Film, Television and Video Production (BA)

This program is offered by the School of Communications/Media Arts Department and is only available at the St. Louis main campus.

Program Description

Creators of film, television and video productions build the lens through which the world observes and understands itself. The film, television and video production degree at Webster University prepares students to be visual storytellers, idea shapers, entertainers, artists and communicators. Film/video is an art, a craft, a business, a passion and a way of life; it is inherently technical, theoretical and aesthetic.

Our program prepares students in each of these areas, ensuring that they are ready to enter any facet of the industry upon graduation. Whether students want to be a director, cinematographer, editor, visual effects or motion graphics artist, producer, gaffer, grip or any of the many other jobs available, this degree provides the theoretical and practical knowledge needed to succeed by placing students in real-world production environments at every level, starting from the moment they arrive, using industry-standard equipment and software. Students will learn fiction, nonfiction and experimental approaches; they will then be given the opportunity to specialize as their own path dictates.

Learning Outcomes

Successful graduates of this program will be able to:

• Plan, organize and execute a film and/or video production at fundamental levels.
• Demonstrate proficiency with several basic cinematography tasks.
• Demonstrate proficiency with several basic postproduction tasks.
• Personalize the mediums of film and video theoretically, aesthetically and technically. 
• Demonstrate proficiency at industry standard levels of at least one area of concentration.

Degree Requirements

For information on the general requirements for a degree, see Baccalaureate Degree Requirements under the Academic Policies and Information section of this catalog.

• 57 required credit hours
• Applicable University Global Citizenship Program hours
• Electives

Required Courses

Required: 42 hours

• FTVP 0501 Program Meeting (0 hours)
  or FTVP 0502 Program Meeting (0 hours)
  or FTVP 0503 Program Meeting (0 hours)
• FTVP 1000 Introduction to Film, Television and Video Production (3 hours)
• SCPT 2900 Scriptwriting (3 hours)
• AUDI 1000 Audio Production for Non-Majors (3 hours)
• FLST 1000 Film and Television Appreciation (3 hours)
• FLST 2050 History of Film (3 hours)
• FTVP 1400 Graphics and Effects (3 hours)
• FTVP 2100 Produce and Direct (3 hours)
  prerequisite: FTVP 1000, SCPT 2900
• FTVP 2200 Camera and Light (3 hours)
  prerequisite: FTVP 1000
• FTVP 2300 Edit and Color (3 hours)
  prerequisite: FTVP 1000
• MDST 2500 Professional Development for Media Careers (3 hours)
• FTVP 3000 StoryLab (3 hours)
• FTVP 3500 Production House (3 hours)
  or FTVP 3510 Pre-production Capstone (3 hours)
• EPMD 4500 Media Business and Entrepreneurship (3 hours)
• FTVP 4200 Senior Capstone A* (3 hours)
  prerequisite FTVP 3500
  or FTVP 4210 Senior Capstone B*
  prerequisite: FTVP 3510

*Capstone course

Skills: 

 A minimum of 9 credit hours are to be chosen from the following:

• FTVP 2400 Motion Graphics (3 hours)
• FTVP 2450 Visual Effects (3 hours)
• FTVP 2500 Event and Studio Production (3 hours)
• FTVP 2550 Production Management (3 hours)
• FTVP 3100 Experimental Film and Video (3 hours)
• FTVP 3110 Documentary Production (3 hours)
• FTVP 3120 Advanced Directing (3 hours)
• FTVP 3150 Topics in Film, Television or Video Production (3 hours)
• FTVP 3210 Advanced Cinematography (3 hours)
• FTVP 3300 The Socially Responsibility Filmmaker (3 hours)
• FTVP 3310 Advanced Editing (3 hours)
• FTVP 3400 Working with Actors (3 hours) 
• FTVP 3500 Production House (3 hours)
• FTVP 3510 Pre-production Capstone (3 hours)
• MDST 4950 Internship
• SCPT 3300 Writing the Short Script (3 hours)

Theory: 

 A minimum of 6 credit hours are to be chosen from the following:

• FLST 2060 Modern World Cinema (3 hours)
• FLST 2070 History of Animation (3 hours)
• FLST 3160 Topics in Film Studies (3 hours)
• FLST 3170 Topics in Documentary Film Studies (3 hours)
• FLST 4160 Survey of Film Theory and Criticism (3 hours)
• MDST 2100 Media Literacy (3 hours)

Areas of Study

Although any combination of these courses can be taken to fulfill the degree requirements, courses can be grouped by areas for students who want to focus on a particular aspect within film, television and video production.

Producing and Directing Narrative Films

• FTVP 3120 Advanced Directing (3 hours)
• FTVP 3300 The Socially Responsible Filmmaker (3 hours)
• FLST 2060 Modern World Cinema (3 hours)
• SCPT 3300 Writing the Short Script (3 hours)
• FTVP 3510 Pre-production Senior Capstone B (3 hours)
• FTVP 4210 Senior Capstone B (3 hours)

Documentary Film and Video

• FTVP 3110 Documentary Production (3 hours)
• FLST 3170 Topics in Documentary Film Studies (3 hours)
• FTVP 3300 The Socially Responsible Filmmaker (3 hours)
• FTVP 3310 Advanced Editing (3 hours)
• FTVP 3510 Pre-production Senior Capstone B (3 hours)
• FTVP 4210 Senior Capstone B

Cinematography

• FTVP 3210 Advanced Cinematography (3 hours)
• FTVP 3500 Production House (3 hours)
• FTVP 4200 Senior Capstone A (3 hours)
• PHOT 1000 Fundamentals of Photography (3 hours)
• PHOT 2200 Lighting Techniques (3 hours)

Postproduction

• FTVP 2400 Motion Graphics (3 hours)
• FTVP 2450 Visual Effects (3 hours)
• FTVP 3310 Advanced Editing (3 hours)
• FTVP 3500 Production House (3 hours)
• FTVP 4200 Senior Capstone A (3 hours)