Creative Media and Film, Bachelor of Science

In addition to University Requirements:

• At least 54 units of major requirements including 21 units of emphases requirements

• Up to 9 units of major prefix courses may be used to satisfy Liberal Studies requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy major requirements.

• Elective courses, if needed, to reach an overall total of at least 120 units.

Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.

Minimum Units for Completion	120
Highest Mathematics Required	MAT 114
Emphasis, Minor, or Certificate Required	Required
Fieldwork Experience/Internship	Optional
University Honors Program	Optional
Progression Plan Link	View Progression Plan

Purpose Statement

Creative Media & Film teaches students to create and critique stories made with moving images and audio. Students will engage in a shared core that will teach them the fundamentals of production and criticism. This program blends analytical thinking, creative expression, and professional experience to develop students’ skills in all aspects of digital filmmaking and critique.
 
CMF’s foundation rests on the critical view that our students should be empowered to tell their own distinctive, idiosyncratic, and regional stories, rather than have those stories told for them. Our program focuses on narrative and storytelling theories, skills, and application. As moving image/audio storytellers, our students learn about and are trained within the domains of both cultural and aesthetic values.
 
The program begins with an exploration of the theoretical, social, historical, and industry standards within which all media are grounded.  Through this foundation, students develop strong aesthetic sensibilities, storytelling skills, and a deep appreciation of the impact of audience, culture, time and place upon stylistic choices made during the creative process. 
 
Intensive, hands-on experience drives student learning as they write, plan, produce, cast, budget, finance, shoot, edit, and promote their own work.  Specific attention is paid to developing critical skills to formulate original ideas, persuasively articulate these ideas, and then combine film tools with storytelling skills to transform their ideas into engaging media.  Developing students’ skills in visual storytelling, audio production, and effective editing is accomplished by creating a variety of professional-quality projects. 

Core Student Learning Outcomes:

Students ­­will apply critical and professional standards to the creation and critique of creative media and film through:
1.  Apply professional standards to the creation of stories through basic techniques of screenwriting and filmmaking;
2.  Analyze, write, critique, and discuss the cultural, historical, and theoretical forces shaping regional, national, and international media, including works of creative media, client work, documentaries, and film; and
3.  Develop and revise their work based on faculty and peer critiques and audience responses, culminating in final projects that may include fiction, documentary, or client-based films.

Graduating students will be able to:

Learning area emphases
Documentary
Students ­­will apply critical and professional standards to the creation and critique of documentary by:

1. Refine their skills in shooting, sound recording, editing, and sound design in a variety of projects;
2. Research, plan, produce, budget, finance, shoot, edit, and promote documentary projects;
3. Apply skills of reporting—interviewing, gathering information, researching people and ideas for potential documentary stories;
4. Read, write, and discuss the traditions and history of a variety of documentary stories; and
5. Integrate other areas of knowledge, such as from anthropology, women and gender studies, history, and humanities, in order to help students research potential documentary story topics. 

Independent Filmmaking
Students ­­will apply critical and professional standards to the creation and critique of film by:

1. Refine their skills in shooting, sound recording, lighting, directing, editing, and sound design in a variety of projects;
2. Research, plan, produce, budget, finance, cast, and promote fiction film projects;
3. Create medium and long form fiction scripts; and
4. Examine a variety of foreign and independent film traditions that they can apply to their own film projects. 

Media Studies
Students ­­will apply critical and professional standards to analysis of film and media by:

1. Survey a variety of regional, national, and international media forms;
2. Acquire and apply media literacy skills while analyzing a variety of film and other media projects;
3. Examine the various forms of media creation, circulation, and consumption both locally and global;
4. Investigate media consumption through an increased understanding of regional, national, and global media practice;
5. Interpret their own production, circulation and consumption of media both as a reflection of their own culture and in conversation with media users in other cultures; and
6. Engage in meaningful and productive discussion, debate, and open intellectual exchange with others about regional, national, and global media practice.

 

Major Requirements

• Take the following 54 units:
  
  Core Requirements (33 units):

  • COM 101, COM 200 with grades of "C" or better (6 units)
  • (CST 111 or TH 125) (3 units)
  • CMF 121, CMF 122, CMF 129, CMF 135 (12 units)
  • (CMF 328W or CMF 330W) (3 units)
  • (CMF 426C or CMF 470C) (3 units)

• • Select two from (6 units):
    

    • CMF 321, CMF 322, CMF 382, CMF 482
    • COM 400

• Note: CMF 408 Field Experience is highly recommended for all students but not required.
  
  Emphasis Requirements (Select one):

• • Documentary Emphasis (21 units)
    • CMF 106, CMF 235, CMF 275, CMF 336, CMF 340, CMF 438 (18 units)

• • • Select one from (3 units):

      • ANT 102, ANT 205, ANT 301, ANT 302, ANT 303, ANT 305, ANT 306
      • ES 200, ES 202, ES 204, ES 206
      • HIS 295, HIS 379
      • HUM 375
      • JLS 131, JLS 483
      • PHO 101
      • WGS 191, WGS 215, WGS 260

• • Independent Filmmaking Emphasis (21 units)
    • CMF 221 (3 units)

• • • Select six from (18 units):

      • CMF 229, CMF 235, (CMF 251 and CMF 252; both as UTV only) CMF 275, CMF 329, CMF 335, CMF 337, CMF 435
      • CINE 267
      • PHO 100

• • Media Studies Emphasis (21 units)

• • • Select two not used in the core from (21 units):

      • CMF 321, CMF 322, CMF 382, CMF 482 (6 units)
      • CINE 101, CINE 383 (6 units)
      • COM 301 (3 units)

      Select two from (6 units):

      • CINE 232, CINE 268, CINE 380
      • COM 323, COM 425
      • ENG 266

General Electives

• Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.

  You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.
  
  We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.

Additional Information

• See the School of Communication page for information about the Communication Core, Advising and Student Responsibilities, and Graduation Requirements.

• All majors must earn the grade of "C" or better in their freshman composition required course, and their foundation mathematics course.

• Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.

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