Cinema & Comparative Literature
Frequently Asked Questions about the
BA in Cinema Major
Q. I am more interested in making movies than in reading about them
– how do I become a Production major?
A. There is no separate track for those students interested in either Film/Video Production or Film Studies. The Cinema degree is the culmination of a comprehensive four-year liberal arts education with a well-rounded emphasis in the areas of critical reading, viewing and writing about media, the history and theory of film, and the development of technical and aesthetic proficiencies in film & video production. Students may not major solely in Production because a limited concentration is not in keeping with the mission of our program, department, or the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Q. Do I have to be a Cinema major to take a Production class offered
in CCL?
A. No. Our Production courses are open to all, however all students – even those with Production course experience from other institutions – are required to begin with our introductory course Modes of Film & Video Production. This intensive, 4-credit-hour course meets 6 hours a week (one lecture, twice-weekly sections), and requires several additional hours per week of work outside of class. Modes is the pre-requisite for all other Production classes, therefore the grade for Modes determines the likelihood of entry into additional Production classes. Modes is also the only required Production course for Cinema majors and is offered every semester and usually over the summer as well.
Q. I’ve declared my Cinema major before the first day of college –
should I take Modes the first semester of my Freshman year?
A. Because Modes is so intensive, we recommend waiting until either second semester of Freshman year, or first semester of Sophomore year. However, if space is available there is no restriction on taking Modes in the first semester.
Q. What courses can I take after Modes? Is there a recommended
sequence for intermediate and advanced production classes?
A. After Modes, Non-fiction Video, Fiction Video, Screenwriting, Material of 16mm Film, and Digital Animation are offered every semester. Students may take intermediate courses in any order, but some serve as pre-requisites for Advanced Production courses while others do not – the pre-requisite for advanced courses are listed on their descriptions on ISIS. If you know you want to take Advanced 16mm Film, for example, somewhere down the line, you should take the pre-requisite Material of 16mm Film; if you know you want to take Advanced Video, sign up for Fiction or Non-fiction Video after Modes, etc.
Q. What determines whether or not I will get into an intermediate
Production course?
A. The grade in Modes is the primary deciding factor.
Q. What if my grade in Modes was not very good?
A. If after taking Modes you are unable to secure a seat in an intermediate Production course you should seriously consider re-taking Modes and working towards a higher grade.
Q. Can my advisor help me get into a Production class after Modes?
Is there anything I can do to increase my chances?
A. No and no. The grade in Modes is what counts.
Q. If I have satisfied the pre-requisites, can I take more than one
Production course at as time?
A. No. Due to the small class size and limited number of seats it is very, very rare that a student may take more than one Production course in any semester.
Q. When will I know if I got into a Production course?
A. Because we look at the grades from the most recent semester, class lists for Production courses are not created until shortly before classes begin. Students who are admitted to a class will be notifed via an e-mail from the course instructor no later than the Thursday before the first day of classes. Students will then need to add the class with an Add slip signed by the course instructor and the student’s advisor (office staff can sign an Add slip for a CCL advisor) during the first week of classes.
Q. Do I need to bring any of my own equipment, such as a video
camera? What editing software do you recommend?
A. The CCL Production Unit provides cameras and all other necessary equipment for Production classes, including fifty digital video editing stations with Final Cut Pro. All of our computers in Production courses are Apple Macs. Students do not need their own editing systems.
Q. What opportunities will I have to meet Visiting Filmmakers and
other industry professionals?
A. In recent years, visitors have included feature filmmakers Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull), Andrew Smith (The Slaughter Rule), Jon Jost (Homecoming); documentarians Sarah Price (American Movie, Yes Men), Judith Helfand (Blue Vinyl), Camille Billops (String of Pearls), and film artists such as Su Friedrich, Nathanial Dorsky, and David Gatten. Visitors are usually on campus to screen and present work, conduct workshops and meet with students for between three and six days, however, some visitors – recently Andrew Smith and Sarah Price – teach Production courses for an entire semester. In 2006-2007, the Visiting Artist program is sponsored in part by a grant from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.
Q. Do you have an internship program?
A. Due to both the range of interests of Cinema majors and the diverse and fluid array of jobs related to Cinema, the department does not arrange for internships. Advanced students may arrange for internships for credit to be supervised by their adviser or another faculty member. The guidelines and internship form are available in the main CCL office. Internships must be approved in advance of the semester they take place – i.e., a summer internship must be approved by the supervising faculty member before the last day of classes of the previous spring semester. Internships may also be arranged for zero-credit hours through the Pomerantz Career Center.
Q. How do I do an Independent Study?
A. Independent Studies are arranged on an individual, case-by-case basis for advanced Cinema majors and are supervised by Cinema faculty. In order to complete an Independent Study in Production, such as an independent film or video project, the student must have completed the most advanced coursework in his/her proposed area, that is: for an Independent Study film project, the student must have completed Advanced 16mm Film production, for an Independent Study video, the student must have completed Advanced Video. Independent studies must be approved in advance of the semester they take place – i.e., an Independent Study that takes place over the spring semester must be approved by the supervising faculty member before the last day of classes of the previous fall semester.
Q. Can I do an Honors Thesis Project in Production?
A. Cinema majors with Honors status may elect to work on an Honors Thesis Film or Video in their senior year. Honors Thesis projects in Production are generally year-long projects that generate three credits-hours per semester. Honors students wishing to complete a Thesis film or video should identify an Honors Committee of two faculty members in CCL and submit a proposal no later than mid-April of their Junior Year. If approved, the student works independently in the fall semester, meeting with supervising faculty from the Honors Committee as needed. In the spring semester, the student attends (they register for honors credit) Advanced Production Workshop to have the benefit of both faculty and peer feedback. Before being awarded credit, the student must submit a written Honors Thesis (12-20 pages) that supports the Honors Film or Video and meet with his/her Committee for a Thesis screening and defense.
Q. How will a degree in Cinema prepare me for breaking into the film
industry in New York or L.A.? What kinds of jobs do your
graduates get after college?
A. Because the film and television industries include a wide array of jobs, the Cinema degree is not a direct track to any one kind of career. Graduates have found work on sets in Hollywood and New York, as location managers, editors, camera assistants, writers, producer’s assistants, location managers, and casting agents, among other jobs. Our grads have also found work in San Francisco, Chicago, Milwaukee, Seattle and countless other cities, with jobs in distribution, programming, documentary research, and education, to name but a few examples.
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