Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

• COM FT 555: Advanced Documentary Production
  Prerequisites: COMFT 544 or instructor permission. - This course will refine the technical skills and aesthetic sensibility learned in FT544 Documentary Production. In this advanced production course, students may continue or expand a project started in FT544, with the aim of creating a festival-worthy film. Students who have shown proficiency in documentary production may also choose to begin a new project. In either case, the emphasis will be on a vital sub-category of contemporary creative nonfiction: vérité documentary production and the unique challenges and opportunities of working within this cinematic tradition.
• COM FT 556: American Independent Film-Part 1 The Foundational Masterworks
  The course comprises one unit of a four-semester survey (each part of which is free-standing and may be taken separately and independently of each other and in any order, with no prerequisites) of the major achievements of the most important artistic movement of the last sixty years in American film--the independent feature filmmaking movement, in which American narrative filmmakers broke away from the financial, bureaucratic, and (most importantly) imaginative influence of Hollywood values and entertainment story-telling methods to create the most important works in American film--a series of generally low-tech, low-budget, DIY, personal-expression films, made and distributed more or less outside the mainstream exhibition system. This section of the survey focuses on the foundational masterworks created by the first generation of American independent feature filmmakers. These are the works that not only changed film history at the point they were made but that continue to inspire generations of independent filmmakers with their example. Since women have made some of the best and most important works in this area, as many female filmmakers as possible are being included. Offered in the fall of odd numbered years.
• COM FT 557: American Independent Film-Part 2 The Second Generation
  Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor. - The course comprises one unit of a four-semester survey (each part of which is free-standing and may be taken separately and independently of each other and in any order, with no prerequisites) of the major achievements of the most important artistic movement of the last sixty years in American film--the independent feature filmmaking movement, in which American narrative filmmakers broke away from the financial, bureaucratic, and (most importantly) imaginative influence of Hollywood values and entertainment story-telling methods to create the most important works in American film--a series of generally low-tech, low-budget, DIY, personal-expression films, made and distributed more or less outside the mainstream exhibition system. This section of the survey focuses on the second generation of American independent feature filmmaking. Since women have made some of the best and most important works in this area, as many female filmmakers as possible are being included. Offered in the spring of even numbered years.
• COM FT 558: American Independent Film-Part 3 Recent and Contemporary Work
  The course comprises one unit of a four-semester survey (each part of which is free-standing and may be taken separately and independently of each other and in any order, with no prerequisites) of the major achievements of the most important artistic movement of the last sixty years in American film--the independent feature filmmaking movement, in which American narrative filmmakers broke away from the financial, bureaucratic, and (most importantly) imaginative influence of Hollywood values and entertainment story-telling methods to create the most important works in American film--a series of generally low-tech, low-budget, DIY, personal-expression films, made and distributed more or less outside the mainstream exhibition system. This section of the survey focuses on the third generation of American independent feature filmmaking in the period running from approximately 2000 to the present. Since women have made some of the best and most important works in this area, as many female filmmakers as possible are being included. Offered in the fall of even numbered years.
• COM FT 559: American Independent Film-Part 4 Mumblecore, the Voices of a Generation
  The course comprises one unit of a four-semester survey (each part of which is free-standing and may be taken separately and independently of each other or in any order) of the major achievements of the most important artistic movement of the last sixty years in American film--the independent feature filmmaking movement, in which American narrative filmmakers broke away from the financial, bureaucratic, and (most importantly) imaginative influence of Hollywood values and entertainment story-telling methods to create a series of low-tech, low-budget, personal-expression films. This semester will focus on the contemporary generation that has been referred to by reviewers as "mumblecore" filmmakers. The past fifteen years have seen the birth and development of a new kind of ultra-low-budget DIY filmmaking created by filmmakers in their 20s and 30s who write, shoot, edit, and often act in their own movies. The result is a series of works that have their finger on the pulse of contemporary sexual and social mores and communicate what it is to be young, restless, eager, and uncertain in the world as we actually experience it today. Since women have made some of the best and most important of these films, screenings will include many female filmmakers. No prerequisites and no permission required.
• 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, discussions.
• COM FT 561: Contemporary East Asian Cinema
  This course studies the astonishing artistic flowering of contemporary East Asian film, focusing on selected works from directors working in China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand. We will focus on post-1997 films, though we will occasionally look back at earlier films that these directors made or that influenced them. The course aims to survey a variety of different genres, styles, and themes as we look closely at the significant output from key directors in these countries. Some of the notable directors we will discuss include Bong Joon-ho, Park Chan-wook, Lee Chang-dong, Zhang Yimou, Jia Zhangke, Ann Hui, Wong Karwai, Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Hayao Miyazaki, and Edward Yang. Our discussions will deal with their styles and themes as auteurs, industry developments in Asia that have affected the kinds of films produced and distributed, and cultural values and history embedded within these films. A background in film/TV analysis, as taught in Understanding Film (FT250) and in other film/TV studies-oriented courses, will be essential. Prior knowledge of East Asian cultures, histories and language will help but is not essential. (The films will be screened in their native language whenever possible, with English subtitles.)
• COM FT 562: International Horror
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT 250) - The horror film has a long history outside the United States, whether we are talking about British Dracula or Turkish Dracula; Nigerian, Hindi, or South Korean zombies; Spanish and Japanese ghost women; or even Norwegian troll hunters. This course asks students to engage with international horror films through their cultural and cinematic histories, as well as foundational academic theories about horror films.
• COM FT 563: French New Wave
  Studies the great 1960s movement in filmmaking that has stayed forever fresh and challenging and has influenced all filmmaking since. The class will view and discuss films of Resnais, Malle, Truffaut, Godard, Chabrol, Rohmer, Varda, and others. We will consider the directors' innovative production practices and film styles, their attitude to their times and to life in general, and what their films finally achieve as works of art. We will talk about this movement's influence and what has developed out of it. Readings will include writings by the filmmakers, many of whom were prolific as film critics and theorists.
• COM FT 564: Multi-Episode Television Producing
  This course prepares students to operate as producers in today’s rapidly evolving content landscape, where episodic storytelling spans streaming, digital, linear, branded, and emerging latforms. Students develop, package, and budget existing scripts into an original multi-episode series, gaining hands-on experience in shaping narrative across episodes while leading teams through real-world production workflows. Emphasizing innovation, adaptability, and strategic thinking, the course equips students to navigate the intersection of creative vision and execution—building content designed not just to be made, but to be seen, sustained, and scaled.
• COM FT 565: Motion Picture Editing
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: COM FT353 - Graduate Prerequisites: COM FT707 or COM CO722 - Given its central role in the filmmaking process, examining the way films are edited can reveal a lot about the inner workings of film and help students understand the art of filmmaking. Editing scenes from films, television shows, and other material in a classroom setting and then examining different versions of those scenes can help students become better editors and will help them evaluate/critique their future film and television work. The course is designed for students who have edited a number of exercises and films in previous classes. It provides an opportunity for students to develop advanced editing skills, while learning advanced digital editing techniques on the Adobe Premier. This is an advanced editing class, and not a course on how to use Premier. By editing scenes from episodic television shows, and other professionally shot footage, students will learn how to select (and reject) material, where and when to cut, how to create pace, how to control what the audience sees and does not see, how to add music and effects to increase the emotional content, and how to use visual effects to enhance the impact of the material.
• COM FT 570: Uncensored TV: The rise of Original Scripted Series on Cable TV
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT303) - Using series like The Sopranos, Weeds, and Breaking Bad as case studies, this course will examine the current state of cable TV with regard to industry, "quality," genres, auteurs, and the so-called "post-network" era. Students will approach these cable series with a critical eye as they work to connect industry, political economy, and government regulation to issues of social class, television hierarchies, and artistry. Students will also emerge from the course with a thorough understanding of how to perform television-focused research and analysis.
• COM FT 571: Religion and TV
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT303) - Religion and Television critically engages with religious representation on television, focusing especially on American fictional television since the 1980s. The course examines both the representation of specific religious traditions as well as generalized and abstracted religion and spirituality. Using the framework of television studies in conversation with religious studies, Religion and Television analyzes religion as: a tradition, as a grouping of tropes and stories, a functional part of lived experience, a component of identity, a structure of sociocultural power, and a discourse with specific cultural assumptions attached to it. These televisual articulations of religion are shaped by television's history, ideology, industry, culture, and reception. Thus, this course critically analyzes and maps the relationships among television, religion, and American culture.
• COM FT 572: Streaming TV
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT303) - This course focuses on the variety of ways we watch television beyond the cable subscription and/or broadcast antenna. Starting with VHS distribution and continuing through DVD distribution and eventually streaming and digital on-demand, the course will critically examine if and how these distribution shifts are changing television as we know it. This course will also make connections between these new distribution outlets and practices with antecedents and legacy industrial practices to historicize these shifts. In this class, we will explore ideas of on-demand television and its effects on how television is made and marketed, paying particular attention to narrative structures and assumptions about viewer attention and practices. Additionally, we will look at how taste, class, race, and gender are inflected through which audiences are targeted as cord-cutters or additional subscribers and which audiences and genres are left out of the streaming TV discourse. This course fulfills the additional TV Studies course requirement. Pre-req: FT303.
• COM FT 573: BU TV 1
  BUTV1 is a credit-earning opportunity for members of BUTV10 & BUTV10.com, BU's student campus channel and website. Students work with at least one of the organization's productions or administrative departments. For undergraduates, one previous, not for credit, a semester in the organization is required, except with Faculty Advisor consent. This requirement does not apply to graduate students. All students must coordinate participation and be approved by the faculty advisor. 2 credits pass/fail, either semester.
• COM FT 576: Global New Wave
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT250) - Explores the interconnected production and reception of selected European, African, and Asian New Wave cinemas of the mid-1940s through the early 1970s. These films experimented with form and style to challenge classical Hollywood norms.
• COM FT 577: Multi-Camera Studio Directing
  This course introduces students to the creative and technical principles of directing multicamera studio productions across genres, including sitcoms, talk shows, and live entertainment. Emphasizing real-time decision-making, students learn to translate script, performance, and production design into cohesive visual storytelling within a control room environment. Through hands-on exercises and collaborative studio work, students develop skills in directing actors, camera blocking, shot selection, live switching, and team leadership. The course culminates in a fully realized live or live-to-tape production, preparing students for the demands of contemporary studio and broadcast directing. As part of the course, students will engage directly with professional multi-camera production environments through at least one organized field experience during the semester, which may include visits to local television stations to observe directors in real time during live newscasts or recorded interview segments, as well as university or professional sports production facilities such as control rooms during live athletic events; whenever possible, these visits will include pre- and post-observation context and conversations with working directors and production staff, providing students with practical insight into real-world decision-making, workflow, and communication in high-pressure, multi-camera directing environments.
• COM FT 581: From Idea to Audience: Making Content People Actually Watch
  From Idea to Audience: Making Content People Actually Watch is a hands-on, industry-aligned course focused on the creation, production, and distribution of platform-native content for today’s creator-driven ecosystem. Emphasizing vertical video and mobile-first formats, students develop the creative and technical skills to conceive, script, shoot, and edit compelling shortform work tailored to platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, with particular attention to pacing, composition, performance, sound, and motion graphics within the constraints of the vertical frame. The course centers on storytelling under constraint, where format and platform dynamics shape narrative and audience engagement, and includes a major project in which students develop original content—either through a collaborative microdrama series produced with the Screenwriting Department or through alternative formats such as short-form documentary, creator-led content, branded/spec advertising, podcast-driven video, or experimental and AI-assisted media. Through iterative production cycles, students publish and test their work in real time, using analytics, A/B testing, and engagement metrics to refine their creative and strategic approach, while also gaining foundational knowledge in branding, audience development, and content positioning. By the end of the course, students will have built a portfolio of original platform-native content and developed the skills to operate as both storytellers and strategic creators in a rapidly evolving digital media landscape.
• COM FT 582: Writing the Narrative Short
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT310) - Writing the Narrative Short class is an intensive writing workshop that focuses on the short form narrative screenplay. Students will write at a pace of roughly one script per three weeks, completing a minimum of FOUR (4) polished short screenplays: a personal film; a character driven film; and two "long shorts" of 10-25 pages
• COM FT 589: Advanced Directing
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT526) - The focus of this class will be on story creation, performance, and filming strategies using small crews and lightweight equipment, culminating in the production of six short films. Working from approved scenarios with a core group of actors, directors will explore character and story development through an in-class workshop process of improvisation. Once committed to script form, these short films will be shot with a small crew made up of fellow class members in pods of three; Director, Cinematographer, and Editor. The class will be limited to 6 Directors and 4 to 6 Cinematographer/Editors.