Motion Pictures
Barbara Doyle, Director
Vision:
Story is the basis for all filmmaking, either documentary or narrative. Belmont Motion Pictures majors will leave Belmont with a solid grasp of writing, editing, directing, sound, producing, and cinematography -- and the ability to tell stories that matter -- to them and to the world.
Purpose:
Belmont Motion Pictures will graduate career-ready filmmakers with a wide range of filmmaking knowledge and a clear plan of what they want to pursue next.
Goals:
Students will have an in-depth knowledge of story structure, character, dialogue and screenplay format. They will be adept at creating the building blocks for telling a visual story.
Majors will have a clear understanding of producing -- putting the elements together from script through production, to distribution.
Editing is a linchpin of writing and filmmaking. Students will understand the importance of rewriting -- both in words and pictures.
Actors are critical to the filmmaking process. Motion Pictures students will leave Belmont comfortable casting, rehearsing, and directing actors.
Our students will be able to get clean production sound and will know how design post sound to tell their story at a professional level.
Every student will get a from-the-ground-up cinematography education in storytelling with image: lighting, camera, and movement of actors and camera.
| Major in Motion Pictures (B.A.) |
Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Core Requirements | 60-61 | |
| MOT 4015, Motion Pictures Senior Capstone (3) (counted in the General Education) | ||
| Major Requirements | 41 | |
| Required Motion Pictures Foundations Courses | 26 | |
| MOT 1110, Film History I - Lumiere to Cassavetes | 3 | |
| MOT 1120, Film History II - Cassavetes to Now | 3 | |
| MOT 2100, Cinematic Storytelling | 3 | |
| MOT 2110, Short Film Analysis | 3 | |
| MOT 2120, Production I - Storytelling (co-requisite with MOT 2121) | 3 | |
| MOT 2121, Production I - The Crafts | 4 | |
| MOT 2200, Motion Picture Directing I | 3 | |
| MOT 4010, Capstone Planning | 1 | |
| MOT 4100, Entrepreneurship for the Creatives | 3 | |
| Motion Pictures Electives (Select 5 Courses From the Following) | 15 | |
| MOT 1130, The Directors (projected course - not yet approved) | 3 | |
| MOT 1170, The Media Makers | 3 | |
| MOT 1XXX, Cool Docs & Awesome Shorts (projected course - not yet approved) | 3 | |
| MOT 2000, Location Sound Recording (projected course - not yet approved) | 3 | |
| MOT 3100, Camera: Lighting and Choreography (projected course - not yet approved) | 3 | |
| MOT 3110, Editing (projected course - not yet approved) | 3 | |
| MOT 2XXX, Producing (projected course - not yet approved) | ||
| MOT 3130, Production II Narrative and Documentary (projected course - not yet approved) | 3 | |
| MOT 3140, Writing for Television (projected course - not yet approved) | 3 | |
| MOT 3150, Screenplay Anlaysis | 3 | |
| MOT 3160, Screenwriting I | 3 | |
| MOT 3170, Screenwriting II | 3 | |
| MOT 3200, Motion Picture DIrecting (projected course - not yet approved) | 3 | |
| Minor Requirements (Outside of Motion Pictures) | 18 | |
| Electives | 12 | |
| Total | 128 | |
| Major in Motion Pictures (B.F.A.) | Hours | |
| General Education Core Requirements | 43 | |
| MOT 4015, Motion Pictures Senior Capstone (3) (counted in the General Education) | ||
| Major Requirements | 73 | |
| MOT 1110, Film History I - Lumiere to Cassavetes |
3 |
|
| MOT 1120, Film History II - Cassavetes to Now |
3 |
|
| MOT 2100, Cinematic Storytelling | 3 | |
| MOT 2110, Short Film Analysis | 3 | |
| MOT 2120, Production I - Storytelling (co-requisite with MOT 2121) | 3 | |
| MOT 2121, Production I - The Crafts | 4 | |
| MOT 2200, Motion Picture Directing I | 4 | |
| MOT 4010, Capstone Planning | 1 | |
| MOT 4100, Entrepreneurship for the Creatives | 3 | |
| Motion Pictures Electives | 48 | |
| MOT 1130, The Directors (projected course - not yet approved) | 3 | |
| MOT 1170, The Media Makers | 3 | |
| MOT 3150, Screenplay Analysis (3) | 3 | |
| MOT 3160, Screenwriting I (3) |
3 | |
| MOT 3170, Screenwriting II (3) |
3 | |
| MOT 2XXX, Camera -- Lighting (3) (projected course - not yet approved) | ||
| MOT 2XXX, Camera -- Choreography (3) (projected course - not yet approved) | ||
| MOT 2XXX, Editing (3) (projected course - not yet approved) | ||
| MOT 2XXX, Music in Motion Pictures (3) (projected course - not yet approved) | ||
| MOT 2XXX, Motion Picture Directing II (3) (projected course - not yet approved) | ||
| MOT 3XXX, Narrative Production (3) (projected course - not yet approved) | ||
| MOT 3XXX, Documentary Production (3) (projected course - not yet approved) | ||
| MOT 3XXX, Creative Producing: Idea to Production (3) (projected course - not yet approved) | ||
| MOT 3XXX, Line Producing: Production to Post (projected course - not yet approved) | ||
| MOT 4XXX, Directing the Music Video (3) (projected course - not yet approved) | ||
| MOT 4XXX, Writing for Television: The 1-Hour Script (3) (projected course - not yet approved) | ||
| MOT 4XXX, Writing for Television: The 1/2-Hour Script (3) (projected course - not yet approved) | ||
| MOT 4XXX, Survival-Making It After School (3) (projected course - not yet approved) | ||
| General Electives | 12 | |
| Total | 128 | |
Motion Pictures Courses (MOT)
MOT 1110, Film History I - Lumiere to Cassavetes (3). Through screenings, readings, lecture and class discussion, students will get an in-depth introduction to the history of feature films and documentaries, including international cinema.
MOT 1120, Film History II - Cassavetes to Now (3). Through screenings, readings, lecture and class discussion, students will get an in-depth introuction to the history of feature films and documentaries, including international cinema. Course will also include history of production and distribution of Small Screen Media.
MOT 1170, The Media Makers (3).
MOT 2100, Cinematic Storytelling (3). Introduce basic grammar of Filmmaking - both visual and aural. Short, simple projects will explore how camera, sound, and editing convey story and emotion.
MOT 2110, Short Film Analysis & Writing (3). Study construction of short films. Emphasis on character and story structure. Students write and rewrite a short script, which can go into an online "library" for use by other Belmont filmmakers in future semesters.
MOT 3150, Screenplay Analysis (3). Before writing a script, students must understand how screenplays are constructed. Rigorous analysis of screenplay structure and storytelling techniques. Breakdown films by acts, sequences, and scenes. Scene and character analysis. Readings, screenings, class discussion and lecture.
MOT 3160, Screenwriting I (3).
MOT 3170, Screenwriting II (3).