Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Media Arts: Concentration in Directing
Learn more about the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Media Arts.
Prof. Elisabeth Subrin
Annenberg Hall Room 130
subrin@temple.edu
The BFA in Media Arts with a Concentration in Directing is an intensive, professional degree that prepares students to enter graduate Film programs or pursue professional careers in screen directing. It focuses on both fictional and non-fictional directing. Studies will culminate in the direction of an advanced creative production in the BFA Directing Project Classes. Narrative and documentary students will take the same curriculum except as follows. Narrative students will choose two from a list of three courses: Screen Directing, Screen Performance, and Scene Analysis. Documentary students will choose two from a list of four courses: Making Documentaries, Experimental Media Workshop, Anthropological Film/Media or Researching and Developing Documentaries.
Students interested in applying for the Directing concentration must complete the following courses by the end of their sophomore year:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FMA 1141 | Film, Video and Interactive Foundations I | 4 |
| FMA 1142 | Film, Video and Interactive Foundations II | 4 |
| FMA 1171 | Media & Culture | 3 |
| FMA 1172 | Introduction to Film and Video Analysis | 3 |
| FMA 2396 | Screenwriting I | 4 |
| One of the following: | 4 | |
| Filmmaking | ||
| Videography | ||
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Media Studies: Concentration in Directing
Summary of Requirements for the Degree
The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree may be conferred upon a student majoring in Film and Media Arts with a concentration in Directing by recommendation of the faculty and upon satisfactory completion of a minimum of 122 credit hours. Students must complete:
- University Requirements:
- New students are required to complete the General Education (GenEd) curriculum.
- All students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses specified by the major. The specific writing-intensive courses required for this major are listed below and identified with the code "WI".
- No more than 21 FMA credits can be transferred to the major.
- A student must earn a grade of "C-" or better in all Film and Media Arts courses that count towards the degree.
- Students may take up to 6 internship credits in Film and Media Arts.
- Students may count a maximum of 84 FMA credit hours toward the 122 credit hours required for the degree.
FMA Foundation Courses
Film and Media Arts students will complete the following courses by the end of the sophomore year:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FMA 1141 | Film, Video and Interactive Foundations I | 4 |
| FMA 1142 | Film, Video and Interactive Foundations II | 4 |
| FMA 1171 | Media & Culture | 3 |
| FMA 1172 | Introduction to Film and Video Analysis | 3 |
Concentration Requirements
Courses required after completion of FMA Foundation Courses:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FMA 2241 | Filmmaking | 4 |
| FMA 2242 | Videography | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Survey of New Media | ||
| Film History I (1895-1950) | ||
| Film History II (1950-Present) | ||
| History of Experimental Film and Video Art | ||
| FMA 2396 | Screenwriting I | 4 |
| FMA 2551 | Editing Film and Video | 4 |
| FMA 2771 | Producing | 4 |
| FMA 3000+ | Studies Elective | 3-4 |
| FMA 3773 | Contemporary Screen Studies | 4 |
| Select two of the following: | 7-8 | |
| (for Narrative students) | ||
| Screen Directing | ||
| Screen Performance | ||
| Scene Analysis for Writers and Directors | ||
| (for Documentary students) | ||
| Documentary Workshop I | ||
| Experimental Media Workshop | ||
| Cross-Cultural Image Making | ||
| Anthropological Film/Media | ||
| FMA 3343 | Screenwriting II | 4 |
| FMA 3241 | BFA Junior Directing Projects | 4 |
| FMA 4241 | BFA Directing Projects I | 4 |
| FMA 4242 | BFA Directing Projects II | 4 |
| FMA 3000+ | Advanced Writing Intensive Elective (WI) | 4 |
| Total FMA Credit Hours: | 71-73 | |
Suggested Academic Plan
Please note that this is a suggested academic plan. Depending on your situation, your academic plan may look different.
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Media Arts with Concentration in Directing
Requirements for New Students starting in the 2022-2023 Academic Year
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| FMA 1141 | Film, Video and Interactive Foundations I | 4 |
| FMA 1171 | Media & Culture | 3 |
| ENG 0802, 0812, or 0902 | Analytical Reading and Writing [GW] | 4 |
| GenEd Quantitative Literacy Course [GQ] | 4 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| FMA 1142 | Film, Video and Interactive Foundations II | 4 |
| FMA 1172 | Introduction to Film and Video Analysis | 3 |
| IH 0851 or 0951 | Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life [GY] | 3 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| FMA 2241 | Filmmaking | 4 |
| FMA 2551 | Editing Film and Video | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Survey of New Media | ||
| Film History I (1895-1950) | ||
| Film History II (1950-Present) | ||
| History of Experimental Film and Video Art | ||
| IH 0852 or 0952 | Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good [GZ] | 3 |
| Term Credit Hours | 14-15 | |
| Spring | ||
| FMA 2396 | Screenwriting I [WI] | 4 |
| FMA 2242 | Videography | 4 |
| FMA 2771 | Producing | 4 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| FMA 3773 | Contemporary Screen Studies | 4 |
| Select two of the following: | 7-8 | |
| Narrative students select from | ||
| Screen Directing | ||
| Screen Performance | ||
| Scene Analysis for Writers and Directors | ||
| Documentary students select from | ||
| Documentary Workshop I | ||
| Experimental Media Workshop | ||
| Cross-Cultural Image Making | ||
| Anthropological Film/Media | ||
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 17-18 | |
| Spring | ||
| FMA 3000+ Advanced Writing Intensive Elective [WI] | 4 | |
| FMA 3241 | BFA Junior Directing Projects | 4 |
| FMA 3343 | Screenwriting II | 4 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| FMA 4241 | BFA Directing Projects I | 4 |
| FMA 3000+ Studies Elective | 4 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| FMA 4242 | BFA Directing Projects II | 4 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Electives | 6 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 122-124 | |
SUGGESTED ACADEMIC PLAN FOR LA-AWAY PROGRAM
Please note that the following academic plan is for students attending the LA-Away Program in the Fall of their Junior year.
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Media Arts with Concentration in Directing: LA-Away Program
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| FMA 1141 | Film, Video and Interactive Foundations I | 4 |
| FMA 1171 | Media & Culture | 3 |
| ENG 0802, 0812, or 0902 | Analytical Reading and Writing [GW] | 4 |
| GenEd Quantitative Literacy Course [GQ] | 4 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| FMA 1142 | Film, Video and Interactive Foundations II | 4 |
| FMA 1172 | Introduction to Film and Video Analysis | 3 |
| IH 0851 or 0951 | Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life [GY] | 3 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| FMA 2241 | Filmmaking | 4 |
| FMA 2551 | Editing Film and Video | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Survey of New Media | ||
| Film History I (1895-1950) | ||
| Film History II (1950-Present) | ||
| History of Experimental Film and Video Art | ||
| IH 0852 or 0952 | Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good [GZ] | 3 |
| Term Credit Hours | 14-15 | |
| Spring | ||
| FMA 2396 | Screenwriting I [WI] | 4 |
| FMA 2242 | Videography | 4 |
| FMA 2771 | Producing | 4 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| FMA 3085 | Internship | 4 |
| FMA 3770 | Topics in Film Study (Entertainment Industry Perspectives) | 4 |
| FMA 3696 | Writing Intensive Film Study [WI] | 4 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| FMA 3241 | BFA Junior Directing Projects | 4 |
| FMA 3343 | Screenwriting II | 4 |
| Select two of the following: | 7-8 | |
| Narrative students select from | ||
| Screen Directing | ||
| Screen Performance | ||
| Scene Analysis for Writers and Directors | ||
| Documentary students select from | ||
| Documentary Workshop I | ||
| Experimental Media Workshop | ||
| Cross-Cultural Image Making | ||
| Anthropological Film/Media | ||
| Term Credit Hours | 15-16 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| FMA 4241 | BFA Directing Projects I | 4 |
| FMA 3773 | Contemporary Screen Studies | 4 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| FMA 4242 | BFA Directing Projects II | 4 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Term Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 123-125 | |