THE PROGRAM

PROGRAM

The goal of the Program is to provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to enter the fields of motion pictures and television. These highly competitive, rapidly changing professions require cutting edge skills and an understanding of how the businesses are organized and how they operate.

Our program is arranged to provide all students with basic information, enriching knowledge, and skill training. It also enables students to pursue those specific areas in which they want to specialize.

The Program offerings are grouped in the manner of film and television productions: Pre-production, Production, and Post-production. Pre-production includes all those elements that are completed before shooting begins on a project. Production is the actual creation (shooting) of a film or television project. Post-production covers those activities which take the produced materials and assembles them into coherent wholes. Also included as part of the post-production process is the final necessary element of all entertainment/art/performance: the reaction of the audience, critics, and scholars.

We offer Certificates of Completion and Associate of Applied Science degrees in five areas:

Pre-Production--Screenwriting:

The Program offers four levels of feature film screenwriting as well as offering classes in the hour-long television drama, sitcom writing, and short script writing that includes writing training films, promotional pieces, :30 and :60 second advertising spots, infomercials and other corporate materials.
 

Production--Broadcasting:

Students in this track can emphasize in-studio work or single-camera field work moving from beginning to progressively more sophisticated classes. Additionally students are offered classes in radio and television announcing/anchoring. Advanced students have the opportunity to be a part of a newscast that is broadcast on MCTV, the campus channel, and taking a role in the campus magazine show, Maricopa Magazine, which is also aired on MCTV.
 

Production--Film:

The Film Production track of study acquaints students with all the areas of filmmaking. After an introductory course in basic production students can move on to courses in sound, cinematography, lighting, directing and finally the advanced film production class and the documentary class.
 

Post-Production--Editing

The Editing track of study begins by introducing students to iMovie, a simple non-linear editing program. From there they move on to either or both Avid and Final Cut Pro. Also included in this area are classes in sound and music, effects, and titling.
 

Post-Production--Analysis and Criticism:

The final step of the process in motion pictures and television is the reaction of and evaluation by the audience. This track of study is geared toward those students who don’t want to make films or be a broadcaster; they want to appreciate film, study it, know its history, and critique it as art, as an influence on society, and as a part of our culture.
 

Navigating the Program:

For a complete details about the program and the course of study necessary to earn degree or certificate please link to Student Handbook.

GETTING INTO THE PROGRAM

There is no portfolio review or interview required for entering the Film School. Interested students need only apply and if space is available they can enroll. However, once in the program in order to remain, students must maintain a grade of C or better in each class and they can be withdrawn if their behavior or performance warrants such action.

Students interested in pursuing an Associate of Applied Science degree must complete 22-24 credits of general education courses in addition to prescribed classes in the Film School @ SCC Program. A Certificate of Completion (CCL) requires the successful completion of prescribed MP/TV course work only.

General education courses include English, Communication, Science and Math, Social Science and Physical Education.

The prescribed Film School @ SCC course work includes classes in any of the five areas described on the previous page.

The following information will help you navigate the program successfully.

• As appropriate preparation for entering any of the areas of study, the Film School requires one Program pre-requisite: TCM100 – digital multimedia.
• All students enrolled in the Program are required to complete the core class: TCM134, 135, 136. Although this “block” is comprised of three individual classes, in fact the three modules (134, 135, 136) take only one semester (staggered) to complete.
• Student must enroll in all three modules, TCM 134, 135, 136, as if signing up for one class.
• A student must take the modules in numerical order, beginning with TCM134 and cannot omit any one of the modules.
• The completion of the TCM 134, 135, 136 block is required before students can enroll in the following classes: TCM151, TCM180, TCM212, TCM213, TCM213AA, TCM214, TCM215, TCM240, TCM241AA, TCM241AB, TCM248, TCM222, TCM275, TCM250.
• Before enrolling in Screenwriting I (TCM111) ENG101 must be completed.
• In the Analysis and Criticism area the pre-requisites for ENG210, Creative Writing, are ENG101 and ENG102.
• Transfer students and students who have already completed a Bachelor’s degree must meet with the Chairman to request class waivers.
• ART131, Introduction to Photography is not required but is recommended.

And Also......

• Articulation: The Film School has articulation agreements with all three of Arizona’s state universities. That is, they accept credits from SCC. This doesn't guarantee that they will accept all of our credits, but there are agreements in place that cover most of our classes. Other universities will make their own decisions regarding acceptance of individual courses completed at SCC.
  
• Graduation Deadlines: In order to graduate at the end of a particular semester, you must apply for graduation by the end of the ninth week of that semester.
  
• A grade of C or better must be maintained in each class before progressing to the next in the Program.

TIPS

1. Read this material as a guide to navigating the program and its requirements.
2. Read the “Schedule of Classes” each semester for course offerings, deadlines, final exam schedule, semester calendar and other necessary information.
3. Get and keep a copy of the Scottsdale Community College Student Handbook that applies to the year you begin your studies.
4. Don't wait for the last minute before enrolling (some classes fill very quickly), or before applying for graduation (you may need another class or two before you're eligible).

AFTER THE PROGRAM

Upon completion of the two-year program, students can pursue several directions.

The campus television station, MCTV, provides ample possibilities for students to further their skills, craft and art as they prepare material for airing Valley-wide. This experience can provide students with a solid portfolio of work which will enhance their search for employment once they’ve finished their year at the Institute.

Many students seek employment in either the Phoenix area in local television and film-television production companies, or they relocate to the Los Angeles area to pursue motion picture opportunities there. The program also seeks internships with local companies and develops special projects to provide students with additional experience and expertise.

And finally, a certain percentage of our students decide to complete a four-year degree program and enroll either in one of the state’s four year institutions or out-of-state schools.

PROGRAM COSTS

COURSE FEES

All film schools charge fees. These fees can be imposed on a course-by-course basis or on the department as a whole. Most colleges impose them departmentally. This is the approach the Scottsdale Community College the Film School has taken. Making motion pictures and creating television productions uses great quantities of technical equipment, from pre- to post-production. The list includes cameras, lighting equipment, sound equipment, light meters, studio space, time and equipment, studio furnishings, and miscellaneous equipment. Today’s computerized editing tools consist of various types of computers, decks, software, and ancillary equipment.

This equipment is expensive, which is why motin pictures and television productions are costly endeavors. The Film School @ SCC Program simply couldn’t provide adequate equipment, hardware, and software without supplementing the funds provided by Maricopa County Community College district. So, in order to provide this material, a course fee structure was developed in 1999. The fees have improved equipment availability and condition, as well as broadened the types and number of courses offered.

 

Getting or Keeping in Touch

     We hope to keep in touch with all the students who have finished our program and begun their careers; we also are interested in responding to questions from those interested in obtaining information about our program. To let us know how you’re doing, or to get more info on the program contact us at: thefilmschool@sccmail.maricopa.edu