When artists and scholars visit campus and give lectures, make sure you go. And ask questions about their work and their careers.
School of Film Undergraduate Programs
School of Film Undergraduate Programs
Become a Visual Storyteller & Use Your Creative Voice with a Film Major
Seize the opportunity to develop your individual strengths with a Film Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Our program prepares students to succeed in a variety of careers, and you might find your niche in the film and television industry, in advertising or emerging media, or as an independent artist.
Choose What You Want to Learn
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Film B.F.A.The Film Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree prepares students to succeed in careers in the film and television industry, in professional areas such as the web, advertising, and as independent artists.
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Film Tutorial B.F.A.The Honors Tutorial program in film is vigorous and comprehensive and is designed for highly motivated individuals who prefer a more independent, individualized program of study.
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Film MinorThe Film minor allows students to explore the art, history, and theory of cinema while developing practical skills in filmmaking and screenwriting.
Film in the News
Cutting-Edge LED Wall Supports Student Productions
“What they used to do with green screens, they now put these big LED panels up and project an image behind the actors that’s actually there and gets photographed in camera,” Director Justin Daering explained.
Undergraduate Student is Cinema Audio Society Finalist
Kat Frazier. part of the OHIO Honors Program, entered college with the intention of pursuing a career behind the camera but shifted gears with an unstoppable passion when she discovered the audio side of the film industry.
Visiting Filmmakers Announced for 53rd Athens International Film + Video Festival
Over the course of seven days, more than 200 films from upwards of 60 countries will screen in uptown Athens, Ohio, reaffirming the festival’s longstanding commitment to bold, independent and innovative filmmaking.
Get Hands-On Experience with Your Film Degree
Plan on getting lots of hands-on experience with your Film B.F.A. major!
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Work with the Athena Cinema
Learn the ins and outs of the business of bringing world class films to the Athena Cinema. Students build on a foundation of customer service and event support to advance into opportunities in theater management, film projection, social media, communications, arts administration and more.
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Staff the Athens International Film and Video Festival
Be a part of putting on the largest film event in Southeast Ohio! Participate in screening and programming films for the Academy Qualifying, Athens International Film + Video Festival as well as help in bringing over 250 films from over 60 countries to Athens for this yearly event.
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Get Involved with Summer Arts Programs
OHIO Summer Arts offers one-week and two-week workshops in Art, Design, Music, Dance, Film, and Theater. Taught by professional artists and designed to accommodate an inclusive community of art-interested participants at a variety of skill levels. Engage in the arts at Ohio University in beautiful Athens, Ohio!
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Crew on a Senior's Capstone Project
Students can get experience (and course credit) working in crew positions on film productions of senior thesis films. Productions mirror real film productions in terms of the number of crew roles and responsibilities for those roles.
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Put Your Creative All into Your Capstone Project
Put your creative all into your Capstone project. FILM 4610 leads to a production of an original short film. Follow up with FILM 4620 - Capstone Film Production III, complete production on your capstone film and create a distribution plan for festivals and online screenings.
What Can You Do with a Film Degree?
Become a Visual Storyteller
The preparation offered by the B.F.A. degree in film prepares students for a constellation of career opportunities open to visual storytellers. The BFA in Film will train students in all aspects of the filmmaking process, from conceptualizing a story through the shooting and production work to editing, sound mixing and exhibition.
The goal is to nurture well-rounded, creative, and skilled filmmakers able to enter careers across the spectrum of professional opportunities in cinema. In addition to having mastered the technical skills of filmmaking, the students will discover themselves as creators, crew-mates, and artists through the four years of the degree program.
Choose a Graduate School Pathway
Just like a B.F.A. degree differs from a B.A. degree in that the majority of the B.F.A. credits involve hands-on professional training and portfolio development, you'll find similar pathways available in graduate school. The path you choose should reflect your career goals.
The M.F.A. in Film: The Master of Fine Arts, like the B.F.A., is a hands-on course of study for creators and practicing artists. It's also the highest level of education (often called a terminal degree) needed to teach in many fine arts college programs.
At Ohio University, the M.F.A. in Film is a three-year program that provides advanced professional training in all aspects of filmmaking as well as a solid foundation in film studies. This prepares graduates to teach at the university level, to work in the film industry, or to work as an independent artist.
The M.A. in Film Studies: The Master of Arts degree is a scholarly approach to the history and theory of various forms of art, and it can be both a pathway to careers in the field or a stepping stone to a Ph.D. The doctorate is a research-based degree required to teach history and theory in many college programs.
The M.A. in Film Studies at Ohio University takes a broad approach to film studies in the humanities, with the aim of nurturing innovative and rigorous scholars who can use their experience at OHIO to enter doctorate programs or find appropriate careers in the field.
Why Choose a Film Degree?
Our Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree in film is a growing program at a time when "film" dominates our cultural storytelling. From feature films to short film projects, School of Film students and graduates are capturing the human condition through a tradition of oral and visual storytelling using emerging digital tools.
The School of Film believes that the only way to make students into good editors is to give them as much access to the practice as possible. Extensive hands-on experience is a hallmark of our program. That's why you'll use professional-grade equipment early in your first year of our B.F.A. program. Your high level of engagement with our hands-on approach to filmmaking includes high-impact practices such as capstone projects and practical film production. You'll graduate having explored so many aspects of filmmaking that you'll have developed the skillset to be a one-person independent filmmaker.
While our students appreciate the extensive hands-on experience we offer, another strength of our curriculum is the theoretical framing involved in film studies. This interplay between theory and practice significantly enhances our students' employability.
Commitment to Student Success: Our faculty’s enthusiasm, passion and dedication to students' learning and success is the backbone of the community that faculty and students have built in the School of Film. Our faculty go above and beyond to support students. Along with College of Fine Arts success advisors, our faculty serve as mentors to our students as they prepare for their professional careers. Our community also includes our graduate students, many of them international students from various cultural backgrounds who bring unique perspectives and add valuable dynamism to the program.
Careers and Internships: The College of Fine Arts has a dedicated career advisor who regularly comes in and speaks with undergraduates during the first-year courses to familiarize them with the career center services. Their goal is to get you thinking about internships and job opportunities early on in your college experience. We'll also provider career advising as part of your senior capstone course. And in between your first and final years as a Bobcat, we want you to meet with the director or associate director of the School of Film to discuss your career plans one-on-one and seek advice as your progress toward graduation.