The Cinematography certificate provides students with well-rounded technical skills in camera and lighting techniques and aesthetics grounded in film studies. The curriculum provides students with experience with advanced camera, grip and lighting gear as students learn to use these to tell stories and move viewers. Students who complete this certificate will be prepared for entry level positions in commercial and independent narrative, documentary, music video or corporate production as director/producers, cinematographers, gaffers, grips, set electricians and audio video technicians.

Upon Completion of this certificate, students will be able to:

•      Apply cinematography fundamentals for film and video.

•      Collaborate in a group to plan and execute a dramatic scene, functioning in the role of producer, director, director of photography and editor.

•      Demonstrate expressive use of composition, lens choice, lighting and camera movement.

The projected number of annual completers for the Cinematography Certificate is 13 students. This estimate is based on the enrollment data for the required courses shown in the table below.

CB01: Course Department Number	CB02: Course Title	F17/Sp18 Annual # Sections	F17/Sp18 Annual Enrollment Totals	F18/Sp19 Annual # Sections	F18/Sp19 Annual Enrollment Totals
Cine 21	Introduction to Film Studies	4	134	7	240
CINE 24	Basic Film Production	10	169	10	184
CINE 25	Narrative Filmmaking	4	75	4	71
CINE 54	Cinematography & Lighting	2	48	2	41
CINE 56	Introduction to Film Editing	2	40	2	22
CINE 74	Advanced Cinematography & Lighting	1	12	1	20

The goal of the Cinematography Certificate is to provide students with foundational 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:cinematographer/director, camera operation, lighting technician and digital video production. The course of study is designed as a base for further study.

Item1. Program Goals & Objectives

The goal of the Cinematography Certificate is to provide students with foundational 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:cinematographer/director, camera operation, lighting technician and digital video production. The course of study is designed as a base for further study.

Upon Completion of this certificate, students will be able to:

•      Apply cinematography fundamentals for film and video.

•      Collaborate in a group to plan and execute a dramatic scene, functioning in the role of producer, director, director of photography and editor.

•      Demonstrate expressive use of composition, lens choice, lighting and camera movement.

 Item 2. Catalog Description

The Cinematography certificate provides students with well-rounded technical skills in camera and lighting techniques and aesthetics grounded in film studies. The curriculum provides students with experience with advanced camera, grip and lighting gear as students learn to use these to tell stories and move viewers. Students who complete this certificate will be prepared for entry level positions in commercial and independent narrative, documentary, music video or corporate production as director/producers, cinematographers, gaffers, grips, set electricians and audio video technicians.

Item 3. Program Requirements

The program requirements are shown in the table below.

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

Courses Required for the Certificate of Achievement in Cinematography

Required courses:                                                                        Units:

CINE 21- Introduction to Film Studies                                            3.00     Year 1 Fall

CINE 24 – Basic Film Production                                                    4.00      Year 1 Fall

CINE 25 – Narrative Filmmaking                                                     3.00      Year 1 Fall/Spring

CINE 54 – Cinematography & Lighting                                           3.00      Year 1 Spring

CINE 56 – Introduction to Film Editing                                           4.00      Year 1 Spring

CINE 74 – Advanced Cinematography & Lighting                          3.00      Year 2 Fall

Total: 20.00

It is possible to complete the entire certificate in three semesters (1.5 years):

Year 1 Fall = 7 or 10

Year 1 Spring = 7 or 10

Year 2 Fall = 3 or 6/7

Total Units = 20

Item 4. Master Planning

The Certificate of Achievement in Cinematography 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 students interested in specializing in cinematography and lighting and proposes a reasonable course load and progression to completion for our mostly working student population.It is achievable in three semesters. Our industry advisors suggest that the most successful job applicants are those with specialized skills, course work and experience.

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
CINE 21	Intro to Film Studies	3	Y1, S1
CINE 24	Basic Film Production	4	Y1, S1
CINE 25	Narrative Filmmaking	3	Y1, S1
CINE 54	Cinematography & Lighting	3	Y1, S2
CINE 56	Intro to Film Editing	4	Y1, S2

CINE 74               Advanced Cinemato-          3                                     Y2, S1

graphy & Lighting 

According to the Chancellor’s Office Curriculum Inventory (COCI) Cinema’s Certificate of Achievement in Cinematography will be the first among community colleges in the Bay Area. There are no other 2-year or 4-year public colleges or universities offering a similar focus and certificate. In fact, CCSF will be a leader in this field in Northern California. The only comparable certificate for cinematography in the state is through Los Angeles Community College. The courses required for the certificate can also be applied to our AS degree.

A number of Bay Area higher-educational institutions offer a cinematography class but most four-year institutions do not offer an advanced cinematography course or a specialization in cinematography. Only the private Academy of Art University (AAU) in San Francisco offers a cinematography emphasis within their AA, BFA and MFA degrees. Their (four-year) Certificate does not offer any specializations. As a private institution, AAU costs are prohibitive for most of our students: $917 per unit or $2,751 per 3-unit class. This totals $28,978 annually in tuition and fees alone. AAU shows no reporting for job placement. Their overall graduation rate is around 31.5% with 20% graduating on time from the 4 year program. Skyline College has a Digital Arts Program "which provides a broad foundation of digital artistic education that will prepare students for earning a four-year degree at a CSU or UC." They do not offer any certificates or a degree. I have contacted Dean Danni Redding-Lapuz (Dean of Social Sciences/Creative Arts) by phone and email to consult on the potential impact to their program. I am awaiting her response. De Anza remains our strongest competitor in the region in terms of headcount and FTES. The 2015 – 16 Cal-Pass reporting shows CCSF in the lead with number of sections offered in production, head count of students taking one or more courses, and FTES by impressively substantial margins. CCSF’s Cinema Department offers 42 sections/40 FTES. While De Anza’s Film/Television department offers a strong production program, they do not offer any classes specifically focused on cinematography and they only offer one class on lighting. Apart from the AAU, no other regional programs offer specialized curriculum in cinematography & lighting. With the launch of this Certificate, CCSF’s Cinema Department will be the go-to institution for this specialized instruction, integral to the motion picture and television industry. The industry continues to expand in the Bay Area at a rapid pace with digital streaming platforms based in Silicon Valley driving much of the growth.