RIT offers a four year BFA degree in Film and Animation and a four year BS
degree in Digital Cinema.
Bachelor of Fine Arts Program
The BFA program is designed for the student to "learn by doing" and therefore involves hands-on production for all four years of matriculation. Supplementing this experience are strong components in scriptwriting as well as film history and aesthetics that exposes the student to a very broad spectrum of filmmaking styles. These major components contribute to the student's growth in concept development and accomplished story telling.
Students follow a basic filmmaking program during their first year. They may then choose to concentrate in one of five areas:
Production: Students with a particular interest in other genres, such as the documentary or live action experimental, will choose a production emphasis. Typically they matriculate in enough craft classes to make them proficient as independent small crew filmmakers. History and Aesthetics courses are an important foundation for developing their own style and approach.
Animation: Animation students work in both traditional cel animation and computer animation. Additionally there is opportunity to concentrate in either the 2D or 3D form. 2D students take a sequence of drawing for animation classes while 3D students must first learn how to model and rig their elements. There is also opportunity to explore stop motion puppet animation and various forms of pixelation.
For all of the above concentrations students are expected to produce three major finished films during their course of study: a one-quarter film during their sophomore year, a two-quarter film during thejunior year, and a senior thesis.
Stagecraft: This emphasis is a joint collaboration between the School of Film and Animation and the Theater department in the National Technical School for the Deaf. Students take both film and theater courses and are expected to present a stage production in their senior year.
Scriptwriting: This emphasis is for students with strong writing skills and a keen interest in fictional narrative. Students are required to take a concentration in Scriptwriting and Directing the Actor courses.
Craft: This emphasis is for students who are interested in concentrating on one particular filmmaking craft such as cinematography, sound recording and editing, picture editing or special effects and compositing. Instead of producing their own films in their third and fourth years they are expected to fill these responsibilities in other student productions.
Bachelor of Science Program
Graduates from the new BS in Digital Cinema will be trained to work in Post Production facilities in such areas as color and gamma correction of digital
intermediates, CG element and match move compositing, format conversions and
other issues concerned with preserving the cinematographers' and directors'
intents. Additionally graduates will be prepared to pursue other emerging
career choices. The technology is changing rapidly and there are new
opportunities in the design, use and understanding of imaging hardware and
software algorithms that support production workflow, effects, distribution
and presentation of electronic and traditional cinema.
