Digital Filmmarking

The Digital Filmmaking curriculum offers an all-inclusive experience in the areas of pre-production, production and post-production with specific courses designed to fully integrate students into the ever-changing digital world of filmmaking.

This is an advising track only and not an official program as recognized by the University of Montana (UM) or the Montana University System. This information will not appear on your UM transcript, diploma, university lists, student data system, or university publication. You do not fill out a major change for a track.

Bachelor of Fine Arts - Media Arts; Track: Digital Filmmaking

College of Visual & Perf Arts

Catalog Year: 2014-2015

Degree Specific Credits: 72

Required Cumulative GPA: 2.0

Note: B.F.A. Digital Filmmaking.

Prerequisite courses (MAR 101L, MAR 112A, MART 102, MART 111A) must be completed or be in the process of completion before applying to the B.A. program.

First year requirements of the B.A. program (MAR 210, MAR 251, MAR 300, MART 221, MART 302, MART 325) must be completed or in progress before applying to the B.F.A. Digital Filmmaking program.

Lower Division Core

Rule: Complete all courses.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description MAR 101L - Intro to Media Arts
Offered every term. Overview of the media arts and their interaction, integration and development in the creation of story beginning with the early years of photography and movie-making through the introduction of radio and television up to the digital revolution.
 3 Credits
Show Description MAR 112A - Intro to Non-Linear Editing
Offered every term. Study of the history, process and philosophy of narrative film/video editing and an introduction to Final Cut nonlinear editing software.
 3 Credits
Show Description MAR 210 - Creation of Media Story
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.
 3 Credits
Show Description MAR 251 - Dig Video Prod Tech
Offered autumn. Media Arts majors only.  Intermediate study of digital video cameras, lighting, sound, and their use in specific production situations.
 3 Credits
Show Description MAR 252 - Screenwriting
Offered autumn. Prereq., Media Arts Major. Intermediate level writing class devoted to short films, with an emphasis on writing camera-ready scripts for spring production. Feature film structure and techniques also discussed.
 3 Credits
Show Description MART 102 - Digital Technology in the Arts
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.
 3 Credits
Show Description MART 111A - Integrated Digital Art
Offered every term. A project-oriented editing and design course that focuses on artistic expression and its relationship to digital technology. Using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe After Effects, students will create audio/visual work in both the still image and time based mediums.
 3 Credits
Show Description MART 221 - Fund of Digital Image Design
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.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C 24 Total Credits Required

Upper Division Core

Rule: Complete all courses.

Show All Course Descriptions Course Credits
Show Description MAR 300 - Visions of Film
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.
 3 Credits
Show Description MAR 326 - Intro to Cinematography
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.
 3 Credits
Show Description MAR 355 - Directing the Fic Film
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.
 3 Credits
Show Description MAR 415 - Short Form Screenwriting
Offered Autumn.  Media Arts majors only. Intermediate level writing class devoted to short films, with an emphasis on writing camera-ready scripts for spring production. Feature film structure and techniques are also discussed.
 3 Credits
Show Description MAR 442 - Experimental Film
Offered autumn.  Media Arts majors only. Surveying a wide range of experimental cinema (film/video) from the 1920's to the present with the central focus being artistic practice in the context of historic and cultural concerns. Students will also create projects focusing on exploring film/video both as a form of personal expression and as a medium, rather than as mass entertainment.
 3 Credits
Show Description MAR 446 - Sound for Film
Offered spring.  Media Arts majors only. This course is targeted at the Digital Filmmaking student and introduces fundamental concepts, principles and practices of digital location sound recording and post-production editing to picture in order to establish a common aesthetic and technical language.  
 3 Credits
Show Description MAR 455 - Visions of Documentary Film
Offered spring. Media Arts majors only. Production of short experimental works of non-fiction. Emphasis on pre-production 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.
 3 Credits
Show Description MAR 465 - Special Projects
Offered autumn. Media Arts majors only. Focus on the production of short commercial works, including advertisements, industrial work, “how to” videos, 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.
 3 Credits
Show Description MART 301 - Media Arts Practices
(R-6) Offered autumn. Prereq., 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.
 1 To 6 Credits
Show Description MART 302 - Intro to Motion Design
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.
 3 Credits
Show Description MART 325 - Fund of Digital Animation
Offered spring. 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.
 3 Credits
Show Description MART 330 - Principles of Sound Design
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.
 3 Credits
Show Description MART 340 - Princ of Interactive Media
Offered spring. Media Arts majors only. This course is designed to help students gain the skill sets necessary to successfully create work in the constantly evolving internet environment. It covers the fundamentals of website structure, content design and navigation and focuses on directory structure, visual design, user navigation, audio/video integration and domain management.
 3 Credits
Show Description MART 450 - Topics in Film/Media Studies
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.
 3 Credits
Show Description MART 491 - Special Topics
(R-12) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
 1 To 12 Credits
Show Description MART 499 - Senior Project
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.
 3 Credits
Minimum Required Grade: C 48 Total Credits Required