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.
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COM FT 325: Creative Producing – Unscripted
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT 303). - This course takes students through the process of creating non-fiction TV programming. Think talk shows, reality programs, and documentaries. How to create a concept, write a proposal, cast a program, and develop a marketing reason to do the program. It's all part and parcel of being a creative producer. -
COM FT 345: Australian Cinema
An introduction to Australian cinema by examining the relationship between Australian social history, cultural history, art history, and cinema. In order to understand the "national" nature of Australian films, the course addresses two periods of film production: the first wave from the late 1910s, '20s, and '30s; and the restructuring of the film industry with the so-called new wave of the 1970s and '80s. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Philosophical Inquiry and Life's Meanings. -
COM FT 353: Production 1
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT201) with a grade of B- or higher - An intensive course in all the fundamental aspects of motion picture production. Students learn to use cameras, sound recording equipment and editing software and then apply these skills to several short productions. The course emphasizes the language of visual storytelling and the creative interplay of sound and image. -
COM FT 354: Acting for the Camera
Prerequisite: COM FT201. This course is an introductory workshop in the craft of screen acting. The class is designed to give students an aesthetic, conceptual, and practical understanding of the concepts of acting for film and television. Work in the class will focus on scripted projects: analyzing story and characters, preparing for rehearsal and shooting, working with the camera, and the fundamentals of building an organic and naturalistic performance and character. Students will work in teams and individually on a series of selected scripts. Written work, reading, and analysis will be required. This class will address basic techniques of acting for film and television, including developing a character through script analysis, given circumstances, and backstory work. In class we will explore how actors are able to use behavior and objects as tools to create the inner world of the character and to express psychology. This is a hands-on workshop that will involve students rehearsing, presenting, and receiving feedback on several short scenes, workshops, and exercises throughout the semester. -
COM FT 402: Production II
Undergraduate Prerequisites: FT353 with a grade of B- or higher and one of the following: FT502 or FT508 or FT526 or FT565 or FT592 or FT 593 - Intermediate motion picture production with an emphasis on narrative storytelling, high definition cinematography, sync-sound location recording, and multi-track editing. Students develop, produce, direct, shoot, record and edit medium-length productions that are of film festival quality, and which can be incorporated into highlight and demo reels. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Oral and/or Signed Communication, Teamwork/Collaboration. -
COM FT 411: Screenwriting 1
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT 310) - Developing your first feature-length narrative screenplay; creation of characters, narrative outline, and scenes. Each student will create a step outline, develop a treatment and write the first act of a feature-length screenplay. First draft screenplay pages will be discussed in class, and will be revised for the final project. Students will be advised to either work on a major rewrite of Act One or go deeper into Act Two, while outlining the remainder of the story. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Writing-Intensive Course, Creativity/Innovation. -
COM FT 412: Screenwriting 2
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT411) - Further study of narrative screenwriting, dramatic structure, and character development. Each student will develop and write a full feature-length screenplay. First draft materials will be discussed in class and will be revised for the final project. -
COM FT 417: TV Management
This course will examine current management and leadership issues facing television executives. Research, content development, revenue models, consolidation, regulatory restrictions, distribution and ethical considerations are explored using lectures, readings/screenings, case studies, and discussion. -
COM FT 425: Creative Producing - Scripted
Course takes the student through the process of creating a fictional program or film. The course covers comedy and drama series and movies-of -the week from development through production and post-production. The student learns the complexities of the industry, the layers of decision makers to be dealt with, the place of agents, the nature of negotiation, and the fundamentals of hiring crews, scheduling and budgeting. -
COM FT 428: Creating New Ideas With Existing Content
Introduces students to the tools and techniques used to produce multi-platform content. Students learn multimedia concepts, elements, and production to extend the brands of properties and to attract new audiences. Training in the use of computer-based hardware and software for multimedia creation. 4 cr. Fall/spring -
COM FT 430: Writing the Producible Short Script
Developing a producible student film begins with a solid short screenplay that takes all parameters into account. Students will watch, analyze, and discuss successful short films while examining screenplay structure, plot, genre, theme, and character. Based upon short film analysis, feedback received during workshops, and one-on- one consults with the professor, students will write and revise two short screenplays (under10 pages & 10-15 pages). Students will be expected to have a firm grasp on narrative structure, character development, and cinematic storytelling. Final body of work will be two polished scripts that could potentially be produced either independently or within one of The Department of Film & Television's advanced production courses (i.e., Prod. II - FT 402 or Prod. III - FT 468). Pre-req FT310. Effective Spring 2027 this course fulfills a single requirement in each of the following BU Hub areas: Creativity/Innovation, Writing-Intensive Course. -
COM FT 468: Production 3
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT402) application required - This is an honors thesis class for undergraduates who have taken Production II as well as other high-level production classes, such as Directing, Cinematography, Sound Design, Motion Picture Editing, etc. Students apply to the class as either as producers, directors, cinematographers, editors, sound designers and production designers. Directors submit scripts for consideration. The production faculty then selects eight directors, based on the scripts and each candidate's previous work. Faculty then selects the producers, cinematographers, editors, sound designers, and production designers based on their previous production work and their ability to work as members of a team. The class forms production teams to make eight thesis- quality films that can compete with the best student films in America. Maximum running time for each film is fifteen minutes. Effective Fall 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Teamwork/Collaboration. -
COM FT 491: Directed Studies
Undergraduate Prerequisites: consent of supervising faculty and department chair - Individual projects; opportunity for advanced students who have completed a major portion of their degree requirements to engage in-depth tutorial study with specific faculty in an area not normally covered by regular curriculum offerings. -
COM FT 492: Directed Studies
Undergraduate Prerequisites: consent of supervising faculty and department chair - Individual projects; opportunity for advanced students who have completed a major portion of their degree requirements to engage in-depth tutorial study with specific faculty in an area not normally covered by regular curriculum offerings. -
COM FT 493: Internship
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Completion of COM FT 201 & COM FT 310. This includes Film/TV internships through abroad programs - Opportunity for students to gain professional experience at television and radio stations, film and video production houses, and other media institutions. Responsibilities vary. Availability depends on market needs. -
COM FT 494: Internship 2
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Completion of COM FT 201 & COM FT 310. This includes Film/TV internships through abroad programs - Opportunity for students to gain professional experience at television and radio stations, film and video production houses, and other media institutions. Responsibilities vary. Availability depends on market needs. -
COM FT 500: Writing Film Criticism
This course examines the art of film and television criticism and gives students extensive practice in writing about film and TV in a way that balances informed, insightful analysis and lively writing. Students write several film and TV reviews, each covering a different type of film or TV show, as well as a longer think piece. Students will review films currently playing in local theaters and TV shows currently available on broadcast, cable or other internet platforms, such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and the like. Key critics discussed include James Agee, Andrew Sarris, Pauline Kael, Roger Ebert, Emily Nussbaum, Matt Zoller Seitz, Anthony Lane, Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Critical Thinking. -
COM FT 502: Sound Design for Film and Television
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT353) - Graduate Prerequisites: (COMFT707) - A comprehensive technical examination of the role of sound as an emotional motivator and major storytelling component in both fiction and nonfiction films. Covers location sound recording, acoustic theory, track building, foley and dialog replacement, and mix preparation, as well as music editing and composition. Introduces a variety of postproduction pathways and technologies, including current digital innovations in the field and in audio postproduction, and provides an ongoing workshop for solving editing and track building problems. -
COM FT 503: Video Games: Industry and Culture
Once a niche industry, gaming has grown into a dominant force in entertainment, generating billions of dollars annually and shaping global culture, with a projected 3.3 billion players worldwide by 2025. While games are primarily known for entertainment, gaming technologies, aesthetics, and design principles are also widely applied in teaching, training, and driving social impact. This class explores the history and evolving landscape of gaming, examining the industry’s ecosystem, player communities, technologies, genres, business models, and global trends. Students will gain an understanding of the video game industry, including its key players, challenges, and opportunities, while exploring the fundamental concepts of games, play, and fun. They will also learn about game design, production, technology, branding, and franchise development, with hands-on opportunities to pitch and design game-related products, services, and brand extensions. Effective Spring 2027, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU HUB areas: Creativity/Innovation, Digital/Multimedia Expression. -
COM FT 504: Television Post Production Workflows and Techniques
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (COMFT353) - Graduate Prerequisites: (COMFT707) - This course is a survey of television post production workflows, tools, and techniques. The student will leave the class with a broad understanding of the various post production roles and responsibilities beginning with the Digital Imaging Technician and Assistant Editor, moving on to Colorist, and concluding with the Animator/Graphic Designer roles. The tools used are Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Media Encoder, Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe After effects. Familiarity with Premiere Pro is required. Familiarity with Photoshop and Illustrator is helpful but not required.
