Curriculum: A variety of courses in critical studies, production and writing cover many aspects of the electronic media and cinema.
People: Professionally engaged faculty and staff challenge students to expand their knowledge and skills through intellectual inquiry and creative projects, encouraging them to become critical lifelong learners and ethical media content creators.
Location: RTVF is one of three departments in the College of Communications providing access to the vibrant and media-rich Orange County and Los Angeles Basin.
Knows the foundational history of the film and electronic media industry and how that history shapes the industry’s present and future
Understands the structure and function of film and electronic media in society
Applies fundamental production concepts to aural and visual productions
Demonstrates fundamental story concepts and writing proficiency
Contributes ethically to the media industry
Consumes film and electronic media critically
Creates at least one project or portfolio piece, such as a script, production or thesis
Experiences a meaningful internship with exposure to the real workings of the radio, television and/or film industry
* Meets upper-division writing requirement for Radio-TV-Film majors.
| RTVF 100 Introduction to Radio-TV-Film |
| Description: Overview of the history, structure and function of the radio, TV and film industry. Includes current issues, relevance to society, employment options and other topics. One or more sections offered on line. |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 210 Introduction to Audio Production |
| Description: Foundational theory and practice of audio production as it pertains to radio, TV and film. Covers broadcasting, recording, editing and mixing. Emphasizes aesthetics and techniques to ensure high quality sound. Uses a digital lab. (2 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory) |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 220 TV Studio Production |
| Description: Introduction to multiple-camera, live-on-tape, studio production. Theory and practice of producing programs live. Students crew all positions, including writer, producer, director, assistant director, lighting director, floor manager, camera operator, video switcher, audio engineer, video engineer, recording engineer and graphics operator. (2 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory) |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 225 Field Video Production |
| Description: Introduction to single-camera, field video production. Theory and practice of producing projects on location. Preproduction, production and post-production using digital cameras and nonlinear editing. Students crew productions, including writer, producer, director, videographer, sound recorder and editor. (2 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory) |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 250 Writing Short Scripts |
| Description: Prerequisite: English 101. Techniques for writing short-form scripts for film and video. Analysis of short films in relation to scriptwriting concepts. Develop and critique student-written short scripts. |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 271 American Film 1: Beginnings – 1945 |
| Description: History of American film and film style from the beginnings to 1945. Relation to socio-historical, economic, political, cultural, artistic and technological contexts. |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 272 American Film 2: 1945 – Present |
| Description: History of American film and film style from the post-war period to modern times. Relation to socio-historical, economic, political, cultural, artistic and technological contexts. |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 300 Language of Film |
| Description: Prerequisite: completion of G.E. Category I.C. Visual and syntactic components of the motion picture. Detailed analysis of frame, line, space, shape, image size, movement, tone, color and structuring of visual images. One or more sections offered online. |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 310 Advanced Audio Production |
| Description: Prerequisite: RTVF 210. Advanced audio projects for radio, TV, film and the Internet, including digital storage and distribution. Complete the audio production process, from pre- through postproduction, applying aesthetic concepts and hands-on skills. (2 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory) |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 315 Live Radio Production |
| Description: Prerequisite: completion of G.E. Category I.A. Concepts and techniques of live radio production. Produce weekly, two-hour, live radio talk shows with segments. Includes all aspects and positions: planning, writing, producing, interviewing, promoting, engineering, recording, hosting and the like. (2 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory) |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 330 Film Production 1 |
| Description: Prerequisites: RTVF 225 and 300. Introduction to theory and practice of motion picture photography and film production. Create short projects, shooting film and editing digitally. Additional cost for film development and digital transfer. (2 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory) |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 350 Story Structure |
| Description: Prerequisites: English 101 and junior standing. Analysis and development of script structure and viable, narrative story elements. Covers acts, scenes, premises, conflict, plots, characters, action, etc. Write critical analyses of professional scripts and author own treatments. Meets upper-division writing requirement for RTVF majors. One or more sections offered online. |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 351 TV Scriptwriting: Sitcom |
| Description: Prerequisite: RTVF 350. Theory, principles and practice of writing for situation comedies. Analyze scripts, study program episodes and develop and write an original story and spec script for a current half-hour, prime-time sitcom. Meets upper-division writing requirement for RTVF majors. |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 352 TV Scriptwriting: Drama |
| Description: Prerequisite: RTVF 350. Theory, principles and practice of writing for episodic television dramas. Analyze scripts, study program episodes and develop and write an original story and spec script for a current one-hour, prime-time TV drama. Meets upper-division writing requirement for RTVF majors. |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 360 Radio and TV Programming |
| Description: Prerequisite: completion of G.E. Category II.B.2. Purposes, philosophies and methods of obtaining, developing, launching, scheduling and evaluating programming for electronic media. Covers commercial radio and TV networks and stations, cable TV, public radio and TV, direct broadcast satellite and the internet. |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 361 American TV |
| Description: Prerequisite: completion of G.E. Category II.B.1. Critical examination of the history of American television programming. Analysis of TV shows in the context of changing trends and influences in the industry. |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 365 Children’s TV |
| Description: Prerequisite: completion of G.E. Category III.C.1. Research and literature on effects of television on children. Historical and contemporary aspects of children’s TV issues, including advertising, violence, stereotyping and education. How children’s TV producers use concepts related to children to design material for them. |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 370 World Cinema |
| Description: Prerequisite: completion of G.E. Category III.B.1. or III.B.2. Global influence of motion pictures. Examines various directors, film movements, national cinemas and the increasing internationalization of the world film industry. |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 371 Contemporary American Film |
| Description: Prerequisite: completion of G.E. Category III.B.1. or III.B.2. Recent American films as indicators of societal, cultural and artistic trends. Cinema in light of current theories of postmodernism and formal categories of film production. |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 375 Documentary Film and TV |
| Description: Prerequisite: completion of G.E. Category III.B.1. or III.B.2. Documentary form in film and television. Includes development, purpose and current trends. Requirements to write and produce non-fiction films for the mass media, business, education and government. |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 381 Regulation and Censorship |
| Description: Prerequisite: completion of G.E. Category II.B.2. Function of law, policy and standards in radio, TV and film. Key regulations, including roles of commissions, courts and amendments. Key censorship practices, including language, sex and violence. |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 385 Radio Station Operations |
| Description: Prerequisite: completion of G.E. Category I.A. Concepts and practices of radio station operations, including programming, sales, promotion, traffic, billing, production, news, research and engineering. Allows for in-depth work in several areas. |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 410 Sound Design for Film-TV |
| Description: Prerequisite: RTVF 210 and either 220 or 225. Acquiring, recording, editing and mixing sound for film and TV. Special emphasis on creative aspects of sound design. (2 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory) |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 425 Advanced Video Production |
| Description: Prerequisite: RTVF 225. Advanced theory and practice of video production. Includes advanced shooting and editing techniques. Produce projects that may be distributed and/or entered in competitions. (2 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory) |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 427 Documentary Production |
| Description: Prerequisites: RTVF 225 and 375. Preproduction, production and postproduction of documentary film or video. Documentary concepts and hands-on skills. (2 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory) |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 430 Film Production 2 |
| Description: Prerequisite: RTVF 330. Preproduction, shooting and rough editing of a large-crew, sync-sound film. Includes planning, scouting, breakdown, budgeting, scheduling, casting, rehearsing, shooting and preliminary editing. Additional cost for film development and digital transfer. (2 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory) |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 431 Cinematography |
| Description: Prerequisite: RTVF 330. Cinematographic techniques for film and video. Analyze cinematographic styles, including qualities of camera movement, lenses and lighting as expressive tools. Hands-on experience shooting scenes with film and video cameras, lighting and grip equipment. Additional cost for film development and digital transfer. (2 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory) |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 434 Digital Effects for Film-TV |
| Description: Prerequisite: RTVF 225. Design motion graphics and visual effects for film and TV. Previsualizing, titling, matting, rotoscoping and compositing using industry-standard software. (2 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory) |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 435 Directing Film and TV |
| Description: Prerequisite: RTVF 225. Direct for narrative film and television, including breakdowns and use of the camera as an expressive tool. Direct, shoot and edit short scenes. (2 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory) |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 455 Screenwriting |
| Description: Prerequisite: RTVF 350. Theory, principles and practice of writing feature films. Analyze scripts and study films. Apply concepts from RTVF 350 and advanced concepts to develop full-length screenplays. Meets upper-division writing requirement for RTVF majors. |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 456 Rewriting the Screenplay |
| Description: Prerequisite: RTVF 455. Intensive writing course aimed at students who have completed first drafts of full-length screenplays. Complete a rewrite-polish of their scripts, learning skills to prepare them for production and entrance into the marketplace. |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 472 Contemporary Asian Cinema |
| Description: Prerequisite: completion of G.E. Category III.B.1 or III.B.2. Artistic developments in recent East and Southeast Asian cinema. Theoretical analysis and critique of directors, styles, techniques, genres and production elements. |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 480 Management in RTVF |
| Description: Prerequisite: completion of G.E. Category II.B.2. Management structure and issues in the RTVF industry. Audience measurement, distribution, finance, personnel, programming, regulation and sales. May include applied experience with college media activities. |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 495 Internship in Radio-TV-Film |
| Description: Prerequisites: RTVF 100, 350 and either 220 or 225. Supervised fieldwork at a radio, TV or film organization. Skill development and understanding of industry operation through hands-on experience and networking. Must submit an application one semester prior to taking through the RTVF Internship Office. |
Units: (3)
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| RTVF 496 Student-to-Student Tutorial |
| Description: Prerequisites: 3.0+ GPA, senior standing, written approval from instructor and department chair. Student-to-student tutorial encourages students to learn through teaching. Work may include contact hours with tutees, tutorial preparations, consulting with instructors, reporting-analysis-evaluation of tutorial experiences, participation in university programs for tutors. Does not count toward major or minor units. Grade or Credit/No Credit. |
Units: (1-3)
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| RTVF 499 Independent Study |
| Description: Prerequisites: 3.0+ GPA, senior standing, written approval from instructor and department chair. Independent Study is of a research or creative nature and shall culminate in a paper, project, comprehensive exam and/or performance. The student shall prepare a proposal including a statement of the basis for the final evaluation. |
Units: (1-3)
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