From directing a summer blockbuster to producing an Emmy Award-winning TV series, working in film and television requires a passion for storytelling. The Film, Television and Media Arts programs are dedicated to training artful storytellers and innovative content providers to become technically accomplished, aesthetically grounded and expressively mature.
In the Film, Television and Media Arts (BA and BFA) programs, students combine storytelling skills with the ability to create compelling digital content for both large and small screens. From day one, students will learn how to project a creative vision to a wide range of audiences.
The first-year curriculum introduces students to basic concepts of production including cinematography, editing, and sound acquisition. Students will explore the fundamentals of screenwriting alongside introductory coursework in film history and theory.
In their second and third years, students branch out into a concentration of electives that delve into the technical points of filmmaking. Courses such as advanced visual effects, advanced post-production techniques and advanced sound productions supplement upper-level courses in film and television theory.
The program culminates in an intensive senior capstone production. Our advanced students work in teams of six to ten members to produce and deliver industry-ready short films with budgets averaging between $15,000 and $20,000 per film. The students participate in a gala screening event at our 250-seat facility after which they submit their films to national and international film festivals.
iMac media workstations online with our Ross video server.
The vast majority of our video cameras record in 4K cinema format.
Percentage of the 2022 graduates with a BA in Film, Television and Media Arts who are currently employed or pursuing an advanced degree.
Quinnipiac University in Los Angeles is a year-round program that allows students to live, work and learn in the heart of America’s entertainment industry. Los Angeles is home to the “Big 5” film studios, 10 professional sports franchises, major broadcast news network bureaus and a media market that reaches millions daily.
By graduation, our students have the requisite combination of real-world production experience combined with theory-based knowledge to enter and excel in the film and television industry. An impressively high percentage of our graduates enroll in top-tier graduate film programs or enter high-level positions in film production and television writer’s rooms.
Learn more about the differences between our BA and BFA programs below.
Both programs initially follow the same course of study. Students are immersed in techniques of visual storytelling that demand expertise in single and multi-camera video production, and writing and producing for film, radio, television and the Internet. Because good media practice also requires a solid understanding of media history and theory, the curriculum is balanced with courses that explore the role and impact of mass media in society.
Formal coursework for both programs is taught on campus, both in Connecticut and in Los Angeles during the QU in LA program. Additionally we offer a number of international options for education abroad, which have in recent years included production coursework in Ireland; Nice, France; and in Cape Town and Kruger National Park, South Africa.
A separate application is required to enter the BFA program.
The bachelor of arts (BA) program offers a broader perspective and is dedicated to a more traditional approach to a liberal arts education. With a 45-credit load in the core and FTM curriculum, the program explores a broad range of topics outside the major and requires an 18-credit minor.
The bachelor of fine arts (BFA) program delivers a more intensive approach to acquiring the kind of real-world knowledge that drives the industry today. With a 63-credit load in the core and FTM curriculum and no minor requirement, students take more classes in their chosen field and have a greater opportunity to explore areas of interest through an expanded choice of FTM electives in production practice, history and theory.
A separate application is required to enter the BFA program.
Students may elect to continue their education with our MA in Cinematic Production Management. The CPM program, the only one of its kind in the country, is an intensive program that focuses on preprofessional elements of the filmmaking industry.
May 4, 2022
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