Undergraduate Producing

Undergraduate Producing

Filmmaking is storytelling, and the job of the producer is to protect the story, ensuring it is not degraded throughout the long production process. The job of the producer is the story. In the Producing program at UNCSA, you will learn every detail of safeguarding the story, such as working with writers and directors, securing story and music rights, casting, budgeting, marketing and supervising. In-depth classes and hands-on assignments will prepare you to enter the production world of filmmaking.

Bachelor of Fine Arts

First-Second Years
As a student in the School of Filmmaking, you are not accepted into an individual program until a portfolio review at the end of your second year. The first two years are designed for you to learn the fundamentals of filmmaking, while giving faculty an opportunity to gauge your skill levels and abilities within particular disciplines. In addition to arts electives, such as cinema studies, and liberal arts classes, you will be required to take introductory courses in production design, screenwriting, directing, picture editing, sound design, cinematography and producing. Second-year workshops will be offered in screenwriting, directing, cinematography, developing the editor’s eye and developing short films, giving you more in-depth, hands-on experience in topics of your choosing.

Third Year
After being accepted into the film Producing program, you will be immersed in advanced courses covering development, budgeting, scheduling and marketing issues. A course on creative development and dealmaking will emphasize the art of negotiating during the development and pre-production process, as well as the various issues that will arise during production and post-production, like working with financiers. You will become proficient in industry-standard software in a budgeting and scheduling course, and learn the ins and outs of marketing and distribution of large motion pictures. Your intermediate producing practicum will combine all of these lessons as you work one-on-one with a faculty mentor during your year-three production project.

Fourth Year
During your fourth year, you will learn exactly how a motion picture studio functions, specifically focusing on how each department – acquisitions, production, marketing – works together. You will be required to take an in-depth class on independently financing films and co-producing with international agents. The program will culminate in your advanced producing practicum as your mentor oversees the development, pre-production, production, post-production, market research screening and marketing and advertising processes of your fourth-year production project.

Careers

Graduates of our film producer program are successful as producers, production coordinators, assistant directors and screenwriters in both major motion pictures and television series, such as “The Closer,” “Rizzoli and Isles” and “Dirty Little Secrets.”

Related Program

GRADUATE CREATIVE PRODUCING

Producing News
Learn more about the Undergraduate and Graduate Producing programs through these features and news stories.