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Film and Photographic Arts is a degree category that consists of the following common degrees:
- Read more about Photography
Photography degree programs teach the technical, creative, and business skills required to be a professional photographer. Typical coursework includes:
- History of Photography
- Black-and-White Photography
- Color Photography
- Lighting Techniques
- Materials and Processes
- Two-Dimensional Design
- Digital Photography
- Photography as a Business
Students quickly learn that the creative aspects of photography are founded on the following:
- The three basic elements of photography – aperture, shutter, and ISO
- The seven most important elements of design in photography – line, shape, form, texture, pattern, color, space
Programs also explore different types of photography. The list below is by no means exhaustive; it does, however, demonstrate how diverse the field is:
- Aerial Photography – images of the Earth from above
- Composite Photography – features numerous photographs in a single image
- Infrared Photography – reimagines the world by applying unconventional colors to subjects
- Dance Photography – captures the strength, artistry, and beauty of dance
- Food Photography – appetizing images of food
- Macro Photography – makes small things, like tiny bugs, appear very large
- Interior Photography – creates inspiring views of confined spaces
- Natural Landscape Photography – images of the outdoors
- Documentary Photography – reveals what often goes unnoticed, such as homelessness, street drug problem
- Photojournalism – communicating news by photographs, especially in newspapers and magazines
- Wedding Photography – include simple portraits and unconventional shots
- Read more about Cinema Studies
Cinema is a global phenomenon. Its impact – artistically, culturally, and politically – is undeniable. Through their study of film history, film theory, film analysis, and film criticism, students of cinema studies develop an understanding of how films resonate in our lives. They explore film genres, authorship, ideologies, and styles. They are introduced to film production and editing. And when they complete their studies, they find that their technical knowledge and artistic and aesthetic sensibilities can be applied in a variety of creative callings.
- Read more about Film Production
Strictly speaking, the five components of ‘producing’ a film are finding and developing the script, recruiting a film director and actors, finding sources of funding, managing the budget, and managing the production team. The typical film production degree program, though, covers more than just these responsibilities of the film producer. It covers aspects of all of the key disciplines of filmmaking, which are listed below.
- Screenwriting – writing a script: story structure, dialogue, character development
- Directing – how to tell a story cinematically
- Cinematography – essentially, this is the ‘photography’ of the film: camera angle, framing, shot duration, movement, and lighting
- Producing – oversight and management of a film’s production
- Production Design – the principles of how to develop a visual concept, design the set, create the budget,
- Editing – picture editing, sound editing, sound mixing, music, color correction
These topics may be taught from the perspective of narrative/fiction films, documentaries, and/or experimental/unconventional films.