Film and Digital Media

101 Communications Building
(831) 459-3204
film@ucsc.edu
http://film.ucsc.edu

Program Description

The film and digital media major at UCSC offers an integrated curriculum involving theory, criticism, and cultural analysis, as well as a production program in the aesthetics and techniques of film and digital media. This bachelor of arts degree program provides students with the critical skills, theoretical concepts, and historical knowledge necessary to conduct informed analysis of cinema, television, video art, and new media, along with the up-to-date technical knowledge, practical skills, and artistic contexts needed for the production of film, video, and digital media. The major provides a course of study that develops an understanding of moving image and digital media as essential tools of communication and artistic practice.

Students in the general film and digital media major develop an understanding of major movements in world cinema and different aesthetic approaches to the medium, while studying the cultural impact of television and the rise of video and digital art in recent decades. The critical studies concentration is designed for film and digital media majors who have a special aptitude for and interest in the history and theory of film, television, video, and digital media. This rigorous program can help prepare undergraduates for graduate work in critical studies. Students in the highly selective production concentration are encouraged to demonstrate technical proficiency and creative vision in film and digital media production while also studying the histories and theories of these media.

Students in all facets of the major acquire skills in media analysis while maintaining a broadly based liberal arts perspective. The UCSC program is interdisciplinary, combining theory and practice in film, video, and digital media with study in other areas of the arts, humanities, and social sciences that help students understand the role these media play in society.

As the technologies of film and video have merged with digital computer-based moving images and interactive media, and as digital media continues to expand into everyday experience, students in the major are uniquely positioned to excel in these fields. Graduates of the UCSC film and digital media program have enjoyed considerable success both in the professional world and in gaining admission into top graduate schools in the field.

Students enrolled in film and digital media production classes have access to audio, video, and digital production and postproduction equipment. Facilities include a digital media lab; audio recording studio, sound stage with green screen; digital nonlinear editing rooms; video format conversion rooms; a computerized sound effects library; and student equipment checkout. Additionally, computer laboratories equipped for digital image manipulation, web authoring, and interactive interface design and viewing rooms are available. The critical studies facilities include classrooms equipped for high-end film, video, and data projection. The library holdings in film and video history, theory, and literature are complemented by a large collection of films, videos, laser disks, and DVDs, including a diverse range of international feature films, experimental film and video work, animation, silent films, and documentaries.

Some courses offered by the Film and Digital Media Department are restricted in enrollment; admission is based on completion of prerequisites and other specific written application requirements. Admission to advanced production courses is generally restricted to third- and fourth-year students and is based on the submission of a portfolio of work produced in the introductory production class (course 170B) and other production workshops.

Upper-division digital media and production studio courses require coursework to be completed on computers. The department recognizes that students often purchase a new computer on their arrival at the university during their freshman year. It is strongly suggested that students who plan to apply for the production concentration wait until their second or third year of studies before making this investment. Delaying the purchase until this time allows a student to have the most up-to-date hardware and the fastest machine at the price they can afford at the moment they enter into the production concentration. Laptop computers are strongly encouraged for our production students, and laptop computers may become required in the near future. Instruction in and software for production courses are based on the Apple OS X platform. Compatibility with the department’s operating system for instruction is strongly advised. Students are encouraged to consult with the department office or the web site for list of recommended computers, software packages, range of options, and prices.

Declaring the Film and Digital Media Pre-Major

Students who have completed one lower-division course (20A, 20B or 20C) with a grade of B- or better may declare the film and digital media pre-major. Pre-majors are expected to complete the requirements to declare the major by the end of their second year. Transfer students must declare the pre-major no later than their second quarter in residence.

Declaring the Film and Digital Media Major

Prior to declaring the film and digital media major, students must complete course 20A, and either 20B or 20C, with a grade of B- or better. Courses 20A, 20B, and 20C must be taken for a letter grade by students intending to major in film and digital media. Students who have met the B- grade minimum for declaration of the major, may choose to take course 20P as the third lower-division requirement.

20A    The Film Experience
20B    Introduction to Television Culture and Society
20C    Introduction to Digital Media
20P     Introduction to Production Technique

Students are encouraged to complete the lower-division courses early in their studies so that the petition to major status is accomplished no later than the first quarter of the junior year. Acceptance into the film and digital media major does not constitute acceptance into either the production concentration or the critical studies concentration. Transfer students should consult the Transfer Student section for instructions about declaring the major.

Students who feel that there were extenuating circumstances which prevented them from meeting the requirements for declaring the major may appeal their denial by submitting a letter to the Film and Digital Media Department. The appeal must be filed no later than 15 days after the denial notification was mailed or the 10th day of classes in the quarter of the denial, whichever is later. For further information regarding this process, contact the Film and Digital Media Department.

Program of Study

The general film and digital media major requires three lower-division and 10 upper-division courses in residence and satisfaction of the senior comprehensive requirement. Students must include among these 13 courses at least one upper-division 5-credit course that focuses on diversity (i.e., non-Western; underrepresented ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation). A list of courses satisfying the department’s diversity requirement is available at the department office. Students in the general film and digital media major may apply for admission to the new critical studies concentration (see Critical Studies Concentration below) or to the highly selective and competitive production concentration (see Production Concentration below) within the major.

Lower-Division Requirements

Students must take the lower-division classes 20A, 20B, and 20C for a letter grade, and they must earn a B- or better in two of these three lower-division classes to petition for the major. A third lower-division course is required to satisfy major requirements.

20A    The Film Experience, and two of the following three courses are required for all majors:
20B    Introduction to Television Culture and Society
20C    Introduction to Digital Media
20P     Introduction to Production Technique (cannot be used to satisfy the B- grade minimum)

General Film and Digital Media Major

Students must complete the upper-division core curriculum by completing one course from each of the following five groups in film and digital media:

120     Introduction to Film Theory and Criticism
130     Silent Cinema or
132A   International Cinema to 1960 or
132B   International Cinema, 1960 to Present or
132C   Gender and Global Cinema
134A   American Film, 1930–60 or
134B   American Film, 1960–Present
136A   Experimental Film and Video or
136B   History of Television or
136C   Visual Culture and Technology: History of New Media
194A   Film Theory Seminar or
194B   Electronic Media Theory Seminar or
194C   New Media Theory Seminar or
194D   Film History Seminar or
194E   International Cinemas or
194F   Film and the Other Arts: Music and Dance or
194G   New(s) Media or
194S   Senior Seminar: Special Topics

Five upper-division elective courses are to be chosen from the following:

• up to five additional upper-division history/critical studies courses in film and digital media;
• up to two upper-division courses in film and digital media production (170A, 170B, one from the 171 series, 172, 173, 175, 176, or 177, one from the 178 series);
• course 150 or 151;
• up to two upper-division courses offered by other departments; course substitutions must be pre-approved by the faculty adviser.

Film and Digital Media Major Planners

The following are two recommended academic plans for students to complete during their first two years as preparation for the film and digital media major. Plan One is a guideline for students who are committed to the major early in their academic career; Plan Two is for students who are considering the major.

Students who are interested in either the production concentration or the critical studies concentration should seriously consider Plan One to be better prepared for application to production studio classes or the critical studies concentration in their junior year.

Critical Studies Concentration

The critical studies concentration provides a more rigorous pathway through the film and digital media major and offers classes specifically reserved for seniors who have exceptional abilities. Students are eligible to apply for the critical studies concentration in spring quarter of their junior year, provided they have completed FILM 120 and at least three other upper-division critical studies classes. Applicants must already be declared Film and Digital Media majors in good standing.

Students will be asked to submit the following application materials:

• a completed application form
• a 1-page statement of purpose
• a sample essay
• copies of narrative evaluations for all courses taken in Film and Digital Media

Application materials and instructions are available at the Film and Digital Media Department office. Student application materials are reviewed by a committee of film and digital media critical studies faculty. Admission to the Critical Studies Concentration will be granted to students who have overwhelmingly excellent evaluations, an outstanding writing sample, and a clear statement of purpose. Students may reapply a second time if not accepted, but not later than the first quarter of their senior year.

Requirements for the Critical Studies Concentration

The critical studies concentration curriculum adds the following requirements to those already established for the film and digital media major.  Students are required to take two upper-division electives, rather than the five electives currently required for the film and digital media major. FILM 190, an Advanced Critical Studies Seminar, replaces the current requirement for one of the FILM 194 seminars, and serves as an exit requirement in the major.

Students in the critical studies concentration complete the following required upper-division core curriculum (9 courses):

120     Introduction to Film Theory and Criticism
130     Silent Cinema or
132A   International Cinema to 1960 or
132B   International Cinema, 1960 to Present or
132C   Gender and Global Cinema
134A   American Film, 1930–60 or
134B   American Film, 1960–Present
136A   Experimental Film and Video or
136B   History of Television or
136C   Visual Culture and Technology: History of New Media
165A   Film, Video and Gender or
165B   Race on Screen or
165C   Lesbian, Gay and Queer Film and Video or
165D   Asian Americans in Media
187     Advanced Topics in Television Studies or
189     Advanced Topics in Electronic and Digital Media Studies
190     Advanced Critical Studies Seminar
191     Critical Studies Thesis Preparation Seminar
192     Student-Directed Seminar or
195     Senior Thesis

Two upper-division elective courses are to be chosen from the following:

• up to two additional upper-division history/critical studies courses in film and digital media;
• one upper-division course in film and digital media production (150,   151, 170A, 170B, one from the 171 series, 172, 173, 175, 176, 177, or one from the 178 series);
• one upper-division course offered by other departments; course substitutions must be pre-approved by the faculty adviser.

Production Concentration

Admission to the production concentration is highly selective, based on promise and accomplishment shown in the student’s work. After completing course 170B, students may apply to the production concentration by submitting works to a portfolio review conducted at the end of each quarter. These student works are reviewed by a committee of film and digital media production faculty. Application materials and instructions are available at the Film and Digital Media Department office. Students should note that production courses are in high demand and that faculty/student ratios and equipment resources limit the number of applicants accepted into the production concentration. Students may reapply a second time if not accepted.

Requirements for the Production Concentration

Students in the production concentration complete the following required upper-division core curriculum (six courses):

120     Introduction to Film Theory and Criticism
170B   Fundamentals of Film and Video Production

two of the following production courses:

150     Screenwriting
151     Film Directing
170A   Fundamentals of Digital Media Production
171A   Special Topics Workshop: Sound
171C   Special Topics Workshop: Found Footage
171D   Social Information Spaces
172     Film and Video Studio
173     Narrative Workshop
175     Documentary Video Workshop
176     Experimental Video Workshop
177     Digital Media Workshop: Computer as Medium
178A   Personal Computers in Film and Video
178B   Advanced Personal Computers in Film and Video

and two critical studies courses—one each from two of the three following groups:

130     Silent Cinema or
132A   International Cinema to 1960 or
132B   International Cinema, 1960 to Present or
132C   Gender and Global Cinema
134A   American Film, 1930–60 or
134B   American Film, 1960–Present
136A   Experimental Film and Video or
136B   History of Television or
136C   Visual Culture and Technology: History of New Media

and four upper-division elective courses from the following:

• up to two upper-division courses in film and digital media production (150, 151, one from the 171 series, 172, 173, 175, 176, 177, or one from the 178 series);
• at least two upper-division film and digital media history/critical studies courses;
• up to two upper-division critical studies elective courses from another department; course substitutions must be pre-approved by the faculty adviser.

Comprehensive Requirement

All seniors in the general film and digital media major or in the production concentration may select one of three options to satisfy the campus exit requirement.

• Senior seminar: The senior seminars (courses in the 194 series) are restricted to majors in their senior year and are writing intensive. Students in the general major are required to complete one senior seminar. Students in the production concentration may complete the senior seminar to satisfy the senior exit requirement or as an elective.
• Senior thesis: With prior faculty approval, a student may elect to do a senior thesis (course 195). The student must contact a faculty member at least one quarter in advance to submit a proposal and to obtain faculty approval for a senior thesis. The proposal may involve writing a screenplay, expanding on a paper from a previously completed upper-division critical studies course in film and digital media, or writing an original paper in a particular area resulting in a work of substantial research.
• Senior project: A limited number of students in the production concentration may participate in the senior project (course 196A or 196B, or 197). Admission is by application, with review of previous works and evaluation of the proposed final project by film and digital media production faculty.

Seniors in the critical studies concentration must complete the following to satisfy the campus exit requirement: Course 190, Advanced Critical Studies Seminar

Transfer Students

All transfer students must enroll in at least one lower-division course (20A, 20B or 20C) during their first quarter in residence. Transfer students are encouraged to enroll in 20A during the Summer Session preceding their first quarter in residence. After completion of one lower-division course (20A, 20B or 20C) with a grade of B- or better, transfer students may declare the film and digital media pre-major.

All transfer students must earn a B- or higher in two 20-level courses (at least one must be taken at UCSC) to declare the major. Appeal procedures are the same as for non-transfer students. Three lower-division and 10 upper-division courses are required for completion of the major. With some lower-division preparation, transfer students should be able to complete the upper-division course work and the major within two years. As preparation, prospective transfer students are encouraged to fulfill at least one lower-division film and digital media major requirement (course 20 series) through UCSC Summer Session prior to their transfer. Transfer students must petition the department to have equivalent lower-division courses taken at their current institution count toward their UCSC major requirements provided they have earned a B- or higher in that course.

Students who have completed none of the lower-division major requirements prior to transfer to UCSC, students who are interested in graduating with a double major, and students who must finish general education requirements may need additional time to complete their studies.

Transfer students are strongly encouraged to speak with an academic adviser at the department office prior to enrolling in classes to determine their status and to begin the declaration of major process as soon as possible.

Honors

Honors in film and digital media are awarded to graduating seniors whose academic performance in their major coursework is judged by a faculty committee to be consistently excellent to outstanding. Students must also do excellent work on their senior exit requirement. Both narrative evaluations and letter grades will be considered; to be considered for Honors, students must have at least a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or the relative equivalent in narrative evaluations, as determined by the faculty committee.

Minor Requirements

The minor in film and digital media offers a foundation in visual culture and contributes important scholarly techniques of value to other disciplines. Students earn a minor in film and digital media by completing eight courses: two lower-division courses as prerequisites for the minor and six upper-division courses including four from the core curriculum of the general major and two electives. There is no production component in the minor, nor is there a comprehensive requirement.

Lower-Division Requirements

Students must complete at least two lower-division courses prior to petitioning for the minor:

20A    The Film Experience, and one of the following three courses:
20B    Introduction to Television Culture and Society
20C    Introduction to Digital Media
20P     Introduction to Production Technique

Requirements for the Minor

Students in the minor must complete the upper-division core curriculum by completing one course from each of the following four categories in film and digital media:

120     Introduction to Film Theory Criticism
130     Silent Cinema or
132A   International Cinema to 1960 or
132B   International Cinema, 1960 to Present or
132C   Gender and Global Cinema
134A   American Film, 1930–60 or
134B   American Film, 1960–Present
136A   Experimental Film and Video or
136B   History of Television or
136C   Visual Culture and Technology: History of New Media

Two upper-division elective courses to be chosen from the following: Any two additional upper-division film and digital media history/critical studies courses other than production studio courses (170A through 178A, and 178B) that have not been used to satisfy the above core curriculum.