Bachelor of Film and Television
Core Course Descriptions
Course Title:
History of International Cinema
Year of Study:
1
Semester:
1
Course/subject description:
Students explore the history of international cinema, from its inception to the mid 20th century. Students
analyze the impact of various political, social, artistic, cultural and technological influences upon
filmmaking practices, and think critically about the relationship between film and the context in which it
is produced.
Course Title:
Analyzing the Screen Story
Year of Study:
1
Semester:
1
Course/subject description:
Students are introduced to the methodologies and structural analysis employed when conceiving and
developing a verbal and written pitch for a screen story. Students gain the foundation for further studies in
screenwriting as well as the basic interpretative skills required of all craftspeople in narrative film
production.
Course Title:
Cinematography
Year of Study:
1
Semester:
1
Course/subject description:
Students are introduced to camera for media through analysis and examination of visual aesthetics and
fundamental camera and lighting techniques as they are applied in both dramatic and documentary film.
Students set up and operate camera and lighting equipment for a working shoot. Through practical
workshops, students become comfortable working with cameras and learn basic exposure technique, three
point lighting and the roles on set relevant to cinematography.
Course Title:
Sound Recording
Year of Study:
1
Semester:
1
Course/subject description:
Students are introduced to sound for media through analysis and examination of aesthetics, production
technology and fundamental production techniques. In the audio concepts component, students study
rudimentary physics, philosophies and perceptions of sound as they apply to successful audio production;
develop basic listening skills and vocabulary essential to producing sound for picture, and are introduced
to the key roles in the sound production environment of collaborative creativity. In the audio technology
and techniques component, students develop the fundamental skills necessary for recording aesthetically
pleasing and technically superior location recordings, learning the design and application of various
microphones and their interfacing with contemporary digital sound recorders, cameras and sound
recording, editing and mixing software.
Course Title:
History of Non-Fiction Film
Year of Study:
1
Semester:
2
Course/subject description:
Beginning with the development of documentary film, students study the genre’s history, various styles
and techniques and its contribution as a persuasive means of communication to achieve social and
political goals. Through consideration of major directors, aesthetics and social contexts, students are
challenged to develop a critical eye and to deepen their appreciation of the documentary vision.
Course Title:
Creating the Screen Story
Year of Study:
1
Semester:
2
Course/subject description:
Students continue to stretch and strengthen their imaginations, their powers of observation and the
creative and analytical skills acquired previously as they explore the process of writing a screenplay. By
analyzing professional examples, they become familiar with the standard industry forms of beat sheet and
outline or treatment. They then develop their 3-5 minute screen story idea through each of those standard
professional stages, using the basic principles of effective screen storytelling to create an engaging script
that conveys insight into human behaviour.
Course Title:
Introduction to Directing
Year of Study:
1
Semester:
2
Course/subject description:
Students apply the principles of modern dramaturgy to interpret a text, direct screen actors in order to
effectively stage screen action and execute a simple shooting plan. Through both theory and practical
exercises, students examine how emotions, expectations, character and intentions are distilled in human
behaviour within a dramatic context. They develop screen stories through the use of different camera
angles and shots, the treatment of time, transitions between scenes and the use of locations. Students serve
as actors in each other’s exercises and, in the process, learn the fundamental challenges of screen
performance, the need to create a focused, trusting and collaborative space in which people can express
themselves. At the same time, exposure to the variety of positions on a film crew allows them to grasp the
fundamentals of set etiquette and to identify the filmmaking role(s) they are most likely to pursue.
Course Title:
Post Production: Picture and Sound
Year of Study:
1
Semester:
2
Course/subject description:
Students are introduced to the principles of picture and sound post-production. In the picture component
of the course students learn about the techniques of creating an effective story, importing media and
editing on a digital non-linear system, including time code, frame rates and progressive and interlaced
footage. In the sound component of the course, students learn about the fundamental techniques of
synchronization, track laying, editing, ducking and mixing in the digital audio workstation environment.
Creative collaboration with the picture editor is stressed.
Course Title:
Canadian Culture: Film & Television
Year of Study:
2
Semester:
1
Course/subject description:
Students explore Canadian film and television production, their histories, origins and influences and the
reflection of regional and cultural diversities. Students examine the filmmakers, broadcasters and
television productions that have had an impact on the way we create content and the way in which we
define ourselves. This course helps students envision themselves as future content producers whose
identity as Canadians, with specific regional and cultural ties, informs their work within a Canadian and
international context.
Course Title:
Film and TV Studio Production Process 1
Year of Study: 2
Semester:
1
Course/subject description:
Students shoot their first full crew productions, focusing upon all aspects of the development and
preproduction process, for both dramatic and documentary genres. Students research suitable ideas,
develop screen stories, pitch their projects, plan and execute production designs, scout locations, select
crew and cast, design lighting plots, create shooting scripts or script breakdowns, shot lists, preproduction
and shooting schedules.
Course Title:
Transmedia Storytelling
Year of Study:
2
Semester:
2
Course/subject description:
Students explore the changing roles of creator and audience in the context of today’s new digital media
technologies. A historical survey of digital media theory and technology development allows students to
compare digital media with traditional media, highlighting how onscreen, physical interfaces allow
creators to expand audience participation and engagement. Students work in teams to create proposals for
narratives that utilize a variety of platforms (film, television, internet, game, mobile/smart phone [or
PDA], or tablet computers) to enhance and expand the audience experience. The creative challenge is to
develop planned, cohesive narratives in which different elements unfold through the idiosyncrasies of
each intended platform.
Course Title:
Film and TV Studio Production Process 2
Year of Study:
2
Semester:
2
Course/subject description:
Students continue refining their skills in full crew production, now with a focus upon the post production
phases. Students conduct production meetings as well as cast and crew rehearsals, set up and record threecamera TV studio productions and shoot on location. Experience is gained in all aspects of live-to-air as
well as pre-recorded TV production, in both dramatic and documentary genres. Post production includes
video editing, audio mixing, production reports and debriefs.
Course Title:
The Experimental Tradition
Year of Study:
3
Semester:
1
Course/subject description:
Students examine the evolution of experimental film over the course of the 20th century with a focus on
artistic practice in the context of historic and cultural concerns. With an objective of demonstrating the
vast possibilities of film language, students will become acquainted with a range of topics that are
fundamental to the limits and possibilities of moving image production, such as pure cinema pur, nonobjective film, surrealist film, formal film, structural/material film, found-footage film, assemblage and
collage film and minimalist film.
Course Title:
Production: Dramatic Projects 1
Year of Study:
3
Semester:
1
Course/subject description:
Students work in teams to prepare and produce short exercises (4 minutes maximum) focusing on
different aspects of dramatic projects. Production roles are assigned according to demonstrated
qualifications in respective program elective courses so that students are provided opportunities to apply
craft skills in increasingly complex situations and can familiarize themselves with specific techniques
required in the production of dramatic projects.
Course Title:
Production: Documentary Projects 1
Year of Study:
3
Semester:
1
Course/subject description:
Students prepare and execute a short (3-5 minute) documentary production. Students learn all necessary
pre-production, production and post-production steps involved in the production of documentaries and
improve time management and interpersonal skills in the collaborative arena of filmmaking.
Course Title:
Business of Film & Television 1
Year of Study:
3
Semester:
2
Course/subject description:
As students prepare for their work placement they identify, assess and build upon their program-related
skills to develop a personalized career plan within the film and television industries. In addition to
developing job search techniques, resume items, and networking skills, students gain a macro-view of the
Canadian film and television industry as well as insights into how the various components function,
interact and contribute to the industry as a whole. Students work towards securing a work placement
under guidance of faculty.
Course Title:
Production: Dramatic Projects 2
Year of Study:
3
Semester:
2
Course/subject description:
Students continue the practical experience of dramatic production begun in Dramatic Projects 1. Four
short (up to 7 minute) projects offering increasingly complex creative challenges provide opportunities
for students to demonstrate their ability to: collaborate with their peers as they develop projects from
concept through to exhibition, express their own filmmaking sensibilities, apply craft skills learned in
technical courses and emulate professional working conditions and conduct.
Course Title:
Production: Documentary Projects 2
Year of Study:
3
Semester:
2
Course/subject description:
Building on previous coursework that introduced students to documentary production, students now
engage in an intensive hands-on production activity guided by an experienced documentary filmmaker.
Attention is given to originality of ideas, visual aesthetics and flawless execution of the craft. Students are
encouraged to test their skills in the anticipated areas of their future industry involvement.
Course Title:
Business of Film & Television 2
Year of Study:
4
Semester:
1
Course/subject description:
Students reflect upon their own placement experience as they continue exploring the workings of the film
and television industry with emphasis upon funding and financing models. They investigate all aspects of
getting a project off the ground, including development, pitching the idea, securing financing, securing
funding from government agencies, negotiating contracts, insurance, scheduling, tax credits and the tax
implications of business ownership. Students research areas of potential entrepreneurship, contract and
full-time employment as they begin to plan for post-graduate employment.
Course Title:
Portfolio Projects 1
Year of Study:
4
Semester:
1
Course/subject description:
Students work in teams to develop and produce short (10 to 12 minute) films, television or multi-platform
projects which represent the culmination of their learning and experience in the Film & Television
program. Each student works on at least two projects, demonstrating their ability to: apply specific craft
skills toward the successful development and production of these projects, collaborate effectively with
other team members and produce a record of their contribution to a project.
Course Title:
Film Theory and Criticism
Year of Study:
4
Semester:
4
Course/subject description:
Students develop an advanced understanding of key theoretical and critical approaches and the ways in
which these approaches explore the ethical, cultural and historical implications of specific film practices.
Topics include early theoretical responses to cinema, debates about realism and film aesthetics, the impact
of structuralism, feminist film theory, cultural ideology, theories of race and representation and
postmodern theory. Students work with primary texts – both films and theoretical writings – and have the
opportunity to explore responses to film theories in classroom debates and discussions as well as in their
written work and a film project.
Course Title:
Portfolio Projects 2
Year of Study:
4
Semester:
4
Course/subject description:
Students complete post production work on the short film, television or multi-platform project that
represents the culmination of their learning and experience in the program. They demonstrate their ability
to: (1) apply specific craft skills toward the successful completion of these projects, (2) collaborate
effectively with faculty and other production team members and (3) create a DVD or website (an audiovisual resume) which showcases the individual craft skills they have acquired and developed during the
previous four years.
Program Electives - Writing
Course Title:
Writing the 7 Minute Screenplay
Semesters Available: 3, 5, 7
Course/subject description:
Students build on foundational knowledge and skills by developing a longer, seven minute screen story
which incorporates a minor subplot or arc of inner conflict. Students choose an idea which allows them to
explore their own thematic interest, develop and modify the idea and then present it in a clear and
engaging verbal and written pitch. They pass through the standard industry phases of beat sheet, outline
and 1st draft, demonstrating an increased mastery of these forms and of the principles of effective screen
storytelling. Throughout the term, they continue to develop their collaborative skills by critiquing other
students' work-in-progress during group sessions.
Course Title:
Adaptation and Animation
Semesters Available: 4, 6, 8
Course/subject description:
Students expand their knowledge of short-film writing into two specialized contemporary short film
genres/processes: adaptation and animation. In the first portion of the course, students research and screen
relevant, existing short films, in their area(s) of interest, then deconstruct them to determine their
demands, conventions and features. In the second portion of the course, students use this analysis as a
guide in developing a pitch for their own screenplay in their chosen area, building a story which is not
only original and in line with their own thematic preoccupations, but which satisfies the unique demands
of the chosen genre/process. Students may work individually or in groups then choose to develop their
idea through step outline and draft, or to work on two projects from different genres to the step outline
stage only. Students may work individually or in groups and the work path will vary depending on the
projects chosen.
Course Title:
Docudrama, Improvisation, Web Drama
Semesters Available: 5, 7
Course/subject description:
Students expand their knowledge of short-film writing into specialized contemporary short film
genres/processes: docudrama, script development with actors and drama for the web. Students research
and screen relevant short films in their area(s) of interest, deconstructing them to determine their
demands, conventions and features. They then use this analysis as a guide in developing a pitch for their
up-to-seven-minute screenplay, building a story which is not only original and in line with their own
thematic preoccupations, but which satisfies the unique demands of their chosen genre/process. Students
may develop their idea through step outline and draft or work on two projects from different genres to the
step outline stage only.
Course Title:
Writing for Portfolio Production
Semesters Available: 6
Course/subject description:
Students conceive and develop screen story ideas able to be produced as portfolio projects in 4th year.
Students become familiar with the creative and production parameters of the Portfolio course and then
choose ideas for fiction or documentary films which exhibit originality and flair, allow them to explore
themes of their own interest and demonstrate an understanding of the elements of effective screenwriting
which meet portfolio requirements. The ideas are developed through the outline or treatment and draft
stages with continuous input from their peers and their professor. Students also receive input from the
Portfolio jury, which challenges them to bring a level of mastery to their work.
Course Title:
Writing Features and TV Series
Semesters Available: 8
Course/subject description:
Students explore the creative challenges of writing longer form projects such as feature films and
television pilots of half-hour or hour length. Deconstructive screenings of features and series aid the
students in understanding how these longer forms build on the principles of effective dramatic writing
that they have already learned. This analysis is then used by the students as an aid in conceiving and
developing their own chosen concepts through to outline or treatment, with the aid of collaborative
feedback from their peers and their instructor.
Program Electives – Cinematography
Course Title:
Camera and Lighting
Semesters Available: 3, 5, 7
Course/subject description:
Students in this intermediate camera and lighting course build on their knowledge of the theory and
practical implications of lighting and camera techniques for single camera shooting. The art of camera
lighting requires not only technical knowledge but also an exploration of creative expression. Classes are
a mixture of lecture and practical workshops. Students perform lighting set ups concentrating on
environment as well as subject. Emphasis is on lighting design and metering techniques. Camera scene
design, exposure and assisting techniques are also incorporated into the lighting exercises.
Course Title:
The Cinematographer’s Art
Semesters Available: 4, 6, 8
Course/subject description:
Students explore the creative aspects of camera style towards an understanding of the communicative
aspects of the cinematographer’s art. By incorporating both practical and aesthetic components of
effective cinematography, students build upon their knowledge of camera techniques for single film
digital, designing and executing complex moves, incorporating actor movement and proper lighting.
Course Title:
The Director of Photography
Semesters Available: 5, 7
Course/subject description:
Students in this advanced intensive course learn how to step into the role of a film project’s director of
photography (DoP), the person in charge of lighting and camera who is responsible for making artistic
and technical decisions related to the image. Students examine the creative process in two main streams:
conceptual design or “vision” and the execution of film and HD images through the cinematographer’s
tools. The various stages of production are explored, including designing visual style, the pre-production
stage (working with other members of the creative team), on set procedures, camera coverage (drama and
documentary), lighting, composition, camera movement, controlling the image in the camera, and post
production delivery techniques for both film and HD. Students apply their understanding of visual
language as a DoP on at least two film projects (drama, documentary, experimental).
Course Title:
Visual Style
Semesters Available: 6, 8
Course/subject description:
Building upon the cinematography skills acquired in previous courses, students explore how to use these
skills to express a personal visual style in the form of a short film (dramatic, documentary, experimental,
essay). Students work in seminar style on a one-to-one basis with the instructor developing their visual
concepts towards a fully realized film.
Program Electives – Directing
Course Title:
Visual Language of Film
Semesters Available: 3, 5, 7
Course/subject description:
Student directors and cinematographers examine the theory and practice of mise en scene, the director’s
practice of arranging everything that is seen by the camera and determining how it is depicted. Students
develop a creative process and methodology to their handling of mise en scene, enabling them to depict
realistic screen action and convey emotion within a coherent visual style. Students serve as crew and
actors in each other’s exercises on a weekly basis and, in the process, deepen their understanding of the
staging of action, screen performance and set etiquette. At the same time, student directors and
cinematographers develop the communication and collaboration skills required to work effectively
together in a professional context.
Course Title:
Montage, Sound, Music
Semesters Available: 4, 6, 8
Course/subject description:
Student directors examine the theory and practice of montage, sound and music. Relying on scene
analysis, students learn how to apply the techniques of montage, sound design and music to their mise en
scene. By achieving different effects and meanings and developing a creative process and methodology to
their handling of montage, sound and music, it enables them to create short, sophisticated film narratives
with expressive force. Students serve as crew and actors in each other’s exercises and in the process,
deepen their understanding of the staging of action, screen performance and set etiquette. At the same
time, student directors, editors, sound designers and composers develop the communication and
collaboration skills required to work effectively together in a professional context.
Course Title:
From Script to Screen
Semesters Available: 5, 7
Course/subject description:
As directors, students learn to assemble and lead a cast and crew through the prep and production of a 6 to
10 minute film. Students develop their skills in interpreting scripts with multiple characters, scenes and
locations and devise complex shooting plans. New skills in casting, rehearsing, directing and working
with professional actors are introduced, while skills in applying visual design and the tools of
cinematography are improved through extensive work with a production designer and DoP. Students learn
to schedule their shoots with an assistant director and, through the production of a longer film, deepen
their understanding of the staging of action for the camera, screen performance and set etiquette, while
managing the logistics of the production over several days to complete on time schedule and on budget.
Course Title:
Techniques and Aesthetics
Semesters Available: 6, 8
Course/subject description:
Students direct post-production on their own films, developing their authorial voice as directors, the
themes that occupy their inner life and the stories and directorial approaches which resonate with their
sensibilities. Through in-class workshops with the instructor and guest speakers, students learn advanced
skills in scheduling and managing their productions through the postproduction phase and are introduced
to new skills, including directing stunts, visual effects, motion capture, pre-visualization and 3D
filmmaking. All the while, student directors refine their communication and collaboration skills in postproduction with editors, sound designers and composers.
Program Electives – Editing
Course Title:
Non-linear Editing Systems
Semesters Available: 3, 5, 7
Course/subject description:
Students learn the basics of professional non-linear editing systems and investigate the use of different
aesthetic guidelines for storytelling. With a blend of theory and practical workshops, participants learn the
process of film and video logging and editing performed on a digital non-linear system. Students
incorporate various methods of pacing to affect mood, analyze footage for best performance and character
development and demonstrate proper file management and archiving techniques. They learn the roles of
the visual post-production team members, critique professional and student edits and select the most
appropriate format and medium to convey a story visually.
Course Title:
Aesthetic Principles of Editing
Semesters Available: 4, 6, 8
Course/subject description:
Students learn the thinking behind editing decisions, enhancing their understanding of how editing
options move the story forward in different ways. Students learn off-line and creative methods of
storytelling in a film or video project. They investigate the use of aesthetic principles for visual
storytelling and how to incorporate various methods of pacing to affect mood. In-class workshops
introduce students to editing techniques that optimize their ability to translate creative thoughts onto the
screen.
Course Title:
Post Production Supervisor
Semesters Available: 5, 7
Course/subject description:
Students learn the skills to fulfill the role of a post-production supervisor. This includes advanced
technology, workflow and management of film and television post-production delivery. Students analyze
critical creative and technical production needs and design a post-production workflow for meeting the
budgetary, technical, aesthetic, and production deadline requirements of the project. Students build an
understanding of the synergy of the various post departments and their need to collaborate on large
productions.
Course Title:
Broadcast and Web Delivery
Semesters Available: 6, 8
Course/subject description:
Students learn advanced on-line and technical methods of conforming a film or video project and how to
develop a technically correct broadcast master. Students analyze both visual and auditory technical
specifications for broadcast and web delivery; learn to identify and correct technical problems as they
arise in the conform processes; and learn how to work with the advanced features of the software and
hardware required to deliver broadcast quality images and sound. This course concentrates on editing,
aesthetics, composition, motion, effects and technical troubleshooting. Assignments prepare students for
potential work in the media industry as an on-line editor.
Program Electives – Sound
Course Title:
Location and Studio Recording
Semesters Available: 3, 5, 7
Course/subject description:
Students are introduced to the various techniques and strategies in sound recording and production for
film and video soundtracks. Students discuss and practice location recording for single camera film and
ENG, multi-camera location and studio shoots and develop a thorough and complete understanding of
audio signal path. Students, as individuals and members of production groups, explore recording studio
methods and technology as they pertain to the production of speech, effects and foley and in the creation
of final mixes for the visual media. Students are required to record dialogue and effects in a variety of
locations and situations using RF, lavalier, boom, cardioid and other microphones and compare results in
an audio post setting. Studio work is centred upon the students’ continued high-level use of a digital audio
workstation. Students are also introduced to sound editing concepts as they pertain to the re-recording
process.
Course Title:
Audio Post Production Techniques
Semesters Available: 4, 6, 8
Course/subject description:
Students follow the logical progression from recording sound on location and in studio to moving into
post-production for completion of the sound department’s contribution to story-telling. The student
experiences intensive, hands-on study of the techniques used in post-production audio for today’s visual
media. Students follow a film’s typical post-production sound process and cover the following
techniques, tasks and fundamentals: coordination with the picture department, spotting sessions, edit
decision lists and conforming, recording ADR and foley, dialogue and ADR editing, sound effects
editing, preparing for premixing, mixing, print-mastering, transferring, and versioning. As post-
production sound is rarely a solo venture, students are expected to maintain a high level of collaboration
and communication with their peers.
Course Title:
Advanced Sound Editing and Foley
Semesters Available: 5, 7
Course/subject description:
The student discovers the finer nuances of sound editing and foley and explores the historical foundation
and significance of techniques used today. Students actively collaborate with picture editing students to
further refine the picture-to-sound turnover process. Through department-specific exercises (dialogue,
ADR, sound effects and foley), the student develops a high level of creative problem solving skill and a
refined sense of the story telling process while learning how to prepare tracks for the mixing process.
Interactive workshops are instrumental in forming an artistic style of live, synchronous sound creation in
the practice of foley. Students actively interpret notes and direction from the creative team behind a film
(director, producer, editor) and apply them to the selection and assembly of sounds. Students refine their
collaborative and communication skills with sound re-recording mixers in a high-pressure, deadlinedriven film mix scenario.
Course Title:
Advanced Re-Recording Mixing
Semesters Available: 6, 8
Course/subject description:
Students move naturally from previous coursework in post-production editing, recording and foley into
the re-recording mixing process, providing an industry “mirror”. Re-recording mixing represents the
culmination of all film sound work and is the point at which many sonic storytelling devices are shaped
and polished. Students learn to ingest tracks provided by sound editors and to develop an exacting
discipline of working with and interpreting those dialogue, sound effects and foley tracks. Students learn
to recognize the dramatic purpose and creative possibilities of music and how it is successfully
interwoven with all other soundtrack elements. These skills are employed during collaboration with the
senior creative team and require creativity in high pressure situations. Students pay acute attention to
technical details and are expected to learn and adhere to professional delivery requirements in all of their
work. A high level of creative problem solving is also practiced in the creation of foreign language tracks
and alternate versions of programming.
Program Electives – Miscellaneous
Course Title:
Digital Suite 1
Semesters Available: 3, 5, 7
Course/subject description:
Students are introduced to industry standard tools for the creation and manipulation of digital images.
Using advanced photo editing techniques, students create and manipulate images and create original
compositions consisting of multiple elements and layers. Students are introduced to digital video editing
and the terminology and workflow of video post production, and how to differentiate between the off line
and online process of video post production. Students will become familiar with the various frame rates,
frame formats and codecs associated with digital video formats and how to manage and work with these
multiple formats in a single project.
Course Title:
Digital Suite 2
Semesters Available: 4, 6, 8
Course/subject description:
Building on the knowledge acquired in the introductory digital production course, students use software
to previsualize their video productions by creating a set or location, adding virtual cameras, props and
actors, make decisions regarding equipment placement and lens choices, and output a rendered animation
of their scene or project to use as a reference while on location as well as to share the director’s vision
with the rest of the crew. Students also learn to create animations consisting of text and graphic elements,
create and manipulate masks to isolate portions of the screen and use compositing techniques to blend
various elements together in a moving image.
Course Title:
Experimental Practice
Semesters Available: 6, 8
Course/subject description:
Students create a film, video or new media work using methods of production that are alternatives to
traditional industry standards of production. Through rigorous analysis and critique of their work,
students develop as intuitive artists, making decisions regarding the creative treatment of images through
editing and image manipulation. Students take part in workshops and exercises in traditional and digital
techniques, discuss the theoretical concerns of current art strategies, and view a diverse selection of
alternative films, videos and new media.
Course Title:
Production Management & Assistant Directing
Semesters Available: 5, 7
Course/subject description:
Students explore the roles and functions of production managers and assistant directors including preproduction preparation; scheduling and planning production and post production activities; managing
production staff, cast and crews. Employing industry-standard production management software and
forms, as well as referencing collective agreements, students execute the step-by-step processes and
procedures employed by production managers and assistant directors during the creation of a film or
video project.
Course Title:
The Producer
Semesters Available: 6, 8
Course/subject description:
Students explore the process of producing a film or video project from conception through development,
pre-production, production, post production and exploitation. This includes dealing with interpersonal
dynamics, meeting financing, market analysis, distribution, publicity and promotional requirements, as
well as the demands of effective planning, scheduling, and troubleshooting in all stages of the production
process. Working in groups and individually, students create various model productions and analyze case
studies.
Course Title:
Rebel Hollywood
Semesters Available: 7
Course/subject description:
Students examine the radical changes that took place in Hollywood with the demise of the ‘studio system’
and the rise of independent producers and director-auteurs. The course addresses the rebellious generation
of university educated filmmakers of the 1960’s and 70’s and the golden age of cinema spawned from the
counter-culture that surrounded them (e.g. The Godfather, Taxi Driver, Easy Rider, The Exorcist) before
losing everything to the new ‘corporate Hollywood’ and the rise of the blockbuster (Star Wars, Jaws).
Course Title:
Contemporary International Cinema
Semesters Available: 8
Course/subject description:
Students engage in a cross cultural exploration of world cinema focusing upon a range of films from Asia,
Africa and Latin America. Contemporary International Cinema topics include colonialism, development
and underdevelopment, post-colonialism, globalization, major auteurs, movements and manifestos.
Students analyze issues of cultural and gender identities within their political, social and religious
contexts, with particular reference to concepts of home, exile and national identity.
Course Title:
Production Design
Semesters Available: 3, 5, 7
Course/subject description:
In the film industry, the production designer collaborates with the producer, director, writer and the DoP
to create and execute a design concept which reflects the agreed upon interpretation of the themes of the
script. Students taking this course learn how to develop a visual concept and use composition, light,
colour, sets, locations, set decoration, properties, costuming and hair and makeup to bring a concept to the
screen. Students use production design techniques and pre-visualization software to explore the ways in
which art direction can help to establish and enhance mood, style, character and tone.
Course Title:
Visual Effects Integration
Semesters Available: 5, 7
Course/subject description:
Visual effects play an ever increasing and essential role in the production of film and television, from previsualization, to shooting against a green screen to integrating the footage into the final shot. Students
learn to collect real-world camera data and translate it into a digital representation of the actual film set.
Attention is paid to proper supervising of film sets where visual effects are to be shot. Proper green-screen
setup and shooting (including concepts such as focal distance, focal length, depth of field, aperture,
motion tracking and compositing), are discussed and executed, in real and virtual environments.
Stereoscopic 3D production and motion and performance capture commonly used in films are covered.
Course Title:
Principles of Sound Design
Semesters Available: 6, 8
Course/subject description:
Students in this screening and criticism course study the various theories, strategies and techniques
employed by the sound designer in the creation of a film soundtrack. The student tracks the historical
development of sound design to provide a framework to examine such topics as tone colour, mood,
perspective, ambiance, on-screen and surround sound, multi-tracked dialogue, rhythm, tempo and musical
arrangement. Discussions of theme, character and plot as they are developed by sound and music give the
student insight into the power of the soundtrack in film and television. While this is not a technical
course, students are taught about exhibition formats and reproduction standards in order to understand the
differences between mono, 2-channel stereo and surround-sound, particularly as they can apply to the
story telling process.