PRN 610: Thesis Production — Production Design
12 CREDIT HOURS TOTAL

Building on the first-year production experience, the Production Design Fellows must successfully fulfill all pre-production and production responsibilities on a thesis production in a professionally executed short film or digital video project that is evaluated by senior faculty. Production Designers collaborate with team members under the guidance of thesis production faculty mentors. Thesis production teams participate in special development, pre-production and post-production workshops. In addition, teams visit discipline workshops on a scheduled basis over the course of pre-production, production and post-production in order to gain a thorough understanding of the collaborative interdisciplinary creative process. If a Production Design Fellow is approved by faculty to design more than one thesis production, the additional project(s) will be considered an additional thesis requirement for completion of the degree certificate.

DES 601: Art Direction & Set Design Essentials
FIRST TERM
2 CREDIT HOURS

The goal of this course is to educate and strengthen the Fellow’s conceptual, drafting, and communication skills by providing training in practical design methods used for set building. This training will be augmented with insights into Art Direction, which will include: organizing the workflow for both your project and your department, understanding how to communicate your design goals with all personnel and departments, and how to foresee potential problems within your set concepts and/or builds that could make filming problematic and/or expensive.

DES 602: Applied Art Direction & Set Design
SECOND TERM
2 CREDIT HOURS

This course on advanced set design reviews and strengthens the Fellows’ conceptual, drafting, and communication skills.  Each Fellow will select their own film projects (with instructor approval) and produce working drawings for two major sets within that film over the course of the semester. Drawings for the project include all plans and elevations, plus some details, and a white model (to be discussed).

DES 623: Modeling with VectorWorks for Entertainment Design
FIRST TERM
2 CREDIT HOURS

DES623 is an intensive hands-on computer laboratory class that will concentrate on the use of VectorWorks as Art Department tool for 3D modeling, rendering and drafting. These skills will be studied concurrently with other digital tools throughout the two second year terms. Emphasis will be placed on using software to quickly visualize concepts and then develop those concepts into finished drawings in practical, real world Art Department situations. The course will consist of in class lecture and demonstration and student hands-on experience to demonstrate the tools and concepts of each program. Each week we will examine different aspects of the programs in class, and each week there will be an assignment to be done to reinforce the weeks classwork.

DES 624: Advanced Design Software Skills
SECOND TERM
2 CREDIT HOURS

This course will instruct students in the design of scenery for Film and Stage using advanced modeling techniques in both VectorWorks and SketchUp, as well as introduce students to the design of production graphics using Adobe Illustrator.

DES 641: Concept Development
FIRST TERM
2 CREDIT HOURS

Fellows are required to select a screenplay of their choice, create a breakdown, budget and schedule, then design and present two key set concepts by the end of the class.

DES 642: Advanced Concept Development
SECOND TERM
2 CREDIT HOURS

Working from their interpretation of a more complex source, Fellows research and develop an advanced set design that fits on a given sound stage and addresses the technical concerns of the key disciplines including cinematography and visual effects. Their concept must be clearly presented in drawings including perspectives, plans and elevations as well as a physical study model. After the conclusion of the course each Fellow presents their work to a panel of professional production designers.

DES 655: Introduction to Concept Modeling with Rhino I
FIRST TERM
2 CREDIT HOURS

DES 655 introduces the fellows to the flow of information into and out of the art dept. We will look at blocking and framing as the basis for design and explore the ways that 3D digital modeling (in Rhino 3D) is used in a feature film art department. Through in class design charrettes, the fellows will learn to use Rhino 3D and be introduced to the basics of concept modeling and how it is used to bring a set from their initial concept, through construction, shooting and post before being seen in the finished film.

DES 656: Concept Modeling with Rhino II
SECOND TERM
2 CREDIT HOURS

DES 656 builds on DES 655. We take the modeling skills we developed last semester and learn to apply them to several scenarios that are faced during production. We will start with learning the particulars of designing a set with set extension component. We will then move on to designing a set with a special effects component. And finally, you will take one of the sets you previously did in this class and revisit it to bring it up to a finished standard.

DES 670: Internship Practicum
ANY TERM
1–3 CREDIT HOUR(S)
ELECTIVE

The objective of this course is to provide working experience in the film/TV industry as it pertains specifically to the Fellow’s degree/certificate requirements. Specific duties and requirements will be outlined and supervised by the faculty mentor. This internship qualifies an international Fellow for Curriculum Practical Training; approval must be obtained by the international advisor, as well as the faculty mentor prior to enrolling in the course.

DES 690: Thesis Portfolio — Production Design
THESIS TERM TO BE ARRANGED
8 CREDIT HOURS

Fellows are required to document the development of their thesis project including analysis and visual interpretation of the script, color flows, storyboards, key frame illustrations, set design sketches, floor plans, perspective drawings, models and computer renderings, as well as set construction and finished set photographic documentation. In addition, Design Fellows select and prepare additional illustrative work for this professional portfolio. The complete portfolio will be presented to senior faculty for review, evaluation and approval for graduation.

CON 621 and 622: World Approaches to Film
FIRST AND SECOND TERMS
2 CREDIT HOURS TOTAL

A non-American narrative, live-action screening series of classic and contemporary feature and short films, highlighting the work of each discipline in order to explore the aesthetic, cultural, historical and social phenomenon of the motion picture arts.

CON 631 and 632: HLMS (Harold Lloyd Master Seminar)/ Seminar Series
FIRST AND SECOND TERMS
2 CREDIT HOURS TOTAL

This second-year seminar features a series of screenings and interviews with leadingfigures from all aspects of the motion picture, television and digital media arts. The seminars provide Fellows with a broad and varied perspective on contemporary stories being told, directly from the artists creating them.