Contact

Owen Shapiro, Department of Transmedia
102 Shaffer Art Building, 315-443-1033, ojshapir@syr.edu

Faculty

Boryana Dragoeva, Kara Herold, Alexis Mendez, June Kyu Park, Vasilios Papaioannu, Owen Shapiro, Miso Suchy, Ruige Xu

Description

The main objective and educational mission of our film program is to provide a stimulating and rewarding context for independent filmmaking and scholarship. The film program places equal emphasis on academic film studies and creative production. Students pursue various modes of production, including experimental, narrative, documentary, and animation and are required to take film history, theory and criticism classes.

Our approach is that of the total filmmaker. The primary focus of the program is to foster creative, intellectual, and personal achievement. Students learn everything from scriptwriting to pre-production, production, and post- production. Learning how to develop interpersonal and leadership skills is an important part of the process. The program encourages independence, debate, and originality. Our approach to film is an aesthetic one rather than a commercial enterprise.

The first two years of the program are rigorously structured. Freshmen follow Transmedia core curriculum, including film history and an introductory film production course. Sophomore classes concentrate on the essential filmmaking skills. Juniors and seniors have more flexibility. Students choose from menu-structured courses according to their academic and professional interests, in essence constructing their own path with their faculty advisor.

Students must participate in a portfolio review, which is held at the end of each semester. The student and faculty members evaluate creative and academic work and assess student progress. Sophomore Review will result in a recommendation to continue or to not continue in the program.

In addition to the core study and study abroad options, students have various opportunities for involvement with the Syracuse International Film Festival, the Dropped Frame Society (a student-run film organization), and are encouraged to seek internships. Each year, two of our film seniors participate in the “Sorkin Week,” a week-long professional sojourn in Los Angeles, California.

The program maintains full facilities for 16mm, super 16mm, and digital video formats, including HD.

Our students go on to become independent filmmakers and educators, and work in a wide variety of media-related fields.