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Film & Media Studies

Program Under Development (individual courses currently available)

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Overview

In partnership with
MediaU

Through our partnership with MediaU, students will have unprecedented access to prestigious instructors actively working in the film and media industries, industry events, and job opportunities.

Launching in winter 2019, this career-focused program is uniquely designed to prepare students for financially stable careers. By providing this highly affordable and premium online media education, it is opening accessible training to all levels of content creators within the media ecosystem, as well as those just entering.

Who Should Attend

  • All ages, either as an alternative to traditional film or media schools, or to get practical, career-readiness skills following traditional film or media school
  • Mid-career people who always wanted to study film and media
  • Working professionals in the entertainment industry who either need to continue their training in order to stay current with technological and process changes; or who want to get a Master's Degree so they can qualify for teaching positions

Program Benefits

  • Story-based, project-centered pedagogy addressing current and emerging trends in filmmaking globally
  • Curated toward skillsets specific for employment opportunities
  • Industry touchpoints with prestigious festivals and industry events in the US will provide testing-ground for student work-in-progress and achievement
  • Key student talent may be exposed to opportunities with MediaU and other industry links

Course Schedule

Directors & Actors: Casting!
Online

In this course, actors and directors will strategize the first steps in the audition process to build a creative working relationship. Directors will learn how to attract the best actors and become a coveted actor's director. Actors will learn how to become top-of-mind and a sought-after director's actor. Both sides will do so with an enhanced understanding of the requirements of the ‘other’ side of the table.

Taught and facilitated by industry professionals and mentors, this interactive online course provides active participation in discussion topics, engagement with peers on some assignments, and test methods in real world application. Both course instructor and industry facilitators are available daily (asynchronous) and in three live (synchronous) sessions.

Students will be able to:

  • Analyze, differentiate and critique audition techniques and strategies used in auditions and callbacks
  • Test and evaluate communication techniques to build trust between directors and actors
  • Learn the six stages of casting and decision-making processes in each stage
  • Plan, design and execute an online audition (directors) or an audition self-tape (actors)
  • Reflect on personal growth and plan career next steps
Course # Title Winter Spring Summer Fall
ART
X402.1		 Directors & Actors: Casting! Online  
Course schedules are subject to change.

Taught and Developed By Industry Pros

Instructor:

  • Peter D. Marshall. Peter has worked in the film and television industry for over 40 years, with experience on large-budget Hollywood projects and independent productions alike. He has served as film director, TV producer, first assistant director, and TV series creative consultant, with credits that include Happy Gilmore, Dawn of the Dead, The Butterfly Effect, and Legends of the Fall.

Course Developers:

  • Adam Leipzig. Adam has been a producer, distributor or supervising executive on more than 30 films that have disrupted expectations, including A Plastic Ocean, March of the Penguins, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Dead Poets Society, and Titus. His movies have won or been nominated for numerous awards, including 10 Academy Awards, 11 BAFTA Awards, and 2 Golden Globes. Adam is the former President of National Geographic Films and past senior executive at Walt Disney Studios.
  • Tiska Wiedermann. Tiska has a Masters degree in Education and Online Learning, and has been at the forefront of film education for nearly a decade. Through her work in the Raindance Postgraduate Program, she helped emerging filmmakers learn, connect and navigate a breakthrough career into the competitive independent film industry. She continues to pursue her interest in testing and documenting new ways to finance, market, and distribute films.

MediaU

MediaU reinvents film and media education. Its goal is to be the premier worldwide provider of affordable, accredited distance-learning certificates and degrees for film and media arts. MediaU's programs empower you with new ways to tell your stories onscreen for the way we communicate now – and into the future. In collaboration with UCI, MediaU's courses are immersive, practice-based, and experiential, taught and developed by true industry professionals, to give you the tools you need to become sought-after talent in today's film and media industries.

Slam Dance Film Festival

MediaU is a partner with the Slam Dance Film Festival, founded in 1995, and a high-profile film festival that takes place in Park City, Utah, every January coincident with the Sundance Film Festival. Attracting high film industry and media recognition, Slamdance received more than 6,000 film submissions for its 2018 festival.

A Slamdance event may be offered on campus to share student work and possibly access Slamdance's roster of film and media talent as guest lecturers.

On-site Training Available

Our Corporate Training specialists can deliver this program or customize one that fits your organization’s specific needs. Visit Corporate Training or call (949) 824-1847 for information.

English Proficiency Requirement
All certificate programs at UCI Division of Continuing Education (classroom and online formats) require professional-level English language proficiency in listening and note-taking, reading comprehension and vocabulary, written expression, and oral presentation.