Catalog 73 - National University

School of Media and Communicationonsite workshops, contact the program lead faculty advisor.FeesProduction and course material fees for MDC 688 and MDC 689 are$325 each.Thesis SequenceTo qualify for the Digital Cinema thesis sequence the MFA fellowmust have successfully completed all core courses by maintaining a“B” average and have completed the Production Sequence with aminimum grade of “B.” Candidates who do not meet these criteriawill be required to successfully repeat a course based upon policiesfor Graduate programs published in the National University catalogand consultation with the program lead faculty.Through the thesis project a thesis fellow must demonstrate her/hisability to work under the guidance of a thesis advisor toindependently develop, produce and edit a short subject digitalmotion picture project of between 15 and 30 minutes in length, thatpresents a coherent storyline and sustains the interest of adiscriminating audience. Specific parameters of the project aredeveloped in consultation with the thesis advisor. A thesis advisor isarranged by the program lead faculty from among qualified DigitalCinema faculty based on the thesis project and schedule.In addition to the digital short motion picture, the MFA Candidatemust complete a written thesis that demonstrates the candidate’sability to communicate coherently, critically, and creatively. I willinclude the complete production documentation—a treatment orsynopsis, a project funding, budget, schedule and distribution planand a shooting script—as well as a critical analysis of the project,relevant genre influences, and a self-assessment of the candidate’sevolution as a filmmaker during the thesis period.The thesis sequence consists of four-courses and may last from 12-18months. The courses are: MDC692 Thesis Proposal, MDC693 ThesisProduction, MDC694 Thesis Post-Production and MDC 695 ThesisQualification Review. During the Thesis Proposal course, a candidateworks with a thesis advisor to develop a thesis proposal. Uponqualification of the proposal, the candidate is eligible for the ThesisProduction course. During this time the candidate develops a script,conducts pre-production planning and completes the productionphase of the project. Upon satisfactory completion of the productionphase, the candidate is eligible for post-production, during whichs/he edits and submits a rough cut for review by the thesis advisor.A candidate is eligible for Thesis Qualification Review uponsatisfactory completion of post-production and submission of adirector’s cut for review by a thesis committee selected from amongthe program teaching faculty. At the end of this course a candidatesubmits the short subject and written thesis for evaluation by a thesiscommittee. The thesis committee determines whether the student hasmet or exceeded the qualification requirements for the DigitalCinema Master of Fine Arts.A candidate must satisfactorily complete each thesis course withinthe maximum specified time period. Thesis Proposal andQualification Review courses last two months each, and theProduction and Post-production courses each last a maximum of sixmonths. A candidate who is unable to satisfactorily complete eachcourse during the specified time period must retake the course. Anythesis course that receives an unsatisfactory evaluation must berepeated.Program Learning OutcomesUpon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:• Critique the creative works of others orally and in writing usingrelevant critical models and professional vocabulary• Evaluate both orally and in writing professional and theoreticalissues and processes pertaining to movies and aspects of digitalfilmmaking based on recognized industry models and standards• Incorporate independent research from primary and secondarysources into sustained analyses and interpretations ofscreenplays, films and television programs• Generate an original narrative screenplay that incorporatesstandard industry format and such narrative structural elementssuch as premise, complex characters, story arcs, natural dialog,and other dramatic and genre conventions• Create a polished draft of an original screenplay or adocumentary production treatment with a coherent structureand compelling storyline that engages and sustains the interestof a discriminating audience• Generate the standard industry documentation required toeffectively communicate and collaborate with a production teamduring the development, production, editing and distribution ofa professional motion picture• Generate original digital motion picture sequences using currentcinematic theory and techniques to support the thematicconcepts and story objectives of a script.• Construct digital motion picture sequences using current visualand sound editing techniques and theory that engage andsustain the interest of a discriminating audience• Implement post-production workflow processes to capture, edit,finish and export digital video assets to appropriate distributionmedia• Create an original short motion picture based on an originalconcept with a coherent storyline that is significant and complexenough to engage and sustain the interest of a discriminatingaudience and is suitable for distribution or submission to a filmfestivalAt the completion of the Master of Fine Arts in Digital Cinema,students will possess the knowledge and skills needed to produce aprofessional quality digital motion picture and to participate in theongoing scholarly and critical discussions of issues in the field offilm, film theory and criticism.Application Requirements and Program PrerequisitesTo be considered for admission, applicants must meet the Universitygraduate admission requirements listed in the catalog under generalinformation for graduate degrees.Students admitted to the hybrid online program are expected topossess or have reliable access to a high-speed Internet connectionincluding an email account outside of National University for courseprojects and assignments. The hybrid program also requires access toa digital still and video cameras. Students also need to have access toa DVD rental service.Given the nature of digital video production and editing, studentsmust have personal access to a computer that meets the systemrequirements for professional digital video editing software currentlyavailable. AVID Media Composer is used for the onsite residencypost-production course and students are expected to have a workingknowledge of that software interface at the time of the residency.(Always check the manufacturer’s web site for system requirementsbefore purchasing software. Students may need to upgrade theircomputer or components to meet those specifications.) The studentshould also have an external FireWire 400 or 800 (IEEE 1394) harddrivefor media storage, to possess or have access to a digital stillcamera, a digital video camera with manual controls , a tripod, abasic lighting kit, and non-linear editing software (MDC 660, 651, 652and 653).The following software is required: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel,PowerPoint, Internet Explorer) or comparable software capable ofoutputting PDF documents, a variety of standard browser plug-ins(i.e. JavaScript, Flash, Shockwave, QuickTime, etc.), an FTP clientsoftware (such a s Fetch, CoreFTP, FileZilla, etc.), Adobe PhotoshopMedia andCommunications287