Cinematography

Cinematography is the art and craft of using the camera and lighting to create a visual mood. The cinematographer, also called a DP or Director of Photography, is the director’s primary collaborator on the journey of visualizing their ideas. Simply put, the cinematographer’s job is to create images that tell the story using lighting and camera movement. Learning cinematography is a discipline that requires one to learn to see the world in different ways. Cinematographers are constantly discovering new methods of expressing themselves through imagery, whether the tool is a digital or film camera. The goal for students with an emphasis in cinematography is for them to produce a reel featuring examples of their work under vastly different lighting situations.

The cinematography track is designed in the following manner:

• Learn the basic skills and rules necessary to produce a crafted film/digital image to help a director tell a story.
• Master these techniques.
• Once the rules are learned and mastered: break the rules. Make images that you feel reflect the needs of the story, even if technically “wrong”.

Student cinematographers work closely with aspiring directing, writing and producing students to achieve a variety of looks to serve the stories crafted by their fellow students, whether the final product is a short film, TV commercial, or music video. The reel the student cinematographers create showcases the work they’ve produced while enrolled and is intended to serve as their calling card for obtaining work in the professional world.

All students must take Cinematography 1.

Required

Each student who chooses an emphasis in Cinematography must take these five (5) classes: 

(F202) Cinematography 2
(F403) 35mm Cinematography
(V220) Digital Studio Lighting
(F402) Camera Movement
(F345) Visual Production Design 

Electives

In addition, students choosing an emphasis in Cinematography must take two (2) of the following courses:

(F302) Cinematography 3
(F285) Shooting the Masters
(F307) Exterior Cinematography
(F206) Cinema Exteriors & Filters
(F408A) Advanced Studio Lighting
(GH140A or GH241)(One) Still Photography Course
(F303) Digital Cinematography
(F265) Color Timing 1
(F365) Color Timing 2
(F231) Experimental Video Workshop
(F317) Production for New Media
(F203A) Camera Essentials
(F325) 3-D Cinematography
(F305) Visual FX & Green Screen Cinematography
(V318) Music Video Production
(F133A) The Studio Production:  Filming on Film
(F408) Writing With Light 

All students choosing to work towards a combined Cinema-Television Bachelors degree must take all core classes – including Introduction to TV Production, which is a core class for combined majors, and these four (4) courses:

Required

(F202) Cinematography 2
(V220) Digital Studio Lighting
(F402) Camera Movement
(F345) Visual Production Design 

Electives

Additionally, students must take two (2) from the list for Cinema Majors PLUS two (2) from the following courses:

(V235) Reality TV Production
(V330) CCH: The TV Series (can be taken twice for elective credit, three times total)
(V118) TV Commercial Production
(F403) 35mm Cinematography
(V209) Non Fiction TV Production
(F315) Navigating New Media
(V325) Broadcast Practicum