How to Enroll

For more information about our courses and to register, click on www.registrar.ucla.edu.

 

FILM, TELEVISION & DIGITAL MEDIA COURSES FOR SPRING 2024

 

Click through the class name to see the course description on the Registrar's website.

 

4 / Introduction to Art and Technique of Filmmaking
Lecture, four hours; discussion, one hour. 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.


6A / History of American Motion Picture
Lecture/screenings, six hours; discussion, one hour. Historical and critical survey, with examples, of American motion picture both as developing art form and as medium of mass communication. Letter grading.


33 / Introductory Screenwriting
Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. 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.


84A / Overview of Contemporary Film Industry
Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. 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.


102C / Senior Symposium
Laboratory, three hours. Enforced requisite: course 102B. Limited to Film and Television majors. Structured forum in which seniors meet on regular basis to discuss curricular issues, meet with faculty members, and have exposure to array of guest speakers from within film and television industry. Letter grading.


106C / History of African, Asian, and Latin American Film
Lecture/screenings, six hours; discussion, one hour. Critical, historical, aesthetic, and social study--together with exploration of ethnic significance--of Asian, African, Latin American, and Mexican films. Letter grading.


112 / Film and Social Change
Lecture/screenings, six hours; discussion, one hour. Development of documentary and dramatic films in relation to and as force in social development. Letter grading.


114 / Film Genres
Lecture/screenings, four hours; discussion, one hour. Study of specific film genre (e.g., Western, gangster cycle, musical, silent epic, comedy, social drama). May be repeated for credit with topic change. P/NP or letter grading.


C118 / Intermediate Cinematography
Lecture, two hours; laboratory, four hours. Enforced requisite: course 101A. Intermediate study of principles of cinematography, with emphasis on exposure, lighting, and selection of film, camera, and lenses. Concurrently scheduled with course C416. Letter grading.


122D / Film Editing: Overview of History, Technique, and Practice
Lecture, three hours. Exploration 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.


122E / Digital Cinematography
Lecture, three hours. 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.


122M / Film and Television Directing
Lecture, three hours. 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.


122N / History of Animation in American Film and Television
Lecture, six hours. Survey of art of animation in America from its precinema origins to recent films of Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks, Ghibli, and others. Place of animation in pop culture, racial imagery and ethnic stereotypes, growth of art form, and how it reflects American society. P/NP or letter grading.


CM129 / Contemporary Topics in Theater, Film, and Television
(Same as Theater CM129.) Lecture, two hours; screenings, two hours. Limited to junior/senior and graduate theater/film and television students. Examination of creative process in theater, film, and television, with consideration of writing, direction, production, and performance. Overview of individual contributions in collaborative effort; examination of distinctiveness and interrelations among these arts. Individual units include participation of leading members of theater, film, and television professions. May be repeated twice for credit. Concurrently scheduled with course CM229. P/NP or letter grading.


132 / Television Writing Workshop
Laboratory, three hours. Students outline first 10 pages of pilot for original one-hour drama or dramedy, or half-hour comedy series. Examination of topics such as pitching; television writing format and structure 101; current trends in television writing; how to write compelling characters and stories; and how to take idea from concept through logline, beat sheet, and outline to final professional first draft. Letter grading.


134 / Intermediate Screenwriting Workshop
Seminar, three hours. Problems in film and television writing. P/NP or letter grading.


135C / Advanced Screenwriting Workshop
Laboratory, three hours. Requisite: course 135B. Limited to Film and Television majors. Designed for seniors. Course in film and television writing. Third act of original screenplay to be developed. Letter grading.


C144 / Interactive Multimedia Authoring
Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three hours. Introduction to expressive and aesthetic potential of interactive digital media and its theoretical issues. Exploration of methodologies and tools for media integration, interface design, and interactive audiovisual construction. Students conceive, produce, and master individual interactive multimedia projects. May be repeated once for credit. Concurrently scheduled with course C244. Letter grading.


146 / Art and Practice of Motion Picture Producing
Lecture, three hours. Exploration of role of producer as both artist and business person. Comparative analysis of screenplays and completed films. Emphasis on assembly of creative team and analysis of industrial context, both independent and studio. Screenings viewed outside of class and on reserve at Powell Library. Letter grading.


C152C / Digital Audio Postproduction
Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three hours. Enforced requisites: courses 101A, 185. Limited to Film and Television majors. Through discussion, demonstrations, and laboratory assignments, exploration of digital audio tools and procedures available to today's filmmakers. Coverage of many technical, equipment, and software step-by-steps, with emphasis on creative process. Concurrently scheduled with course C452C. Letter grading.


153 / Motion Picture Lighting
Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three hours. Enforced requisites: courses 52, 101A, 185. Limited to Film and Television majors. Introduction to principles and tools of lighting used in visual storytelling through lectures, discussions, and screenings. Creative lighting techniques covering topics such as people, environment, spatial relationships, movement, color, special effects, and continuity. Letter grading.


C181A / Introduction to Animation
Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three hours. Drawing experience not required. Fundamentals of animation through preparation of short animated film. Concurrently scheduled with course C481A. P/NP or letter grading.


C181C / Animation Workshop
Studio, six hours. Preparation: storyboard at first class meeting. Requisite: course C181A. Organization and integration of various creative arts used in animation to form complete study of selected topic. May be repeated for maximum of 16 units. Concurrently scheduled with course C481C. P/NP or letter grading.


183C / Producing III: Marketing, Distribution, and Exhibition
Lecture, three hours. Open to nonmajors. Marketing and distribution of feature films across multiple exhibition platforms and subsequent reception and consumption by audiences. Focus on engagement between distributor, exhibitor, and audience and analysis of various conceptual frameworks and industrial strategies within which these relationships are conceived and operate. May be taken independently for credit. Letter grading.


185 / Intermediate Undergraduate Film Production
Laboratory, six hours. Requisites: courses 52, 154, 155, 163. Limited to Film and Television majors. Instruction and exercises in all stages of film production. Letter grading.


C186C / Advanced Documentary Workshop
Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three hours; fieldwork, four to six hours. Requisite: course C186B. Advanced viewing and discussion of selected documentaries and instruction in various production skills necessary to create video documentaries. Completion of series of exercises from conceptualization through postproduction, culminating in production of short documentary. Concurrently scheduled with course C403C. Letter grading.


187C / Scripted and Unscripted Series Development for Domestic and Global Streaming Services
Lecture, three hours. Designed to enhance students' understanding of processes involved in domestic and international fiction and nonfiction development of properties for streaming services. Students are acquainted with common business and creative practices, while expanding their critical and practical understanding of quickly evolving and transforming global streaming landscape. Examination of creative development processes and strategies for scripted and unscripted series for streaming services in U.S., and similarities and differences in business as well as creative approaches in major international territories. Examination of latest trends in fiction and nonfiction development, including strategies to work with international coproduction partners and developing projects using pre-viz and virtual production techniques. Covers streaming markets in North American, Europe, Asia, and Central and South America. P/NP or letter grading.


188A / Special Courses in Film, Television, and Digital Media
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.


195 / Corporate Internships in Film, Television, and Digital Media
Tutorial, one hour; internship, eight hours. Limited to juniors/seniors. Corporate internship in supervised setting in business related to film, television, and digital media industries. Students meet on regular basis with instructor and provide periodic reports of their experience. May be repeated for credit. Individual contract with supervising faculty member required. P/NP or letter grading.


199 / Directed Research or Senior Project in Film, Television, and Digital Media
Tutorial, three hours. Limited to senior Film and Television majors. Supervised individual research or investigation under guidance of faculty mentor. Culminating paper or project required. May be taken for maximum of 8 units. Individual contract required. P/NP or letter grading.


205 / Seminar: Videographic Scholarship
Seminar, three hours; laboratory, three hours. Prior technical knowledge not required; technical assistance is available. Creation of individual original research projects in film/television history and analysis destined for audio-visual medium, finalized as high-resolutions DVDs. Projects may be extensions of research intended for print publication, dissertation chapters, conference presentations, teaching, etc. Equal emphasis on acquiring basic skills needed to create visual essays and on methods of research for this new form of scholarly research. Comparison of limits and advantages of print versus audio-visual publication. Use of Adobe Production Suite. Letter grading.


206B / Seminar: Selected Topics in American Film History
Seminar, three hours; film screenings, three hours. Seminar with focus on specific topic or period in American film history. Letter grading.


213 / Capstone Seminar
Seminar, three hours. Limited to Film and Television MA candidates. Capstone course for cinema and media studies master's program. Students write, revise, and present comprehensive essay on preapproved topic derived from their MA coursework. Letter grading.


C244 / Interactive Multimedia Authoring
Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three hours. Introduction to expressive and aesthetic potential of interactive digital media and its theoretical issues. Exploration of methodologies and tools for media integration, interface design, and interactive audiovisual construction. Students conceive, produce, and master individual interactive multimedia projects. May be repeated once for credit. Concurrently scheduled with course C144. Letter grading.


274C / Research Design 3: Writing Prospectus
Seminar, three hours. Workshop in writing dissertation prospectus. S/U or letter grading.


283B / Writing Half-Hour Comedy Pilot and Series Bible
Seminar, three hours. Enforced requisite: course 430. Examination of basics of half-hour pilot format, style, and content, and learning of principles behind network needs and choices in choosing pilots. Workshop in which to discuss ideas and issues with class and instructor. Weekly progress on original half-hour pilot and series bible required. Letter grading.


283C / Running Television Comedy Room
Seminar, three hours. Enforced requisite: course 283B. Practical knowledge about skills necessary to be writer/executive producer of half-hour comedy show. Focus on community building, collaboration, and leadership skills needed to successfully function in writers' room, as well as breaking stories, writing, and rewriting television scripts. Letter grading.


284B / Writing One-Hour Drama Pilot and Series Bible
Seminar, three hours. Enforced requisite: course 430. Examination of basics of drama pilot format, style, and content, and learning of principles behind network needs and choices in choosing pilots. Workshop in which to discuss ideas and issues with class and instructor. Weekly progress on original drama pilot and series bible required. Letter grading.


284C / Running Television Drama Room
Seminar, three hours. Enforced requisite: course 284B. Practical knowledge about skills necessary to be writer/executive producer of one-hour drama show. Focus on community building, collaboration, and leadership skills needed to successfully function in writers' room, as well as breaking stories, writing, and rewriting television scripts. Letter grading.


287C / Introduction to Art and Business of Producing III
Seminar, three hours. Requisites: courses 287A, 287B. Builds on principles taught in courses 287A and 287B. Presentation of screenplays prepared in course 287B for review by class and instructor with goal of isolating and identifying primary and secondary thesis projects. Discussions of script analysis and creating set of viable development notes for primary projects. Completion of written outline for original projects and pitching of primary projects to panel of industry executives for further feedback. S/U or letter grading.


289C / Independent Spirit: Creative Strategies for Financing and Distributing Independent Features
Lecture, three hours. Course 289B is not requisite to 289C. Key insights into financing and distribution of independent or specialty films. Topics include film finance, production, marketing, distribution, agents, and new technology, with emphasis on applying this knowledge to individual student projects. S/U or letter grading.


290C / It's a Wrap: Preparation for Your Entertainment Career
Seminar, three hours. Final stages of thesis preparation for evaluation. Guidance provided by instructor on how to effectively present selected project. Requirements include industry-related book reports, script analysis, pitching selected concept, weekly research to understand marketplace, accumulation and updating of data, and justification for potential buyers comprised of industry professionals. S/U or letter grading.


294A / Contracts and Negotiation
Lecture, three hours. Survey of range of contracts involved in studio productions, including literary submission and option agreements, artist employment, director employment, writer collaboration agreements, coproduction agreements, music rights license, etc. Actual studio agreements referenced to illuminate potential consequences of each transaction. Negotiation strategy exercises. S/U or letter grading.


294C / International Financing and Distribution
Lecture, three hours. Course 294B is not requisite to 294C. Legal-based course dealing with independent finance and distribution of feature films. Topics include fundamentals of film financing, domestic distribution, international distribution, European coproductions, role of foreign sales agents and of bankers and completion bond companies. S/U or letter grading.


295C / Advanced Producing: Role of Successful Producer
Lecture, three hours. Designed to provide producers with comprehensive understanding of business acumen involved in purchasing scripts for studios and independent production companies. Through script analysis and in-class discussions, students encouraged to examine not just story elements, but marketing assets inherent in pieces of material. S/U or letter grading.


298A / Special Studies in Film and Television
Seminar, three hours; film screenings, three hours. Designed for graduate students. Seminar study of problems in film and television, organized on topic basis. May be repeated once for credit. S/U or letter grading.


402C / Advanced Narrative Directing Workshop
Laboratory, four hours. Requisites: courses 402A, 402B. Completion of postproduction on projects started in courses 402A and 402B. Letter grading.


C403C / Advanced Documentary Workshop
Lecture/discussion/laboratory, 16 to 24 hours; fieldwork, to be arranged. Requisites: courses 409, 410A, 410B, 410C, 433. Limited to graduate film and television students. Production of advanced individual documentary film or video projects. Students conceptualize, research, write, shoot (on location), and edit projects to completion. May be repeated once for credit. Concurrently scheduled with courses C186C. S/U or letter grading.


404 / Emerging Techniques and Technologies in Cinematography
Lecture, two hours; laboratory, two hours. Requisite: course 410B. Designed to keep students abreast of ever-changing tools and techniques of cinematography. Exploration of developing concepts and familiarization with emerging technology and equipment. Focus may change to reflect changes in current technology. May be repeated twice for credit. Letter grading.


405 / Digital Image Manipulation on Set and Post
Lecture, two hours; laboratory, two hours. Requisite: course 410B. Students achieve greater understanding and command of tools and techniques of color correction and matte photography (both on set and in post production) through lectures, discussions, workshops, and screenings. Increases student's appreciation and skill set in art of digital image manipulation in cinematography. May be repeated once for credit. Letter grading.


408A / Avid Editing 1
Studio, four hours; laboratory, to be arranged. Individual instruction in Avid nonlinear editing system. S/U or letter grading.


411C / Modes of Making: Narrative Fiction
Lecture, four hours; laboratory, four hours. Students work individually and in teams to complete small-scale film projects and exercises to develop specific building blocks needed for narrative fiction filmmaking. Course modules provide introduction to each element of narrative filmmaking, from preproduction to completion. Students gain experience with each key crew position and develop basic collaborative skills needed to work effectively with--and as part of--film crew. Letter grading.


412C / Tools and Techniques: Narrative Fiction
Laboratory, four hours. Provides hands-on support and technical knowledge for students in parallel with their crew-based productions in course 411C. Students deepen their skills in key production roles including cinematography, sound, and editing. Meetings are divided among lecture, individual presentations, and laboratory. Letter grading.


C416 / Intermediate Cinematography
Lecture, two hours; laboratory, four hours. Intermediate study of principles of cinematography, with emphasis on exposure, lighting, and selection of film, camera, and lenses. Concurrently scheduled with course C118. Letter grading.


434 / Advanced Screenwriting
Seminar, three hours. Enforced requisite: course 430. Advanced problems in writing of original film and television screenplays. May be repeated for credit. Letter grading.


437 / Adaptation for Screen
Seminar, three hours. Enforced requisite: course 430. Students analyze techniques of dramatic adaptation and apply them by writing their own scripted adaptations. Students read selected texts and view their filmed versions in order to learn various approaches to adaptation. Students workshop their own screenplays adapted from preselected list of stories. Letter grading.


438 / Advanced Screenwriting: Rewrite
Seminar, three hours. Enforced requisites: courses 430, 434. Workshop in which students rewrite first draft of original screenplay that was written in course 434. Discussion of problems particular to rewrites: how to take notes and make them one's own; how to do deep-read on line-by-line basis of script; overall rewriting strategies; what is best for situation and script. Reading and discussion of student rewrites. Particular attention directed to how people talk about scripts that are not their own; how they avoid giving feedback based on how they might write something and how they move toward giving feedback that honors intention and integrity of script. May be repeated once for credit. Letter grading.


440 / Festival Strategies
Seminar, three hours. Exploration of film, television, streaming, and specialized festivals. Emphasis on strategies and practical knowledge necessary to navigate local, regional, and global festivals, whether as producer, director, animator, screenwriter, or scholar/programmer. Dialog and exchange of diverse ideas, perspectives and real-world experiences among students, faculty, and special industry guests. S/U or letter grading.


C452C / Digital Audio Postproduction
Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three hours. Limited to Film and Television majors. Through discussion, demonstrations, and laboratory assignments, exploration of digital audio tools and procedures available to today's filmmakers. Coverage of many technical, equipment, and software step-by-steps, with emphasis on creative process. Concurrently scheduled with course C152C. Letter grading.


C454B / Advanced Film Editing
Lecture, three hours; laboratory, one hour. Preparation: submission of rough cut of existing project or proposal to edit work of another director. Limited to film and television students in postproduction phase with advanced knowledge of organization and operation of postproduction process. Students may also propose to edit significant scene given to them by instructor. Concurrently scheduled with course C154B. Letter grading.


459A / Directing for Film and Television
Lecture, three hours. Limited to graduate film and television students. Analysis and exploration, with specific scenes, of differences and many similarities in directorial approach to same literary material in theater, film, and television. S/U or letter grading.


C481C / Animation Workshop
Studio, six hours. Preparation: storyboard at first class meeting. Requisite: course C181A. Organization and integration of various creative arts used in animation to form complete study of selected topic. May be repeated for maximum of 16 units. Concurrently scheduled with course C181C. S/U or letter grading.


482B / Advanced Animation Workshop
Lecture, three hours; studio, to be arranged. Requisites: courses 181A, 181B, 181C. Advanced organization and integration of various creative arts used in animation, resulting in production of complete animated film. May be repeated for maximum of 16 units. S/U or letter grading.


483C / Advanced Computer Animation
Lecture, six hours; laboratory, four hours. Requisite: course 483B. Creation and production of complete and original advanced computer animated film. Letter grading.


485 / Legal Issues in Animation
Lecture, three hours; laboratory, three hours. Examination of legal issues in animation, including copyright, contracts, constitutional issues in animation, competing rights, employer/employee relationships, and representation in animation. S/U or letter grading.


489A / Computer Animation in Film and Video
Lecture, six hours; laboratory, four to eight hours; other, to be arranged. Preparation: completed animated film. Requisites: courses 181A, 181C. Instruction in and supervised production of computer animation. May be repeated for maximum of 16 units. Letter grading.


498 / Professional Internship 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.


596A / Directed Individual Studies: Research
Tutorial, to be arranged. Limited to graduate students. May be repeated with consent of instructor. S/U or letter grading.


596B / Directed Individual Studies: Writing
Tutorial, to be arranged. Limited to graduate students. May be repeated with consent of instructor. S/U or letter grading.


596C / Directed Individual Studies: Directing
Tutorial, to be arranged. Limited to graduate students. May be repeated with consent of instructor. S/U or letter grading.


596F / Directed Individual Studies: Production
Tutorial, to be arranged. Limited to graduate students. May be repeated with consent of instructor. S/U or letter grading.


597 / Preparation for PhD Qualifying Examinations in Film and Television
Tutorial, to be arranged. May be taken for maximum of 12 units. S/U grading.


599 / PhD Dissertation in Film and Television
Tutorial, to be arranged. Preparation: advancement to PhD candidacy. Research and writing for PhD dissertation. May be repeated. S/U grading.