Degree Overview: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree in Film and Video Production
Majors Overview April 12, 2015Get information about Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree programs in Film and Video Production and their coursework, career choices, job and wage outlook, and continuing education choices.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree Programs in Film and Video Production
Those who want to utilize the principles of directing, cinematography, and video editing in media production careers would benefit by enrolling in a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree program in Film and Video Production. Students may include various disciplines with their film and video studies. Expansive program coursework covers general education courses and production basics apart from professional skills and script analysis. Schools may offer concentrations in sound design, animation, documentary production, or cinema studies.
Admission criteria typically require incoming students to hold a GED certificate or a high school diploma. Students enrolled in some schools may be required to take a specified number of courses prior to acceptance into the program. Pop cultural studies, animation, and audio and visual media principles may be covered with these courses.
Coursework
A solid foundation in production basics is imparted to students; courses covered include multi-camera filming, digital editing, and classical narrative structure. Apart from technical training, students explore social science, communications, media history, and television and film theory.
Over the whole duration of the program, students are taught about ways of examining cultural expression and artistic media, making films, and understanding the industry of film.
Students enrolled in this degree program are ready for numerous professional duties: they learn to mount cameras, edit raw camera footage, coordinate crewmembers’ tasks, and dispense technical direction to onscreen talent. They may also learn some non-technical skills, such as conducting independent research, writing scripts, and reading critically.
Program coursework comprises seminars, workshops, and classroom lectures, in addition to professional training through special projects. Some programs are devised to impart professional experience in the field through completing a thesis and/or capstone project. There is a mixture of technical and theoretical training in subjects such as:
•Film editing
•Motion picture production
•Scriptwriting
•Audio production
•TV interpretation
Career Choices
Those who graduate from the program may seek work in diverse settings such as editing rooms, production studios, television news studios, ad agencies, and movie sets. They may choose from occupations such as:
•Director
•Boom operator
•Producer
•Key grip
•Cinematographer
Job and Wage Outlook
Over the 2012 – 2022 decade, slower-than-average job growth rate of 3%, which are attributable to a highly competitive industry, have been predicted for directors and producers (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). In May 2012, producers and directors brought in an annual average wage of $71,350. Employees in video and motion picture industries banked $114,450 on average, and those working in TV and radio broadcasting earned $67,110.
Continuing Education Choices
Those who complete a bachelor’s program may seek entry-level careers in the field or opt for continuing education by earning a master’s degree. Two-year intensive graduate programs in film production are devised to train students in digital editing, sound design, cinematography, editing, directing, and filmmaking. The Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Film and Video Production is an example of a specific program that students can enroll in.