Motion Picture Arts

College of Motion Picture Arts

Web Page: http://film.fsu.edu/

Dean: Frank Patterson; Associate Dean: Reb Braddock; Assistant Dean: Fred Salancy; Associate Professor: Auzenne; Assistant Professor: Syder; Filmmakers in Residence: Allen, Carruth, Cohen, France, Kaleko, Long, Meyer, Nunez, Scoon, Simmons, Slade; Dean Emeritus: Fielding

The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) is a graduate program in narrative motion picture production that prepares students for careers in producing, directing, screenwriting, production design, cinematography, sound design, and editing. Emphases in screenwriting and production are offered, with curricula designed to furnish the conceptual framework, the professional training, and the working environment for eventual participation in a profession that is a powerful influence in our culture. The goals of the College of Motion Picture Arts are to fully educate students, help them become integrated members of the academic community of Florida State University, become responsible members of the entertainment profession, and participate in a creative and artistic process.

Faculty Distinctions

The College of Motion Picture Arts has a strong commitment to hiring experienced, working professionals who have both teaching skills and professional goals. The College’s full-time faculty comprises working filmmakers with various specializations as writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, audio designers, production designers, and editors in both the theatrical and non-theatrical film and television industries, many of whom have won national and international awards and honors for their work. Some of these also have a strong record as research scholars and as writers of fiction. The faculty also includes visiting professors from the field of motion picture law, business, distribution, exhibition, and promotion.

Facilities

The College of Motion Picture Arts operates extensive production facilities for its graduate and undergraduate programs in the University Center “A” Building on Florida State University’s campus in Tallahassee. Considered one of the finest facilities in the world devoted exclusively to film education, it includes two sound stages; a recording stage with Foley and ADR capabilities; a 120-seat screening theatre and three smaller screening rooms; three digital audio mixing suites; a computer laboratory; a set-building shop; a 35mm archive of feature films; a 5,000 title collection of films on videotape, DVD, and laserdisc; a large production research library; and digital editing suites for picture and sound. Production facilities are available for both digital (HD, 2K, 4K, 5K) and film (16mm, 35mm) production.

MFA Program

The goals of this professional degree are:

1. To ground students in the history, theory, and practice of narrative motion picture production
2. To provide the creative and technical environment for professional specialization to take place
3. To help graduates begin careers in screenwriting, producing, directing, camera, sound, editing, and production design
4. To provide interaction with a wide range of film and television industry professionals in order to provide information on the most recent trends and processes in the film/television business

To these ends the college’s approach emphasizes three kinds of learning experiences: 1) coursework in history, theory, style, technology, and techniques; 2) seminars in specific skill areas conducted by active professionals; and 3) independent production projects. Production students work in teams on narrative projects. These projects are written, produced, directed, shot, recorded, and edited by Motion Picture Arts students. In addition, the students engage in financial, legal, distribution, and exhibition aspects of the film/television business.

The program is designed and scheduled to provide training of the highest quality. It is meant to create a practicum setting in which individuals can work with accomplished professionals to hone their talents, develop a body of work, and sharpen their capacities to work in teams.

Financing and Ownership of Student Films

The College of Motion Picture Arts pays for all student laboratory, workshop, and thesis project production expenses, on both graduate and undergraduate levels. So far as is known, it is the only film school in the United States to do so.

The College has an agreement with the Screen Actors Guild of America whereby SAG performers may work on graduate student projects on a deferred-salary basis. Should such films be distributed commercially, SAG actors involved will be the first to be paid their appropriate salaries from the gross revenues.

Under State of Florida law, regulations, and rules, all films and videos produced by Motion Picture Arts students become the property of Florida State University and are copyrighted in the name of Florida State University. The same regulations and rules provide that in the event of the commercial exploitation of these films, any net revenues derived from a particular film will be split in a proportion to be determined by Florida State University (currently 50/50) between the College of Motion Picture Arts and all of the graduating student workers on the film including, but not limited to, the writer, director, producer/production manager, sound designer, editor, cinematographer, art director, and musical score composer.

State law provides that any stand-alone screenplays created by students will remain the student’s property and may be exploited commercially by them; however, screenplays, script, and story ideas that are proposed and incorporated by students into their workshop or thesis films become the property of Florida State University and will be copyrighted in the University’s name.

State law requires that all entering students be provided with a copy of the relevant regulatory rule and that applicants for admission to Motion Picture Arts sign a statement acknowledging their receipt and understanding of the rule prior to official admission and enrollment.

Admission

Admission to the College of Motion Picture Arts graduate program is of limited access, with twenty-four production and six writing students admitted each year, making admission selective and competitive. Prospective students must make application to and meet the requirements of the Florida State University Graduate Admissions Office, and also must submit supporting application materials as described online at http://film.fsu.edu/mfa. Required supporting materials include: a 500–1000 word statement of purpose describing their artistic work, creative influences, personal objectives, relevant background and career goals, three letters of recommendation, a professional/creative resumé, and transcripts. As an option, production applicants may submit a sample of their best work (video, photographs, creative writing sample, etc.). Writing applicants must submit three samples as specified supporting materials. Detailed information is available online at http://film.fsu.edu. Students applying to the Motion Picture Arts - Production major are not required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) but official GRE scores must be reported for the Motion Picture Arts - Writing major.

Enrollment Requirement

Because of the integrated and intensive nature of the program, all students will be required to enroll as full-time students. Students who must withdraw for any reason will be reevaluated by a faculty committee for future readmission. Students may enter the program only in the Fall semester.

MFA Requirements

The MFA degree requires completion of a minimum of ninety semester hours for production students, or sixty-one semester hours for writing students, and must be completed in six consecutive full-time semesters.

Retention and Evaluation

All students must meet the University’s minimum retention standards for graduate studies. Additionally, continuation in the graduate program depends on the development of each student’s talent, skill, academic record, and professional discipline. Performance so negative, disruptive, or destructive as to compromise the work of fellow students or the effectiveness of the faculty, and/or the inability to work positively in a collaborative environment shall constitute grounds for probation or immediate dismissal without any prior period of probation. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of all classes. Anyone not in class at that time will be considered absent; anyone leaving class early may also be counted absent. Given the rigorous nature of the conservatory setting, absences are discouraged. Approval of absences is at the discretion of the instructor and will require documentation to confirm legitimacy of the absence.

Any unauthorized use or possession or willful destruction of College of Motion Picture Arts equipment, facilities, film stock, or finished film will result in immediate notification of the proper authorities. The outcome of their decision will determine the actions taken by the College of Motion Picture Arts with respect to the student(s) involved.

The faculty continually assesses each student’s work and professional discipline. Peer evaluations will be considered in this process. All graduate film conservatory students are formally evaluated at the end of each semester. Any candidate who fails to maintain high standards will be placed on probation or dismissed from the program and will receive written notification.

Financial Aid

A limited number of graduate assistantships are awarded by the College of Motion Picture Arts. Highly qualified students are nominated by the College for University-wide fellowships and minority fellowships. For more information regarding the availability of other sources of financial aid and potential scholarships, please visit the Financial Aid Web site at http://www.finaid.fsu.edu.

Health Insurance

Students seeking degrees in certain majors, including film, assume any exposure to the particular hazards associated with that major. As protection for our students, the College of Motion Picture Arts requires that majors present proof of health and accident insurance (name of insurer and policy number) prior to registration in the Fall semester each year. Students are expected to maintain this insurance throughout their enrollment in the program.

Definition of Prefix

FIL—Film

Graduate Courses

FIL 5021. History and Criticism I (3). Historical survey of the film medium worldwide, from its invention to the modern era.

FIL 5022. History and Criticism II (3). Prerequisite: FIL 5021. Survey of theories and movements in motion picture history.

FIL 5155L. Screenwriting 1: Techniques and Treatments (2–6). Prerequisite: MFA admission. Corequisite: FIL 5005. Introduction to working knowledge of basic narrative elements and how these work in conjunction to form a story. Through developing, writing, re-developing, and then re-writing a script, the student will gain the basic understanding of script language and process.

FIL 5156L. Screenwriting 2: Narrative Techniques (2–6). Prerequisite: FIL 5155L. Course examines how to create dimensional characters and a well structured story that works in the context of a feature length format through experiencing the writing of a feature film script.

FIL 5157L. Screenwriting 3: Advanced Workshop (2–6). Prerequisite: FIL 5156L. Offers an advanced approach to writing a fifteen page script. Will analyze narrative problems in preparation for a rewrite. Through workshops, redeveloping, and then rewriting a fifteen page thesis script, the student will gain a better understanding as to how to make a story idea more compelling through rewriting.

FIL 5159. Screenwriting V: Motion Picture Workshop (3). Writing feature-length film scripts fusing the dramatic elements and skills developed in prior courses.

FIL 5408r. Preproduction and Production Planning (3–12). Preproduction of MFA thesis projects. Provides student with advanced instruction related to their chosen field of specialization while requiring them to coordinate their efforts with those of their crew counterparts, up to the beginning of the thesis project production phase. Credit hours determined by work load assigned, according to student’s area of emphasis. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve semester hours. May be repeated during the same semester.

FIL 5429L. Basic Film Production (2–6). Prerequisite: MFA admission. Basic overview of the MacIntosh computer, the video signal, the film to video telecine process, audio recording, audio and video transferring, and operation of the School’s post-production equipment as it relates to editing on the Avid Xpress. Covers basic editing procedures from start to finish–beginning with importing video and audio all the way through to outputting final project. May be repeated to a maximum of eighteen semester hours.

FIL 5458r. Principles and Practices of Technical and Creative Support (3). Introduction to the principle technical and creative support positions in motion picture and television production. Delineates the responsibilities and interrelationships of all preproduction, production, and postproduction personnel. May be repeated to a maximum of fifteen semester hours.

FIL 5459. Practicum in Technical Support (1–12). Comprehensive practical training for first-year students in below-the-line production and postproduction skills, including the work of the camera assistant, grip, gaffer, sound mixer, boom operator, sound engineer, assistant editor, and various others. Training is concurrent with students’ crew work on multiple film productions. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve semester hours.

FIL 5484L. Directing Actors (2). Basic introduction to the direction of actors and scene work in film. Students will learn techniques for creating dramatic choices that serve the needs of both actors and writers while maintaining a strong directorial vision and will gain insight into the directing process as it relates to four specific concepts: conflict, actions, point-of-view and objectives.

FIL 5498L. Advanced Directing (2). Prerequisite: FIL 5595. Through lectures, discussions, and practical exercises students will analyze various visual techniques employed by directors in motion picture production.

FIL 5499. Acting for the Camera (3). This course will provide students with a survey of traditional acting techniques and will contrast and compare those techniques to more commonly used contemporary techniques of on-camera actors. Students will learn to prepare and execute discussion with on-camera actors from various educational backgrounds.

FIL 5519L. Camera and Light Mechanics (2–6). Provides theoretical and practical knowledge of cinematography: cameras, lenses, film stocks and exposure, composition and lighting, with hands-on exercises. May be repeated to six semester hours.

FIL 5546. Advanced Sound (2–6). Prerequisite: FIL 5593L. Advanced knowledge of production and post-production sound recording through the recording, sound editing and re-recording of Directing 3 film projects.

FIL 5555L. Film Editing (2–4). Prerequisite: MFA admission. Course examines basic and intermediate training of the editing procedure and practical editing techniques by developing the editing process which is a step-by-step evolution of editing motion pictures involving dailies, the rough-cut, the fine-cut, critique, and addressing emotion, continuity, pace, rhythm, and the smooth cut. May be repeated to a maximum of six credit hours.

FIL 5568L. Advanced Editing (2–6). Prerequisite: FIL 5555L. Teaches advanced theories in film editing by experiencing the step-by-step evolution of motion picture editing involving dailies, rough-cut, fine-cut, critique, and addressing story, emotion, structure, transition, pace, rhythm, point-of-interest, stage-line and the smooth cut.

FIL 5590L. Lighting Workshop (2–6). Prerequisite: FIL 5519L. Explores the more complex aspects of cinematography beyond the basics; provides support, guidance and criticism for cinematography performed on Directing 3 film projects.

FIL 5591. Production Design Workshop (2–12). Overview of production design principles and practices used in the creation of sets, costumes, props, makeup, and special effects for motion pictures and television. Through lecture, text, and practical application, students acquire an in-depth understanding of how color and form inform character and story. Maybe repeated to a maximum twelve semester hours.

FIL 5592L. Sound Workshop (2). This course provides a basic working understanding of sound recording of sound recording and the various stages of production and post-production.

FIL 5593L. Post-production Sound Workshop (2). Prerequisites: FIL 5592L. This course will provide an understanding of digital sound recording, sound mixing, and the various stages of sound post-production.

FIL 5594r. Directing: Multi-camera Workshop (3–9). The study, development, and direction of multicamera television productions. May be repeated to a maximum of nine semester hours.

FIL 5595L. Directing: Single-Camera Workshop (2). A study and practice in the visual illustration of essential dramatic elements as they relate to the direction of motion pictures. May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours.

FIL 5609. Computer Applications Workshop (3). Computer applications for all phases of the motion picture and television industry.

FIL 5635. Distribution and Financing Workshop (3). A comprehensive analysis of the financing and distribution of motion pictures, video products, and television programs with an emphasis on rights acquisition, banking, and legal and contractual procedures and practices.

FIL 5636L. Advanced Workshop in Area of Specialization (2–12). Advanced, specialized production training in the student’s primary area of production. May be repeated to a maximum of fifteen semester hours.

FIL 5642L. Producing 1 (2). Provides an overview of film production management, with emphasis on the breakdown, scheduling, budgeting and preparation of short films.

FIL 5646L. Producing 2 (2). Prerequisite: FIL 5642L. Training and practice in the development of business structure for the purpose of producing motion pictures.

FIL 5648Lr. Production Management (2). Prerequisite: MFA admission. Introductory course to the production management process as it relates to both short film and feature film production. Through lecture, text and simulated practical application, students will acquire a working understanding of film producing from development to exhibition. May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours.

FIL 5774r. Basic Video Production (3–6). Prerequisite: MFA admission. Provides a comprehensive overview of the production and delivery of television programming. May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours.

FIL 5781. Intermediate Television Editing (3). Prerequisite: FIL 5774. Comprehensive survey of online video-editing methods and techniques, including a thorough exploration and usage of time-code technologies, A/B roll editing, switchers, digital video effects, and character generators.

FIL 5782. Advanced Television Editing (3). Prerequisite: FIL 5781. Students will develop an understanding of and skill with various computer-controlled editing systems from personal computers to Sony 910 computer controller.

FIL 5805r. Critical Studies in Film and Television (3). Examination of a particular theoretical or critical approach to film and television. May be repeated to a maximum of nine semester hours.

FIL 5806. Critical Methods in Motion Picture, Television, and Recording Arts (3). Principles and practices of writing film/video criticism.

FIL 5807. Critical Methods of Film Analysis (3). Film study course providing students with an advanced understanding of the construction of the motion picture narrative language, stressing the students need to develop fluency in visual storytelling through a conscious building of a film literacy.

FIL 5875r. Film Aesthetics (1). Teaches the potential filmmaker to have their own aesthetics of filmmaking and to articulate that style by viewing various films with unique styles and aesthetics. Class discussion is also used to achieve this goal. Allows students to become more aware and conscious filmmakers through their ability to articulate their aesthetic. May be repeated to a maximum of four semester hours.

FIL 5906r. Directed Individual Study (3–12). (S/U grade only.) May be repeated to a maximum of twelve semester hours. May be repeated during the same semester.

FIL 5912r. Supervised Research or Creative Activity (3). (S/U grade only.) May be repeated to a maximum of five semester hours.

FIL 5921r. Colloquium in Motion Picture, Television, and Recording Arts (3). Specialized study in film/video history, criticism, theory, genres, movements, and filmmakers. May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours.

FIL 5930r. Proseminar in Motion Picture, Television, and Recording Arts (1). (S/U grade only.) Interaction with professional film/video makers in screenings and discussions of each others work. May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours.

FIL 5931r. Special Topics in Motion Picture, Television, and Recording Arts (3–12). Intensive individualized workshop in the student’s chosen field of specialization, supervised by a visiting motion picture or television professional. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve semester hours. May be repeated during the same semester.

FIL 5955r. Apprenticeship (1–12). (S/U grade only.) Professional on-the-job training in an area of specialization. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve semester hours.

FIL 5962r. MFA Qualifying Project (3–15). Postproduction of MFA thesis projects. Provides students with advanced instruction related to their chosen field of specialization while requiring them to coordinate their efforts with those of their crew counterparts, up to thesis project completion. Credit hours determined by work load assigned, according to student’s area of emphasis. May be repeated to a maximum of fifteen semester hours.

FIL 5964. MFA Qualifying Exam (0). (P/F grade only.) Corequisite: FIL 5962r. Evaluation of first-year progress including public screening of MFA qualifying project and oral examination.

FIL 5966. Comprehensive Exam (0). (P/F grade only.)

FIL 5975r. Thesis (3–12). (S/U grade only.) Opportunity to design, execute, and report a major creative effort. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve semester hours.

FIL 5976. Master’s Thesis Defense (0). (P/F grade only.)

FIL 5977r. MFA Thesis Production (3–15). (S/U grade only.) Production of MFA thesis projects. Provides students with advanced instruction related to their chosen field of specialization while requiring them to coordinate their efforts with those of their crew counterparts, up to the thesis project postproduction phase. Credit hours determined by work load assigned, according to student’s area of emphasis. May be repeated one time to a maximum of fifteen semester hours. May be repeated during the same semester.

FIL 5978. Defense of MFA Project (0). (P/F grade only.)