2013-2014 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
Film and Video Production - Program Description
For additional information about opportunities your college offers, please refer to the School of Communications or the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences sections in this catalog.
Director: Thompson; Professor Perrine; Associate Professors Philbin, Roberts, Roos, Schmit; Assistant Professor Ullrich.
Website: www.gvsu.edu/filmvideo
A strong hands-on emphasis characterizes the Film and Video Production major. Courses of study include animation, cinema studies, documentary and nonfiction, fiction filmmaking, new media, and sound design. The curriculum integrates production experience with the insights offered by media history, theory, and criticism.
Digital video facilities include nonlinear editing suites, a full complement of field gear, television studio classroom, and a digital audio studio. Students work with a variety of software in Macintosh computer laboratories. Student internship opportunities include regional and national productions, post-production houses, and many more.
Accreditation
The Film and Video Production major is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
Admission
In order to maintain high-quality instruction, the Film and Video Production major limits the number of students accepted each year into CFV 226, CFV 227, and all 300- and 400-level film/video courses.
Students are required to have an overall GPA above 2.5 and complete the two film and video pre-admission courses (CFV 123 and CFV 125) with a minimum of 3.0 GPA in order to apply for admission to the major and take CFV 226/227 and 300 and 400-level film and video courses. Achievement of these minimum criteria does not guarantee admission (see below).
Having met these requirements, students will submit an admission application. Guidelines for the application are available on the Film and Video Production web site at www.gvsu.edu/filmvideo, and upon request from the School of Communications office, 290 Lake Superior Hall. Admission applications are accepted the first Monday of November, April, and August.
Students interested in the Film and Video Production major are encouraged to complete the Film and Video Production foundation requirements early in their course of study, and to maintain regular contact with their advisor to ensure proper course enrollment and steady progress toward full acceptance.
Students may petition to bypass the two pre-admission courses on the basis of prior coursework for which they have received a 3.0 minimum GPA at another post-secondary institution. The petition should include a syllabus plus one or more projects and/or papers from the prior course(s). On the basis of these materials, the Film and Video Production faculty will determine what Grand Valley coursework, if any, is required of the petitioner. Students may not take 200-level or higher CFV courses until they are admitted to the major.
Student Organizations www.gvsu.edu/stuey
Registered student organizations include Grand Valley Television (GVTV), a student-run television; Scientists of Sound, offering assistance to the GVSU community with their audio production needs; the Experimental Film Club, which equips students with resources and knowledge for experimental film production and critique; Film & Conversations Club devoted to viewing and discussing films; and Otaku no Anime, promoting the appreciation of Japanese animation.
Students also produce Cinesthesia, the Grand Valley Film Journal featuring exemplary student essays about film.
Scholarship Opportunities
Bert Price Scholarship
Calder Fine Arts Scholarship
Dirk Koning Film/Video Scholarship
Dr. Margaret Proctor School of Communications Scholarship
Gates Millennium Scholarship
John and Marjorie Shepherd Scholarship
KODAK Student Scholarship Program
School of Communications Scholarship
William J. & Margaret G. Branstrom Award
Career Opportunities
Graduates find a wide range of professional employment, both in Michigan and nationally, including positions in the independent, documentary, and major motion picture film industries, animation and multimedia, production and post-production houses, national and local television networks, advertising agencies, community media access stations, corporations, and school systems. Other students have chosen to continue their education in graduate school.
The following program is available:
Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Film and Video Production