Spring 2021 Special Topics Course Descriptions

FT 552 C1 Developing the Web Series Thur 12:30-3:15 (pre-req FT 310, grad pre-req FT 512 or FT 522) 6 seats reserved for grad students, 6 for undergrads

The primary objective of this course is to develop a concept and write a short film script or the scripts for the episodes of a short-form series. The hope is that the work developed in this course can be produced in Production II or Production III. One of the recurring pitfalls of student films is the lack of a strong, clear, powerful story. It is our hope that this hurdle will be cleared before you or your colleagues start producing your script.

FT 552 D1 Late Night Laughs Thur 12:30-3:15 (pre-req FT 310) 6 seats reserved for grad students, 6 for undergrads

The first “late night talk/variety show,” was called BROADWAY OPEN HOUSE. It aired in 1951. It had a relatively short run of about a year, but that was only the beginning. Since then, there have been roughly a hundred variations, iterations and all sorts of other -ations, of the late night talk/comedy/variety format. And they continue to be a mainstay of late night programming with comedy being the major component. In this course, it'll be like you're on the writing staff of a show because we're going to write a lot of jokes. Jokes in the forms of skits, sketches, desk pieces and of course, the almighty monologue. Each student will write a “spec” for an existing late night talk show. That is, you’ll write an entire show. Then, you’ll create your own show and write that. We’ll also have special guest appearances during the semester from writers of some current late night shows. And then we’ll write more jokes.

FT 552 E1 Remote Production Workshop Mon Wed 8:00am to 9:45 am (pre-req FT 201 w B- or higher)

FT 552 F1 Remote Production Workshop Mon Wed 10:10 am to 11:55 am (pre-req FT 201 w B- or higher)

This course uses commonly available production technology such as DSLR cameras and cellphones to learn the fundamentals of storytelling through motion pictures. Students will explore optics, acoustics, sound design and approaches to editing as they make several short productions. The course encourages students to find creative uses of loctions, objects and people at hand to tell stories. Prerequisite: FT201 Screen Language. This course will count as the equivalent of FT353 Production 1 in the Production curriculum.

FT 552 G1 Intro to Directing Tue 8:00am to 10:45am (pre-req FT 353)

This course serves as a remote-only online alternative to FT 526 Directing, and will count as the same pre-requisite for more advanced production coursework.

FT 552 I1 Crowdfunding & Distribution Thur 3:30 pm to 6:15 pm (pre-req FT 201) Recommended that students bring in a project that is in script phase, in production, or has been produced.)

Students will learn how to pitch their projects, to develop and market to an audience/fanbase, to create a successful crowdfunding campaign and to think about the best avenues for getting their creative project out in the world.

FT 554 A1 UK Costume Drama Tues 11:00 am to 12:15 am & Fri 10:10 am to 11:5 am (pre-req FT 250) Fulfills foreign cinema requirement.

Long before ITV's Downton Abbey and Netflix's The Crown became smashing successes, British cinema was permeated by a concern with the historical representation of British history and heritage -- as well as elaborate costumes, lush mise-en-scène, and high drama. This discussion-heavy class explores the history of British costume dramas, as well as theories about heritage cinema, costume drama, and film melodrama.

FT 554 B1 Contemporary American Film Tues 6:30 pm to 9:15 pm & Thur 11:00 am to 1:15 pm

This course surveys American cinema history from 1960 to the present. Topics include the demise of the old studio system and the rise of independent film in the 1960s, the New Hollywood of the late 60s/early 70s, the emergence of the blockbuster in the 70s, the creation of the studio franchise in the 80s and its evolution into contemporary tentpole films, Reagan entertainment, as well as cinema and 9/11. The course also covers developments in independent film including the LA Filmmakers Rebellion in the 1970s, Spike Lee and black independent film since the 1980s, and independent women filmmakers. Genres include the social satire, the revisionist western, the renaissance of the woman's film, the male weepie, teen pics and horror films, biopics and superhero films. Directors we discuss through feature screenings or excerpts include Andy Warhol, John Cassavetes, Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Shirley Clarke, Mike Nichols, Robert Altman, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Julie Dash, Kathryn Bigelow, Amy Heckerling, Nancy Meyers, Kimberly Pierce, Kelly Reichardt, Gus van Sant, Todd Haynes, Steven Soderbergh, James Cameron, P.T. Anderson, and the Coen Brothers.

FT 554 C1 Stardom Thur 12:30-3:15 meets with JO 502

This class will train students to think of stardom as a field of critical engagement and cultural play. The semester will consist of two parts. In the first part, we will discuss the history of film stardom from the silent era to the 21st century, establishing key personality and social types, tracing the rise and fall of the cinematic celebrity, and discussing the move from movie screen to TV screen to computer screen as stardom – or the social construct we call by that name – comes within the grasp of the audience. In the second half, students will learn about and start to master the different practical journalistic approaches to writing about stardom and modern fame.