Media and Communications (B.A.)

Courses

Click on any of the course titles below to see the course’s description:

MC 250 The Power of the Word

The Power of the Word: Information and Inspiration for Action and Achievement

All writing relies on the power of the word to inform, stimulate and inspire. Each word has its own unique quality; when used in conjunction with other words and images, powerful messages are created that are used to influence the audience in many different ways. It is important for a writer to understand the power of words to communicate the most fundamental human experience, the experience of the Self and different states of consciousness. Language is the tool by which knowledge is passed on to others. The course encourages the use of language to communicate experience and knowledge in a clear and coherent form. The writer also needs to learn the craft of using words and language to shape a message for the media they are working in. The course starts with an investigation of how sound emerges from silence. From here we then study the relationship between sound and form; how language is used to describe the different elements, moods, understanding and emotions that each of us experience. The courses then progresses to a study of the power of words as used in narrative, both fiction and non-fiction, journalism, audio-visual communication and advertising, with particular focus on new media. The course will draw on the rich pool of literary talent associated with the Fairfield community, with visiting lectures and online webinars with successful professionals from all areas of writing and publishing. Lab fees and books: less than $50. (4 credits) Prerequisite: STC 108/109.

MC 260 Digital Arts for Sustainable Living

Digital Arts for Sustainable Living: Harnessing the Power of Creativity and Digital Media to Build a Better World

Students focus on principles of design and foundational digital media technology skills that can be useful to sustainable living students, or to anyone. Students develop their skills by exploring fundamentals of digital photography, digital imaging and graphic design, presentation software, digital video, and Web design. They apply their skills in real-world media projects related to sustainable living, to create presentations, posters, newspaper ads, simple Web sites, and digital video for DVD and for the Web. Prerequisite: basic computer skills (word processing, e-mail, Web surfing). Lab fee: $150. (4 credits) Prerequisite: STC 108/109

MC 282 Video Production

Video Production: Understanding and Applying the Aesthetics of Motion Pictures and the Technologies of Digital Video to Transform the World with a Vision of Unbounded Possibilities

Students learn the basic skills of video production by participating in the production of a variety of different scenes and subjects. Students will learn to handle and care for production apparatus including lights, cameras, and sound equipment, and will learn the different roles to be played in the process of shooting a video, including director, director of photography, gaffer, grip, electrician, art department, assistant directors, and production assistants. Lab fee: $150. (4 credits) Prerequisite: STC 108/109

MC 284 Video Editing

Video Editing: Utilizing Digital Tools for Capturing, Cutting, Sequencing, and Compositing Sound and Image to Create Artistic Wholeness

Video editing requires the student to be able to synthesize all the different elements of their video into a greater whole. The emphasis of this course is on exploring the craft of editing and the techniques used to maximize the emotional impact of the story. Students will study examples of work by accomplished editors and discover ways to build momentum and render the cut ‘invisible’. Topics include: the language of the cut, the 180 degree system, and Murch's Rule of Six. Students will become expert in utilizing non-linear editing tools through daily editing assignments. Using the latest version of Final Cut Pro, students will learn keyboard shortcuts and advanced trimming tools, transitions, filters, titles, keyframes, compositing tools, audio mixing, color correction, capturing and outputting. Towards the end of the course some production time will allotted so that students may edit a final piece of their own. Students may also bring in footage that was shot previously for their final project. Lab fee: $150. (4 credits) Prerequisite: MC 282

MC 285 Advanced Video Production

Advanced Video Production: Developing Advanced Teamwork and Technical Skills to Produce Creative Visual Expressions

Building on the experiences from MC 282 Video Production, this course is a further exploration of team dynamics and technical skills in the film industry. Returning to the production studio, students study shot composition, camera use, lighting effects, green screen and special effects, fight choreography and stunts, as well as practice the essential skills of Directing, Art Department, Grip and Electric, and Sound. Lab fee: $150. (4 units) Prerequisite: MC 282.

MC 300 Narrative

Narrative: Unifying and Unfolding the Full Range of Human Experience

This course examines the essential role of narrative in the creation of all forms of media. From the very beginnings of human records, whether it is mythology, scripture, literature, or the earliest cave paintings, the creators of these works have always told their audience a story or imparted a message by the use of narrative. In order to work in any creative medium, understanding the various ways in which narrative is used is a great advantage. This course will examine the range of narrative forms and narrative devices that have been used since the dawn of time right up until the modern day. We will discover that although the forms and types of media used might have changed as technology has advanced, in fact, most of the essential forms of narrative used in creative works have been with us for ages. Understanding why will reveal how narrative reflects both the universal and unique aspects of the experience of human life. As part of the course students will be required to undertake projects that aid the development of their own narrative skills. (4 credits) Prerequisite: STC 108/109 (4 credits)

MC 313 Documentary Filmmaking

Documentary Filmmaking: Developing the means to explore human life in all its diversity and underlying unity

Documentary films have their basis in the real world. They are made for a variety of purposes but fundamentally they explore the entire range of human experience. This course will examine the role of documentary filmmaking and all the various forms of the documentary. It will be a fascinating journey that will take students all over the globe and throughout history dealing with a wide range of issues both past and present. In this course students will also examine how to make a documentary. It is therefore very practical in its focus. The first requirement to any documentary is knowing what the story is and what kind of story makes a good documentary. Having chosen a story, there is then the realization of it. This course will teach students the process of securing a commission from a TV channel or potential funder. Students will learn what is required to make the all-important pitch. They will then choose some stories and make short documentaries about them. Lab fee: $300. (8 credits) Prerequisites: MC 300, and either MC 282 or MC 284.

MC 316 Creative Filmmaking

Creative Filmmaking: Connecting to Deeper Values of Life through the Power of Integrated Images, Sound, and Composition

This course explores a more intuitive and experimental approach to filmmaking. In MC 300 Narrative and MC 313 Documentary Filmmaking, a more structured narrative-based approach to filmmaking is the emphasis. But all forms of media rely to a greater or lesser degree on purely aesthetic or artistic elements in order to give the final product a certain feel, look, or style. For this reason, regardless of the type of filmmaking one wants to ultimately focus on, it is a good idea to explore the power of images, sound and composition. A feature of the course is looking at the work of various video artists and film directors. By seeing examples of their work we can grow in our appreciation of how images and sound can be put together in a way that induces powerful responses in an audience. Most artists and filmmakers find important sources of inspiration for their own work by examining the work of the masters in the field. We will also examine creative forms of film, animation and other media that are narrative and non-narrative based. Students will also work on their own creative filmmaking project. Various media can be incorporated into this project, such as video, still images, animation and music. It is through experimenting with various media that a director of films or other media finds a method of working or an aesthetic that will enhance their future work. Lab fee: $300. (8 credits) Prerequisites: MC 300, MC 282, MC 284

MC 317 Creating Documentaries from the Inside Out

Creating Documentaries from the Inside Out: Change Begins Within

Making documentary films is considered one of the “purest” forms of filmmaking as documentaries are based on real life and set in the real world. Good documentary filmmakers draw upon their own life experience to bring a richness and sensibility to the procedure of shaping a story and actually making a film. A well-crafted documentary can be an extraordinarily powerful vehicle for social change. The best ones are also entertaining, emotionally engaging and creatively rewarding for the filmmaker. This course will explore the reality of making a documentary step by step. Students will also discover how the filmmaker's own inner landscape evolves through the creative process. Students will also learn about specific production roles from successful film industry experts via live Skype presentations, and have the opportunity to ask them directly how they approach their work. Students will then make a short documentary and screen their films at a special event at the end of the course. Students are encouraged to come to the course with a list of story ideas for their film. This course involves both team work and individual assignments. Lab fee: $150. (4 credits) Prerequisite: STC 108/109.

MC 323 Advanced Video Editing

Advanced Video Editing: Compositing, Animating and Color

This is an advanced level course which focuses on color grading, compositing (layering multiple images), animating (changing these layers so they fly, grow or fade over time), and all of the finishing touches that will make your video projects appear both polished and visually exciting. Students will undertake tutorials in two programs within the Final Cut Studio suite: Motion and Color. After the tutorials, students will apply these tools to any previous video project or new creative project of their conceiving. Projects might include, for example, creating a film look for your video with color grading, creating an animated opening credits sequence, creating customized Lower Thirds, or creating your own 3-D environment. Lab fee: $150. (4 credits) Prerequisite: MC 284

MC 330 Radio and Web Broadcasting

Radio and Web Broadcasting: Informing, Educating, and Transforming the World with a Vision of Unbounded Possibilities

This is a practical course, emphasizing hands-on production for radio and Web broadcasting. Student will research, write, record, produce and edit original radio projects. Students may work on journalistic or creative projects with a commercial or non-commercial orientation. They will develop on-air skills such as presenting, reporting, and interviewing. Sound is a powerful form of expression; through sound alone we can tell a story which moves an audience or takes them to another world by stimulating their imagination. The creative power as well as the story telling power of radio will therefore be fully explored in this course. A unique feature of this course is that it offers students the opportunity of broadcasting their radio projects on KRUU-FM. Lab fee $150. (4 credits)

MC 337 Advanced Digital Photography

Advanced Digital Photography: Skill in Action

This course will focus on action shots, social interaction, and commercial opportunities. Students will learn to take effective shots of people in motion with a focus on music events/concerts, festivals/fairs, social events, and political events. Topics include: fine-tuning your photography skills; understanding your subject; developing your personal style; exploring creative expression; digital image editing software techniques. Lab fee: $150. (4 credits) Prerequisite: FA 335 or consent of instructor.

MC 341 Social Entrepreneurship

Social Entrepreneurship for Media and Communications: How to Change the World with Media and Communications Technology

This is a project-based class which challenges students to employ every ounce of their creativity and knowledge of media and communications technology, and apply this to the social sector. We will draw inspiration from case studies around the world in which mobile technologies, computers, video, photo, radio, etc. are being used, for example, to establish human rights, help the unemployed find jobs, link farmers to the international marketplace, and provide education to remote areas. Students will work individually or in groups to conceive of social enterprises which find solutions to the world’s most challenging problems, whether local or global, in the area of health, environment, economy, education, and so forth. Students will present their plans, models and media to a committee to evaluate the potential of their work to create social change. Lab fee: $150. (4 credits) Prerequisite: STC 108/109.

MC 345 Creative Process

Creative Process: Curving Back Onto My Own Nature, I Create Again and Again

In Creative Process students study their own creative process as well as what artists, writers, and filmmakers have shared about creative inspiration. The textbook is Annie Dillard's Famous The Writing Life and the reader syllabus contains material by a wide range of authors such as Jorge Luis Borges, Eudora Welty, Ann Patchett, Patricia Hampl, William Saroyan, John Ciardi, Frank Conroy, Virginia Woolf, William Faulkner, Earnest Hemingway, Thomas Wolfe, William Stafford, Rainer Maria Rilke, Lu Chi, Mark Strand, Jane Hirshfield, Billy Collins, Elizabeth Gilbert, plus interviews with great authors by Bill Moyers and material from creativity experts Anne Lamott and Natalie Goldberg. A variety of guest lecturers working in different media will come to the class to discuss their work, career path, and creative process. Students will engage in a creative project of their own, and they will write a personal essay reflecting on their own creative process. As a final project, students will participate in a group installation/exhibit on creativity. (4 credits) Prerequisite: STC 108/109.

MC 347 New Media

New Media: From Blogs to Books

The last decade has seen a revolution in communication technology. This “new media” provides multiple channels for communication from the short Tweets and Facebook entries, through blogs, to online articles and electronic books. These new forms of electronic communication are easily available to everyone and have instant outreach to a worldwide audience. This course begins by investigating the transition from the “old media” outlets such as newspapers, magazines and printed books to the new opportunities for professional writers offered by the Internet and electronic media. The course provides an overview of how to maximize the message through each form of electronic media with an emphasis on maintaining grammatically correct and coherent communication throughout. Students will also learn how content can be used in many different ways and how short Tweets and blog entries can be accumulated and developed into articles that can then form the basis for full-length books. This is intended to be a practical course in which students submit their work at each stage of development by creating their own blogs, submitting articles to magazines and pitching their own book ideas to publishers. A chance to publish work through a local publisher will be offered for the best work produced by students. Lab fees and books: less than $50. (4 credits) Prerequisite: STC 108/109.

MC 363 Web Design Studio

Web Design Studio: The Convergence of All Media Into a Unified Digital Format

Students undertake in-depth application of HTML and Cascading Style Sheets along with principles of design for dynamic media in the creation of a portfolio of beautiful, highly functional, standards-compliant, and highly usable Web pages. Topics include: creative approaches to Web design; XHTML syntax, tags, attributes, entities, DTDs and validation; HTML5 and CSS3; creating layers of meaning with color, type, and imagery; principles of usability for interactive media; using a visual lexicon for designer-client communication; examples of outstanding Web design studios; homesteading the noosphere. Lab fee: $150. (4 credits) Prerequisites: MC 260 or FA 361 or equivalent experience

MC 365 Next Generation Web Design

Next Generation Web Design: Integrating Graphics, Animation, Video, and Audio to Create Illuminating User Experiences

Students learn to use powerful tools for Web design, Web animation and video to build richly interactive Web sites that inspire the viewer. Topics include: conceptualizing new user experiences; creating innovative Web sites with Adobe Flash Catalyst; Web animation and creative user interface construction with Adobe Flash and with JavaScript libraries; choosing, building and using WordPress templates. Lab fee: $150. (4 credits) Prerequisite: basic computer skills, STC 108/109

MC 366 Graphic Design for Media and Communications I

Graphic Design for Media and Communications I: Integrating Medium and Message

This course provides students with the basic practical knowledge and skills needed to create effective visual design using current and critical tools and techniques. Students focus on developing their graphic design skills for personal and professional usage using Photoshop and InDesign. Topics include: digital imaging and page layout tools; principles and elements of visual design; color theory, layout design; basic principles and history of typography; brand design; use of digital photography; and copyright law. Lab fee: $150. (4 credits) Prerequisite: STC 108/109.

MC 367 Graphic Design for Media and Communications II

Graphic Design for Media and Communications II: Connecting Every Part to the Whole

In this class, students focus on advancing their graphic design skills for professional usage in the current workforce using InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator. Topics include: advanced principles and elements of visual design; creating color palettes, print and Web layout design; vector design; further principles and history of typography; logo and brand design for business campaigns; digital photography and copyright law; social marketing for businesses; advanced Photoshop techniques. Lab fee: $150. (4 credits) Prerequisite: MC 366.

MC 368 Graphic Design for the Web

Graphic Design for the Web: Fast Path to Instantaneous Global Communication

Students learn a process that allows graphic designers to create Web sites without writing HTML code. This course focuses on understanding the graphic design process of converting Photoshop files into working Web pages. Students learn how to create graphic design web templates and then convert them automatically to highly functional Web pages using Adobe Flash Catalyst software. Topics include: layering imagery; the ingredients of interaction; creating elegant, highly interactive Web site content without writing code; video and audio for the Web; defining features; budgets, pricing and the Web design marketplace; how to hire a programmer to add additional features to your Web site; communicating with clients and programmers; competitions, awards, promotion, and findability. Lab fee: $150. (4 credits) Prerequisites: basic computer skills, STC 108/109

MC 370 Interactive Graphic Design for Online Publishing: Connecting Every Part to the Whole

Interactive Graphic Design for Online Publishing: Connecting Every Part to the Whole

In this class, students focus on advancing their graphic design skills for online publishing usage. Learn how to create eBooks and other publishing documents for iPads, iPhones, Androids, Kindle and other portable devices. Learn new creative tools, design techniques and features in InDesign and Photoshop to create ePubs and magazine layouts. Also learn how to create Interactive PDFs with hyperlinks, video, article threads and Flash movies. Lab fee: $40. (4 credits)

MC 380 Media Projects

Media Projects: Making the Imagination Manifest

This is a capstone course in which individuals who have taken the courses in Media and Communications come together to envisage and then realize a set of core projects across a range of media. These projects are formulated among the student group with the aid of faculty members. The first stage of the course will be the generation of the project ideas, which can include ideas that utilize a range of media or ideas that are focused on a particular medium. The central goal of the course is for students to apply everything they have learned to these projects. This can be a cooperative venture, so students can be involved in a variety of projects playing different roles on each one. You may be a director on a documentary, an actor in a drama feature, a producer on a Web-based animation series, or a composer of a soundtrack. There is a wide range of possibilities. You imagine it and we will make it happen as a team. The idea is to produce great projects that get noticed. In addition, students undertake a research project in an area of their interest that culminates in a presentation to the class and a short essay on their research with properly cited sources. Lab fee: $150. Prerequisites: Consent of instructor or see the Graduation Director in the Enrollment Center (4 credits; maybe be repeated for credit)

MC 410 Advanced Narrative

Advanced Narrative: The Quest for the Essential Truths of Human Existence

This is a follow on course from the undergraduate Narrative course at M.U.M. Since this is advanced narrative, however, it is a requirement that students who take this course have an understanding of the fundamentals of narrative. They should be familiar with key components of narrative such as character archetypes, plot, protagonist-antagonist, climax, resolution, etc. They may have gained this knowledge through previous courses or their own experience and studies. Advanced narrative is a part-lecture, part-project based course. The first part of the course will be a reminder and summary of the fundamentals of narrative covered in the narrative course. There will then be a series of lectures on different narrative forms. There is a historical and analytical element to these lectures. Before the invention of writing, narratives were conveyed through oral tradition. These stories were later written down and became the body of myths and sacred writings that are the core texts of ancient civilizations and peoples around the world. The early narratives conveyed a society's understanding of the essential truths of human existence and core ontological beliefs. Through a long process of development and transformation that reflected the great cultural developments of the ages, such as the Enlightenment, the narrative form ultimately became a means by which an individual could explore a personal perspective on life. In Advanced Narrative we will now go more deeply into key aspects of narrative such as character, dialogue, symbolism, genre, etc. There is also a workshop element to the course and students are required to work on a more lengthy course project. This can be any narrative based work. The project can be one that they are already working on; it does not have to be generated within the course. The time allotted to project work gives the student the opportunity to progress with their project and to get guidance and feedback on their work. Lab fee: $35. (4 credits) Prerequisite: MC300.

MC 421 Feature Film Production I

Feature Film Production I: Preparation for Action

In this class, students join the key production team during the pre-production phase of a feature-length film. They help design and create sets, costumes and props, or assist in the essential organization of location scouting, scheduling and budget management. Lab fee: $150. (4 credits) Prerequisite: invitation by faculty.

MC 422 Feature Film Production II

Feature Film Production II: Skill in Action

Students join the crew of a feature-length film in production. Lab fee: $150. (4 credits) Prerequisite: invitation by faculty.

MC 423 Feature Film Production III

Feature Film Production III: Creating Unity from Diversity

In this class, students assist in video editing, sound mixing, scoring, special effects, and colorization as a member of the post-production team of a feature-length film. Lab fee: $150. (4 credits) Prerequisite: invitation by faculty.

MC 431 Cinematography with the RED ONE™ Camera

Cinematography with the RED ONE™ Camera: Realizing Your Vision From the Deepest Level

In this course, students will learn to use the RED ONE camera, a superb digital camera with image resolution high enough to be used for shooting cinema release feature films. Students who complete this course at a high level of achievement will receive a RED ONE certificate that means it is possible for them to use the camera in designated RED ONE production classes and projects. Students should be aware that there are high standards for this class. They will really need to demonstrate competence and reliability in order to get this certificate. The other aspect of this class is that students will learn how to shoot with a professional digital camera. This means learning how to compose shots. What are the different ways you can shoot a dramatic scene? What is the best way to shoot a documentary? They will learn all the different types of shots. The class will also look at the work of different directors and see how they go about filming their subjects. This course and its certification will be a boon for students when applying for jobs or advancing their careers. Lab fee: $300. (4 credits) Prerequisites: MC 282 and MC 285, or consent of the Media and Communications faculty.

MC 432 Lighting and the RED ONE™ Camera

Lighting and the RED ONE™ Camera: Illuminating Scenes with Meaning and Subtle Nuance

Students in this class deepen their skills using the RED ONE camera with a particular emphasis on using lighting and exposure to enhance the expressive power and subtlety of each scene. The class will center around video production projects that include in-depth exploration of the qualities of light, placement and filtering of light sources, 3-point lighting, and other lighting strategies. Students who complete this course at a very high level of achievement will receive an additional certificate marking their achievement with the RED ONE camera. Lab fee: $300. (4 credits) Prerequisite: MC 431, or consent of the Media and Communications faculty.

MC 433 RED ONE™ Camera Projects

RED ONE™ Camera Projects: Expressing the Deepest Values of Life

This is a capstone course in which students work in teams or individually on media projects that use the RED ONE camera and that contribute significantly to their portfolio. The central goal of the course is for students to apply everything they have learned to these projects. This can be a cooperative venture, so students can be involved in a variety of projects playing different roles on each one. The idea is to produce great projects that get noticed. In addition students undertake a research project in an area of their interest that culminates in an essay on their research with properly cited sources, and a presentation to the class. Students who complete this course at a very high level of achievement will receive an additional certificate marking their achievement with the RED ONE camera. This course can substitute for MC 380 in fulfilling requirements for the BA in Media and Communications. Lab fee: $300. (4 credits) Prerequisite: consent of the Media and Communications faculty.

The content of this page was reviewed in August 2011.

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Media and Communications (B.A.)

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