Video and Filmmaking

The video focus features two separate media labs, equipped with iMacs, large screens, projectors, and audio equipment.  Students also have the option of checking out equipment from our Media Center which offers access to DSLR cameras, tripods, gimbals, cranes, audio equipment, green screens, and lighting kits.   

A-S 285 Lens Arts 
A-S 285 is an introductory course in digital image capture that focuses on the still and moving image as an art practice. Students will learn the fundamentals of camera operation and editing software in order to visually communicate their creative ideas. Students will be introduced to contemporary lens arts practice through research and assignments. 

A-S 306 Cinematography: Lights, Camera, Action 
A-S 306 is an intermediate course introducing students to the fundamental theory and practice of cinematography and lighting for film and video. Students learn the technical aspects of camera movement as well as aesthetic aspects of cinematography and how to apply this knowledge to practical cinematographic choices. Students also learn how lighting is used to convey mood, control exposure, and integrate with the narrative within the film industry. 

A-S 346 Digital Video: Shoot & Edit
An intermediate-level course in which students learn camera techniques, video editing, compositing, and key effects in the digital video application environment. Storyboarding, shot lists, and audio will be emphasized for all projects. Creative work may be collaborative and/or individual.

A-S 446 Film, Video and Sonic Art Projects
A project-based class with an emphasis placed on the creation of a series of short original works and current industry practices.

Without question, video is a massive, proliferating, and integral part of our media landscape. It includes everything from Instagram stories, to vlogs, web series, documentary and feature films. Whether working as an artist, a social media personality, in the commercial world, or in the film industry many careers are centered around the medium. 

Every time you watch the credits scroll on a film, you’re seeing people who have a job in the film industry. But there are many more positions that you might not have thought of. Any company who has a presence on the internet or who is producing content for social media is hiring creatives to produce, direct, create effects for, and edit video. In addition, there are just as many people who are being paid to manage productions, moderate content, and act as liaisons between clients and creatives.   

In addition to the known centers of film such as Hollywood and New York, there is an ever-increasing demand for creatives in the film industry here in Kentucky as well as in the region (Georgia and Virginia in particular). 

Integral to the visual arts, SA/VS offers a range of introductory through advanced courses in video art and filmmaking. Using the lens as a creative tool, students learn to make compelling time-based visual content while working hands-on with a range of creative tools. Students practice skills in production, cinematography and lighting, sound design, special effects, and storytelling. 

With experienced faculty who are versatile in their backgrounds and their approaches to the medium, courses provide a foundation for individual growth and artistic exploration.  Students learn the fundamentals of video and film and then excel to take risks and look for opportunities to challenge the medium. Students are introduced to a range of familiar and innovative approaches including short and long-form film, experimental and performative video art, video installation, projection mapping, stop-motion animation, and more.  

Video coursework begins with our Foundations course, A-S 285, Lens Arts where students learn the technology skills of camera use for both still images and video work. They learn how consider how each medium might be suited for a particular project, and how to choose between the two. In Lens Arts students create a photo project and they make short videos. 

Students seriously interested in video and cinematography should also consider pursuing our Certificate in Filmmaking: Production and Dramatic Writing. In addition to video coursework in SA/VS, students will take classes in the Department of Theatre and Dance. Courses include T-A 316, Dramatic Writing: Fundamentals and T-A 436 Dramatic Writing: Screenwriting.