Film and Digital Media
Department of Film and Digital Media
Chairperson: Chris Hansen
Graduate Program Director: Daniel M. Shafer
Film and digital media are powerful forces in our minds, lives, societies and cultures. Graduate students in this program are encouraged to become ethical, articulate, creative and innovative leaders in professional and academic fields related to film and digital media. Graduates are poised for successful careers in various media industries including film, television/video, audio, new media, screenwriting, media studies, and more. Students may focus on any of four different aspects of media—production, media studies, media management and technology, and uses and effects research. All approaches are designed to deepen students’ understanding of storytelling. Students have the opportunity to take courses and craft projects across multiple domains.
Film Digital Media (FDM)
FDM 4313 Diffusion of Innovations (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Upper-level standing or consent of instructor
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. An introduction to old and emerging theories which explain the spread of innovative ideas and technologies among members of a society, emphasizing the role of communication processes and the special problems for diffusion in communication technology.
FDM 4314 Digital Media Technologies (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Upper-level standing or consent of instructor
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. Analysis of the technical foundations of communication media, the interrelationships among the various media technologies, and the impact of these technologies on media management, content, distribution, and consumption.
FDM 4340 Media and Society (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Upper-level standing or consent of instructor
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. Roles of the media in society and their relationship with other societal institutions. Impacts of the media upon society, responsibilities of the media, and restraints imposed upon them.
FDM 4341 Electronic Culture (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Upper-level standing or consent of instructor
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. An examination of the issues at the intersection of modern media technology, philosophy, and contemporary culture.
FDM 4342 Art and the Moving Image (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Upper-level standing or consent of instructor
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. An examination of the cinema as an art form in the context of other artistic media (such as painting, music, etc.).
FDM 4343 Film and Media Theory (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Upper-level standing or consent of instructor
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. The artistic potential of motion picture and television production, including major film theories and visual aesthetics. Dramatic narrative (fiction), documentary (non-fiction), and non-narrative subjects will be analyzed.
FDM 4344 Film Criticism (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Upper-level standing or consent of instructor
A survey of the history of film criticism and different approaches to the analysis and critical evaluation of film. The works of major critics are analyzed and their approaches use to write film criticism.
FDM 4347 Communication and Culture (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Upper-level standing or consent of instructor
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. An examination of the reciprocal functions of communication and urban culture as they continue to shape and define each other. Specific areas of inquiry vary each semester. May be repeated once with a different topic (maximum six semester hours).
FDM 4361 Audio Production (3)
Pre-requisite(s): FDM 3361 or consent of instructor
Not open to pre-Film and Digital Media students. Advanced audio techniques for media productions, technical and conceptual aspects of sound design. Emphasis on sound/image relationships in film and video, and the interface between traditional analog and digital audio technologies. Includes recording, editing, and mixing of audio sources in the creation of original sound tracks.
FDM 4362 Short Film Production (3)
Pre-requisite(s): FDM 3361
Not open to pre-Film and Digital Media majors. Advanced short narrative digital cinema production with emphasis on storytelling, theme, and mise-en-scene.
FDM 4364 Interactive Media (3)
Pre-requisite(s): FDM 3361 or consent of instructor
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. Interactive media elements and authoring systems, emphasizing the integration of computer technology in the development of interactive media messages.
FDM 4365 Lighting and Cinematography (3)
Pre-requisite(s): FDM 3361 or consent of instructor
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. Advanced film and video production with emphasis on the techniques, equipment, and theories involved in lighting and cinematography. Emphasis on the role of the cinematographer or director of photography.
FDM 4366 Post Production (3)
Pre-requisite(s): FDM 3361 or consent of instructor
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. Advanced film and video production with emphasis on the techniques, equipment, and theories involved in editing film and video. Emphasis on the use of computer-based non-linear editing systems.
FDM 4367 Film and Video Direction (3)
Pre-requisite(s): FDM 3361 or consent of instructor
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. In-depth investigation into the history, theory, and basic concepts of film and video direction; script preparation; story-boarding; blocking actors and staging the camera; sound; and editing. Projects include directing and shooting short videos.
FDM 4369 Producing (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Upper level standing or permission of instructor
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. Current film and television industry practices, including analysis of literary material, industry structure and economics, pitching, deal-making, and distribution.
FDM 4373 Advanced Screenwriting (3)
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. Workshop course for advanced writers of narrative fiction screenplays emphasizing discussion of student work.
FDM 4380 Topics in Media History (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Upper-level standing or consent of instructor
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. In-depth investigation of important historical eras in the development of various media, for example, cinema, television, radio, and gaming. May be repeated twice under different topic not to exceed nine credit hours.
FDM 4381 Topics in Media Management and Technology (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Upper-level standing or consent of instructor
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. Examines media management issues and the impact of technological innovations on a wide range of media industries including broadcasting, Internet, telecommunication, cable, satellite, video game, and digital cinema. May be repeated twice under different topics, not to exceed nine credit hours.
FDM 4382 Topics in Media Storytelling (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Upper-level standing or consent of instructor
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. Examines a selected topic in film, television, radio/audio, games, or other form of digital media storytelling. May be repeated twice under different topics, not to exceed nine credit hours.
FDM 4384 Topics in National Media (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Upper-level standing or consent of instructor
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. An aesthetic, cultural, and/or historical examination of a selected national mass medium, for example, Japanese Cinema, British Television, or French New Wave Cinema. Focuses on directors, films/programs, movements, and cultural contests of national media. May be repeated twice under different topics not to exceed nine credit hours.
FDM 4388 Topics in Media Production (3)
Pre-requisite(s): FDM 3361 or consent of instructor
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. Advanced media production with emphasis on one particular aspect of production. Topics covered may include cinematography, experimental film or video collaborative projects, documentary, studio drama, narrative, and other topics. May be repeated twice under different topics not to exceed nine credit hours.
FDM 4396 Topics in Media Genres (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Upper-level standing or consent of instructor
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. An analysis of major media genres (in film, television, gaming, and other media). Methodological issues in genre criticism will also be addressed. May be repeated twice under different topics not to exceed nine credit hours.
FDM 4397 Topics in Contemporary Cinema (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Upper-level standing
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. An academic examination of current cinema. Topics covered may include contemporary world cinema, contemporary American cinema, artists/directors, philosophy, history and other topics. May be repeated once with a different topic.
FDM 4V03 Internship in Electronic and Film Media (1-6)
Pre-requisite(s): Undergraduate: fifteen hours in major; graduate: consent of graduate director
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. Designed to fit the needs and interests of the individual student. Interns may select activities in a broadcast station or network, wire service, film production hours, corporate communications department, advertising agency, or in other appropriate organizations. Internships must be approved by the division director (undergraduate) or graduate director (graduate) and are carried out under the supervision of the division director. May be repeated for a total of six semester hours provided the professional setting is different. Graduate students will be limited to three hours credit.
FDM 4V98 Electronic and Film Media Workshop (3-6)
Pre-requisite(s): Consent of instructor
Not open to Pre-Film and Digital Media students. A directed project to a detailed individual or group radio, television, or film production including preproduction, research and concept development, production, post production, and planning for distribution. May be repeated once in a different semester for a total of six semester hours.
FDM 5199 Non-Thesis Degree Completion (1)
Course designated to fulfill requirements for non-thesis master's students when all other credits have been previously completed.
FDM 5303 Internship in Film & Digital Media (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Consent of instructor
Provides graduate students the opportunity for application of film & digital media skills and knowledge carried out under the supervision of a professional employer in a media-related organization.
FDM 5335 Media Psychology (3)
Study of the psychological effects of media on the thoughts, feelings, and actions of viewers and users. We consider the negative and positive impact of various types of media. Features a special focus on media use and well-being, as well as coverage of the usage and effects of interactive media.
FDM 5336 Seminar in Film and Electronic Media (3)
Selected topics in the film or electronic media. Topics may be chosen from the following: mass communication theory, film or broadcasting history, media effects, media regulation, new communication technologies, and political communication. May be repeated once with a different topic.
FDM 5346 Seminar in Corporate Telecommunication (3)
Selected topics in corporate telecommunication. Topics may be chosen from the following: telecommunication management, training and development, diffusion of innovations, and impact analysis. May be repeated once with a different topic.
FDM 5356 Seminar in Media Aesthetics and Criticism (3)
Selected topics in media aesthetic criticism. Topics may be chosen from the following: film theory, semiotic analysis, visual literacy, and approaches to film criticism (i.e., cinema). May be repeated once with a different topic.
FDM 5366 Graduate Production Workshop (3)
Pre-requisite(s): Consent of instructor
Advanced production-oriented workshop with emphasis on enabling students to practice their craft and work towards completion of festival-worthy productions. Particular emphasis on preproduction, research and concept development, production, and post-production. May be repeated once in a different semester for a total of six semester hours.
FDM 5376 Contemporary Film Theory (3)
Major issues and concepts that have been taken up by film theorists and critics in the years following World War II, with particular concentration on cultural studies, ideological criticism, race, gender, politics, spectatorship, and new digital technologies.
FDM 5377 Storytelling in the 21st Century (3)
Exploration of current and emergent forms of storytelling in media, including analysis of the current state of motion picture and television industries, virtual and augmented reality, interactive media, transmedia, and streaming media distribution, with an emphasis on how changes in media consumption practices are changing storytelling forms.
FDM 5391 Graduate Directing Workshop (3)
This is a workshop course in which each student will work on a film or screenwriting project(s) for the entire semester. This may be an assigned project with a particular topic, or it may be a self-created project which they currently developing and/or in production or postproduction on. The professor will provide continuous feedback and evaluation on the progress made on the project. Each class meeting will consist of student presentations and professor and peer feedback on each project. Projects may be in various stages during the course. Students are expected to make significant progress on their project over the course of a semester.
FDM 5392 Producing and Practical Production (3)
Students will master on-set production techniques and protocols, learn to manage production challenges and gain experience in collaborative filmmaking and creative decision-making. Particular focus on the role of the producer including budgeting and scheduling.
FDM 5393 Preproduction Workshop (3)
Students will actively workshop preproduction for their next film. Students will take a film project from script up to the point of beginning production. Faculty will guide this process, ensuring students consider all aspects of responsible production. Students will create budgets and shooting schedule, will scout locations, perform casting and file for necessary permits.
FDM 5394 Aesthetics and Techniques of Editing (3)
Focus on film and sound editing, special effects, workflow and finishing a film in preparation for festival submission and exhibition. Students will master editing techniques on industry standard systems.
FDM 5395 Directing Actors (3)
Exploration of the skills and techniques needed to work effectively with actors. Students will learn to take the actor's point of view, analyze dialogue with the aim of understanding character needs and objectives, and master appropriate casting and rehearsal strategies.
FDM 5396 Seminar in Screenwriting (3)
Students will pursue an understanding of film as visual and aural and how consideration of these dictates effective screenwriting. They will develop an understanding of what makes a good story and will evaluate existing film narratives while crafting their own original work.
FDM 5691 Summer Film Production (6)
Students will write, produce, and direct a short film under the guidance of the professor-mentor.
FDM 5V35 Problems in Film and Digital Media (1-6)
Designed to give individual students opportunities for additional work in their area of concentration in film and digital media. May be repeated in a different semester for up to a total of six semester hours.
FDM 5V90 Professional Paper or Project in Film & Digital Media (1-3)
Satisfies the non-thesis option for the master of communication studies. Under the direction of a supervising professor, a student will select a problem or topic in film and digital media and will write a substantial paper or produce a substantial project for submission to the faculty. Maximum three credit hours.
FDM 5V99 Thesis (1-6)
Research, data analysis, writing, and oral defense of an approved master's thesis. At least six hours of FDM 5V99 are required.