All courses, arranged by program, are listed in the catalog. If you cannot locate a specific course, try the Advanced Search. Current class schedules, with posted days and times, can be found on the NOW/Student Dashboard or by logging in to SiS.
This foundational course that surveys the history and current state of digital and web-based media from a variety of perspectives: cultural and ethical, as well as the production and monetization of media. Students engage with and become critical consumers of media, learning how we use it to disseminate, market, entertain, influence and disrupt.
This course is an introduction to academic film studies. It aims to introduce students to the basic vocabularies, methods, and debates in scholarly writing about narrative cinema. Students will become conversant with specific elements and operations of the cinematic apparatus (e.g. camera, editing, soundtrack) and its production of meanings. We will also examine the structural and ideological attributes of cinema, concentrating on the dominant narrative model developed in the Hollywood studio system and the alternatives and challenges it provoked. Finally, we will look at the multiple ways in which digital technologies have altered the construction of narratives in Hollywood and other national cinemas.
Pre-Req: ENGL.1020 College Writing II.
This is a foundation-level Digital Media production course. The course gives a fast-paced overview of a broad range of topics in contemporary digital media creation. Students should expect to gain foundational level skills and with still image capture, video recording, sound recording, and editing. Students will be introduced to various equipment such as DSLR cameras, audio recorders and will also learn the basics of non-linear editing. A significant portion of the course is dedicated to in-the-field and in-the-studio hands-on experience. Upon completion of the course, students will have experience with a broad range of digital media production tools. No prior experience with the medium is necessary.
This is a foundation level video production course in the Digital Media program. The course covers all aspects of video production including pre-production, on-set execution, post-production, and publishing. Students will gain skills in video recording, sound recording, lighting, and editing. Students will be introduced to various equipment such as DSLR and cinema cameras, audio recorders, and LED lighting and will also learn the basics of non-linear editing, using Adobe Premiere Pro. A significant portion of the course is dedicated to in-the-field and in-the-studio hands-on experience. Upon completion of the course, students will create a short-format project using a single camera and will be ready to move onto the production of portfolio-level non-fiction and narrative-based films.
Pre-req: DGMD.1100 Introduction to Digital Media Production.
This introductory-level production course is designed to engage students in learning techniques and principles of audio production and integration of sound into media storytelling including digital film, commercial media applications, internet production, and many more. Students will learn basic workflows of digital sound recording, processing, editing, and mixing. Likewise, students will be introduced to the aesthetic properties of sound and discuss various applications and form through the study of existing works. A significant portion of the course is dedicated to in-the-field and in-the-studio hands-on experience (both individual and in-group). No prior experience with the medium is necessary. The course is required for Digital Media BA majors but is open to anyone.
This course is the first in a sequence of a two-semester expose to media history and culture in the US and worldwide. The course will trace and analyze some of the most significant developments in media technology, industry, and the role they play in the process of shaping the human experience affecting society, politics, and culture. The emphasis will be made on the visual media including film and broadcast, but the broader context will be considered.
Pre-Req: ENGL 1020 College Writing II, or permission of instructor.
This course is the second in a sequence of a two-semester expose to media history and culture in the US and worldwide. The content will cover the developments from the 1960s to the present moment. The course will trace and analyze some of the most significant developments in media technology, industry, and the role they play in the process of shaping the human experience affecting society, politics, and culture. The emphasis will be made on the visual media including film and broadcast, but the broader context will be considered.
In this class students will be immersed in the art and craft of creating compelling stories for the screen in both fiction and nonfiction genres. As it has been said many times about media making, the story is the heart of media production. Students will develop screenwriting abilities through gaining knowledge of and experience with story conception and development: character development; story structure; dramatic action; dialogue; scene/sequence construction and writing for emotional impact.
This course explores key legal issues likely to confront journalists, mass media professionals or students interested in learning more about the relationships between law, media and ethics in this global community. Nonetheless, students are challenged to think critically about the applicability of those issues to individuals and to media institutions that transmit information via spoken communications, writing, traditional media, mobile messages, social network sites, or e-mail messages.
This is an introductory course in digital editing. Students are going to be introduced to the basics of digital editing, the aesthetics and technical skills of digital editing for film and video.
The course is designed to equip students with the necessary skills and strategies for content creation and management on social media. Likewise, students will explore various components of social media use including psychology, ethics, and economics behind various existing formats. The course does not aim to prepare students for specific platforms but focuses on general strategies including social responsibility, storytelling methodologies, content creation an d promotion, communication fluidity, data analytics and metrics, and understanding and growing of audiences. Through lectures, presentations, readings, formal exercises, case studies, and discussions the students will develop a solid practice in social media creation and management. Foundational skill in design are desired but not a requirement.
This course will help any student interested in planning a long-term media project develop the skills necessary to bring their ideas to fruition. Students will gain an understanding of all major media project phases, from conception through completion and distribution. While the scope of the course will specifically emphasize development and pre-production, the focus will be on creating a comprehensive plan that includes clear end goals for audience, distribution, and impact. The course will emphasize best practices and key resources and will present an overview of the distribution, and impact. The course will emphasize best practices and key resources and will present an overview of the distribution landscape for independent media produces. In addition to having the knowledge, skills, and confidence to begin a major media project, students will leave the class with a professionally crafted full proposal, treatment, script or storyboard, production schedule, and one completed application for funding.
This course will facilitate a deeper understanding of the uses of online and multimedia communication technologies in a democratic society and the impact of such technologies on the way we communicate The course will provide students with the opportunity to develop professional knowledge and skills with the tools used in online and multimedia creation. Students will develop a critical understanding of multiplatform and multimedia technologies and will learn how to use video, digital photography, audio, video, social networking and other new technologies.
In the wake of the increasingly frantic pace of 21st-century life, a loose, international movement widely known as "slow cinema" has gained a significant following in the last two decades. Steeped in contemplation and stillness, the films of directors such as Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Tsiai Ming-Lang, Jai Zhangke, Béla Tarr, Pedro Costa, Kelly Reichardt, and many others triggered debates that once raged across film journals, blogs, and even the pages of the New York Times. Now, twenty years after Michel Ciment first popularized the notion of a contemporary "cinema of slowness," the phenomenon shows no signs of waning. What explains the persistence of the slow cinema movement two decades into the 21st century: Is it simply a reactionary and nostalgic attempt to repeat earlier art cinemas, or does it represent something new: We will attempt to answer these questions while grounding our inquiry firmly in a close analysis of key slow films.
This class is dedicated to the practice of non-linear editing of media for films, television, or the web. Instruction will focus on the development of formal and conceptual post-production practices needed for creating compelling visual stories. Students will consolidate their post-production skills developed in previous courses and further improve in areas of editing picture and sound, color grading and effects. Emphasis will be made on developing necessary software skills, post-production workflow, and aesthetic approaches.
Pre-req: DGMD.3400 Lighting Principles, or DGMD.3510 Video Prod.for Digital Media.
Film and video depend on a Cinematographer of Director of Photography to help the director translate a script to screen. Cinematographers are visual storytellers and one of the key positions on sets in films, commercials, music videos, episodic television, and more. This class will teach the fundamentals of lighting, camera operation, composition, movement, and film semiotics. Students will make short films using professional cameras and lighting instruments, working individually and collaboratively. Through lectures and presentations, emphasis will be made on historical and contemporary trends in cinematography.
Pre-req: DGMD.1100 Introduction to Digital Media Production, or Permission of Instructor.
In this course students are going to understand the principles of lighting, its nature, its physical Characteristics, and its artistic role in media production. Class will have significant hands-on assignments and demonstrations beside theoretical background lectures. The concept will be developed based on a one-camera setting only. Students will work with light meters to guide their lighting schemes.
This advanced video production course will explore independent documentary filmmaking through both the study and hands-on production of the form. The course will expose students to a wide array of documentary styles, gibing a brief history of the genre and an overview of its evolution. Through the study of films of various lengths and genres, students will develop their vision for and directorial approach to documentary filmmaking. Over the semester, students will work to produce a short-form film, learning best practices and key roles and responsibilities on a documentary crew and team. Emphasis will be on story telling and structure of the documentary, as well as on the intentional use of camera, sound, and editing to make meaning. Students will gain in-depth practice with on-location shooting, formal interviews, véréte filming, and will explore the specific dilemmas and decisions faced by documentary filmmakers in the field. The course will also explore the ethics of documentary filmmaking and current hot topics and debates in the field. Likewise, students will learn where and how to seek competitive documentary funding, and at the same time will develop the skills to make a professional-level documentary with little to no budget. They will leave the course with an understanding of options and processes for distributing and independently produced documentary, and will knowledge of how to maximize a documentary film's reach and impact.
The course is meant to provide a platform for varying thematic exploration and topics in Digital Media. Subject will be announced in advance. The course may be repeated for credit.
Pre-req: ENGL.1020 College Writing II, and DGMD.1000 Introduction to Digital Media.
In this course students are going to be introduced to the process of film production management from preproduction through production and screening. Students will learn budget management, crewing requirements, location needs, equipment rentals, and associated production costs.
In this course students are going to understand the theory and practice of video production using a single digital camera for digital media through a mix of heavy hands-on practice and lectures. Students will be expected to understand; full digital camera operation and settings, audio control, basic directing, basic lighting, and basic editing intended for digital production. Students will also be expected to learn the terminology of video production/post-production intended for digital media.
In this course, students are going to use After Effects as a tool to help them achieve a successful and visually convincing effect after going through idea generation process. Students will work on masking, cloning, and three-dimensional space with the aim of producing short productions. Familiarity with Photoshop is preferred.
Pre-req: DGMD.3100 Digital Editing, and DGMD.3501 Introduction to Digital Filmmaking.
Through frequent consultation with the instructor, the student carries out the investigation of a particularly specialized area of interest. This course may be repeated for up to a total of 9 credits. "Variable credit course, student chooses appropriate amount of credits when registering."
This course will offer you the opportunity to produce different types of live programs using digital technology. Plan, organise and direct TV studio-based broadcasting. Work effectively as part of a group. It provides a working knowledge of compositional, personal and organizational production skills in relation to the making of a live broadcast program using at least three cameras having in mind that you will cut/ edit form a camera to another without stopping. It requires collaboration, teamwork and strict, organized structures. In most cases, it requires leadership. But for everybody, personal qualities such as determination, enthusiasm and persistence are almost essential. So too is engaged participation.
In this course, students are going to learn the techniques and theory behind mobile TV production in regards to the professional sports industry. A look into the major sports of American culture and production techniques utilized to produce each. Environmental factors governing outdoor TV production as well as state and community government issues regarding the broadcast of each sport. In this course, students will be working in collaboration with UMass Lowell Athletic Department and will be involved with the Tsongas Arena sports activities through its Audio/Video department.
Pre-req: DGMD.2510 Video Prod for Digital Media, and DGMD.3100 Digital Editing.
The course aims to provide students with an understanding of the creative, visual and formal aspects of time-based communication and motion graphic design from both a contextual and technical point of view. Designers, with their comprehension of the principles of graphic design, typography and theories of visual communication will develop a knowledge and understanding of processes and techniques involved in creating time-based media including title sequence design. Projects introduce students to time-based visual communication environments. Unique conditions influencing the roles of storyboarding, planning, typography, graphics, symbolic systems, narrative, sound and time.
In this class, students will create audio segments in the style of a Podcast, each executed with increasing complexity. Students will use the language of cinema, television, print, and the web. They will conduct research, scriptwriting, producing, location scouting, and organize scheduling. Students will use current technology to record a location-based audio program.
In this course, student will work on spatial exploration, mise en scene, and directing the actor. Students will learn methods in scene study and improvisation beside rehearsal techniques, script breakdown and analysis. Students will have first hand experience of the role of director on set and beyond. Leadership and decision making are two qualities and major factors that play a crucial role in the progress of this class.
Pre-req: DGMD.2200 Screenwriting, DGMD.3100 Digital Editing, DGMD.3501 Introduction to Digital Filmmaking.
This course is a semester long internship with one of Digital Media community partners. Students in this course will be practicing media as it is being produced on the ground today through direct hands-on experience.
The first section of the capstone course is designed for guided self-designated projects by seniors in the Digital Media BA program. The course is a part of a sequence of two courses and is designed to be intense engagement that should manifest in the significant project taken from concept through production. Students can work individually and collaboratively under the close supervision of the faculty. The students are required to submit an application that includes a sound project proposal to be eligible for enrollment into the course. The sequential section DGMD.4991 needs to be completed by the BA students to graduate.
Pre-req: DGMD.2200, and DGMD.2510, and DGMD.3100, and DGMD.3400.
This is the second part of capstone course sequence and is designed for guided self-designated projects by seniors in the Digital Media BA program. The course is a part of a sequence of two courses and is designed to be intense engagement that should manifest in a significant project taken from concept through production. Student s work individually and collaboratively under the close supervision of the faculty. The end result of the course should be the completion of a significant project; the final step should result in a public screening. DGMD.4980 needs to be completed for student to qualify for the course.
Pre-req: DGMD.4980 Digital Media Capstone I, or permission of instructor.