Film and Video Production A.A./A.S.

The following is the original text of the Applied Art and Design Department catalog description:

Applied Art and Design is an academic discipline which focuses on the principles and practical applications of art, design, photography, computer graphics, imaging and animation. Study of the foundations of design, creative problem solving, portfolio development and internship experiences, all prepare students for transfer programs and career opportunities. Within the AA/AS degree or certificate options, students may concentrate in Graphic Design, Illustration, or Multimedia. Students who successfully complete the Applied Art and Design major can expect to find entry level employment in such areas as digital illustration, graphic design for print and internet, multimedia, animation, photographic retouching and pre-press operation.

During the 2016-17 academic year, the Photography Department awarded 3 Video Production and Editing Skill Certificates, and 8 students were awarded Digital Media A.A. degrees. During the 2017-18 academic year, the Applied Art and Design Department awarded 6 Video Production and Editing Skill Certificates, and 13 students were awarded Digital Media A.A. degrees. 

The filmmaking courses continue to increase in enrollment. This semester all but one of the filmmaking classes were waitlisted. The waitlists had at least ten students each. The department anticipates the number of degrees and certificates awarded will only increase slightly from the current level. What will change is the actual courses the students will complete as they choose between the different degree options within Applied Art and Design. 

(A) Enrollment Data

An associate degree in Film and Video Production will help students gain access to paid internships, and entry level production assistant positions. This associate degree prepares students for transfer to undergraduate programs in filmmaking and video production. Students who have taken our existing courses have transferred successfully to film programs such as Chapman University, Loyola Marymount University, San Francisco State University and CSU Northridge. Students with a film focus have also successfully transferred to Sacramento State University and completed their Film program. Additionally, ambitious students who graduate with this degree have chosen to start their own production company.  There are many paths available in film and video production.  

The Film and Video Production Associate in Arts (A.A.) and Associate of Science (A.S.) degrees are being created due to the growing demand for video production and visual storytelling skill sets. This A.A./A.S. will be part of the existing Applied Art and Design Department and will be offered in addition to established Applied Art and Design Associate in Arts/Associate in Science degrees such as Graphic Design, Illustration and Digital Media. The goal of this program of study is to enable students to create videos, short films and documentaries with solid narrative structure. In conjunction with storytelling, students will build strong technical skills, learn visual aesthetics and develop communication skills necessary to work in the film and video production industry.

Additionally, this degree prepares students for transfer into many of the four-year programs in the areas of Filmmaking and Video Production. For example, a lower division course that transfers directly into the Film major at CSU Sacramento is AAD79 Introduction to Digital Filmmaking. This is our introduction to digital filmmaking course in the proposed degree pattern in which all students are required to take. This course, AAD79, transfers to the various Film programs within the CSU system (CSU Northridge Film Program, San Francisco State Film Program, CSU Long Beach Film Program, and CSU Sacramento Film Program). This A.A./A.S. degree aligns well as a transfer pathway to many popular, private film schools in Los Angeles such as Chapman and Loyola Marymount Universities. Many of our existing Sierra College students who have already successfully completed these courses and moved on to these colleges have gained the benefits of these courses but did not have an A.A. degree that stated their achievement. This degree proposal will take existing film courses and wrap them into a new film degree that accurately states student’s course of study and the skills gained in their study.

The Program Student Learning Outcomes for the Applied Art & Design Department are listed below:

Applied Art & Design Department:Program Student Learning Outcomes

Design Process: Generate design solutions integrating concept, content and form, and produce a workflow consisting of the many phases of the design process.

Critical Thinking: Critique and communicate elements and principles of design as applied to contemporary and historical design.

Output: Create designs for various delivery methods such as print, web and multimedia, utilizing the appropriate formats required.

Labor Market: Prove a command of industry standard software applications in preparation for the job market in the fields of design, illustration and/or multimedia.

Legal Issues: Demonstrate knowledge of the key principles of copyright, fair use, public domain and the use of appropriated images and content in design projects.

All courses for the degree are already being offered in Applied Art and Design except for AAD88 History of Filmmaking which is currently being reviewed by our curriculum committee. Once it passes through the curriculum committee it will be offered in the Fall of 2020. We looked at several different A.A. degrees in video production and filmmaking all over the state of California. We wanted to make sure our course offerings were comprehensive, thorough and well rounded. Our curriculum is based on the feedback we received from our Advisory committee meetings as well as our research from other community colleges. 

PHOT0 60ARequired Core (21 units)

Choose ONE of the following courses:

Completion of CSU-GE Breadth or IGETC pattern              36 units

(Possible double counting:  3 units)

TOTAL UNITS                                                                           60 units

Proposed Sequence: 

Year 1, Fall = 15 units 

Year 1, Spring = 15 units

Year 2, Fall = 15 units

Year 2, Spring = 15 units

TOTAL UNITS: 60 units