Film Production, Bachelor of Fine Arts (530P, 530)
Program Coordinator
Sara R. Thomason, sara.thomason@wku.edu, (270) 745-5890
The BFA in Film Production is a pre-professional major providing an immersive, conservatory-style educational experience for students pursuing a career in the film industry. Hands-on instruction in pre-production (writing, producing), production (directing, cinematography, production design), and post-production (editing, sound, visual effects, animation) provides students foundational concepts and practical skills which are reinforced through their work on short films. Film studies courses emphasize critical and analytical thinking through the study of global film culture, history, and aesthetics.
BFA in Film Production students will rotate through “below the line” (technical) and “above the line” (creative) roles on two short film production cycles, leading to a final thesis film cycle where seniors choose an area of emphasis (directing, cinematography, producing, production design, editing, sound, animation). By the time of their graduation, every BFA in Film Production student will be ready to enter the workplace with nearly 30 student film credits for their resumé.
Concentrations
- Film Animation (FPFA)
Program Requirements (81/82 hours)
A baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 120 unduplicated semester hours. More information can be found at www.wku.edu/registrar/degree_certification.php.
Students who began WKU in the Fall 2014 and thereafter should review the Colonnade requirements located at: https://www.wku.edu/colonnade/colonnaderequirements.php.
Students applying for the BFA in Film Production must take 12 hours of Film core curriculum their first year (FILM 100, 201, 202, and 250) and submit to a portfolio review during their second semester seeking admission. Twenty-four students per academic year will be selected for admission into the program based on the quality of their creative portfolio, their professionalism in class and on set, and their scholastic work. After admission, students must follow a prescribed class schedule to ensure completion of the program in four years (including the first year of core courses). Students in the BFA may choose between the standard major or a concentration in Film Animation.
The BFA in Film Production requires 81 semester hours. No course with a grade of “D” or below may be counted toward this major or fulfill prerequisite requirements for any major in the School of Media. The BFA in Film Production does not allow for a minor or second major.
In addition to a portfolio review, students applying for the BFA in Film Production must meet the following academic requirements:
1. Completion of a minimum of 30 hours of coursework applicable to a baccalaureate degree;
2. A minimum overall grade point average of 2.5;
3. Completion of ENG 100 with a grade of ‘C’ or better and 15 additional hours in the Colonnade Program;
4. Completion of the following courses with a grade of ‘C’ or better: FILM 100, FILM 201, FILM 202, FILM 250.
Students who are not selected for the BFA in Film Production or opt-out of the portfolio review process will have the option of pursuing the BA in Film if they meet the BA in Film’s admission requirements.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Program Core Courses | ||
| FILM 100 | Film Industry and Aesthetics | 3 |
| FILM 201 | Introduction to the Cinema | 3 |
| FILM 202 | Basic Film Production | 3 |
| FILM 250 | Screenwriting I | 3 |
| FILM 251 | Film Directing I | 2 |
| FILM 252 | Film Producing | 2 |
| FILM 253 | Cinematography I | 2 |
| FILM 254 | Production Design I | 2 |
| FILM 355 | Film Sound | 2 |
| FILM 256 | Film Editing I | 3 |
| FILM 290 | Practicum: Pre-Production I | 2 |
| FILM 291 | Practicum: Below-the-Line I | 3 |
| FILM 292 | Practicum: Above-the-Line I | 3 |
| FILM 350 | Screenwriting II | 2 |
| FILM 356 | Film Editing II | 2 |
| FILM 369 | Introduction to World Cinema | 3 |
| FILM 390 | Practicum: Pre-Production II | 3 |
| FILM 392 | Practicum: Above-the-Line II | 3 |
| FILM 393 | Practicum: Post-Production I | 3 |
| FILM 466 | Film Theory | 3 |
| FILM 486 | Film Capstone | 3 |
| FILM 489 | Thesis Development | 3 |
| FILM 490 | Practicum: Pre-Production III | 3 |
| FILM 492 | Practicum: Above-the-Line III | 3 |
| FILM 493 | Practicum: Post-Production II | 3 |
| FILM 155 | Film Attendance | 0 |
| Total Hours | 67 | |
Major (No Concentration)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FILM 351 | Film Directing II | 2 |
| FILM 353 | Cinematography II | 2 |
| FILM 354 | Production Design II | 2 |
| FILM 367 | Introduction to Film Genres | 2 |
| FILM 391 | Practicum: Below-the-Line II | 3 |
| FILM 491 | Practicum: Below-the-Line III | 3 |
| Total Hours | 14 | |
Animation Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Program Core Courses | ||
| ART 130 | Two-Dimensional Design | 3 |
| or ART 140 | Drawing | |
| ANIM 210 | Introduction to Computer Animation | 3 |
| ANIM 220 | 3D Modeling I: Environment | 3 |
| ANIM 310 | Computer Animation I | 3 |
| FILM 394 | Film Animation | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Finish in Four Plan
Major (No Concentration)
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| FILM 100 | 3 | FILM 202 | 3 |
| FILM 201 | 3 | FILM 250 | 3 |
| FILM 155 | 0 | FILM 155 | 0 |
| Colonnade | 3 | Colonnade | 3 |
| Colonnade | 3 | Colonnade | 3 |
| Colonnade | 3 | Colonnade | 3 |
| Colonnade | 3 | ||
| 15 | 18 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| First Bi-Term | FILM 355 | 2 | |
| FILM 251 | 2 | FILM 256 | 3 |
| FILM 252 | 2 | FILM 369 | 3 |
| FILM 253 | 2 | Colonnade | 3 |
| FILM 254 | 2 | Colonnade | 3 |
| 2nd Bi-Term | Colonnade | 3 | |
| FILM 290 | 2 | ||
| FILM 291 | 3 | ||
| FILM 292 | 3 | ||
| 16 | 17 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| 1st or 2nd Bi-Term | FILM 390 | 3 | |
| FILM 350 | 2 | FILM 392 | 3 |
| FILM 351 | 2 | FILM 393 | 3 |
| FILM 353 | 2 | FILM 491 | 3 |
| FILM 354 | 2 | ||
| FILM 356 | 2 | ||
| FILM 367 | 2 | ||
| 1st or 2nd Bi-Term | |||
| FILM 391 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 12 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| FILM 486 | 3 | FILM 466 | 3 |
| FILM 489 | 3 | FILM 493 | 3 |
| FILM 490 | 3 | Colonnade | 3 |
| FILM 492 | 3 | Colonnade | 3 |
| Colonnade | 3 | ||
| 12 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours 120 | |||
Animation Concentration
Finish in Four Plan
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| FILM 100 | 3 | FILM 202 | 3 |
| FILM 201 | 3 | FILM 250 | 3 |
| FILM 155 | 0 | FILM 155 | 0 |
| ART 130 or ART 140 | 3 | ANIM 210 | 3 |
| Colonnade | 3 | Colonnade | 3 |
| Colonnade | 3 | Colonnade | 3 |
| Colonnade | 3 | ||
| 15 | 18 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| 1st Bi-Term | FILM 355 | 2 | |
| FILM 251 | 2 | FILM 256 | 3 |
| FILM 252 | 2 | FILM 369 | 3 |
| FILM 253 | 2 | ANIM 220 | 3 |
| FILM 254 | 2 | Colonnade | 3 |
| 2nd Bi-Term | Colonnade | 3 | |
| FILM 290 | 2 | ||
| FILM 291 | 3 | ||
| FILM 292 | 3 | ||
| 16 | 17 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| FILM 350 | 2 | FILM 390 | 3 |
| FILM 356 | 2 | FILM 392 | 3 |
| ANIM 310 | 3 | FILM 393 | 3 |
| Colonnade | 3 | FILM 394 | 3 |
| Colonnade | 3 | ||
| Colonnade | 3 | ||
| 16 | 12 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| FILM 486 | 3 | FILM 466 | 3 |
| FILM 489 | 3 | FILM 493 | 3 |
| FILM 490 | 3 | Colonnade | 3 |
| FILM 492 | 3 | Colonnade | 3 |
| Colonnade | 3 | ||
| 12 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours 121 | |||