FILM, TELEVISION & DIGITAL MEDIA COURSES FOR SUMMER 2023
The UCLA Department of Film, Television, and Digital Media summer courses offer students from around the globe an unparalleled opportunity to study filmmaking at one of the most prestigious film schools in the world - right in the heart of Hollywood. Students can earn college credit and achieve their academic goals with a variety of course topics to complement a student's current studies and prepare them for their future careers.
During the summer, the Department of Film, Television, and Digital Media welcomes high school students, current UCLA students, visiting college students, and working professionals to study in a welcoming environment that appreciates diversity and global perspectives.
All prerequisites are waived for Film, Television, and Digital Media summer courses and all courses are open to high school students (with the exception of FTV 195, 498, and 221). Students earn UC course credit. These credits may be transferable to other institutions outside the UC System. If you are a visiting student, please check with your home university for their policies on transferring credit.
Please note that the information below is subject to change. Please visit the Schedule of Classes for more detailed course descriptions, schedules, and availability on the Registrar's website.
SUMMER 2023 SCHEDULE
Each Session has a letter and a number. The letter indicates the start date: A (June 26), B (July 12), C (August 7), and D (August 23). The number indicates the length of the course in weeks. Below are the 2021 session dates:
SESSION A
A6: June 26 - August 4
A10: June 26 - September 9
SESSION B
B3: July 17 - August 4
SESSION C
C3: August 7 - August 25
C6: August 7 - September 15
How to Enroll
IF YOU ARE A UCLA STUDENT...
Current matriculated UCLA students may add courses on MyUCLA starting FEBRUARY 1 through Friday of Week 1 of the course's session. For more information, please visit the Summer Sessions Academic Course Information page.
IF YOU ARE A VISITING STUDENT (this includes US and international visiting college students, high school students, and working professionals)...
Complete the ACADEMIC COURSE ONLINE REGISTRATION FORM starting February 15. For more information on registration, deadlines, and other important enrollment information, please visit the Summer Sessions Academic Course Information page.
For High School students, please note these courses are UCLA college courses and will be taken among current college students. Before enrolling, you should feel confident in your ability to successfully complete coursework at a college level.
Summer Sessions 2023 Course Offerings
Please refer to the UCLA Schedule of Classes for more information on each course.
Undergraduate Courses
FTV 4: Introduction to Art and Technique of Filmmaking
(Formerly numbered 122B.) Online-asynchronous. Students acquire understanding of practical and aesthetic challenges undertaken by artists and professionals in making of motion pictures and television. Examination of film as both art and industry: storytelling, sound and visual design, casting and performance, editing, finance, advertising, and distribution. Exploration of American and world cinema from filmmaker's perspective. Honing of analytical skills and development of critical vocabulary for study of filmmaking as technical, artistic, and cultural phenomenon. P/NP or letter grading.
Offered in: Session A6 and Session C6
FTV 33: Introductory Screenwriting
Online-asynchronous and in-person options available. Not open for credit to students with credit for course C132/C430. Structural analysis of feature films and development of professional screenwriters' vocabulary for constructing, deconstructing, and reconstructing their own work. Screenings of films and selected film sequences in class and by assignment. P/NP or letter grading.
Offered in: Session A6
FTV 84A: Overview of Contemporary Film Industry
Online-asynchronous. Examination of evolving economic structures and business practices in contemporary Hollywood film industry, with emphasis on operations of studios and independent distribution companies, their development, marketing, and distribution systems, and their relationship to independent producers, talent, and agencies. Letter grading.
Offered in: Session A6
FTV 106C: History of African, Asian, and Latin American Film
Online. Critical, historical, aesthetic, and social study--together with exploration of ethnic significance--of Asian, African, Latin American, and Mexican films. Letter grading.
Offered in: Session A6
FTV 112: Film and Social Change
In Person. Development of documentary and dramatic films in relation to and as force in social development. Letter grading.
Offered in: Session A6
FTV 114: Film Genres: Lecture 1
In Person. Study of specific film genre (e.g., Western, gangster cycle, musical, silent epic, comedy, social drama). P/NP or letter grading.
Offered in: Session C6
FTV 122D: Film Editing: Overview of History, Technique, and Practice
In Person. Practical application of film editing techniques, how they have evolved, and continue to evolve. Examination of history of editing, as well as current editing trends, terminology, and workflow. P/NP or letter grading.
Offered in: Session A6
FTV 122E: Digital Cinematography
In Person. With lectures, screenings, and demonstrations, study of principles of digital cinematography. How tools and techniques affect visual storytelling process. Topics include formats, aspect ratios, cameras, lenses, special effects, internal menu picture manipulation, lighting, composition, coverage, high definition, digital exhibition, filtration, multiple-camera shooting. P/NP or letter grading.
Offered in: Session A6, Session C6
FTV 122J: Disney Feature: Then and Now
In Person and Online options available. Study and analysis of Disney's animated features. Evaluation of why Disney's animated features have dominated until recently and ramifications of this dominance on animation and society. Letter grading.
Offered in: Session A6 (In Person), Session C6 (Online)
FTV 122M: Film and Television Directing
Online-asynchronous and in-person options available. Through discussions, screenings, demonstrations, and guests, exploration of script, previsualization, directing actors, directing camera coverage in relationship to story, practical on-set directing, and directing for camera. P/NP or letter grading.
Offered in: Session A6, Session C6
FTV 183A: Producing I: Film and Television Development
In Person. Open to nonmajors. Critical analysis of contemporary entertainment industries and practical approach to understanding and implementing producer's role in development of feature film and television scripts. Through scholarly and trade journal readings, in-class discussions, script analysis, and select guest speakers, exposure to various entities that comprise feature film and television development process. Basic introduction to story and exploration of proper technique for evaluating screenplays and teleplays through writing of coverage. May be taken independently for credit. Letter grading.
Offered in: Session A6
FTV 183B: Producing II: Entertainment Economics
Online. Open to nonmajors. Critical understanding of strategies and operating principles that drive flow of revenue in entertainment industry. Exploration of theoretical frameworks and development of critical perspective, while studying industrial processes through which movie and television properties are financed and exploited throughout all revenue streams. May be taken independently for credit. Letter grading.
Offered in: Session B3
FTV 183C: Producing III: Marketing, Distribution, and Exhibition
Global box office and streaming markets are strong and growing. Project development for, and in conjunction with, international markets has become essential for Hollywood studios, independents, and global streaming services. Exploration of film and television development strategies and practices in key international markets including Americas, Asia Pacific, and Europe. Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Special topics in film, television, and digital media for undergraduate students taught on experimental or temporary basis. May be repeated for credit. P/NP or letter grading.
Offered in: Session C6
FTV 187B - Domestic and Global Entertainment Industry Careers and Strategies
Online. Exploration of select film and television career paths and strategies in U.S. and major international markets. Introduction to typical and atypical career paths and strategies of producers, screenwriters, directors, and creative executives in U.S. and abroad. Students take part in moderated discussions with domestic and international industry professionals and read both academic literature and trade publications addressing current state of domestic and global media industries. Through readings and discussions, students gain understanding of rapidly changing global entertainment landscape, and current and future employment trends and project development strategies. P/NP or letter grading.
Offered in: Session C3
FTV 194: Internship Seminars: Film, Television, and Digital Media
In Person. Corequisite: Course 195. Designed for students currently in departmental internships. General introduction to contemporary film and television industries and discussion and engagement with and expansion on internship experiences. Common business practices and expansion of critical understanding of industry at large. May be repeated for credit. Letter grading.
Offered in: Session A6
Graduate Courses
FTV 498: Professional Internships in Film and Television
Tutorial, to be arranged. Full- or part-time at studio or on professional project. Designed for MFA program advanced students. Internship at various film, television, or theater facilities accentuating creative contribution, organization, and work of professionals in their various specialties. Given only when projects can be scheduled. S/U or letter grading.
Offered in: Session A10, Session A6, Session C6
Financial Aid
Financial aid for Summer Sessions Institutes is available to qualified UCLA students. All other students should inquire about financial aid at their home institution. For details about the financial aid application process, please visit the Financial Aid section of summer.ucla.edu.
Contact us
UCLA Summer Institutes
1332 Murphy Hall
Box 951418
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1418
Tel: (310) 825-4101
Fax: (310) 825-1528
E-mail: info@summer.ucla.edu