Curriculum Plan for BFA IDM Undergraduates
Once accepted, the student must then complete the following courses totaling 42 credits (for a total of 72 credits). GPA requirements continue through each assessment period with annual reviews occurring at the end of spring semester each year.

 

Year One as a BFA Major

Fall

MAR 323 3D Motion Design - 3 cr.
MAR 301 Digital Film Practices - 3 cr.
MAR 330 Principles of Sound Design - 3 cr.

 

Spring
MAR 321 Digital Image Techniques - 3 cr.
MAR 326 Intro to Cinematography - 3 cr.
MAR 340 Principles of Interactive Media - 3 cr.
MAR 445 Sound for Digital Media - 3 cr.

 

Year Two as a BFA Major

Fall
MAR 322 Digital Compositing I - 3 cr.
MAR 425 Tech. Digital Animation - 3 cr.
MAR 456 Directing - 3 cr.

 

Spring
MAR 422 Digital Compositing II - 3 cr.
MAR 440 Techniques of Interactive Media Design- 3 cr.
MAR 450 Topics in Film and Media Studies - 3 cr.
MAR 460 Senior Project- 3 cr.

 

---

102 Digital Technology in the Arts

3 cr. Offered every term. An introduction to the relationship between aesthetics and the emerging capacities of digital technology. The course will explore the basic evolution of hardware, system software, and the internet and will present a brief history of the pioneers of both traditional and digital art. It will also look at contemporary and emerging trends in the artistic application of digital technology.

111A Fundamentals of Integrated Digital Art

3 cr. Offered every term. A project oriented editing and design course that focuses on artistic expression and its relationship to digital technology. Using Final Cut Pro, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe After Effects, students will create audio/visual work in both the still image and time based mediums.

112A Intro to Non-Linear Editing

3 cr. Offered every term. Study of the history, process and philosophy of narrative film/video editing and an introduction to Final Cut Pro nonlinear editing software.

 

210 Creation of Media Story

3 cr. Offered autumn. Media Arts Majors only. An introduction to screenwriting and visualization for media story. Focus is on developing visual writing skills and effective utilization of critical story elements. 

221 Fundamentals of Digital Image Design

3 cr. Offered autumn. Media Arts Majors only. Introduction to the fundamental concepts, principles and practices of digital still imaging in order to establish a common aesthetic and technical language necessary to develop quality designs on the computer.

 

222 3D Motion Design

3 cr. Offered autumn. Media Arts Majors only. Introduction to fundamental concepts, principles and practices of digital compositing and rendering in order to establish a common aesthetic and technical language necessary to develop quality time-based art and design.

251 Digital Video Production Techniques

3 cr. Offered autumn. Media Arts Majors only. Intermediate study of digital video cameras, lighting, sound, and their use in specific production situations.

300 Visions of Film

3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts Majors only. Study of major film theories that led to the constitution of visual film language and their application in contemporary film narrative and direction.

 

301 Digital Film Practices

1-6 cr. (R-6) Offered every term. Media Arts Majors only. Practical application of the principles of production through work on graduate and upper level undergraduate projects, either as a crew member, production manager, designer, editor, director of photography or actor.

302 Intro to Motion Design

3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts Majors only. This project-oriented course will introduce students to the basic technical and aesthetic components of digital motion design using the industry standard software programs Photoshop and After Effects.

 

321 Digital Image Design Techniques

3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts Majors only. Introduction to the digital vector based graphics and drawing using Adobe Illustrator and the process of integration between Photoshop and Illustrator, as well as their relationship to video production and animation.

 

322 Digital Compositing I

3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts Majors only. Project-oriented course which builds on the fundamentals of compositing introduced in MAR 222. Students create a more sophisticated body of integrated 2D work that explores multi-layered digital art and design in greater detail.

325 Fundamentals of Digital Animation

3 cr. Offered every term. Media Arts Majors only. Introduction to two-dimensional digital animation, focusing on character and motion design animation fundamentals including: cell animation (frame by frame), motion-tweening, working with key frames and motion paths, moving elements on a 2D stage, object choreography and text animation.

 

326 Intro to Cinematography

3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts Majors only. Preliminary study of digital cinematography including color theory, composition, lens choice, continuity, camera movement/support, lighting for film and video, and grip in both studio and location situations.

 

330 Principles of Sound Design

3 cr. Offered autumn. Media Arts Majors only. Introduction to fundamental concepts, principles and practices of digital sound recording and editing in order to establish a common aesthetic and technical language necessary to develop quality audio design.

 

340 Principles of Interactive Media

3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts Majors only. Overview of the fundamental techniques and principles of interactive media and exploration into it's artistic application. Topics include internet structure, cloud computing, basic HTML and CSS, mobile devices, browsers, and distance collaboration.

 

422 Digital Compositing II

3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts Majors only. Combines the common aesthetic and technical language with solid design principles. Students immerse themselves in the making of a body of integrated-digital 3D work that explores the technical and aesthetic possibilities of multi-layered x y z plane actualizations.

 

425 Techniques of Digital Animation

3 cr. Offered autumn. Media Arts Majors only. Advanced techniques of 2D animation using Macromedia Flash as well as integrating those techniques with the basic 3D digital animation capabilities of Adobe After Effects, including virtual lighting and the virtual camera.

 

440 Interactive Media Techniques

3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts majors only. Building on the principles and techniques covered in MAR 340, this project-based class focuses on the artistic applications of interactive media in an internet environment.

 

445 Sound for Digital Media

3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts Majors only. This course is targeted to the integrated digital media student and introduces fundamental concepts, principles and practices of digital sound recording and editing. This will enable students to expand their aesthetic by integrating their sonic and visual creative work.

 

450 Topics in Film and Media Studies

3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts Majors only. Research and exploration of contemporary film, video, digital art and design. Focus on areas of student research both in commercial and non-commercial venues and styles.

 

456 Directing

3 cr. Offered autumn. Media Arts Majors only. Developing, directing and editing a five to seven minute fiction movie. In depth work on creation of shooting script, casting, work with actors and location work. Emphasis on collaborative process and diligence and preparation in all levels of production.

460 Senior Project

3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts Majors only. This capstone course gives the student an opportunity to create an integrated senior project which brings together all of the elements of their course of study.