Film Production Courses
Notes- A student may register for only one course in which films are produced as a course requirement during each academic session.
Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Enrolment in the Major in Film Production; or enrolment in the Specialization in Film Studies; or enrolment in the Microprogram in Fundamentals of Digital Filmmaking and written permission of the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema is required.
Description:
A comprehensive course introducing students to the art of making motion pictures. This course stresses the individual student’s creative efforts and expression through filmmaking. Students are expected to master basic technique and theory. Students use digital resources for acquisition and post‑production.Component(s):
StudioNotes:
- Students are required to bear the production costs of all aspects of their course projects and supply their own means of storing media for editing and back‑up.
This course involves the production of a film as a requirement. This course may require mandatory workshops outside of class time.
Prerequisite/Corequisite:
The following courses must be completed concurrently: FMPR 231, FMST 220; and one of FMST 201, FMST 202 or FMST 203. Enrolment in the Major in Film Production is required.
Description:
An introduction to the technical workflows and software applications used in the film production program. Students explore the theory and technique of editing as it applies to different genres of filmmaking. The course may require mandatory workshops outside of class time.Component(s):
StudioNotes:
Students who have received credit for FMPR 339 may not take this course for credit.
Prerequisite/Corequisite:
The following courses must be completed previously: FMPR 231, FMPR 239, FMST 220; and one of FMST 201, FMST 202 or FMAN 203. The following courses must be completed concurrently: FMPR 338, FMPR 340. Enrolment in the Major in Film Production is required.
Description:
An intermediate course that explores the theory, technique and practice of filmmaking. The course emphasizes idea development, creative process, production planning, methods of production and post‑production. Diverse course sections include approaches to fiction and non‑fiction. Students use digital resources for acquisition and post‑production.Component(s):
StudioNotes:
- Students are required to bear the production costs of all aspects of their course projects and supply their own means of storing media for editing and back‑up.
This course involves the production of a film as a requirement.
Prerequisite/Corequisite:
The following course must be completed previously or concurrently: FMPR 332; or students must have completed six credits in Acting for the Theatre. Written permission of the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema is required.
Description:
This studio course for Cinema and Theatre students explores directing and performing for film; exercises are recorded on video for analysis. Both performers and directors examine acting and directing acting for the camera through such topics as role preparation, character development, and performance continuity.Component(s):
StudioPrerequisite/Corequisite:
The following course must be completed previously: FMPR 231, or students must be enrolled in the Microprogram in Screenwriting and Film Producing. If prerequisites are not satisfied, permission of the School of Cinema is required.Description:
This comprehensive course introduces students to the creative and administrative challenges of producing. This includes strategies for fundraising, pre‑production, budgeting and scheduling techniques, legal, financial and insurance concerns, post‑production, distribution, and exhibition. A broad range of genres and platforms are covered.Component(s):
LecturePrerequisite/Corequisite:
The following courses must be completed previously: FMPR 231, FMPR 239, FMST 220; one of FMST 201, FMST 202, or FMST 203, or enrolment in the Microprogram in Fundamentals of Digital Filmmaking. The following courses must be completed concurrently: FMPR 332, FMPR 340, or enrolment in the Microprogram in Fundamentals of Digital Filmmaking.
Description:
A comprehensive course on the equipment and technology available to the contemporary filmmaker with a focus on the tools used by students in FMPR 332 Filmmaking II. Present‑day technology is explored through the foundations of traditional camera and photographic theory toward an in‑depth understanding of digital cinema. Extensive hands‑on studio practice provides training in basic camera technique, lighting, and gripping. The course may require mandatory workshops outside of class time.Component(s):
StudioPrerequisite/Corequisite:
The following courses must be completed previously: FMPR 231, FMPR 239, FMST 220; and one of FMST 201, FMST 202, or FMST 203. The following course must be completed concurrently: FMPR 332. Enrolment in the Major in Film Production is required.
Description:
An introductory course in the technical aspects of designing sound for cinema in support of projects undertaken in FMPR 332. The course focuses on location recording, studio recording, and multi‑track editing for layered sound design.Component(s):
StudioNotes:
This course may require mandatory workshops outside of class time.
Prerequisite/Corequisite:
The following courses must be completed previously: FMPR 231, FMPR 239; one of FMST 201, FMST 202 or FMST 203; FMST 220. Enrolment in the Major in Film Production or the Microprogram in Screenwriting and Film Producing is required. Course prerequisites are waived for students enrolled in the Microprogram in Screenwriting and Film Producing.
Description:
An introduction to writing for film. Students explore the written word as a means to convey and clarify visual ideas and cinematic stories. Synopses, treatments and scenarios for various genres are explored. Students are required to submit their own writing for discussion and analysis.Component(s):
StudioPrerequisite/Corequisite:
The following courses must be completed previously: FMPR 231, FMST 220; and one of FMST 201, FMST 202, or FMST 203. Enrolment in the Major in Film Production is required. If prerequisites are not satisfied, written permission of the School of Cinema is required.
Description:
A practical examination of the visual aspects of film production. Topics in production design considered may include texture and visual styles, the collaborative process, project management, and the nature of constraints which apply to student and independent productions.Component(s):
LecturePrerequisite/Corequisite:
The following courses must be completed previously: FMPR 231, FMPR 239, FMST 220; and one of FMST 201, FMST 202, or FMST 203. Enrolment in the Major in Film Production is required.
Description:
A forum of ideas intended to increase the student’s awareness of cinema as a visual medium. Aspects of our visual culture are presented and discussed: work by painters, photographers, sculptors, architects, and artists working with digital media. A relationship is made between the work of such artists and the work of the filmmaker. Students work on individual visual projects.Component(s):
StudioNotes:
Students who have received credit for this topic under a FMPR 498 number may not take this course for credit.
Prerequisite/Corequisite:
The following courses must be completed previously: FMPR 231, FMPR 239, FMST 220; and one of FMST 201, FMST 202, or FMST 203. Enrolment in the Major in Film Production is required.
Description:
This course explores aesthetic, conceptual and methodological issues surrounding non‑fiction film production. Topics include research methods, non‑scripted approaches, ethics of presentation, archival or ethnographic practices in light of current platforms and technologies.Component(s):
LectureNotes:
Students who have received credit for this topic under a FMAN 498 number may not take this course for credit.
Description:
This course provides an opportunity for the study of specialized aspects of film production outside the scope of existing courses. Specific topics for this course, and prerequisites relevant in each case, are stated in the Undergraduate Class Schedule.Component(s):
LectureDescription:
A course which provides an opportunity for the study of specialized aspects of film production outside the scope of existing courses. Specific topics for this course, and prerequisites relevant in each case, are stated in the Undergraduate Class Schedule.Component(s):
Lecture; StudioPrerequisite/Corequisite:
The following courses must be completed previously: FMPR 332, FMPR 338, FMPR 340. Students must have 30 or fewer credits remaining in their degree program prior to enrolling. Written permission of the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema is required.
Description:
An advanced course building on practices established in FMPR 332. Diverse course sections include approaches to fiction and non‑fiction. Students use digital resources for acquisition of moving images and post‑production.Component(s):
StudioNotes:
- Students are required to bear the production costs of all aspects of their course projects and supply their own means of storing media for editing and back‑up.
This course involves the production of a film as a requirement.
Students who have received credit for FMPR 431 may not take this course for credit.
Prerequisite/Corequisite:
The following courses must be completed previously: FMPR 332, FMPR 338, FMPR 340. Enrolment in the Specialization in Film Production or the Major in Film Production is required. Written permission of the School of Cinema is required.
Description:
This course builds on the technical knowledge acquired in FMPR 338 and focuses on the art and technology of image creation for cinema in support of projects in FMPR 432. Students explore advanced topics in lighting and camera technology.Component(s):
StudioPrerequisite/Corequisite:
The following course must be completed previously: FMPR 239. Students must have completed 48 credits prior to enrolling.
Description:
An exploration of advanced methods, approaches and techniques used by editors working in various genres of film including drama, documentary and expanded cinema.Component(s):
StudioPrerequisite/Corequisite:
The following courses must be completed previously: FMPR 338, FMPR 340. Enrolment in the Specialization in Film Production or the Major in Film Production is required.
Description:
The central focus of the course is creative sound design. Emphasis is on the interaction between sound and image in film and includes both individual and collective sound projects.Component(s):
StudioPrerequisite/Corequisite:
The following course must be completed previously: FMPR 341.Description:
This course is an advanced exploration of topics covered in FMPR 341. Additional topics include adaptations of existing work for the screen and developing longer film projects. Three‑act structures as well as new narrative formats and documentary approaches are explored. Students are required to submit their own writing for discussion and analysis.Component(s):
StudioPrerequisite/Corequisite:
For students enrolled in the Major in Film Production, the following course must be completed previously or concurrently: FMPR 338. For students enrolled in the Major in Film Animation, the following course must be completed previously: FMAN 256. Enrolment in the Major in Film Production, or in the Major in Film Animation with written permission of the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema is required.
Description:
A film production course assisting students in the understanding and application of advanced optical printer technology and aesthetics.Component(s):
StudioPrerequisite/Corequisite:
The following courses must be completed previously: FMPR 231, FMPR 239, FMST 220; and one of FMST 201, FMST 202 or FMST 203.
Description:
An advanced course introducing students to historical and current practices in expanded cinema practice. Expanded cinema emphasizes an approach to moving image‑making that situates spectatorship and viewer engagement out of the confines of the traditional cinema exhibition. Students are encouraged to develop creative approaches in work that engages viewers in non‑restricted spatial environments. Strong emphasis is placed on means of production and presentation that depart from established methods and models of film production.Component(s):
StudioPrerequisite/Corequisite:
Written permission of the School of Cinema is required.
Description:
A Film Production student who will be employed within the film industry during the same calendar year may seek permission to apply six credits towards the Film Production degree program. A written proposal describing the project must be submitted prior to the work taking place in order to determine the appropriateness of the level and scope of the project. The School of Cinema must be satisfied that the work will be done under the joint supervision of a qualified professional and a full‑time Cinema faculty member.Component(s):
Practicum/Internship/Work TermPrerequisite/Corequisite:
Written permission of the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema is required.
Description:
A Film Production student who will be employed within the film industry during the same calendar year may seek permission to apply three credits towards the Film Production degree program. A written proposal describing the project must be submitted prior to the work taking place in order to determine the appropriateness of the level and scope of the project. The Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema must be satisfied that the work will be done under the joint supervision of a qualified professional and a full‑time Cinema faculty member.Component(s):
Practicum/Internship/Work TermPrerequisite/Corequisite:
Written permission of the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema is required.
Description:
A student repeating FMPR 446 for credit registers under FMPR 447.Component(s):
Practicum/Internship/Work TermPrerequisite/Corequisite:
Students must have completed 24 credits in Film Production prior to enrolling. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 is required. Written permission of the Department is required.
Description:
This course offers a limited number of students the opportunity to pursue advanced research under the supervision of a full‑time Cinema faculty member. A written agreement between the student and the supervisor shall clearly state the nature of the student’s research, the scope of the project, and the work schedule. The study workload should be equivalent to a three‑credit course in the program. Independent study may not duplicate curriculum offerings.Component(s):
Studio; Independent StudyPrerequisite/Corequisite:
The following course must be completed previously: FMPR 448. Students must have completed 24 credits in Film Production prior to enrolling. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 is required. Written permission of the Department is required.
Description:
This course offers a limited number of students the opportunity to pursue advanced research under the supervision of a full‑time Cinema faculty member. A written agreement between the student and the supervisor shall clearly state the nature of the student’s research, the scope of the project, and the work schedule. The study workload should be equivalent to a three‑credit course in the program. Independent study may not duplicate curriculum offerings.Component(s):
Studio; Independent StudyPrerequisite/Corequisite:
Enrolment in the Specialization in Film Production is required. Written permission of the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema is required.
Description:
A seminar offering in‑depth, practical approaches to artistic and technical situations. This course brings together all students in the Specialization in Film Production.Component(s):
SeminarPrerequisite/Corequisite:
The following course must be completed previously or concurrently: FMPR 332. Enrolment in the Specialization in Film Production is required. Written permission of the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema is required.