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.

For video about current and past productions, please click here:

CINEMA PRODUCTIONS

The Cinema Program Film degree focuses on narrative feature and short films and offers international opportunities. Some students can graduate after three years of study, which includes two intensive summer semesters.

Our cinema students must love to write, are committed to academic excellence and know how to play on a team.  

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 and 35mm film. We also have an Arriflex BLIII 35mm camera package that is used in workshops and for advanced student productions.

A selected graduating project from each class will 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, 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.

Working professional filmmakers are invited to share their knowledge with our students in Workshops and special lectures.

" Persistence of Everything"  directed by Michael Bryant  3/26/03 35mm shoot 

FILMMAKING
The techniques of cinema production are taught during two Freshman workshops, and in CINE production classes. The 8-week summer terms following the second and third year of full-time study are when the student films are actually produced.

Professional actors are 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. 

VCUarts Cinema Program is fortunate to have a brand new 16ft professional three ton grip truck with a full Mole Richardson tungsten package, a KinoFlo package, 4 Desisti HMI 1200watt PARs, 2 Desisti HMI fresnels and Matthews grip equipment which includes track, dollies, stands, nets, flags and an ARRI 35mm BLIII package.

VCUarts Cinema 35mm Productions from VCUarts Cinema on Vimeo.

Last year during the VCU French Film Festival, students from La Femis (the French National Film School in Paris, France) and VCUarts Cinema students worked together on five 35mm short films shot with Aaton cameras. These productions were shot on a 2 perf Aaton 35mm camera. 

"DRIFT" and "POE FICTIONS" were co-produced by La Femis and VCUarts CInema and will have their world premiere at the 2009 VCU French Film Festival.

Mr. Charles Harris, Key Grip/Gaffer, CINE200 Workshop Fall 2007

BACKLOT

The Virginia Film Commission has given VCUarts Cinema the opportunity to shoot on the "John Adams Backlot" located near Richmond, VA.

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RECENT WORKSHOPS

ANDREW GIANNETTA

Hollywood Director of Photography and Screenwriter 12/02/08 conducting a workshop on lighting night exteriors with HMI and Kinoflo technology.

CLAUDE MILLER

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) became 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.

Professor Miller at the Grace Street Theatre after a lecture

Professor Miller's lecture on 10/23/08 in the Cinema Studio at VCUarts on French Film Production to the CINE200 class 

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 cinematography BFA, see Photography & Film.

* BA degree approval voted by SCHEV on March 13, 2007.

VCU Home
Updated: 4/28/2009
Virginia Commonwealth University | School of the Arts
325 North Harrison Street
Richmond, VA 23284-2519
arts@vcu.edu
(866) 534-3201 (toll free)
(804) VCU-ARTS / (804) 828-2787