Film and Television
Note: the courses on this page reflect Summer Term 2008 offerings.
Please check back on December 15 for a list of courses available during Summer Term 2009.
College of Communication
COM FT 310 Screenwriting I
Required of all students in the Film Program. An introduction to the principles
of screenwriting; proper use of film form; creation of characters and narrative
in writing the short film. 4 cr.
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COM FT 353 Video Production I
Introduces students to the entire process of producing
motion pictures on digital video: scripting, shooting, lighting, sound production,
and editing. Also includes an introduction to multi-camera studio production.
While producing a series of hands-on projects, students rotate through the
positions of writer/director, videographer, sound designer, and editor. 4
cr.
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COM FT 456 Acting for Directors and Writers
Develops the writer's and director's knowledge and understanding of
actors as the
"human equipment" of filmmaking through acting experience.
Students learn the language and tools of the craft through sensory exercises,
improvisation, text analysis, and scene study. 4 cr.
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COM FT 494 Undergraduate Internship 2
An opportunity for students to get hands-on experience with
a film or television internship for summer credit. The department of Film and
Television internship office has many terrific summer internships
available to qualified students. Internships are located in Boston, New York,
Los Angeles and throughout the country at companies like MTV, Miramax, FilmColony,
ESPN, local television stations, etc. Open to rising juniors and seniors with a least
a 3.0 GPA in their major. Visiting students must submit a copy of their
transcript for approval. Internships may be taken for either two or four credits.
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COM CO 510 Screenwriting Institute—Intensive
Professional Screenwriting Program
An intensive 11-week professional screenwriting course where students
master the essential elements of a superior screenplay, design a full-length
screenplay and write scenes in a supportive, creative environment and learn
the business of screenwriting. Selected
screenplays
written
in class will have
the opportunity of being considered by Hollywood companies.
For further details, contact the Screenwriting Program at script@bu.edu. 8
cr.
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COM FT 526 Directing the Theatrical and Television Film
This course is a hands-on workshop in which we explore the art
and craft of directing motion pictures. Particular emphasis is given to
working with actors to develop compelling and effective performances. We also explore script preparation and breakdown, staging for the camera, camera
movement, composition, coverage and on-set procedure. 4 cr.
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COM FT 543 TV Comedy
The American television situation comedy has been an enormously popular
and powerful art form. This course is an historical analysis of the medium, tracing
the growth and changes from the beginnings in the late 1940s up to the
present times. We study the genre to see how it both influenced American life
and was influenced by it. 4 cr.
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COM FT 552 Special Topic: The Art of Film Editing
Combines screenings of critically acclaimed feature films with hands-on
editing experience using the industry standard Avid editing software. By
combining a critical analysis of film editing with hands-on training and
editing practice,
students learn both practical and analytical editing
skills. Examines in detail the editing of films such as Sophie's
Choice, The Conversation, Lost in Translation, Chinatown, Platoon,
and The
Last Picture Show in order to break down the techniques that created
tension, advanced the story, heightened the emotional impact, and created
the film's
pacing. Avid experience is helpful, but not required.
4 cr.
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COM FT 553 Special Topic: Hollywood Genre
What does it mean for a film to belong to a genre? This course
examines the concept of genre as it moves from production to distribution to
reception. We examine genres such as: the western, the slapstick comedy,
the screwball comedy, the dark comedy, the gangster film, the musical, and
the war film. 4 cr.
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COM FT 553 Special Topics: Modern Horror, Gender and the Profane
From Rosemary’s Baby to the present. Topics: genre revision,
subgenres, marketing, film theory, gender roles. Filmmakers include Romero, Powell,
Polanski, Craven, De Palma, Scott, Kubrick, Hooper, Carpenter, Cronenberg, Cunningham,
Roth, Noe, and others. 4 cr.
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COM FT 553 Special Topic: Hong Kong Cinema
A study of the Hong Kong film industry after World War II, including
discussions of major genres and trends, and how they reflected the political
climate prior
to and after the shift from British to Chinese rule in 1997. Examines the influential work of filmmakers such as the Shaw Brothers, King
Hu, Raymond Chow, Tsui Hark, Ann Hui, Stanley Kwan, John Woo, and Wong- Kar
Wai. 4 cr.
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COM FT 553 Special Topic: Italian Cinema
Twice in its history, before WWI and after WWII, Italian Cinema held
a dominant position at the forefront of the art of film. Italian cinema continues
to be an important influence and inspiration for filmmakers all over the world.
In this class we explore the history of Italian Cinema from its inception to
the present, with special focus on the two periods of its greatest influence.
We look at Italian films in relation to their unique cultural, historical, and
political contexts and their influence on world cinema. We examine Italian Cinema
through film viewings and historical and analytical readings. There will be a
short film analysis, a final paper, and a final exam.
This is an intermediate Film Studies class. Students with no other experience
in film studies should read Film Art: An Introduction, by David Bordwell
and Kristin Thompson before the class begins. 4 cr.
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COM FT 553 Special Topic: Gangster Films
Studies the rise of the gangster film in America, its growth as a
genre, and its influence on generations of filmgoers and filmmakers around
the world.
Explores their real-life counterparts and examines the genre's
battles over censorship issues. Films include Public Enemy, Scarface,
White Heat, Gun Crazy, Bonnie and Clyde, Band
of Outsiders, The Godfather,
Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction. 4 cr.
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COM FT 553 Special Topics: Hollywood in Depression and War
Examines the films that Hollywood produced between
1930-1945 that reflect the cultural significance of the Great Depression and
the Second World War. What conflicting views emerge when we watch the films
of this period, as Americans struggled to define themselves in relation to
their changing world? The course follows the films of Chaplin, Will Rogers,
Shirley Temple, Frank Capra, Howard Hawks and others. 4 cr.
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COM FT 553 Special Topic: Experimental Film on Digital Video
Experimental film and video art have traditionally been tied to notions
of medium specificity that are currently being challenged by new digital techniques
that cross over between different media. The emphasis of this hands-on creative
workshop course is on the experimental method itself as an alternative to
conventional script-based filmmaking, taking advantage of the convergence of
digital time-based media. Students participating in this group workshop will
investigate experience and process-based alternatives to conventional script-based
filmmaking in which
concept precedes execution. 4 cr.
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COM FT 553 Special Topic: Advanced Screenwriting
Prereq: COM CO 510 or submission of screenplay for admission. An
intensive screenwriting workshop aimed at those who illustrate a strong understanding
of the fundamentals of narrative storytelling.
All participants are required to present pages in class,
maintain a writing schedule and complete a first draft of a feature-length
screenplay. Based upon discussions and notes received, participants will provide
a revision for the final project. Permission required. For further details,
contact John Bernstein, Director of the Screenwriting Program at script@bu.edu.
4 cr.
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COM FT 560 The Documentary
Surveys the history of the documentary and the changes brought
about by the advent of television. Examines the outlook for the documentary
idea in
national and international markets. Periodic highlighting of special areas,
such as the portrayal of war, historical events, drama-documentary, and
propaganda. Students develop critical and professional skills. Lectures,
screenings,
and
discussions. 4 cr.
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COM FT 954 Graduate Internship 2
An opportunity for graduate students to get hands-on experience with
a film or television internship for summer credit. The department of Film and
Television
internship office has many terrific summer internships available to qualified
students. Internships are located in Boston, New York, Los Angeles and throughout
the country at companies like MTV, Miramax, FilmColony, ESPN, local television
stations, etc. Open to graduate students with at least a 3.0 GPA. Visiting
students must submit a copy of their transcript for approval. Internships may
be taken for either two or four credits.
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