School of Fine Arts

Department of Media Arts

Richard Hughes, Chair

The Media Arts program offers a uniquely integrated curriculum, centered in digital technology as a storytelling and artistic medium; an emphasis reflected to varying degrees in every course offered. The course of instruction includes directing, writing, motion graphics, web design and digital effects, with technical production training and history/theory to provide students with a deep understanding of the principles and practices in these areas.

The Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts is predominantly a project-based major. Most classes deal with understanding and application of principles of narrative and design through the creation of media products, including video, motion design, web design and animation. The student creates an ongoing portfolio of work that can be organized either on the web or via DVD to allow for critique and comparison . The program has five computer labs with more than 80 stations. Of these, the undergraduate program occupies three labs with 54 stations.

The Media Arts graduate program is a three-year term and the curriculum is for the use and education of students pursuing the M.F.A. degree. If a student wishes to be considered for a non-degree status in a class, he or she may speak to the director of the department for approval.

Special Degree Requirements

Refer to graduation requirements listed previously in the catalog. See index.

Bachelor of Arts with a major in Media Arts

To earn the Bachelor of Arts with a major in Media Arts, the student must complete a core curriculum of 12 credits and 30 credits in one of two tracks for a total of 42 credits.

After the completion of 101L and 111A (introductory level), students must have achieved a 3.5 grade point average in those courses to move into MAR 210 and 211. Once they have completed these classes, they may apply to the major. Acceptance requires faculty approval (based on student portfolio ranking), a 3.0 GPA in Media Arts classes and no less than a 2.5 GPA in the student’s overall studies. These requirements continue through each assessment period, with annual reviews occurring at the end of spring semester each year, including a portfolio review.

Core Curriculum:

Track in Integrated Digital Media:

Track in Video Production:

Requirements for a Minor

The Media Arts minor is meant to supplement the work of those undergraduate students whose major area of study can be enhanced through the application of media arts principles and technologies. The minor consists of four core classes (12 credits): MAR 101L, 111A, 210, and 211. Supplementing this 12-credit core program, students must complete 9 additional credits outside of their major area that support their work and development in Media Arts. The student’s Media Arts advisor must approve these supplemental classes. See the Media Arts office for a current list of electives.

Courses

U=for undergraduate credit only, UG=for undergraduate or graduate credit, G=for graduate credit. R after the credit indicates the course may be repeated for credit to the maximum indicated after the R.

Media Arts (MAR)

U 101L Introduction to Media Arts 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Overview of the media arts and their interaction, integration and development in the creation of story beginning with early year of photography and movie-making through the introduction of radio and television up to the digital revolution.

U 111A Fundamentals of Integrated Digital Art 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. 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.

U 195 Special Topics 1-6 cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

U 210 Creation of Media Story 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., MAR 101L, 111A. An introduction to screenwriting and visualization for media story. Focus is on developing visual writing skills and effective utilization of critical story elements.

U 211 Principles of Digital Video Production 3 cr. Offered every term. The study and application of basic aesthetic, narrative and organizational principles as well as technical applications integral to the production process of short video works. Preparation of scripting formats for narrative and experimental works; shot selection and design; fundamental camera and sound operations; capturing and editing; production planning.

U 221 Fundamentals of Digital Image Design 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., MAR 210, 211. 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.

U 222 Fundamentals of Digital Compositing 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., MAR 210, 211. 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.

U 250 Visions of Film 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., MAR 210, 211. Study of major film theories that led to the constitution of visual film language and their application in contemporary film narrative and direction.

U 251 Digital Video Production Techniques 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., MAR 210, 211. Intermediate study of digital video cameras, lighting, sound, and their use in specific production situations.

U 295 Special Topics 1-6 cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

U 296 Independent Study 1-6 cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr.

U 301 Digital Media Practicum 1-6 cr. (R-6) Offered every term. Prereq., MAR 211. 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.

U 321 Digital Image Design Techniques 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., MAR 221. 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.

U 322 2D Motion Design 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., MAR 222, 321. 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.

U 325 Fundamentals of Digital Animation 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., MAR 321, 322. Introduction to twodimensional 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.

U 330 Principles of Sound Design 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., MAR 321, 322. 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.

U 340 Principles of Web Design 3 cr. Offered spring. Exploration of the fundamental techniques and principles of creating an interactive web site using Macromedia Dreamweaver and Flash. Focus is on general website structure, directory structure, content, design and navigation.

U 353 Production Management 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., MAR 250, 251. Plan! Prepare! Prevent! The critical organizational, managerial and creative tools essential to effectively prepare and plan the process of creating a film or video from the written form to the final product.

U 355 Directing the Fiction Movie 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., MAR 250, 251. Developing, directing and editing a five to seven minute fiction movie. In depth work on creation of sheeting script, casting, work with actors and location work. Emphasis on collaborative process and diligence and preparation in all levels of production.

U 357 Digital Video Editing 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., MAR 250, 251. Investigation of different techniques of narrative editing, including continuity, construction and montage. Students edit short project using supplied footage. Emphasis on finding and shaping the story. Final project uses student’s own footage from the project in MAR 355.

U 396 Independent Study 1-6 cr. (R-12) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr.

U 422 3D Motion Design 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., MAR 322. Combining 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.

U 425 Techniques of Digital Animation 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., MAR 325, 422. 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.

U 440 Web Design Techniques 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., MAR 325, 422. Project-based class in advanced techniques of 2-D animation using Macromedia Flash as well as integrating those techniques with the basic 3-D digital animation capabilities of Adobe After Effects, including virtual lighting and the virtual camera.

U 450 Contemporary Trends in Digital Media 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., MAR 353, 355, 357. 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.

U 455 Experimental Documentary 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., MAR 353, 355, 357. Production of short experimental works of non-fiction. Emphasis on preproduction articulation of ideas and goals that lead to competent dramatic footage of actual events and people. Applied concepts: personal point-of-view, metaphor as organizing principle, articulation of subject/thesis, complexity of story, embedded meanings, use of visual motif.

U 465 Commercial Video Production 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., MAR 450, 455. Focus on the production of short commercial works, including advertisements, industrial work, “how to” video, as well as paper projects with potential clients. Students develop a DVD/Web portfolio for entry into the profession upon graduation. The class serves as a synthesis point for analysis and presentation of techniques and principles learned throughout the program.

UG 495 Special Topics 1-12 cr. (R-12) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

UG 496 Independent Study 1-12 cr. (R-12) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr.

G 508 Media Production 3 cr. (R-12) Offered autumn and spring. Introduction to visual composition, photo and video manipulation and layering on the digital platform. Projects begin with static image composition and move to video timebased work using software-compositing programs.

G 515 Editing Dramatic Action 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., graduate standing in the Media Arts program. Study and application of the principles of editing narrative. Beginning with animated storyboards created from scenes written by the student, the class edits existing footage in action and dialogue scenes. Study of history of editing as well as analysis of classic editing techniques.

G 577 Media Directing I 3 cr. Offered autumn. Study of dramatic action, human psychology, and the patterns of story as applied to script analysis and directing for stage and video. Students will analyze and stage scenes from existing dramatic works and adapt them for use in video and film format.

G 578 Media Directing II 3 cr. Offered spring. Production process and direction for one-camera video/film. Technical elements of camera operation, lighting and principles of shot selection are studied. Scenes are staged and shot, both in studio and on location.

G 579 Media Directing III 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., MAR 577 and 578. Continuation of video/film directing techniques at a more advanced level, including location shooting work, as well as development of a production team. A script, developed in Writing I is shot on location during this semester.

G 586 Media Writing I 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., MAR 577. Advanced writing principles, including the creation of layering and density through further exploration of character and the use of dramatic irony. The semester begins with the creation of the shooting script from the same script used in Directing III. Students also work on pitching fulllength film stories and develop short, related treatments. Group creation of story is explored in the development of ideas for a commercial campaign.

G 587 Media Writing II 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., MAR 577, 578, 586. Continued work in media writing at an advanced level.

G 595 Special Topics 1-6 cr. (R-12) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, and one-time offerings of current topics.

G 596 Independent Study 1-6 cr. (R-12) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., consent of instr.

G 597 Research 1-12 cr. (R-12) Offered intermittently.

G 601 Graduate Media Research 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., graduate standing in media arts. Beginning analysis and articulation of story structures in classic film. Application of qualitative research techniques, with a research portfolio due at the end of the semester.

G 680 Media Directing IV 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., MAR 577, 578, 579. In depth analysis of significant works in film and media story with emphasis on genre and question of narrative voice. Students analyze and articulate creation of story in foreign film, areas of narrative de-construction, performance art, installation work and theoretical literature dealing with media in other art forms. Several short projects are completed, based on this area of research.

G 687 Final Portfolio Production 3 cr. Offered autumn. Prereq., MAR 508 (3 credits), 587, 680. Ongoing production and content work relating to thesis projects.

G 688 Media Production Lab 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Participation as support/design team member for another student’s thesis work.

G 690 Media Apprenticeship 3 cr. Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., graduate standing in Media Arts program. Work outside of program in an area of professional interest.

G 699 Final Portfolio Post-Production 6 cr. Offered spring. Final work on thesis portfolio. Approval by the student’s thesis committee is required for graduation.

Faculty

Professors

Associate Professors

Assistant Professor

Emeritus Professor