for Production Capstone (SOFA-416 Production Capstone I and SOFA-417 Production Capstone II). (Co-requisites: (SOFA-211 or SOFA-212 or SOFA-537) and 2 of the following courses: (SOFA-521, SOFA-523, SOFA-524, SOFA-526, SOFA-578) or equivalent courses.) Lecture 2 (Spring).
2
SOFA-514
Business and Careers in Film
An introduction to all aspects of the business side of professional film/video narrative documentary and commercial production. Students will form production companies and develop a business plan while considering alternative careers in film, basic financial and legal protocol, and mental preparation needed to enter the film business market. Resumes and reels are assigned projects. (Prerequisite: SOFA-502 or equivalent course.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
3
 
History and Aesthetics Electives
3
 
CAD Electives‡
6
 
SOFA Craft Choice§
6
 
Open Electives
6
 
General Education – Immersion 1 (WI-GE)
3
Fourth Year
SOFA-416
Production Capstone I
The first of two classes designed to advance students toward the completion of a capstone. It will advance students from capstone proposal toward the completion of a project. Students will also take part in weekly critiques to present their work and discuss the work of their classmates. At the completion of this course, students should be at the halfway point of their set project. (Prerequisite: SOFA-306 or equivalent course.) Lecture 4 (Fall).
4
SOFA-417
Production Capstone II
This course will lead students toward the completion of their capstone. Students will take part in weekly critiques, present their work, and discuss the work of their classmates. At the end of this course, students will complete their capstone and take part in a public screening of their finished work or craft experience. (Prerequisite: SOFA-416 or equivalent course.) Lecture 4 (Fall).
4
 
Open Electives
9
 
General Education – Immersion 2, 3
6
 
CAD Elective‡
3
 
History and Aesthetics Elective
3
Total Semester Credit Hours
120

Please see General Education Curriculum (GE) for more information.

(WI) Refers to a writing intensive course within the major.

Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information. Students completing bachelor's degrees are required to complete two different Wellness courses.

† SOFA production workshop courses include Documentary Workshop (SOFA-211), Fiction Workshop (SOFA-212), and Radical Cinema Workshop (SOFA-213). Students must complete two production workshops over the course of three semesters, starting in the spring of the second year and ending in the spring of the third year. Once the student has completed two different workshops, courses may be repeated for credit.

‡ CAD Elective - any College of Art and Design course as well as Composing for Media (FNRT-208), Composing for Video Games and Interactive Media (FNRT-328).

§ SOFA craft choice courses include Advanced Sound Recording (SOFA-521), Advanced Editing (SOFA-523), Advanced Directing (SOFA-524), Writing the Short (SOFA-526), Advanced Cinematography I (SOFA-578).

Electives

History and Aesthetics Electives

Course
ARTH-###
Any "ARTH" undergraduate course, 200-level and above
ANTH-310
African Film
This course considers the diversity, contours and synergies of African films and filmmaking, traversing the continent to view films from Senegal, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Egypt and Mali. Though much scholarship has focused on influential African filmmakers and nationally located cinemas, the straight-to-video systems of the 1980s and 1990s had a profound impact on African films and filmmaking. Nollywood and other video film industries began to dominate film production and transnational mobility, influencing new film technologies and industries, accessibility and addressability across the globe. Topics in this course include the influence of African film directors on filmmaking, and critical developments in major industries; Nollywood and beyond, and the cultural aesthetics, politics and economics that affect their global mobility and popular appeal; postcolonial identities and power; music and oral traditions of storytelling; didactic, post-colonial cinema with moral, political missions vs. ‘arthouse’ approaches; Afrofuturist and speculative cinema; channels such as African Magic that are shown in more than 50 African countries; and the effects of video streaming on global stardom and popularity. Students will learn about diverse African films and approaches to filmmaking, and the vibrant people and creative cultures that make up these film industries. Lecture 3 (Fall or Spring).
ANTH-430
Visual Anthropology
We see others as we imagine them to be, in terms of our values, not as they see themselves. This course examines ways in which we understand and represent the reality of others through visual media, across the boundaries of culture, gender, and race. It considers how and why visual media can be used to represent or to distort the world around us. Pictorial media, in particular ethnographic film and photography, are analyzed to document the ways in which indigenous and native peoples in different parts of the world have been represented and imagined by anthropologists and western popular culture. Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
GRDE-205
History of Graphic Design
This course will focus on the development of graphic communication from prehistory through the present. This course will provide students with knowledge and understanding of the places, people, events; historical and cultural factors; and technological innovations that have influenced the practice of graphic design. Lectures are complemented by guest speakers, archive visits, videos, research projects, critical essay writing, and discussion. (Prerequisites: ARTH-136 or equivalent course and completion of First Year Writing (FYW) requirement.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
GRDE-322
Women Pioneers in Design
This course will center on the contributions made by Modernist women designers. Emphasis will be placed on their unheralded pioneering efforts. Exemplars from the field will be presented, set in a historical context. Lectures are complemented by guest speakers, videos, participatory exercises, discussion, and critical essay writing. (This course is restricted to undergraduate students in CAD with at least 2nd year standing.) Lecture 3 (Fall, Spring).
MLFR-352
The French Heritage in Films
Heritage films are central to the French cinematographic production. They enable the transmission and the reevaluation of a tradition that lies at the core of French cultural identity. This course examines a selection of French films adapted from both canonical and non-canonical texts representative of major events, trends, social issues, and artistic movements that contributed to shaping modern France. Students will become familiar with world-renowned French novels, short stories, comic books, and films. The course deals with topics such as aristocratic culture, racial identity in France, the myth of the resistance and the legacy of the Second World War, France’s rural past, the French colonial experience, women and bourgeois culture, the long-standing tradition of comic books and comedy in France, the Tradition of Quality, the French New Wave, and heritage films. The course also examines the interconnectedness of French culture and the cultures of the United States, England, and former French colonies. It notably explores how the French colonial experience informed the development of French cinema, and how French heritage films were both inspired and reinterpreted by British and American cinematographic industries to reflect the cultures and values of those societies. Conducted in English. Lecture 3 (Spring).
PHAR-211
Histories and Aesthetics of Photography I
This course presents an overview of the multiple, intersecting histories and aesthetic practices of photography between 1800 and 1915 and its applications in fine art, snapshot, documentary, scientific, commercial, and propaganda in a global perspective. Course lectures include the medium’s pre-history and the development of photography as a modern art form. Students will learn about different photographic processes as well as the multiple interpretations of notable images from the era, and will analyze connections between science, culture, history, and photography. Lecture 3 (Fall or Spring).
PHAR-212
Histories and Aesthetics of Photography II
The objective of this course, the second course of a two-semester sequence, is to present an overview of the multiple, intersecting histories and aesthetic practices of photography from the development of Modernism to the present, including the medium's transformation by digital imaging in the 21st century. Photography's applications within fine art, documentary, scientific, journalistic, commercial and vernacular practices will be investigated within a global perspective, but primary emphasis is placed upon developments and movements within the United States and Europe. Lecture 3 (Spring, Summer).
SOFA-511
Film Sound Theory: Music
SOFA-512
Film Sound Theory: Effects
This course is one of three in the study of film sound theory. Through readings, focused group discussion, and the viewing of/listening to select films, the course promotes critical analysis of the varied and profound uses of effects in sound design. Addressed is the history of effects from the early sound era to the modern design. The concepts studied include the modal changes in point-of-audition, and positioning across diegeses. Other topics like complementarity and the acousmetre acousmatic are also addressed. (This course is available to RIT degree-seeking undergraduate students.) Lecture 3, Seminar 3 (Fall, Spring, Summer).
SOFA-513
Film Sound Theory: Voice
Through readings, focused group discussion, and the viewing/listening of select films, the course promotes critical analysis of the varied and profound uses of voice in sound design. The history of voice from the silent era to the modern sound design will be addressed. The concepts studied include the modal changes in point-of-audition, and positioning across diegeses. Other topics will also be addressed: vococentric mixing and separation, dialogue theory, etc. At the conclusion of the course each student will present on a chosen concept within film voice theory. (This course is available to RIT degree-seeking undergraduate students.) Lab 3, Lecture 3 (Fa/sp/su).
SOFA-541
History and Aesthetics of Animation
This course will explore the beginnings, the evolution, the creative and practical history of the animated film, including prehistory of animation, early film and animation history, major trends, artists, animation studios, theoretical distinctions, and international identities in animation. Issues of animation aesthetics will also be elucidated through discussions, readings, and reviews of exemplary films to emphasize the unique characteristics of the animated art form and how those characteristics are used as a means of interpretation and expression. Both orthodox and unorthodox animation will be highlighted. Films will be screened at every lecture. (Prerequisites: SOFA-121 or equivalent course and completion of First Year Writing (FYW) requirement.) Lec/Lab 4 (Fall or Spring).
SOFA-561
New Documentary Issues
This course will examine the current trends in documentary film during the last decade. Students will view 1-2 documentary films each week. Students will examine each film critically; analyzing the film’s theme, structure, style, relationship to reality, and effectiveness. In addition, students will examine how current filmmakers interpret and build upon the basic ideas and discourse that have defined documentary filmmaking since its beginnings. (Prerequisites: SOFA-106 or SOFA-131 or equivalent courses.) Lec/Lab 4 (Fall).
SOFA-562
Film History
This course examines selected, varying film topics in a wider socio-historical context. Seminar themes change each year and may include topics such as post-war German film, films of the Holocaust, Japanese film, surrealist and magic realist film, Soviet film, Native Americans on film, etc. Students are expected to participate actively in the course discussions. (Prerequisites: SOFA-106 or SOFA-131 or equivalent courses.) Lec/Lab 5 (Fall, Spring).
SOFA-566
Documentary Film History
This course will examine the development of documentary film from 1920 to the present day. Students will explore central themes in documentary filmmaking, including the Grierson social documentary, the Flaherty romantic tradition, cinema verite, propaganda films, first-person narratives, and experimental documentary. Through film viewings, class discussions, and assigned readings, the students will critically examine how documentary film is constructed, keeping in mind the critical relationship between the film’s content and its meaning. (Prerequisite: SOFA-131 or equivalent course.) Lec/Lab 5 (Spring).
VISL-373
American Film Since the Sixties
This course examines the history and aesthetics of the motion picture in the United States since the late 1960s, when the classical studio era ended. Emphasis will be placed on the analysis of both the work of major American filmmakers and the evolution of major American film genres between 1967 and 2001. Among the filmmakers to be studied are Kazan, Cassavetes, Penn, Coppola, Scorsese, Spielberg, Allen, Seidelman, Lee, Burton, Altman, Tarantino, Coen, and Lynch. The course will consider the evolution of such traditional Hollywood genres as the gangster film, the romantic comedy, and the Hollywood movie, study the development of new, blended genres, investigate the rise of the blockbuster, explore the rise of the Independents, and follow the aesthetic changes that occurred since the 1967. The films will be studied within the context of contemporary cultural and political events, and will be discussed from several viewpoints, including aesthetic, technical, social, and economic. The ways in which gender, race, and class are constructed through the movies will also be a major focus of study. Lecture 3 (Spring).