Digital Media/Film Studies, Associate of Science

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The Digital Media/Film Studies A.S. program prepares students to transfer into the junior year at four-year colleges in media production and/or film studies. It also prepares students for entry-level jobs in some communication fields, including video and digital media production. The program includes required courses in media studies, film, and video production as well as electives in specialized fields such as digital art, advanced video editing and theatre.

Digital Media/Film Studies students will pursue an experiential component in their studies by taking digital portfolio development and will be encouraged to participate in a cooperative work experience.

Graduates are able to:

discuss major video and film genres, styles and their historic, cultural and social influences
describe the processes, techniques, and formats used in each of the various media (video, film, audio, and interactive media)
employ a creative approach to all steps in the digital video, interactive video, and film production process: from concept and story-boards, to lighting, sound design, performance, and editing
use digital video- and sound-editing software to create original productions
distinguish among various editing techniques and their impact on video and film communication
critique student, media industry and artistic videos and films
demonstrate technical and artistic expertise throughout a student-developed video portfolio
investigate educational and career paths within the video production and film professions

Students considering transfer to a four-year institution for a bachelor’s degree in technology should consult with a transfer counselor early in their program to determine requirements.

Raritan Valley Community College Associate of Arts (AA) and Associate of Science (AS) degree programs are designed to comply with the New Jersey Community Colleges General Education Foundation which supports transfer of courses to NJ Public four-year colleges and universities. Students who intend to transfer to a NJ college or university can further improve the transfer of courses by using the Recommended Transfer Program (RTP) feature in NJTransfer.org.

Curriculum – A.S. Degree

First Semester

ENGL 111 - English Composition I 3 Credits
COMM 120 - Introduction to Mass Communication 3 Credits
FILM 101 - Art of the Movies: Film Appreciation and Analysis 3 Credits
FILM 267 - Digital Video Production: Narrative & Documentary 3 Credits
Social Science 3 Credits ¹

Second Semester

ENGL 112 - English Composition II 3 Credits
COMM 150 - Writing for the Media 3 Credits
FILM 279 - Sound Techniques for Film and Video 3 Credits
General Education 3 Credits ¹
Technological Competency 3 Credits ²

Third Semester

FILM 261 - Light, Optics & Lighting 3 Credits
COMM 250 - Screenwriting 3 Credits
Specialization Elective 3 Credits ³
Mathematics 3 Credits ¹
Social Science or Humanities 3 Credits ¹

Fourth Semester

FILM 268 - Advanced Video Production: Narrative & Documentary 3 Credits
COMM 252 - Digital Portfolio Development 2 Credits
Specialization Elective 3 Credits ³
Science (lab) 4 Credits ¹
General Education 3 Credits ¹

Total Credits 60

¹ Select a course from the appropriate category of the General Education list.

² If a student passes the technological competency test (no credit), another course must be selected from Mathematics, Science or Technological Competency from the General Education list.

3 Select a course from the following specialization electives: ARTS 112 Introduction to Digital Photography , ARTS 249 Digital Artmaking , FILM 122 Survey of American Film , FILM 278 Advanced Video Editing ,THEA 105 Acting I: Fundamentals , ENGL 248 Creative Writing , COMM 291 Independent Study/Cooperative Education Digital .