40 Week Filmmaking Curriculum
Film History and Analysis
Film History and Analysis provides an intensive grounding in film history and introduces students to the core theories of film criticism and analysis. 
The first quarter traces the history of film from its very beginnings to the end of the silent era. The second and third quarters focus on the 1930's and 1940's and the development of the Hollywood studio system with a particular emphasis on genres such as film noir, musicals, and gangster films. The fourth quarter is devoted to international cinema and alternatives to Hollywood from the 1940's to the present. During the class, students concentrate on the elements of film language that make film a unique medium - editing, cinematography, color, and sound. At the core of the film history program is the fundamental concentration on both the individual film and the underlying structure of film and filmmaking.
Tools of Production
Tools of Production 
focuses on developing both the creative and technical hands-on skills that are at the core of the filmmaking process. The groundwork in camera operation, composition, lighting and story boarding, is set out in the first and second quarters of the program. In the third and fourth quarters of the program, as projects become larger and more complex, students build on their basic skills and develop their craft in all aspects of production -- with a particular emphasis on cinematography, scene blocking, crew organization and field sound recording. Over the 40 week program, students are involved in every aspect of pre-production, production, and post-production. In addition to individual projects, each student rotates through major crew positions, including director, director of photography, camera operator, sound and editing.
Screenwriting
In Screenwriting students develop a fundamental awareness and understanding of script and dramatic structure that is crucial to understanding the filmmaking process. During the course of the program all students complete an original feature-length screenplay. The first quarter focuses on screenplay structure and the development of story ideas. During the second and third quarters, the emphasis is on overall story structure and specific topic areas such as writing dialogue and developing characters. Students complete their screenplay during the fourth quarter. As part of the screenwriting program, students also deal with the business of screenwriting from pitching scripts to finding agents. In addition, it is during this class that students write the short scripts that are produced in the production phase of the program.
Elements of Filmmaking
Elements of Filmmaking complements the Tools of Production class by focusing more on the post-production side of filmmaking—editing, mixing, preparation for DVD, the web, and general distribution—as well as the real-world aspects of working in the film industry—shooting effective interviews, B-roll, assembling business promotional pieces, documentaries, commercial work, and marketing yourself as a freelancer in an ever-changing industry.
The first quarter focuses on planning, storyboarding, and breaking down the differences between film aesthetics/content and the techniques/craft behind the work. It also enforces basic technical proficiency in current editing software. The second quarter immerses the students in more intermediate technical skills, editing workflow, as well as arms them with the means and planning skills to begin working on group documentary projects.
The third quarter puts primary emphasis on real-world shooting methods for the greatest impact in modern media, and has a secondary focus on advanced editing problems, visual effects, audio and color correction. The final quarter rounds off with studying and producing commercial work, business promotions, and producing compilation reels and demonstration DVDs of student portfolios.
Lab Day
Lab Day takes place for four hours each week. Students use this time to complete projects using the school's facilities. The lab time also provides a scheduled period of time when students can meet with each other to work on group projects. Students may also use this time for individual tutorials and faculty may also schedule additional classes during this time when appropriate or for rescheduled and makeup classes.
