Bachelor of Fine Arts

The philosophy of the Filmic Writing Program, a degree program for screenwriting, is that the writer has the original vision; that the art of film is most fully realized through a blending of film form and film content; and that the script needs to embody this unity of form and content.

Each fall (there are no spring admissions), a class of 24 filmic writing students is selected to begin the program. The students move from writing synopses and treatments to full-length screenplays and documentaries and from experimentation with non-verbal communication to integrating complex visual designs into advanced projects. A total of 128 units is required for completion of the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree; 68 of these units are taken in a prescribed sequential order. Students work with writing faculty as well as with professional writers from the film and television industries.

Applicants must submit supplemental application materials to the Filmic Writing Program. For specific instructions, contact the Filmic Writing Program, University Park, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2211 or telephone (213) 740-3303.

General Education Requirements

Skill Levels

Expository Writing 101 and 102 (eight units). Students must meet the composition skill level requirement.

Areas of Study

Representative Cultures (16 units): COLT 150x Literature and Western Civilization I (4); COLT 151 Literature and Western Civilization II (4); one course from American Public Life (4) and one course from Non-Western Cultures (4) are required.

Representative Approaches to the Study of the Individual, Culture and Society (16 units): CNTV 190 Introduction to Cinema (4), one Literature course (4), PSYC 100 Psychology and Human Behavior (4), and one Ethical Approaches course (4) are required.

Diversity Requirement

All students must pass one course from the list of courses approved to meet the standard diversity requirement. These courses carry the designation "m" for multiculturalism.

Required Production Course

Filmic writing students are required to take CNTV 290 Visual Communication. This is an introductory production course which must be taken during the junior year. In CNTV 290 students are taught the principles of filmmaking through lectures and hands-on production. Each student makes five Super 8mm non-dialogue films using his or her own equipment. At minimum, a Super 8 camera, projector, tripod, viewer and splicer will be needed, plus substantial funds for film and processing (approximately $800). A tape recorder is also useful.

Four-Year Requirements for the B.F.A. in Filmic Writing

Year One, First SemesterUnits
COLT 150xLiterature and Western Civilization I4
COMP 101Introduction to Expository Writing4
CNTV 106aFilmic Writing I4
CNTV 190Introduction to Cinema4
____
16

Year One, Second SemesterUnits
COLT 151xLiterature and Western Civilization II4
COMP 102Topics in Expository Writing4
CNTV 105Non-Verbal Thinking: Visual and Aural2
CNTV 106bFilmic Writing I4
____
14

Year Two, First SemesterUnits
CNTV 200History of the International Cinema I2
CNTV 206aFilmic Writing II4
CNTV 213Content and Consciousness2
FA 123xIntroduction to Art History: Form, Culture and Communication4
____
12

Year Two, Second SemesterUnits
CNTV 201History of the International Cinema II2
CNTV 205Introduction to Filmic Design4
CNTV 206bFilmic Writing II2
CNTV 215Practicum in Writing Short Films2
____
10

Year Three, First SemesterUnits
CNTV 306aFilmic Writing III4
CNTV 318Acting Experience for Writers2
CNTV 319Directing for Writers: Pre-production2
CNTV 367Film and the Other Arts, or
CNTV 464Film Genres4
____
12

Year Three, Second SemesterUnits
CNTV 290Visual Communication4
CNTV 306bFilmic Writing III2
CNTV 316The Affective Domain2
CNTV 419Directing for Writers: Post-production2
____
10

Year Four, First SemesterUnits
CNTV 301Creating the Non-Fiction Film4
CNTV 418aFilmic Writing Senior Thesis4
____
8

Year Four, Second SemesterUnits
CNTV 418bFilmic Writing Senior Thesis4
CNTV 432Practicum in Writing and the Media2
____
6

Electives

A minimum of 20 elective units is required. Suggested electives in Cinema-Television include:

CNTV 430The Writer in American Cinema and Television2
CNTV 431Screenwriters and Their Work2
CNTV 433Adaptations: Transferring Existing Work to the Screen2
CNTV 434Comedy Writing2
CNTV 435Writing for Television Genres2, max 8

Grade Point Average Requirements

A minimum grade of C (2.0) must be earned in all required and prerequisite courses (a grade of C- or lower will not fulfill a CNTV requirement).

 

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