UNDERGRADUATE STUDY IN FILM STUDIES, 2006-08

What is Film Studies?

Film studies will give you an opportunity to study film/media theory, history, criticism, and production within a comprehensive liberal arts context. A primary goal of the film studies curriculum is the development of the critical thinking and communication skills necessary for becoming a film industry or academic professional. In addition to studying the narrative film, you will learn about documentary and experimental approaches to film as well as new technologies.The world of film now includes not only movies but all forms of television and video as well as digital media.

Why should I choose KU?

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Rave Reviews. The 2007 Fiske Guide to Colleges lists KU as one of the nations Major Universities Strong in Film/ Television. Identifying KU as one of the nations best buys, the Fiske Guide also gives KU four stars for academics, social life, and overall quality of university life. Only a handful of state universities received higher marks for academics. Your Film Career. KU has strong ties to the film world. KU film studies faculty members are in touch with directors, producers, writers, scholars, and critics around the world. You will meet visiting academic and industry professionals on campus. You may have an opportunity to work on films produced in and beyond Lawrence. When you decide on a career, a network of alumni can give a helping hand. The Facilities. Film studies majors learn their craft in the state-of-the-art facilities of Oldfather Studios. You will get hands-on experience in film/video production using S-VHS and 16mm cameras and professional lighting and sound equipment. Post-production services include nonlinear digital editing systems such as Avid and ProTools. The Faculty. The film and theatre faculty members represent a broad range of backgrounds and expertise, including specialties in film and media history and theory, film and video production, acting, directing, television studies, cultural studies, womens studies, Latin American studies, Japanese/East Asian studies, and archival preservation. They publish widely, produce award-winning films and videos, maintain contacts with industry professionals, and participate in the disciplines top scholarly organizations. KU Enrichment. The education and social environment at KU is rich and varied. You can supplement your classroom learning with hundreds of films, plays, concerts, and a wide variety of forums and lectures. Concerts and shows in KUs Lied Center Series bring many of the finest national and international performers to campus. The proximity of Kansas City affords additional opportunities.

What degrees are offered in film?

The Department of Theatre and Film offers a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or a Bachelor of General Studies (B.G.S.) degree with an emphasis in film studies and a B.G.S. degree combining film and theatre studies. Each of these degrees requires a broad range of liberal arts courses in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Students earning a B.A. also take courses in a foreign language and a laboratory science.

Randy Edmonds

Professor Madison Davis Lacy, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, works with Broadcast Documentary Workshop students.

Can I get a scholarship?

Your academic or production achievements at KU could make you

eligible to receive one of a number of the departments scholarships. Each year, the Department of Theatre and Film awards scholarships adding up to approximately $90,000. For information about scholarships from KU and various outside agencies based on academic merit, diversity, major, and residence, visit the Scholarship Information for KU Students Web site at www.scholarships. ku.edu. KUs scholarship deadline for new students is December 1.

What kind of job can I get?

In addition to a variety of internships available to students, a full range of production and academic careers will be open to you. KU film and theatre alumni are now working as film producers, directors, writers, technicians, professors, and archivists throughout the country. Many are also creating industrial, training, and instructional films and videos for business and education. Some have applied their skills to careers in public relations and sales. A networking system has grown up among them, and as a KU film graduate, you will have friends and professional contacts everywhere.

What if my interests change after I come to KU?

KU has hundreds of programs from which to choose.You will explore many academic areas and take courses in many subjects. One of them will lead you toward a major and a career.

Contact us:
The KU Department of Theatre and Film in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Chair: John Staniunas Film Offices: Oldfather Studios 1621 West 9th Street Lawrence, KS 66044 Phone: (785) 864-1340 Fax: (785) 331-2671 E-mail: kuthf@ku.edu Web Site: www.ku.edu/~kuthf

Professor Chuck Berg advises a student in Oldfather Studios.

If you would like information on other programs at KU, contact the University of Kansas, Office of Admissions and Scholarships, KU Visitor Center, 1502 Iowa St., Lawrence, KS 66045-7576. Phone (785) 864-3911; fax: (785) 864-5017. E-mail: adm@ku.edu Web site: www.admissions.ku.edu The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, and parental status.

Aaron Paden/KU University Relations

FILM STUDIES
The University of Kansas

Aaron Paden/KU University Relations

The Oldfather Studios soundstage from the sound room.

What courses will I take?

In addition to English composition, math, and general education courses from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, film studies majors examine moving-image media through the complementary lenses of history, theory, criticism, and production. Additional emphasis is placed on key relationships among narrative-dramatic, documentary, and experimental forms the three principal approaches to film. While the curriculum stresses an integrated program in film production and studies (history, theory, and criticism), it also underscores the role of the spectator. Being an active film consumer or reader by better understanding the dynamics of films communicative process will enrich the aspiring film professional, whether in academia or in the studio. In pursuit of these goals, you will take courses in American Popular Culture, History of the American Sound Film, History of the International Sound Film, Film Theory, Documentary Film, Experimental Film, History of African-American Images in Film, Gender and Visual Culture, Latin American Film, and Japanese/East Asian Film.You will also be able to take courses in screenwriting, film and video production, and animation. For students interested in studying abroad, there is an exchange program with the Communications Arts Program at the University of Stirling, Scotland. One of the basic goals of the film curriculum is to provide you with a broad interdisciplinary understanding of film. Film majors are encouraged to take elective courses in such film-associated disciplines as theatre, literature, music, photography, history, dance, and other areas in the humanities and social sciences.

creative production opportunities will provide hands-on experience that will benefit your career goals, whether in the industry or in academia.The film faculty believes strongly in the dynamic synergies resulting from simultaneously studying production and films history, theory, and criticism. At Oldfather Studios, just north of the main campus, you will have the opportunity to plan, produce, and edit films and videos using traditional as well as state-of-theart technologies. You will learn screenwriting, cinematography, and videography from instructors who draw on their own professional experience.Your own productions will benefit from Oldfather Studios industrystandard equipment, which ranges from professional 16mm film systems to the latest in digital image-capture and postproduction technologies. Specific facilities and equipment include computers with the latest software for screenwriting, budgeting, scheduling, nonlinear editing, and animation; Avid Media Composer and Avid Xpress nonlinear digital editing suites; an Oxberry animation camera and digital animation tools; Arri S and Arri SRII 16mm cameras; topline digital video cameras; professional lighting and sound equipment for both location and studio work; and an audio mixing facility. Once a commercial film studio, Oldfather Studios is now a full-scale production facility for 16mm, digital, and video formats with the largest soundstage between Chicago and Dallas, sound and animation studios, and an array of both film and digital video editing suites.

Professor Kevin Willmott (right) discusses his prize-winning feature film CSA: The Confederate States of America with students at Oldfather Studios.

Where can I get more information?

Aaron Paden/KU University Relations

What will my student workload be like?

Each film studies major must earn a minimum of 124 credit hours to graduate. Most students average 15 to 16 credit hours, or about five courses, a semester. You will also spend extra hours working on film and video productions.These

For information and advising, contact Oldfather Studios, 1621 West 9th Street, Lawrence, KS 66044, (785) 864-1340, fax: (785) 331-2671, kuthf@ku.edu, www.ku.edu/~kuthf. To request the separate Theatre brochure, call (785) 864-3511, or send e-mail to kuthf@ku.edu.
Produced by the KU Office of University Relations, 2006.

Professor Catherine Preston (center) teaches a class at Oldfather Studios.

Professor Matt Jacobson (center) uses his professional production experience in teaching his filmmaking courses.

Professor John Tibbetts discusses an assignment with a student.

Aaron Paden/KU University Relations

Kelly Heese/KU University Relations

Doug Koch/KU University Relations