Cinema Foundations Certificate

This Certificate provides foundational elements of motion picture concept, production and post-production. Upon completion students will have the essential tools to take back to their current or new employment, thrive in a 4-year program, obtain entry-level work in the field and/or execute their own independent projects.

The projected number of annual completers for the Cinema Foundations Certificate is 20 students.  

The goal of the Cinema Foundations Certificate is to provide students with fundamental knowledge and skills required for entry level employment in the film/video industries as well as prepare them for advanced study in specific areas. The general areas in which students may find work are: camera operation, content coordinator, production assistant and digital video production. The course of study provided here is designed as a base for further craft-specific study in Cinematography, Directing or Editing.

Certificate Goals and Objectives

The goal of the Cinema Foundations Certificate is to provide students with fundamental knowledge and skills required for entry level employment in the film/video industries as well as prepare them for advanced study in specific areas. The general areas in which students may find work are: camera operation, content coordinator, production assistant and digital video production. The course of study provided here is designed as a base for further craft-specific study in Cinematography, Directing or Editing.

Learning Outcomes:

• Operate camera, lighting and sound equipment in accordance with industry standards.

• Utilize post-production techniques to produce narrative films with picture, sound and editing.

• Apply pre-production, production and post-production skills to film production workflow.

Catalog Description

This Certificate provides foundational elements of motion picture concept, production and post-production. Upon completion students will have the essential tools to take back to their current or new employment, thrive in a 4-year program, obtain entry-level work in the field and/or execute their own independent projects.

Program Requirements

The program requirements are shown in the table below.

The minimum time for completion of this Certificate is 2 semesters. Completion time will vary based on student preparation and number of units or classes completed per semester.

Courses Required Cinema Foundations Certificate of Achievement

Course Units    Frequency Offered

Required courses:

CINE 24 - Basic Film Production   4.00 Semester 1 Su/Fa/Sp

CINE 25 - Narrative Filmmaking 3.00 Semester 1 Fa/Sp

CINE 54 - Cinematography & Lighting 3.00 Semester 2 Fa/Sp

CINE 60 - Sound for Motion Pictures 3.00 Semester 1 Fa/Sp

     Total: 13.00

Choose one Editing class:

CINE 56 - Introduction to Digital Editing 4.00 Semester 2 Sp

BCST 144A - Video Editing Premiere Intro 4.00 Semester 2  Fa

  Total: 4.00

Grand  Total: 17.00

It is possible to complete the Cinema Foundations Certificate in 2 semesters (1 year):
Select courses as noted available during Summer session: CINE 24
Semester 1 = 10
Semester 2  = 7
Total Units = 17

Master Planning

The Certificate of Achievement is the result of Cinematography and Editing faculty feedback, our annual advisory committee meetings and evaluation through assessment and program review. This Certificate follows the recently adopted Pre-Production/Producing Certificate, the first in our program,  launched in the spring of 2019. This certificate will serve to build a foundation of film production skills for students interested in advancing in our production track, comprised by a reasonable course load and progression to completion with our predominantly working student population in mind. It is achievable in two semesters or more. Our industry advisors suggest that the most successful job applicants  are those with specialized skills, coursework and experience. This isn’t possible without learning the basics, which are covered in this certificate. Further, recent LMI reporting shows an annual labor market gap of 360 students. With proper advertising of new program availability this could draw significant enrollment increase and student completion for the Cinema Department and CCSF.

Enrollment and Completer Projections

The projected number of annual completers for the Cinema Foundations Certificate is 20 students.  This estimate is based on the enrollment data for the required courses shown in the table below.

REQUIRED COURSES

		F17/S18	F18/S19
Course Department Number	Course Title	Annual # Sections	Annual Enrollment Totals	Annual # Sections	Annual Enrollment Totals
CINE 24*	Basic Film Production*	11	186	11	200
CINE 25	Narrative Filmmaking	4	75	4	71
CINE 54	Cinematography & Lighting	2	48	2	41
CINE 60	Sound for Motion Pictures I	2	41	2	51

*One section of CINE 24 is usually offered in Summer session

ELECTIVES

		F17/S18	F18/S19
Course Department Number	Course Title	Annual # Sections	Annual Enrollment Totals	Annual # Sections	Annual Enrollment Totals
CINE 56	Introduction to Digital Editing	2	40	2	21
BCST 144A	Video Editing Premiere Intro	1	25	1	25

Place of Program in Curriculum/Similar Programs

There are no comparable programs currently offered at CCSF. While some of these courses are options for students attaining the Television and Electronic Media AS-T they could easily stack this Certificate into that transfer-oriented goal and pick up a few more helpful CTE classes along the way to better prepare them for the job market or transfer.

Similar Programs at Other Colleges in Service Area

According to COCI reporting Santa Rosa Junior College is the closest program offering a comparable Certificate program of study, however the total units to complete theirs is 31 compared to our 17. Additionally - their production focus envelops elements of what we offer at CCSF across BEMA, VMD and Photo departments with multi-camera studio shooting, 3D animation and digital photography. Otherwise no similar program is offered aside from Southern California at College of the Desert and West L.A., L.A. Valley, etc..  Academy of Art University offers a 4-year Certificate program that isn’t comparable considering tuition costs and length of program in the School of Motion Pictures and Television. In the Bay Area this Certificate will be the greatest value and provide solid knowledge and tools for students to apply on the job early in their career and/or build on in continuing their CTE education at CCSF or a 4-year institution like SFSU.

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
Required Courses
CINE 24	Basic Film Production	4	S1
CINE 25	Narrative Filmmaking	3	S1
CINE 54	Cinematography & Lighting	3	S2
CINE 60	Sound For Motion Pictures I	3	S1 or S2
Choose 1 Editing Class
CINE 56	Introduction to Digital Editing	4	S2
BCST 144A	Video Editing Premiere Intro	4	S2

In the Bay Area this Certificate will be the greatest value and provide solid knowledge and tools for students to apply on the job early in their career and/or build on in continuing their CTE education at CCSF or a 4-year institution like SFSU.

According to COCI reporting Santa Rosa Junior College is the closest program offering a comparable Certificate program of study, however the total units to complete theirs is 31 compared to our 17. Additionally - their production focus envelops elements of what we offer at CCSF across BEMA, VMD and Photo departments with multi-camera studio shooting, 3D animation and digital photography. Otherwise no similar program is offered aside from Southern California at College of the Desert and West L.A., L.A. Valley, etc.. Academy of Art University offers a 4-year Certificate program that isn’t comparable considering tuition costs and length of program in the School of Motion Pictures and Television. Skyline College runs some production courses and has been contacted to assess possible impact to their offerings, though the program does not currently award AA, AS or Certificates according to their website. We have reached out to the department and have not yet heard back as of Tuesday May 28, 2019 and are awaiting response.