Program Overview

A story in The New York Times recently argued that a Cinema Studies degree is the new MBA. The Graduate Certificate Program in Digital Video Production is a response to the changing technological landscape of our mediated world.

This 12 credit certificate program will provide students with the fundamental skills of digital video production. The skills will include competence with a range of digital video cameras, microphones, basic lighting principles and non-linear editing software. In addition, students will learn the principles of visual storytelling and narrative construction. Students have the choice to explore field and studio production, though the emphasis will be on single camera video production. Finally, students will learn how to manipulate their products across a variety of media platforms, from small streaming files for the Internet to DVDs. Students will also learn the elements of communication theory in an effort to inform the practice of video production with the current theoretical trends within the communication discipline. The program is open to all graduate students within the FSU community.

As the cost of video production equipment - from cameras to non-linear editing software packages - continues to drop, and the quality of the digital media tools continues to increase, the boundaries between media producers and consumers is increasingly blurred. From webcams to consumer digital still cameras that capture motion and sound to phones that capture video, video cameras are proliferating across our social world. Similarly, Windows XP software now comes bundled with MovieMaker, a simple non-linear editing tool.

In addition to the proliferation of video technology, there is a similar proliferation of distribution possibilities. From streaming video on the Internet to homemade DVDs and CD-ROMs, video production has moved beyond the traditional television studio and is now accessible to businesses large and small, non-profit organizations, as well as an emerging group of visual artists and moviemakers. Digital media production is no longer the sole province of media corporations but instead is appearing in a growing diversity of places. Currently, these changes are not being met within the academy. Students today are still faced with the limited choices of taking on a full Film Production MFA or following a traditional path of research and theory offered by most MA and PhD programs. This certificate will allow graduate students the opportunity to gain the valuable, fundamental skills of digital video production and then apply those skills across a range of disciplinary applications. Visual anthropologists, ethnographers, sociologists, marketers, small business owners, new media artists are all examples of potential students in the certificate program.

The new possibilities posed by accessible technology require a new set of skills to be able to use these tools effectively. In effect, we are reaching a stage where media literacy involves writing as well as reading media. The ability to construct visual narratives, tell a story in pictures and move digital sound and images across a host of media platforms is an increasingly valued skill set. This certificate will give people the training they need to become media literate in the 21st century.

	Graduate Certificate in Digital Video Production	Media Production Program Suite 3100 University Center Building C Tallahassee, FL 32306 Map Contact: Dr. Opel, Area Head send email 850/644-8768



Overview Faculty/Staff Courses Facilities Admissions	Program Overview A story in The New York Times recently argued that a Cinema Studies degree is the new MBA. The Graduate Certificate Program in Digital Video Production is a response to the changing technological landscape of our mediated world. This 12 credit certificate program will provide students with the fundamental skills of digital video production. The skills will include competence with a range of digital video cameras, microphones, basic lighting principles and non-linear editing software. In addition, students will learn the principles of visual storytelling and narrative construction. Students have the choice to explore field and studio production, though the emphasis will be on single camera video production. Finally, students will learn how to manipulate their products across a variety of media platforms, from small streaming files for the Internet to DVDs. Students will also learn the elements of communication theory in an effort to inform the practice of video production with the current theoretical trends within the communication discipline. The program is open to all graduate students within the FSU community. As the cost of video production equipment - from cameras to non-linear editing software packages - continues to drop, and the quality of the digital media tools continues to increase, the boundaries between media producers and consumers is increasingly blurred. From webcams to consumer digital still cameras that capture motion and sound to phones that capture video, video cameras are proliferating across our social world. Similarly, Windows XP software now comes bundled with MovieMaker, a simple non-linear editing tool. In addition to the proliferation of video technology, there is a similar proliferation of distribution possibilities. From streaming video on the Internet to homemade DVDs and CD-ROMs, video production has moved beyond the traditional television studio and is now accessible to businesses large and small, non-profit organizations, as well as an emerging group of visual artists and moviemakers. Digital media production is no longer the sole province of media corporations but instead is appearing in a growing diversity of places. Currently, these changes are not being met within the academy. Students today are still faced with the limited choices of taking on a full Film Production MFA or following a traditional path of research and theory offered by most MA and PhD programs. This certificate will allow graduate students the opportunity to gain the valuable, fundamental skills of digital video production and then apply those skills across a range of disciplinary applications. Visual anthropologists, ethnographers, sociologists, marketers, small business owners, new media artists are all examples of potential students in the certificate program. The new possibilities posed by accessible technology require a new set of skills to be able to use these tools effectively. In effect, we are reaching a stage where media literacy involves writing as well as reading media. The ability to construct visual narratives, tell a story in pictures and move digital sound and images across a host of media platforms is an increasingly valued skill set. This certificate will give people the training they need to become media literate in the 21st century.