FILM-BFA - Film & Media Arts

Program Website

The B.F.A. in film and media arts requires 51 credit hours and emphasizes developing the unique creative voice of each student. The B.F.A. is specifically designed to prepare students for in the production side of the media industries and to develop their creative abilities in the art form. B.F.A. students choose one of two paths of emphasis: production or screenwriting. Courses in production offer creative development and extensive experience in shooting, directing, and editing film and other media; students choosing this emphasis may focus on developing their own creative projects or on specializing in a particular area of cinematic craft. Courses in screenwriting train students in the necessary skills and dispositions for crafting their stories in scripts suitable for production as films, television series, and other media. Additionally, courses in film and media history, the business of media, and media ethics provide extensive insight into audiovisual media as art forms, as important social and cultural institutions, and as industries. Finally, a capstone sequence provides final preparation for entrance into a career in the media industries, culminating in a thesis-level collaborative or individual creative project.

Internships

Upon attaining junior-level status (60 credit hours), qualified students are encouraged to pursue internships that enable them to work under the guidance of professionals in the media industries. Non-classroom internship credit is limited to three credit hours taken as an elective on a pass/fail basis. Students must be a declared film and media arts major (B.A. or B.F.A.), must have passed FILM 1304, and must obtain permission from the division’s Internship Coordinator before enrolling in an internship course (course, course, or course).

B.F.A. Production Thesis and Screenwriting Thesis

All B.F.A. majors must enroll in FILM 5305 - Thesis Development the fall of their senior year. In that course, students pursuing the Production Emphasis will either propose and direct their own thesis project or focus on an area of specialization (e.g., cinematography, sound, editing, producing) and do that role on one or more thesis projects directed by others. Students pursuing the Screenwriting Emphasis will propose and work on a writing project (e.g., feature screenplay, pilot teleplay). All projects must be approved by the FILM 5305 instructor.

Larger or more complex thesis projects may not be complete by the end of FILM 5305. Any senior B.F.A. student(s) working on such a project may request to continue on to FILM 5205 - Production Thesis (students doing Production Emphasis) or FILM 5213 - Screenwriting Thesis. Students must have made satisfactory progress on their thesis project, as determined by the FILM 5305 instructor, to be approved for one of these additional registrations.

Approved students will register for the appropriate course with a FILM faculty member in the spring of their senior year and complete their theses through that course. Students enrolled in either FILM 5205 or FILM 5213 will have, at most, until the second day of final exams that term to complete the thesis project to the satisfaction of the Division faculty (as represented by a thesis committee). Therefore, thesis defenses should be scheduled no later than mid-April to allow time to address any issues or concerns raised by the committee at the defense.

Production theses are required to be publicly screened before the filmmaker’s graduation date. This usually occurs at the annual Senior Screening, two days before spring commencement. Note that students graduating in December or January must complete their thesis project in FILM 5305, and a screening at the final class meeting of that course will constitute the public screening. Screenwriting theses are required to have a public reading of at least a portion of the finished script; like the production theses this may occur at the Senior Screening or through the FILM 5305 course.

Departmental Distinction

Departmental Distinction, or "Honors in Film & Media Arts," is an official designation that shows up in the Commencement Ceremony program and diploma. To earn this distinction in the Film & Media Arts B.F.A., a student must earn a minimum GPA in Film & Media Arts courses of 3.500, AND complete a two-semester Thesis project with a final grade in FILM 5213 (Screenwriting Thesis) or FILM 5205 (Production Thesis) of B+ or higher.

Directed Studies

A directed study is a close collaboration between a professor and an advanced student with junior or senior standing who conducts a rigorous research or creative project that goes beyond the experience available in course offerings. The student must secure formal approval from the professor to undertake a directed studies project.

Grade Requirements

Except as noted in the program descriptions, the minimum passing grade for courses to meet major requirements is D-. Film majors must achieve a minimum grade point average of 2.000 among all courses taken toward the major to graduate.

B.F.A. Assessment

Film & Media Arts conducts annual BFA assessments, with the goal being to regularly check in with BFA students, discuss their work over the past year, and ensure they're making progress, and give guidance for future work. Participation in this BFA assessment process (and the faculty determining you successfully "passed" the assessment) is required for all current BFA students to maintain good standing within the program. Not submitting all required materials/forms, not showing up for the in-person assessment session, and/or a poor showing at the assessment will result in "failing" the assessment, and may result in a student not being permitted to continue in the B.F.A. program (which would also result in loss of any Meadows scholarships tied to the student being in a B.F.A. program).

BFA students must also have successfully passed their most recent assessment to be eligible for awards/programs run by the Division of Film & Media Arts, such as internship funding, production/thesis/research grants administered by the Division, departmental awards/honors, and selection to direct and/or produce the Summer Film Production.

Details about assessment dates and deadlines, and instructions on how to submit materials, are available on the Film Student Resources Canvas page, and will also be sent out over email to all BFA students ahead of each assessment cycle.