CINEMATOGRAPHY

The Cinematography certificate of achievement is designed to provide students with advanced skills in below-the-line supervising, single-camera cinematography, production and post-production. Technical skills are emphasized for the jobs of cinematographer, camera operator, camera assistant, and data manager, as well as coloring and post-production processes.

• Plan, execute and organize practical digital or film still photography exercises that demonstrate cinematography fundamentals, including the understanding of camera controls, elements of composition, and photographing with natural and artificial light.
  
• Collaborate in a group to plan and execute a short lm, functioning in the role of producer, director, and director of photography on cinema projects emphasizing lighting, composition, exposure and focus.
  
• Employ basic principles of black and white analog photography from the mechanical creation of the image with camera and lm to enlarging the photograph for display, while applying the guidelines of composition, communication and self-expression.
  

(A) Enrollment Data

Course	2018-2019 Total Sections	2018-2019 Total Enrollments	2019-2020 Total Sections	2019-2020 Total Enrollments
CINEMA 001	9	353	8	327
CINEMA 002	8	245	8	206
CINEMA 003	18	752	17	797
CINEMA 004	9	327	9	385
CINEMA 006	4	95	4	75
CINEMA 007	2	36	1	19
CINEMA 018	3	63	3	89
CINEMA 038-1	3	55	1	31
CINEMA 038-2	2	30	1	19
CINEMA 501	2	43	2	39
PHOTO 010	6	144	7	128

We anticipate 15 projected students or “annual completers” each year (based on enrollment data).

The Cinematography certificate of achievement prepares students for careers in cinematography that emphasize the technical and creative aspects of visual story telling. Students can expect to develop the foundational skills of still photography, cinematography and lighting used in the camera department on the production set of any narrative based movie, series, limited series or short content. Rigorous, technical skills are emphasized for the jobs of Cinematographer, Camera Operator, Camera Assistant, and Data Manager.

Since 2000, cinematography has been offered as a skills level certificate. Students need 24 units for this skills certificate. We also currently offer AA degrees in Cinema Production and Television Production. Our student population includes creative individuals, who work or want to work in the creative industries. Given our diverse student demographics - high school graduates, returning and older students, as well as students looking for Career Technical Education, a Certificate of Achievement in Cinematography would enhance our academic offerings and increase our capacity to attract talent to our comprehensive, hands-on program. This allows students to complete a higher level of credentialing in order to enter the highly competitive job market in Los Angeles, center of the Entertainment Industry. This certificate of achievement could be applied towards an AA degree, if students fulfill general education requirements. This is important for our students, considering that many have jobs and families, and have to navigate their way into a degree with competing obligations, and not always the deepest pockets of wealth. At Los Angeles City College departments are increasingly encouraged to develop Certificates of Achievement, primarily in CTE and career technical fields. Besides preparing people for the job market efficiently, it helps structure, align and speed up the time spent in school.

Los Angeles City College offers low-cost, comprehensive, hands-on training to a diverse population, who might not be in a position to afford a 4-year commitment to an LA-area film college or university. Students have the option to complete basic college courses with certificates, receive an Associate Arts Degree in Cinema or Television Production (AA), and transfer to four-year institutions. 

LACC is uniquely positioned to provide excellent entertainment industry training, particularly considering the geographical proximity of the campus to the Hollywood community. 

The LACC Cinema/TV Department was awarded an unprecedented $2 million donation from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The support of the HFPA continues with annual LACC student-awarded fellowships, Golden Globe™ internships, and other interactions special events. (https://www.goldenglobes.com/articles/hfpa-gives-endowment-los-angeles-city-college).

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
CINEMA 001	INTRODUCTION TO MOTION PICTURE PRODUCTION	3	S1
CINEMA 002	BEGINNING MOTION PICTURE WORKSHOP	3	S1
CINEMA 003	HISTORY OF MOTION PICTURES	3	S1
CINEMA 004, OR CINEMA 018	HISTORY OF THE DOCUMENTARY FILM INTRODUCTION TO FILM GENRES	3	S1
CINEMA 006	INTRODUCTION TO CINEMATOGRAPHY	3	S2
PHOTO 010, OR CINEMA 501	BEGINNING PHOTOGRAPHY MEDIA AESTHETICS AND DESIGN FOR FILM AND DIGITAL MEDIA	3	S2
CINEMA 007	ADVANCED CINEMATOGRAPHY AND CREATIVE TECHNIQUES	3	S3
CINEMA 038-1, OR CINEMA 038-2	MOTION PICTURE STAGE GRIP MOTION PICTURE STAGE ELECTRIC	3	S3

The program will require the existing local Cinematography skills certificate to be archived, as this new state-approved certificate will replace it.

No other two-year school in the LA/OC area offers a specific certificate of achievement in cinematography. Although many offer cinematography classes and generalized cinema production certificates, no other school has this offering. UCLA extension offers a non-credit 12-course certificate at a tuition cost of over $10,000. Private New York Film Academy offers one Cinematography Program at tuition cost of $39,292 plus equipment fees. Our students, often older and returning, will be able to get this certification as state residents for about $1,200 in tuition. All classes are in place for the certificate and credits can also be used for the LACC AA in Cinema Production and/or for transfer to a CSU four-year school. Our school is located under the Hollywood sign, the heart of the entertainment industry, with a demand for this type of certificate. This certificate would fulfill a need in our community on the side of the employers and students. Since the field is constantly evolving and changing, rigorous and recent hands-on production certifications are a must.

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