course oFFerInGs For tHe non-maJor anD UnDerGraDuate mInor

course oFFerInGs
For tHe non-maJor anD
UnDerGraDuate mInor
ProGram DescrIPtIons
FA L L 2 0 1 0
cinema.usc.edu
For course updates and additions, please see:
cinema.usc.edu/NonMajorCourses
reQuentLY asKeD QuestIons
F
Where can I get more information on
these courses?
Contact the appropriate division office if you have
questions regarding a specific class. SCA Student Services
(CTV G130) can provide you with information on the
degree programs and the Cinematic Arts Minor.
I am an undergraduate. Can I take
graduate courses?
To take a graduate course, you must receive approval
from the instructor, the department offering the course,
and the chair of your major department. See your
academic advisor for further information.
Is there a different tuition rate for
undergraduate and graduate SCA courses?
Yes. Please check the Fall 2010 Schedule of Classes for
tuition rates.
Where can I sign up for “D” classes?
Beginning Wednesday, November 7, 2010,
prior to
registration, students should do the following:
Animation & Digital Arts (CTAN):
Go to the Animation & Digital Arts office (LPB 202a).
course o FFer In Gs
F or t He non-ma J or
anD
UnDerGraDuate mInor
ProGram DescrIPtIons
FA L L 2 0 1 0
Digital Studies (IML)
Email the Institute for Multimedia Literacy at
iml@cinema.usc.edu.
Critical Studies (CTCS):
Go to the Critical Studies office (SCA 320).
Interactive Media (CTIN):
Go to the Interactive Media office (across from SCA 218).
Production (CTPR):
Go to the Student Services office (CTV G130).
Writing (CTWR):
Go to the Writing office (SCA 335).
*Minor Legend
ANDA designated classes apply toward the
Animation & Digital Arts Minor.
CNHP designated classes apply toward the
Cinema-Television for the Health Professions Minor.
VGDM designated classes apply toward the
Video Game Design & Management Minor.
CART designated classes apply toward the
Cinematic Arts Minor.
SCWR designated classes apply toward the
Screenwriting Minor.
DGST designated classes apply toward the
Digital Studies Minor.
Check the USC Catalogue for official program requirements.
JoHn
c. HencH anImatIon & DIGItaL arts
cinema.usc.edu/Animation
dsigismondi@cinema.usc.edu
213.740.3986
Marcia Lucas Post-Production Building (LPB) 202a
CTAN 443 3D Animation and Character
Design 2 units
The study of computer animation including storyboarding,
geometric modeling, choreography, lighting, texture
mapping, background creation, and rendering. Lecture
and laboratory.
Maks Naporowski
Prerequisite: CTAN 452
CTAN 448 Introduction to Film
Graphics-Animation 4 units (ANDA, DGST)*
Practical course in concepts, media, and techniques related
to the graphic film: symbology, composition, kinestasis,
animation, typography, color, and materials. Survey; lecture;
production. Non-majors admitted on a space-available basis.
Shelley Wattenbarger
CTAN 450A Animation Theory and Techniques 2 units
(ANDA, CART)*
Direct application of animation theory and techniques to
drawing skills, story, and continuity: design staging, timing,
camera potential, and action analysis. Lecture and laboratory.
Kathy Smith
CTAN 451 History of Animation 2 units
(ANDA, CART, CNHP)*
In-depth survey of historical developments, styles, techniques,
theory, and criticism of animation as an art form.
Maureen Furniss
CTAN 452 Introduction to 3D Computer
Animation 2 units (ANDA)*
Exploring computer animation, including geometric
modeling, motion specification, lighting, rendering, texture
mapping, compositing, production techniques, and systems
for computer synthesized animation. Lecture and laboratory.
Dariush Derakhshani and Marcel Valcare
CTAN 462 Visual Effects 2 units (CART)*
Survey of contemporary concepts and approaches to
production in the current state of film and video effects
work. Digital and traditional methodologies will be covered,
with a concentration on digital exercises illustrating
modern techniques. Lecture and laboratory.
Eric Hanson
CTAN 464 Digital Lighting and Rendering 2 units
This course will survey the tools and techniques to
successfully create cinematic lighting and rendering in
computer-generated imagery (CGI), using Autodesk
Maya 3D animation software. The course will assist the
advancing animation or visual effects student with all
aspects of CGI rendering, from developing fully digital
scenes to integrating CGI with live-action.
Eric Hanson
CTAN 495 Visual Music 2 units
Experimental animation providing the opportunity to produce
individual or group projects. Focus is non-conventional
techniques for image creation and collaboration between
composer and visual artist.
Mike Patterson
CTAN 499 Special Topics 2 units
Documentary Animation Production
The course examines the history, techniques, and
methods of documentary animation production.
Students collaborate on a short film of their choosing
utilizing documentary animation techniques.
Survey, lecture, and production.
Sheila M. Sofian
CTAN 502A Experiments in Stereoscopic
Imaging 2 units
An in-depth exploration of aesthetics and techniques
involved in the conceptualization, design, and
production of immersive virtual environments and
stereoscopic animation.
TBA
CTAN 550 Stop-Motion Puppet and
Set Design 2 units
Focuses on puppet and set design for stop-motion
animation while providing guidance on armature rigs
that allow the character to be animated effectively.
Musa Brooker
CTAN 564L Motion Capture Fundamentals 2 units
Fundamentals of motion capture technology for
numerous applications including animated virtual
performance, gaming, dynamic experimentation, and
immersive worlds.
Eric Furie
Prerequisite: CTAN 452 or CTAN 462
Additional division info:
anim.usc.edu
For course updates and additions, please see:
cinema.usc.edu/NonMajorCourses
crItIcaL stuDIes
cinema.usc.edu/CriticalStudies
loverholt@cinema.usc.edu
213.740.3334
School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) 320
CTCS 190 Introduction to Cinema 4 units (CART,
CNHP, ANDA)*
Rated one of the top six “USC classes you cannot afford
to miss” (Saturday Night Magazine, 2004), this course
explores the formal properties of cinema, such as literary
design, performance, and visual design. Films include:
Singin’ In The Rain, All About Eve, Cape Fear, and
Minority Report. This perennial favorite is certain to fill
fast!
Students must also register for a discussion section.
Drew Casper
CTCS 191 Introduction to Television and
Video 4 units (CART)*
Are we doomed to a future of wall-to-wall reality
television? Will YouTube replace network TV? This course
introduces students to the study of television as a unique
dramatic form in order to answer questions such as
these. Screenings will include: Twin Peaks, Heroes, Mad
Men, America’s Next Top Model, and more!
Ellen Seiter
CTCS 200 History of the International Cinema I 4 units
What was cinema like in the beginning, when “moving
pictures” were a novelty? What inventions fostered the
development of cinematic expression? How did cinema
differ in Hollywood, France, Germany, the Soviet Union?
Were there styles or conventions that were adopted
everywhere? How did things change with the introduction
of sound? This class explores the beginning of international
cinema through World War II.
Tom Kemper
CTCS 393 History of the American Film,
1946-1975 4 units
An analysis of films from Hollywood’s Postwar period to
identify its significant genres, styles, faces, and voices as
an index of American history and culture. Doris Day and
Rock Hudson in Pillow Talk, James Stewart in Anatomy of
a Murder, and William Holden in the The Bridge on The
River Kwai will amaze you.
Drew Casper
CTCS 400 Non-Fiction Film and Video 4 units (CNHP,
DGST)*
What is documentary? What role do ethics play in
documentary filmmaking? How has documentary been
used for political and propaganda purposes? How do
documentary practices compare around the world and
over time? This course will search for answers to these
and other probing questions.
Michael Renov
CTCS 402 Practicum in Film/Television Criticism 4 units
This course, taught by Pulitzer Prize-winning TV critic
Howard Rosenberg, is a hands-on practicum designed to
sharpen the critical skills of students and apply those
skills to the analysis of television as it relates to popular
culture. This course stresses doing, not theorizing.
Howard Rosenberg
CTCS 403 Studies in National and Regional
Media 4 units
The course will discuss cinematic, televisual and electronic
media trends in Europe and its peripheries with an
emphasis on globalization, migration and European
identities. Cinematic highlights will include Lars Van
Trier’s Zentropa, Kusturica’s Underground, Gianni
Amelio’s America, Michael Haneke’s Caché, Iciar Bollain’s
Flowers of Another World, and Danis Tanovic’s No Man’s
Land.
Aniko Imre
CTCS 409 Censorship in Cinema 4 units
A historical survey of film censorship with an emphasis
on selected topics such as pornography, violence, and
the culture wars. A Q&A with Playboy founder Hugh Hefner
is one of the perks. Be shocked at Double Indemnity, A
Streetcar Named Desire, The Legend of Lylah Clare, and
Confessions of a Nazi Spy.
Drew Casper and Rick Jewell
CTCS 411 Film, Television and Cultural Studies:
“Adaptation” 4 units (CART, DGST)*
This course will critically examine the complex aesthetic,
cultural, and industrial exchanges that arise as novels,
short stories, poetry, graphic novels, and even video
games are translated into film and television programs.
Screenings and readings may include: Nicholas Nickleby,
O Brother Where Art Thou?, Watchmen, and Fantastic
Mr. Fox among others.
William Whittington
CTCS 412 Gender, Sexuality and Media:
Race and Place 4 units (CART, DGST)*
On what do we base our assumptions of gender, sexuality,
and race? This course will examine how media constructs
normative understandings of this topic and move into an
interrogation of non-normative racialized and sexualized
images. Screenings are likely to include Tongues Untied,
Go Fish, Brokeback Mountain, and The L Word.
Kara Keeling
CTCS 464 Film and/or Television Genres:
The Birth of the Cool 4 units (CART)*
This course will explore the origins of “cool,” as a concept,
ideology, and style relative to Cold War America at
mid-century. The focus will be on making cultural
connections across jazz, cinema, art, literature, style,
and politics, while also exploring how “cool” would be
appropriated by future generations. Screenings to include:
Ocean’s 11, The Hustler, Straight No Chaser, Playboy
After Dark, Lenny, In the Heat of the Night and Mad
Men, among others.
Todd Boyd
CTCS 464 Film and/or Television Genres:
The Gangster Film 4 units (CART)*
The pubic has always been fascinated by the dark side
of American capitalism and from its earliest days, the
movies responded by offering compelling portraits of the
gangster figure. This course will consider the development
of the genre as well as its social, political, aesthetic and
mythic implications. Among the films to be screened:
Little Caesar, Scarface, White Heat, Bonnie and Clyde,
The Godfather, Parts I and II, Goodfellas and episodes of
The Sopranos.
Rick Jewell
For course updates and additions, please see:
CTCS 466 Theatrical Film Symposium 4 units (CART)*
View Hollywood films before their theatrical release and
meet with the films’ creators for one-of-a-kind Q&A
sessions led by film critic and historian Leonard Maltin.
Past semesters featured Lord of the Rings: Return of the
King, Casino Royale, 300, Frost/Nixon, Pan's Labyrinth,
and Slumdog Millionaire, and such guests as Guillermo
del Toro, Bryan Singer, Morgan Freeman, Nicholas Cage,
and Sir Anthony Hopkins.
Leonard Maltin
CTCS 467 Television Symposium 4 units (CART)*
Modeled after the popular Leonard Maltin course,
Theatrical Film Symposium, Television Symposium is an
exciting counterpart led by Pulitzer Prize-winning television
critic Howard Rosenberg. View selected television programs
and engage in a Q&A with guests from the show. Past
guests include David Simon (The Wire), Silvio Horta (Ugly
Betty), Marc Cherry (Desperate Housewives), Doug Ellin
(Entourage), and Jenji Kohan (Weeds).
Howard Rosenberg
cinema.usc.edu/NonMajorCourses
InstItute For
muLtImeDIa LIteracY
iml.usc.edu
iml@cinema.usc.edu
213.743.2198
746 West Adams Boulevard (EGG building)
Note: All IML classes, with the possible exception of IML 140, are held at the Institute for Multimedia Literacy.
For directions, please see iml.usc.edu/map
Courses presume no prior media experience.
IML 101 The Languages of New Media 4 units
(DGST)*
This foundational course will jumpstart creative and critical uses of media, and students will discover new tools
and new forms of communication useful throughout
their undergraduate studies. Students will have the opportunity to begin working with still images, video, and
interactive media to create a range of creative and critical projects.
Virginia Kuhn
IML 104 The Languages of New Media II 2 units
(DGST)*
This course is an introduction to the expressive range of
screen languages in their cultural, historical, and technological contexts. Discussions focus on specific topics in
digital culture with attention to visual communication,
hypertextuality, interactivity and virtual identity.
TBA
IML 140 Workshop in Multimedia Authoring 2 units
(DGST)*
With sections offered on diverse topics such as Anthropology, Business, Film Critical Studies, and Geology, IML
140 introduces media-based research tools, presentation
skills, still image and video creation within the context of
these specific subjects. All sections are open to students
of any major, who express an interest in the chosen
topic. Past students have created digital film pitches, interactive websites, and expository video pieces.
Instructors vary / Taper Hall or IML / see Schedule of Classes for
sections and details
IML 340 The Praxis of New Media 2 units (DGST)*
This class introduces media-based documentary production, giving equal weight to the concepts and construction of scholarly media to form a solid foundation for
producing research-oriented multimedia projects. This
class gives students unprecedented access to original
footage, expert progressive filmmakers, and prominent
cultural and political subject areas.
Instructors vary / see Schedule of Classes for sections and details
IML 346 Methods in Scholarly Multimedia 2 units (DGST)*
First Time Offered
This preparatory seminar explores the challenges and
practicalities of creating large-scale media projects. Students will learn how to design, propose, and produce sophisticated scholarly multimedia.
Instructor TBA
IML 400 Web-Based Scholarly Multimedia 2 units
(DGST)*
Intended for students without previous Web design experience, this lab-based practicum explores the theory
and practice related to the creation of Web-based media
projects. The focus of the course is on Web-based storytelling and modes of information and aesthetic presentation.
Craig Dietrich
IML 420 New Media for Social Change 4 units
(DGST)*
Through collaboration with a local nonprofit organization,
this course asks students to investigate a social problem
and respond with media-based solutions. From activist efforts to political campaigns, to games for social change, this
course is for students who want to create real social change
through mobile, social, and virtual media.
Instructors vary / see Schedule of Classes for sections and details
IML 466 Digital Studies Symposium 4 units
(DGST)*
The Digital Studies Symposium brings an array of established new media artists, scholars, and designers to the
USC campus to speak and present their work. This course
offers students the chance to understand the creative challenges presented by new media design. Participants will
showcase innovative projects, such as cutting edge gestural
interfaces, mobile media experiments, innovative websites
and augmented reality pieces.
Holly Willis
Additional institute info:
iml.usc.edu
For course updates and additions, please see:
InteractIve
cinema.usc.edu/NonMajorCourses
meDIa
cinema.usc.edu/Interactive
usc_interactive@cinema.usc.edu
213.821.4472
School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) Reception across from 218
CTIN 309 Introduction to
Interactive Entertainment 4 units
(CART, DGST)*
Offers students the historical perspective, critical
vocabulary, and design skills by which they can analyze
and understand their own experiences with interactive
entertainment, as well as imagine and articulate their
own ideas for interactive experiences.
William Huber
CTIN 401 Interface Design for Games 2 units
This course is an introduction to interface design for
games focusing on aesthetics, techniques, and
understanding of good design principles. Students
examine interface designs in game software and
hardware interfaces in order to consider the effects of
the interface on the overall experience and explore the
potentials of new interfaces on future game designs.
TBA
CTIN 458 Business and Management of
Games 2 units
This is a multi-faceted course intended to provide the
student with the most comprehensive view of what it's
like to have a job in the games business. While focusing
on cinematic arts interactive producer and designer job
descriptions, all elements of game content and their
resident product development and marketing approaches
are covered: including MMO's, Mobile, Internet Micro
Transactions, PC and video game consoles, and
broad-based interactive entertainment intended for the
masses. When completed, this course will answer the
ultimate student question: Is this a business I want to be
in; and what role am I best suited to play?
Robert Nashak
CTIN 459 Game Industry Workshop 4 units
This class challenges a team of advanced students to
explore a gameplay research question posed by the
industry. The class will be briefed by a partner company
from the game industry in the first week. Each week of
the semester students will develop concepts and
materials pursuing the research problem.
TBA
Prerequisite: CTIN 488; recommended preparation: CTIN 489
CTIN 463 Anatomy of a Game 4 units
Examine two game products from concept to delivery;
introduce students to each of the professional disciplines
involved in making digital games.
John Hight
Recommended preparation: CTIN 488.
CTIN 464 Game Studies Seminar 2 units
Rigorous examination of interactive entertainment:
genres, history,aesthetics, cultural context, and
social significance. Topics vary by semester.
William Huber
CTIN 482 Designing Online Multiplayer Game
Environments 2 units (CART)*
This course introduces students to the design, production,
and business issues surrounding multiplayer game design.
Students will analyze multiplayer and social aspects of
games ranging from board games to massively multiplayer
online communities. Working in teams, students will
design, prototype, playtest, and refine a multiplayer
game concept as part of their final project for the course.
TBA
CTIN 483 Introduction to Game Development 4 units
(VGDM, DGST)*
This introductory production class is focused on creating
2D games. We will develop a number of prototypes
while learning the technical capabilities and challenges
of the game engine Torque 2D. In doing so, we will
prepare ourselves for making a class project—a complete
game.
Jeremy Gibson
CTIN 488 Game Design Workshop 4 units (VGDM)*
The purpose of this workshop is to examine models and
strategies for creating electronic games that are based in
solid play mechanics. Students will experience the
fundamentals of game design through the study of
classic games, as well as design their own games and
playtest/critique the games of others.
Jeremy Gibson
Recommended preparation: CTIN 309, CTIN 483
CTIN 491A Advanced Game Project 4 units
This two-semester advanced project class challenges
students to design and execute a large-scale, innovative
game project. The class introduces professional-level
concepts in game design and development from visual
design and technical implementation to project distribution.
Chris Swain
Recommended preparation:
CTIN 483, CTIN 484, CTIN 488, CTIN 489
CTIN 499 Immersive Moviemaking: Gestural
Interface for Cinematic Design 2 units
This class will undertake the earliest design and
implementation of the next generation of media
manipulation and film production tools. The context will
be the Spatial Operating Environment, a new application
development and execution platform that combines
gestural input, rewindable networking, and a paradigm
of real-world pixels. The course is intended to bring
students’ skills and experiences to bear in collectively
brainstorming, designing, and prototyping these new
cinematic tools.
John Underkoffler/Alex McDowell
Additional division info: interactive.usc.edu
For course updates and additions, please see:
FILm &
cinema.usc.edu/NonMajorCourses
teLevIsIon ProDuctIon
cinema.usc.edu/Production
productionoffice@cinema.usc.edu
213.740.3317
School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) 427
CTPR 288 Originating and Developing Ideas
for Film 2 units
Exercises in observation, imaginative association,
visualization, etc., that deepen the creative process and
lead to ideas, stories, characters, and images for narrative,
documentary, and experimental films.
Two sections taught by TBA.
CTPR 327 Motion Picture Camera 3 units
(CART, DGST)*
The magic of creating images on film from using cameras,
lenses, and filters to photographic processes and the role
of the cinematographer in interpreting story. Use of motion
picture camera equipment, principles of black/white and
color cinematography, and hands-on projects put theory
into practice.
Three sections taught by Robert Ballo, Chris Chomyn, or Tristan Whitman.
CTPR 335 Motion Picture Editing 3 units
(CART, DGST)*
Exploration of aesthetics, theory, history, and procedures
of motion picture editing for many styles of film. Students
view award-winning shorts and sections of features to
illustrate different editing styles and edit a series of
scenes using the latest Avid Express DV equipment.
Three sections taught by TBA
CTPR 385 Colloquium: Motion Picture
Production Techniques 4 units (ANDA, CNHP,
CART, DGST)*
Motion picture production from writing of the script to
planning, shooting, and completion of a movie. The class
will write, direct, and shoot a digital video.
Adam Collis
CTPR 386 Art and Industry of the Theatrical
Film 4 units
Anatomy of a film. Explore aspects of filmmaking with
in-depth study of all facets—screenplay to completion.
A major current film is examined in detail and guest
speakers involved in the making of the film describe
each phase of production. Films previously studied
include: Juno and Ironman.
Jason E. Squire
CTPR 409 Practicum in Television Production
2 or 4 units (CART)*
Get hands-on experience at Trojan Vision, USC’s TV
channel that produces local and network programming.
Work in the state-of-the-art Robert Zemeckis Center for
Digital Arts to learn all aspects of television production
and create your own shows with professionals from the
Hollywood television industry.
Joel Parker
CTPR 410 The Movie Business: From Story
Concept to Exhibition 2 units
Covers the gamut of the movie business, from story concept
to film exhibition. Guest speakers and lectures will cover
the role of the writer, agent, studio executive, producer,
director, and marketing and distribution teams.
Peter Exline
Section 19129D is not available to non-majors.
CTPR 422 Makeup for Motion Pictures 2 units
Introduction to makeup for film, TV, and theater, exploring
glamour, old age, gore, fantasy, and prosthetic techniques.
Students learn through lectures, demos, and hands-on
workshops.
Ian Goodwin
CTPR 423 Introduction to Special Effects in
Cinema 2 units
Intro to special effects techniques, cost, and operational
characteristics. Hands-on workshop environment where
students experience time and complexities involved with
effects/techniques now in popular use industry-wide.
Great for aspiring production managers, directors, and
camera and effects specialists.
Tom Anderson
CTPR 425 Production Planning 2 units
From script to screen: practical application of methods
and tools for the scheduling, budgeting, and planning of
a film.
Robert Brown
CTPR 426 The Production Experience 2 units
Learn the fundamentals of episodic TV drama and
participate in the shooting of an episode written and
directed by students. Positions available in producing,
camera, sound, production design, or editorial.
Helaine Head
CTPR 454 Acting for Film and Television 4 units
Learn and apply prominent theories of performance and
how they relate to film and television. Students gain
understanding of the tools of performance, as derived
from the stage, and how they translate to film and
television.
Shirley-Jo Finney
CTPR 455 Introduction to Production Design 2 units
Introductory course in the principles of production design.
Course includes: structure of the art department,
fundamentals of design, and various other design elements.
Lectures, screenings, guest speakers, and student projects.
Mark Stratton
CTPR 456 Introduction to Art Direction 2 units
Students learn the current tools and techniques of the
art director: written language (drafting), three-dimensional
language (model making), and the language of ideas
(quick sketching). Learn how to present ideas and
execute them in a professional manner.
Joe Hoffman
CTPR 457 Creating Poetic Cinema 2 units
Each student will explore the relationship between poetic
cinema and artistic expression—especially the visual arts,
literature and music—through the creation of four short
films. The projects, in both digital video and 16mm,
approach the poetics of cinema through: found poetry,
translating written poetry, cinema AS poetry, and the
poetic image in narrative cinema.
Pablo Frasconi
CTPR 460 Film Business Procedures and
Distribution 2 units (CART)*
Introduction to film economics, exhibition, distribution, and
production. Budgets, financing, television/non-theatrical
and theatrical films, production and distribution agreements,
copyright and legal considerations will also be covered.
Jason E. Squire
Section 19139 is not available to non-majors.
CTPR 461 TV Station Management 2 units (CART)*
Executives from all areas of the TV industry address class
each week to provide first-hand information about a
wide range of areas, including news production, sales,
marketing, syndication, and networks.
Dick Block
Note: Section 19130 is not available to non-majors.
CTPR 470 Practicum in On-Screen Direction
of Actors 4 units
Students learn to experiment and discuss the many
choices in directing actors, including laboratory and
scene analysis. Also covered: breaking down a script
from the emotional point-of-view of the actor.
Shirley-Jo Finney
CTPR 474 Documentary Production 4 units (CNHP)*
Pairs produce, direct, shoot, and edit a documentary on
a subject of their choice. Students are encouraged to form
pairs before class; individual students form partnerships
at the beginning of the term. Students must come prepared
with two to three documentary ideas. Finished films will
be approximately 15 minutes in length and suitable for
broadcast/festivals.
Bill Yahraus
CTPR 495 Internship in Cinema/Television 2, or 4 units
On-the-job film and television experience in the areas of
interest of the respective student.
Jason E. Squire
For course updates and additions, please see:
cinema.usc.edu/NonMajorCourses
WrItInG
cinema.usc.edu/Writing
writing@cinema.usc.edu
213.740.3303
School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) 335
CTWR 321 Introduction to Television Writing
2 units (CTWR, CART)*
Students will learn the fundamentals of writing for
episodic television by writing scenes from popular
television series.
David Balkan, Michael Cassut or Debra Epstein
Prerequisite: CTWR 412
CTWR 410L Character Development and
Storytelling for Games 4 units (SCWR)*
Explore characters and story worlds as they relate to
gaming with an emphasis on emotionally rich
environments in interactive entertainment.
Two sections taught by Danny Bilson or Paul DeMeo
CTWR 412 Introduction to Screenwriting 2 units
(CART, CNHP, SCWR)*
Learn the basic building blocks of any screenplay—
visualization, character, dialogue, scene structure,
conflict, and sequence. After writing short premises,
students will progress to combining scenes into
sequences and a short script.
Ten sections taught by Sandi Berg, Ken Cosby, Ron Friedman,
Frank McAdams, Jim McGinn, David Milton, Julie Sayres,
Jason E. Squire, or Noreen Stone.
CTWR 415A Advanced Writing 2 units (SCWR)*
Now that you know the fundamentals, start and finish
your feature script!
Babs Greyhosky
Prerequisite: CTWR 412
CTWR 417 Script Coverage and Story Analysis
2 units (SCWR)*
Students learn how to read and evaluate scripts for
production (or vote against production). Different
screenplays are evaluated each week in terms of structure,
character relationships, motivations, and how they translate to film. Also covered are adaptations, and how to
write story reports. This course is invaluable for
aspiring producers, directors, writers, development
execs, readers, or story editors.
Peter Exline
CTWR 421 Writing the Hour-Long
Dramatic Series 2 units (SCWR)*
Introduction to the principles of writing network-style
episodic drama. Outline and write a “spec” script for an
existing hour-long television show such as Lost, CSI, or
Grey’s Anatomy.
Three sections taught by Lance Gentile, or Aaron Thomas
Prerequisite: CTWR 414 or CTWR 321
CTWR 434 Comedy Writing Genres 2 units (SCWR)*
Exploration into situation comedy; writing by committee;
developing comedic timing; using humor as a style of
filmmaking. Outline and write a “spec” script for an
existing half-hour sitcom.
Three sections taught by Anne Beatts, Michael Saltzman, or Jim Staahl
Prerequisite: CTWR 414 or CTWR 321
CTWR 435 Writing for Film and Television Genres:
Webisodes 2 units (SCWR)*
Create a portfolio and learn the skills necessary to create
Webisodes.
TBA
CTWR 437 Writing the Situation Comedy Pilot 2 units
(SCWR)*
Have a great idea for a half-hour show? Come learn the
creative process of writing the comedy pilot.
Scott Gorden
Prerequisite: CTWR 434
CTWR 439 Writing the Original
Dramatic Series Pilot 2 units (SCWR)*
Create your own one-hour drama and write the pilot episode.
Georgia Jeffries
Prerequisite: CTWR 421
CTWR 516 Advanced Motion Picture
Script Analysis 2 units (SCWR)*
Spend the afternoon watching the greatest films of our
time with a new awareness of conflict and resolution in
the framework of the three-act structure.
Don Bohlinger
unDerGraDuate mInors
cinema.usc.edu/Minors
Cinematic Arts minors offer undergraduates an
opportunity to become familiar with the art form,
its history, and techniques through a diversified set
of classes in most of the school’s divisions. Students
may choose to sample two or more different aspects
of the world of film, television, and interactive
media or concentrate in an area of primary interest.
Animation & Digital Arts Minor (ANDA)
cinema.usc.edu/AnimationMinor
An introduction to the theory and practice of animation,
including its relationship to the history of art and cinema,
creative writing, and basic film production that will provide
students with an opportunity to create both personal
and collaborative work in a wide range of genres.
Successful completion of a final project is required.
Cinema-Television for the Health
Professions Minor (CNHP)
cinema.usc.edu/HealthMinor
Cinematic Arts Minor (CART)
cinema.usc.edu/CinematicArtsMinor
Available to USC undergraduate students in all schools
and departments. As the only school-wide minor, this
program provides the opportunity for students to become
familiar with almost every aspect of media study. The
Cinematic Arts minor is 20 units and does not require an
application.
Digital Studies Minor (DGST)
iml.usc.edu
The minor in Digital Studies explores the rich potential of
digital media for critical analysis and creative discovery.
Learning the exciting and dynamic potential of a broad
array of tools and technologies, students create innovative,
scholarly projects, ranging from photo-essays to
Web-based documentaries, from interactive videos to
sophisticated Web sites, and from typography in motion
to 3-D visualizations.
Done in collaboration with the Keck School of Medicine
at USC, this program gives researchers and clinicians the
cinematic knowledge they need to establish clear lines of
communication with television and movie producers.
Screenwriting Minor (SCWR)
cinema.usc.edu/WritingMinor
The minor in screenwriting is designed to train non-writing
majors in the challenging field of creating stories for screen
and television. Students learn to write feature-length
screenplays, both comedic and dramatic teleplays, and
explore specialized areas while learning the fundamentals
of character, conflict, and scene structure.
Video Game Design & Management
Minor (VGDM)
cinema.usc.edu/GameMinor
Offered jointly through the Interactive Media Division and
the Information Technology Program in the USC Viterbi
School of Engineering, this minor integrates theoretical
concepts and practical skills to prepare students for a
career in interactive entertainment, specifically the video
game industry. Students enrolled in the program will be
exposed to a variety of design concepts related to creating
video games, including: level design, game-play control,
user interface, multiplayer, game mechanics, and storytelling.
Successful completion of a working demo of a video game
is required.
For course updates and additions, please see:
KeY
cinema.usc.edu/NonMajorCourses
weB PaGes:
cinema.usc.edu
cinema.usc.edu/CriticalStudies
cinema.usc.edu/Production
cinema.usc.edu/Animation
cinema.usc.edu/Interactive
cinema.usc.edu/Writing
cinema.usc.edu/Minors
cinema.usc.edu/IML
cinema.usc.edu/Admissions
course o FFer In Gs
F or t He non-ma J or anD
UnDerGraDuate mInor
ProGram DescrIPtIons
USC School of Cinematic Arts
900 West 34th Street
Los Angeles, California 90089-2211
cinema.usc.edu
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