A Brief Introduction
Film, television and digital media programs combine a theoretical and scholarly approach to the study of visual media with professional training in how to actually produce a piece of original work. Undergraduates pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in film studies attend courses that are for the most part “theory heavy” providing scholarly overviews of the various media, the industries involved, their history and recent trends while availing the opportunity to “taste” the field by taking on internships with film companies or trying their hand at working for graduate student films. Schools that offer Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees introduce students to the craft of film making and include courses in animation, art direction, cinematography, directing, editing and sound, producing and screenwriting. Coming through as a well-educated, determined, imaginative and creative person can heavily tilt the scales in your favour. Graduate programs dig deeper and make it possible for students to choose between Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degrees and the opportunity to enrol for research heavy PhD programs. The MA includes courses in cinema and media studies and is many ways an extension of ground already covered in undergrad studies while the MFA focuses on the actual craft of film/television/digital media “making” whether in terms of production, directing or screenwriting. Several top schools such as the Columbia University School of the Arts place the MA and MFA programs close together, so that students have ready access to the experience of their counterparts across the MA/MFA divide and some schools even make it compulsory for students to dip in to both theory and practice in equal measure. Schools offering PhD degrees provide students the opportunity to conduct in depth research in film and media studies often paving the way, among other professions, to academic careers. Unsurprisingly, getting into the top schools is tough and expensive but the rewards just as sweet in terms of top class training, exposure, influential contacts and nearly always a push to recognition.
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