Areas of Study:

Film/video/Screenwriting: FAQ

film/video | screenwriting | f.a.q. | uta film&video*

1. Do you teach both film and video?
2. What kind of films do you students make?
3. Can I make a living in film/video?
4. Will any of my transfer credits count towards the film/video emphasis?
5. Can the faculty tell me how many of my transfer courses will be accepted before I apply for admission to UTA?
6. Will my GPA from my original college transfer over to UTA?
7. Is there a portfolio review for admission to the UTA film/video program?
8. Will I have the opportunity to earn internship credit while in the film video program?
9. What kinds of work do the Film/Video faculty do?
10. How do I find out more about the Art Department and the film/video program at UTA?
11. What sort of degrees does the Art department and the film/video area offer?
12. I want to split my coursework between film/video and another fine art area (painting/ printmaking/photography/sculpture/ and so on). Is there any way that I can set up a hybrid degree plan?
13. Do I have to see an advisor before registering for classes?
14. What sort of GPA do I need to enroll in Art?
15. I notice that many of the courses in the catalog have prerequisites listed. Do I really need to take all those prerequisites to enroll in the course?
16. How many students are in the Art Department at UTA? How many are enrolled in film/video?
17. How many Art faculty teach at UTA? Are they full-time or part-time instructors?
18. What sort of computer hardware and software are available within the Art dept?
19. What kind of production equipment does the Film video/program have?
20. Do I need to know any of these computer software and hardware skills before enrolling at UTA?
21. Do I need to purchase my own camera and computer/software to successfully complete film/video coursework?
22. How long do I have to wait to take a production class (get my hands on a camera)?

Answers

1. Do you teach both film and video?
   While most of our students and classes work in Digital video, we do teach the technique and aesthetics of film. We have six 16 mm film cameras that students can check out.


2. What kind of films do you students make?
   Well good ones. Many of our students make dramatic films, we teach and have students working in documentary, commercial, video art and experimental film. We also have beefed up our 2 d and 3d animations classes. To see our class offerings go to that section of our website.


3. Can I make a living in film/video?
   Perhaps a better chance than a career in Philosophy. But all kidding aside, there are more opportunities now for electronic creative storytellers, or filmmakers. If you are looking for a 9 to 5 job this is not the best place for you. If you are looking to have a life working in film and video, we can help you.


4. Will any of my transfer credits count towards the film/video emphasis?
   

   Conservatively, art faculty estimate that up to 75% of our students have some transfer courses accepted into their UTA degree plans. Faculty advisors are accustomed to fitting transfer courses into UTA degree plans. In general, many art foundation courses taken at community colleges and other universities are accepted into UTA's art foundation or into liberal arts electives. However, no 1000 to 2000 level (freshman and sophomore) community college credits are accepted into the concentration area of the degree plan, which must be upper level 3000 and 4000 (junior and senior) courses.

   Transfer credits from other schools can be substituted for UTA degree requirements only when the content of the two courses is the same. Transfer courses in the art area are scrutinized to be positive that students have a solid background in necessary competencies.


5. Can the faculty tell me how many of my transfer courses will be accepted before I apply for admission to UTA?
   No. For courses to be considered for transfer, the student must first apply for admissions, and then submit official transcripts to the Office of Admissions. Only after a student is admitted will the Office of Admissions generate a list of transfer courses accepted by the university. At that point the student may make an appointment with the Art Advisor, Colin Murasko, cmurasko@uta.edu to determine what courses from the pool of transfer courses are applicable to the art department degree plans.


6. Will my GPA from my original college transfer over to UTA?
   No. UTA only accepts courses for transfer if the grade in the course was a C or better. The course transfers in without a numerical GPA.


7. Is there a portfolio review for admission to the UTA film/video program?
   Not currently. However, the department of Art and Art History will be implementing a portfolio review for admittance into the major in the near future, and the film video area is working on their own portfolio review to get into advanced level classes.


8. Will I have the opportunity to earn internship credit while in the film video program?
   One of the best ways to learn about the profession is to work in the biz as a student intern. Over the last four decades, our students have worked all over the Metroplex.
   Quite often the film/video faculty receive telephone, e-mail, or fax notification of internship possibilities. This information is posted and emailed to students. Individual students also conduct their own searches for internship possibilities, and upon finding a potential internship, discuss the suitability of the opportunity with the film/video faculty. Upon approval by the faculty, the student may then enroll for internship credit. In the film/video degree plan, students may earn up to 6 credit hours of credit for internship. Most semester-long internships qualify for 3 credit hours,  To earn internship credit the internship must be approved first by the film video faculty before the student works at the position. No credit is granted for past work opportunities.


9. What kinds of work do the Film/Video faculty do?
   The Film/video faculty are required to pursue professional research in addition to their teaching and administrative duties. Professional research activities include creating their films; exhibiting in professional shows; and preparing articles and books for publications. Specifically, in relation to the film/video faculty, we work in the film world, as producers, writers, directors, and editors. Our work is shown in festivals all over the world.


10. Will I have the opportunity to earn internship credit while in the graphics program?
    

    First, review the information on this site. This site is constructed to provide information about the Art and Art History department and the film/video area to interested and prospective students.

    Another source of information is the UTA Undergraduate Catalog that lists Art Department requirements and course descriptions. This catalog is available online from the UTA main web site.

    But perhaps the best way is to come by an see it in person.
    
11. What sort of degrees does the Art department and the film/video area offer?
    The Art department offers, two studio degrees: the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA). The BFA emphasizes preparation for a career as a practicing artist or filmmaker and is recommended for those students wishing to develop a more competitive body of work in a specific concentration area. Because of the emphasis on concentrated study, the BFA does not allow for a minor.

    For those students interested in Art History, please note that the Art department offers a BA in Art History.

    We are working on a Masters of Fine Arts which we hope to announce soon.

12. I want to split my coursework between film/video and another fine art area (painting/ printmaking/photography/sculpture/ and so on). Is there any way that I can set up a hybrid degree plan?
    A hybrid degree plan is possible using the BA degree plan, which is a more flexible degree plan. The film/video faculty, however, strongly recommend that students wishing to compile a more competitive portfolio concentrate their courses within the film/video curriculum and work towards the BFA degree.

    Each BFA student has 9 to 12 credit hours of electives in their degree plan that allows students to choose from a wider variety of courses. Many film/video students choose to take those elective courses within the art department in other areas of interest, such as photography, glassblowing, and so on.

13. Do I have to see an advisor before registering for classes?
    Yes. New and incoming students must set up an appointment with the Art Department Advisor, Colin Murasko, cmurasko@uta.edu before registering for classes. The Art Advisor assigns students to faculty advisors in their area of interest. To register for classes students must then consult faculty advisors before registering for classes.

    Additionally, every semester, the Art department hosts a mandatory departmental advising event. Students that miss this departmental advising event run the risk of not registering on time, and possibly missing their initial advising period.

    It is each student’s responsibility to seek curriculum advise from faculty advisors during the long semesters (Fall, Spring), given that many faculty are not on campus during the winter break or summer terms.

14. What sort of GPA do I need to enroll in Art?
    The Art department requires that students planning to be majors must maintain a 2.5 GPA to be eligible for the B.A. degree program. Students wishing to pursue the more rigorous B.F.A. program must maintain a 3.0 grade average.  Students that do not maintain a 3.0 in the major MUST transfer to the B.A. degree program.
    
    
15. I notice that many of the courses in the catalog have prerequisites listed. Do I really need to take all those prerequisites to enroll in the course?
    Courses are set up in a specific sequence so students may gain the necessary competencies to succeed in their coursework. Students who take courses out of sequence rarely acquire the level of understanding necessary to fully succeed in upper level classes.
    
    
16. How many students are in the Art Department at UTA? How many are enrolled in film/video?
    There are approximately 570 art majors, with approximately 90 of them in film/video.
    
    
17. How many Art faculty teach at UTA? Are they full-time or part-time instructors?
    There are approximately 21 full-time faculty at UTA. There are 3 full-time film/video faculty. Whenever possible, the film/video area draws from the creative community and has professional filmmakers teach courses in their areas of specialty, such as animation.
    
    
18. What sort of computer hardware and software are available within the Art dept?
    There are four labs within the art department. The department has Mac and PC computers distributed through the labs. The film/video area, however, is Mac-based, in acknowledgement of the Mac’s supremacy within the film/video industry in general. The digital cinema  lab supports a full component of industry-standard software such as Final Cut Studio, Avid,  Pro Tools, Logic , Maya Lightwave Aftereffects , Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and Flash.
    
    
19. What kind of production equipment does the Film video/program have?
    DV Cameras, (and one HDV camera) lights light control media mics, film cameras, and film support equipment. For more details see the facilities section.
    
    
20. Do I need to know any of these computer software and hardware skills before enrolling at UTA?
    It would be helpful, but not strictly necessary. Computer proficient students do have the advantage of being able to concentrate on art and design aesthetics. However, many of our students arrive at the university without a working knowledge of computers or film/video programs. Most students pick it up quickly, and do quite well technically. Additionally, it is strongly recommended that all film/video students enroll in 2304: Digital Design. The Digital Design class concentrates on technical and aesthetic issues relating to creating artwork on computers.
    
    
21. Do I need to purchase my own camera and computer/software to successfully complete film/video coursework?
    While it is not necessary to have your own computer and camera (the department does support computer labs and equipment checkout), most students find it more convenient.
    
    
22. How long do I have to wait to take a production class (get my hands on a camera).
    If you have basic computer skills, you can and should take our intro to film video (art 2358 ) your first semester, go for it!