The School of Media Arts has degree programs on both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Our graduate program offers an M.F.A., which provides an intensive, dedicated program in either Digital Filmmaking or Integrated Digital Media. The Digital Filmmaking track offers the student comprehensive training in the areas of writing, directing and editing. The Integrated Digital Media track provides the student with training in the areas of digital compositing, still image and interactive digital media. The undergraduate program offers a B.A. degree with a uniquely integrated curriculum that is centered in digital technology as a storytelling and artistic medium. The course of instruction is comprehensive and combines the areas of Digital Filmmaking and Integrated Digital Media. The department also has a comprehensive Media Arts Minor program and a number of on-line courses and elective summer classes that provide students the opportunity to enhance the artistic part of their educational experience. For more information on the academic programs, faculty, and students, please visit our website at: http://www.umt.edu/mediaarts.
Refer to graduation requirements listed previously in the catalog. See index.
The School of Media Arts offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with 2 specializations, Digital Filmmaking and Integrated Digital Media. 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. The Integrated Digital Media curriculum focuses on motion design, animation, and interactive media and provides a platform for students to maximize their artistic potential through the study of emerging digital technologies and their aesthetic application.
The Media Arts Graduate Program is a three-year program for students pursuing the M.F.A. degree. It is an intensive program with specializations in either Digital Filmmaking or Integrated Digital Media. For application information please visit our website at www.umt.edu/mediaarts.
The B.A. program has been redesigned beginning Fall 2010 to provide a streamlined curriculum with comprehensive course offerings, which combine both Digital Filmmaking and Integrated Digital Media. The courses in Digital Filmmaking focus on the three primary components of pre-production, production and post-production and include directing, writing, sound design, and editing. The courses in Integrated Digital Media focus on the relationship between digital technology and aesthetics and include still image, motion design, sound design and web design. History and theory courses in both areas provide students with a deeper understanding of artistic principles and practices. The undergraduate program has a large production space including a green screen area, two computer labs with 48 total stations and an audio recording room. After completion of the prerequisite courses, there will be a G.P.A. gate in effect for admission into the Major. There is no longer a portfolio submission requirement for the B.A. For more information on requirements, please see the B.A. program heading under academics or the Media Arts website at http://www.umt.edu/mediaarts
The course of study for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Arts is as follows:
A. Prerequisites
Offered every term. Each student must complete the following four core classes (12 credits):
MAR 101L Intro to Media Arts - 3 cr.
MAR 102 Digital Technology in the Arts - 3 cr.
MAR 111A Integrated Digital Art - 3 cr.
MAR 112A Intro to Non-Linear Editing - 3 cr.
B. Application to the Major
Upon satisfactory completion of the prerequisites, the student then applies to the B.A. program in spring semester. Acceptance is based on GPA assessment using the combination of prerequisite courses, additional Media Arts courses, overall University GPA, and instructor feedback. Please see the Media Arts office for complete information on the application process.
C. Required Courses
Once accepted, the student must then complete the following courses totaling 33 credits (for a total of 45 credits). GPA requirements continue through each assessment period with annual reviews occurring at the end of spring semester each year.
MAR 210 Creation of Media Story - 3 cr.
MAR 221 Fundamentals of Digital Image Design - 3 cr.
MAR 251 Digital Video Prod. Techniques - 3 cr.
MAR 300 Visions of Film - 3 cr.
MAR 301 Digital Film Practices - 3 cr.
MAR 302 Intro to Motion Design - 3 cr.
MAR 325 Fundamentals of Digital Animation - 3 cr.
MAR 330 Principles of Sound Design - 3 cr.
MAR 340 Principles of Web Design - 3 cr.
MAR 450 Topics in Film and Media Studies - 3 cr.
MAR 456 Directing - 3 cr.
Advisement
Upon acceptance into the B.A. program in Media Arts, each student is assigned a faculty advisor. Students will not be assigned a Media Arts faculty advisor until then. Please see the School Director for details.
Media Arts Minor
The Media Arts minor program offers an integrated curriculum, centered in digital technology as a storytelling medium. As of Fall 2010, the minor has been streamlined to combine the IDM and DFM specializations. The 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. It also fulfills the prerequisites for those interested in pursuing the B.A. For more information please visit our website at www.umt.edu/mediaarts.
A. Required Courses for the Minor
MAR 101L Introduction to Media Arts - 3cr
MAR 102 Digital Technology in the Arts - 3cr.
MAR 111A Integrated Digital Art - 3cr.
MAR 112A Intro to Non-Linear Editing - 3cr.
B. Elective Classes
Each student must complete the four core Media Arts classes for 12 credits, and 9 additional credits outside of their Major that support their work and development in Media Arts. These credits are typically drawn from the College of Visual and Performing Arts and may include eligible courses within the School of Media Arts. All elective courses need to be approved by the Director of the School of Media Arts.
For more information on courses or on developing a curriculum plan, please contact the Media Arts office.
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.
U 101L Introduction to Media Arts 3 cr. 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.
U 102 Digital Technology in the Arts 3 cr. 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.
U 111A Fundamentals of Integrated Digital Art 3 cr. 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.
U 112A Intro to Non-Linear Editing 3 cr. Offered every term. Study of the history, process and philosophy of narrative film/video editing and an introduction to Final Cut nonlinear editing software.
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. 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.
U 220 Introduction to Photoshop 3 cr. Offered every term. Online Course. An introduction to the basic principles and techniques of still image design and manipulation using Adobe Photoshop. This project-based course demystifies the powerful Photoshop toolsets and workspace and enables students to actualize their ideas by helping them to develop an efficient production process.
U 221 Fundamentals of Digital Image Design 3 cr. 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.
U 222 3D Motion Design 3 cr. Offered autumn. Media Arts majors only. 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 230 Intro to Still Image 3 cr. Offered every term. This course provides a thorough introduction to the practices of capturing digital still imagery through scanning, photography, internet acquisition and mobile devices. Emphasis on content, composition, and digital manipulation of images is applied through the creation of various still-image projects. Digital capture techniques, project planning, narrative, and the integration of various forms of digital design are fundamental components of this course.
U 251 Digital Video Production Techniques 3 cr. Offered autumn. Media Arts majors only. 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 300 Visions of Film 3 cr. 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.
U 301 Digital Film Practices 1-6 cr. (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.
U 302 Introduction to Motion Design 3 cr. 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.
U 304 Introduction to the Modern Horror Film 3 cr. Offered every term. Online Course. This class explores the changing landscape of the horror film since 1960, studying the movies in filmic terms (Acting, Directing, Cinematography, Music, etc.) and sociological importance. Through online discussions, selected readings, multimedia projects, and video lectures, we will seek to understand the often-controversial genre of horror.
U 320 Art of Photoshop 3 cr. Offered every term. Online Course. Pre-requisite MAR 230 or consent of instructor. This course provides an understanding of the use of Photoshop as an artistic tool. Exercises and projects will explore areas of customizing & combining tools, depth & perspective, and graphic elements (including text & paths), and will be based on effective production techniques, project planning, and the artistic principles of color theory, content, and layering.
U 321 Digital Image Design Techniques 3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts majors only. 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 Digital Compositing I 3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts majors only. 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 324 Stop Motion Animation Techniques 3 cr. Offered winter and summer sessions. Guides students through the active creation of several individual stop motion animation projects while developing their knowledge and expertise in traditional stop motion animation techniques using modern computing technology.
U 325 Fundamentals of Digital Animation 3 cr. Offered every term.. 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.
U 326 Intro to Cinematography 3 cr. 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.
U 330 Principles of Sound Design 3 cr. 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.
U 340 Principles of Interactive Media 3 cr. Offered every term. 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.
U 341 Intro to Web Design 3 cr. Offered every term. Online Course. Students will gain necessary skills in this introduction to the fundamentals of website structure, content design and navigation. Areas of focus will be directory structure, visual design, user navigation, audio/video integration and domain management. This course is open to all university students and geared to non-majors.
U 355 Directing Fiction Film 3 cr. Offered spring. 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.
U 357 Techniques of Non-Linear Editing 3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts majors only. 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 391 Practicum I 3 cr. Offered every term. This course offers the student the opportunity to apply their media arts skill sets and techniques to a variety of professional level projects that include movies, web site design, and still image design.
U 395 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.
U 396 Independent Study 1-6 cr. (R-12) Offered intermittently. Prereq., consent of instr.
UG 415 Screenwriting 3 cr. 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.
UG 422 Digital Compositing II 3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts majors only. Combines 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 autumn. Media Arts majors only. 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 Techniques of Interactive Media Design 3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts majors only. Pre-requisite MAR 340. Advanced interactive media design class that builds on the foundation of principles taught in MAR 340.
U 442 Experimental Film 3 cr. 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.
UG 443 Documentary: Theory and Practice 3 cr. Offered autumn. Designed to bring together Film Studies students (theorists) and Media Arts students (filmmakers) so they may draw from their respective fields to collaborate on the production of documentaries. After exposure to both documentary history and criticism, students will be required to work with a team of producers in learning the basic skills involved in documentary production.
UG 445 Sound for Digital Media 3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts majors only. This course is targeted at the Integrated Digital Media student and introduces fundamental concepts, principles and practices of digital sound recording and editing. This will enable students to expand their aesthetic by integrating their sonic and visual creative work.
UG 446 Sound for Digital Film 3 cr. 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.
U 450 Topics in Film and Media Studies 3 cr. 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.
U 455 Visions of Documentary Film 3 cr. 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.
UG 456 Directing 3 cr. 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.
U 460 Senior Project 3 cr. 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.
U 465 Special Projects 3 cr. Offered spring. 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.
U 470 Advanced Acting for Film I 3 cr. Offered autumn. The class is introduces the student to acting techniques needed to work competently in realistic film work. It consists of acting in several exercises and scenes shot in the studio, as well as research into different film acting styles.
U 471 Advanced Acting for Film II 3 cr. Offered spring. A project-based course that combines actors and directors in the collaborative creation of a short fiction film.
UG 491 Practicum II 3 cr. Offered every term. This course offers the student the opportunity to apply their media arts skill sets and techniques to a variety of professional level projects that include movies, web site design, and still image design.
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 500 Digital Tech in the Arts I 4 cr. Offered autumn. This course explores the relationship between aesthetics and the emerging capabilities of digital technology. It will cover the historical relationship between science and art up to the end of the 20th century and examine the methodology of critical artistic applications.
G 508 Media Production 4 cr. Offered every term.. Introduction to visual composition, photo and video manipulation and layering on the digital platform. Projects begin with static image composition and move to video time-based work using software-compositing programs.
G 509 Media Production 4 cr. Offered spring. Continuation of production and post-production practices and techniques introduced in MAR 508.
G 510 Digital Tech in the Arts II 4 cr. Offered spring. This course expands upon the research begun in MAR 500 by exploring the development of emerging 21st century digital technologies and their impact on aesthetics in artistic production.
G 514 Advanced Compositing Techniques 4 cr. Offered spring. This course continues the work begun in MAR 422 by furthering the development of artistic principles and practices and culminates in an in-house presentation of graduate level motion design techniques.
G 515 Editing Dramatic Action 4 cr. Offered spring. 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 520 Graduate Teaching Seminar 2 cr. Offered autumn. This graduate seminar is designed for prospective graduate teaching assistants and will cover techniques and best practices for both in-class and online delivery.
G 522 Intro to Interactive Digital Media 4 cr. Offered autumn. Based upon the research developed in MAR 500 and MAR 510, graduate students will explore and begin to develop artistic applications of interactive digital media, which will culminate in a semester end in-house presentation.
G 523 Techniques in Interactive Digital Media 4 cr. Offered spring. This course expands upon the work begun in MAR 522 and will culminate in a semester end public presentation.
G 524 Compositing Applications I 4 cr. Offered autumn. Based upon the concepts and principles developed in MAR 422 and MAR 514, graduate students will create a compositing project from pre-production through post-production, which will culminate in a semester end in-house presentation.
G 525 Compositing Applications II 4 cr. Offered spring. This course expands upon the work begun in MAR 524 and culminates in a semester end public presentation.
G 557 Advanced Post-Production 4 cr. Offered Fall. Advanced Post Production is a graduate level course designed to provide students with advanced technical and conceptual instruction in non-linear editing for narrative films. The class provides a platform for engaging in conceptual critiques with their films as they are edited as well as a base for professional certification in the Final Cut Pro Application.
G 577 Media Directing I 4 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 4 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 4 cr. Offered autumn. 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 580 Principles of Cinematography 4 cr. Offered autumn. Intermediate 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.
G 586 Media Writing I 4 cr. Offered autumn. 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 full-length 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 4 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., MAR 586. Continued work in media writing at an advanced level.
G 591 Graduate Practicum 3 cr. Offered every term. This course offers the graduate student the opportunity to expand their media arts skill sets and techniques by working on a variety of professional level projects that include movies, web site design, and still image design.
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. 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 4 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 4 cr. Offered autumn. Ongoing production and content work relating to thesis projects.
G 688 Media Production Lab 3 cr. (R-12) Offered every term. Participation as support/design team member for another student’s thesis work.
G 690 Media Apprenticeship 3 cr. (R-6) Offered every term. 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.
Martin Fromm, M.F.A., The University of Idaho, 1992
Richard P. Hughes, M.M., M.F.A., The University of Montana, 1999
Michael R. Murphy, M.F.A., The University of Montana, 1994
Mark Shogren, M.F.A., Ohio University, 2003
Andrew J. Smith, M.F.A., University of Iowa, 1997
Gregory Twigg, M.F.A., The University of Montana, 2001
Registrar's Office
Lommasson Center 201
Phone: (406) 243-2995
Fax: (406) 243-4807