Do you love films your friends really hate?
Do you know the difference between Bergman and Bertolucci?
Do you make notes most days of dialogue, locations, and situations for
your screenplays?
Do you like learning about more than just movies?
You could be an ideal student for the VCUarts Cinema BA degree.
The Cinema Program Film degree focuses on narrative feature and short films and offers international opportunities. Full-time BA* Cinema majors are admitted directly into Cinema and do not go through the School's first year Art Foundation Program. They can graduate after three years of study, which includes two intensive summer semesters.
We invite you to visit us in person (VCUarts offers daily tours at 1pm), email Program Director, Rob Tregenza Ph.D, at cinema@vcu.edu, or call at 804.VCU.ARTS or toll-free at 1.866.534.3201.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Preparation for the art and craft of narrative filmmaking, and particularly of independent narrative film, is ideally supported with an undergraduate liberal arts education introducing students to a broad range of knowledge. This educational philosophy is shared with major international undergraduate film programs. BA Cinema students are encouraged to pursue a second major from VCU's College of Humanities & Sciences, the School of Business, or additional fields. A second major outside of the arts can be especially helpful for students wishing to be competitive for admission to the nation's leading graduate programs and in the areas of international cinema.
TECHNOLOGY OF THE CINEMA
The program uses new digital recording and postproduction technologies that are displacing traditional celluloid film as the standard for the production of many independent films in the United States. However, in Cinema production workshops, 35mm motion picture lenses and follow-focus systems, HMI and Tungsten lighting packages, and dollies and cranes are used with high-definition digital 24fp recording technology. A selected graduating project from each class may be shot on 35mm film and a release print may be produced for festival and other screenings. BA Cinema majors work with Movie Magic Screenwriter, Final Cut (Pro) Studio, and Pro Tools, all film industry standards for screenwriting, digital film and sound editing.
While the Cinema degree is not a screenwriting program, considerable emphasis is placed on understanding and applying the techniques of writing screenplays. All production work is based on short scenes and screenplays written by students in the Program.
FILMMAKING
The techniques of cinema production are taught during two Freshman workshops and 8-week summer terms following the second and third year of full-time study. Professional actors will be invited to work with Cinema students in the creation of a wide range of narrative and dramatic events. Cinema Production Intensives are taught by faculty who are professional filmmakers and utilize high-end digital equipment and motion picture technology.
Last semester during the VCU French Film Festival students from La Femis and VCUarts Cinema students worked together on five 35mm short films shot on Aaton cameras
.
CLAUDE MILLER TO TEACH AT VCUArts CINEMA
In Fall 2008, the award winning French feature film writer/director Mr. Claude Miller, the director of "Un Secret" (2007) "La Classe de Neige" (1998) and "The Accompanist" (1992) will be the Distinguished Director in Residence at VCUArts Cinema.
Prof. Miller is also the President of La Femis film school and has worked with Robert Bresson, Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut.
ACCELERATED DEGREE COMPLETION
Full-time BA Cinema majors may graduate with the BA degree after three years of study following completion of the Digital Cinema Production Intensive in the final summer of their third year. Depending on the selection of a recommended second major in a non-arts field, a graduate degree may be earned by the end of the fourth year of study.
Note: For animation and experimental video BFA, see Kinetic Imaging. For documentary and narrative film BFA, see Photography & Film.
* BA degree approval voted by SCHEV on March 13, 2007.
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