University of Texas at Austin Department of Radio-Television-Film
Encyclopedia
The Department of Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas at Austin
located in Austin
, Texas
, is one of the five departments comprising the College of Communication
. The department was founded in 1965 and has become one of the nation's premiere film schools
, consistently ranking in the top 5 for graduate programs and the top 10 for undergraduate studies.
The department has a very selective admissions policy, accepting less than 25% of applicants in its undergraduate program, and less than 15% of applicants in its graduate programs.
The film school offers an undergraduate Bachelor's of Science degree in a variety of disciplines, as well as offering the nation's top MFA and PHD level programs at the graduate level.
broadcast in the state of Texas, offering its first degree program in broadcasting in 1939. By the 1960s, The University planned to consolidate all of its communication studies
under one roof and in 1965 founded the College of Communication
with three departments including Journalism, Public Relations, a newly formed department of Radio-Television-Film. In 1968, the school began construction its new three building home in the northwest corner of the campus, which was completed in 1974.
In 2007, the Belo Foundation announced a 15 million dollar donation to build a new communication's facility north of the existing complex
, with the official groundbreaking taking place in May 2010. The Texas Student Media
building has officially renamed the William Randolph Hearst Building, after a significant donation from the Hearst corporation
. The FCC licensed student television station K09VR
received an 80,000 dollar digital transmitter
retrofit to comply with the mandated digital television transition in 2009.
with their 500 seat ACL studio, as well as Austin's PBS station KLRU
.
The building features 5 professional 1200 square feet (111.5 m²) sound stages with variety of Mole-Richardson
lights that can be moved around and connected to the studio lighting grid, and a master light board for dimming. There are also a variety of Mac
editing labs with both Avid
and Final Cut Pro
, as well as Protools and ADR Studios
.
The Cage is the department's film production resource center located on the loading dock level of the CMB. The cage allows students enrolled in certain classes film production equipment to check out a variety of equipment including Sony ex-1 and Panasonic HVX digital cameras, bolex and arri 16 mm cameras, boom and sound editing equipment, gaffing equipment including HMI and Mole lights, flags, C stands, generators, and dimmers. Graduate students have preferred access to all equipment in addition to exclusive access to Red One and 35 millimeter
Arri film cameras.
. Generally the first two years are spent fulfilling the university core requirements while completing the necessary lower division courses starting with RTF 305, a class introducing the fundamentals of Media Studies, followed by RTF 317, a narrative strategies class focusing on structure
in film and television, and RTF 318, formerly known as Film 1, the first film production class consisting of three projects: a still photo project, a still photo project with audio, and a final short film project.
Once the three classes initial have been taken along with at least two additional lower division courses, commonly film history class, and a film course with a cultural diversity
component, students progress into upper division studies where they can specialize in a variety of tracks. The department offers robust media studies
curriculum as well as a variety of film production tracks.
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
located in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, is one of the five departments comprising the College of Communication
University of Texas at Austin College of Communication
The College of Communication is the communication college at The University of Texas at Austin. The College was established in 1965 in an effort to consolidate the all Communication Studies under one roof including the Department of Public Speaking , School of Journalism , and independent...
. The department was founded in 1965 and has become one of the nation's premiere film schools
Film school
The term film school is used to describe any educational institution dedicated to teaching aspects of filmmaking, including such subjects as film production, film theory, digital media production, and screenwriting. Film history courses and hands-on technical training are usually incorporated into...
, consistently ranking in the top 5 for graduate programs and the top 10 for undergraduate studies.
The department has a very selective admissions policy, accepting less than 25% of applicants in its undergraduate program, and less than 15% of applicants in its graduate programs.
The film school offers an undergraduate Bachelor's of Science degree in a variety of disciplines, as well as offering the nation's top MFA and PHD level programs at the graduate level.
History
The pre-history of the film school dates back to 1921, when the University of Texas launched the first experimental radioOld-time radio
Old-Time Radio and the Golden Age of Radio refer to a period of radio programming in the United States lasting from the proliferation of radio broadcasting in the early 1920s until television's replacement of radio as the primary home entertainment medium in the 1950s...
broadcast in the state of Texas, offering its first degree program in broadcasting in 1939. By the 1960s, The University planned to consolidate all of its communication studies
Communication studies
Communication Studies is an academic field that deals with processes of communication, commonly defined as the sharing of symbols over distances in space and time. Hence, communication studies encompasses a wide range of topics and contexts ranging from face-to-face conversation to speeches to mass...
under one roof and in 1965 founded the College of Communication
University of Texas at Austin College of Communication
The College of Communication is the communication college at The University of Texas at Austin. The College was established in 1965 in an effort to consolidate the all Communication Studies under one roof including the Department of Public Speaking , School of Journalism , and independent...
with three departments including Journalism, Public Relations, a newly formed department of Radio-Television-Film. In 1968, the school began construction its new three building home in the northwest corner of the campus, which was completed in 1974.
In 2007, the Belo Foundation announced a 15 million dollar donation to build a new communication's facility north of the existing complex
, with the official groundbreaking taking place in May 2010. The Texas Student Media
Texas Student Media
Texas Student Media is an auxiliary enterprise of The University of Texas at Austin and the largest student media operation in the United States.-Media properties:The Daily Texan is the most significant of TSM's properties...
building has officially renamed the William Randolph Hearst Building, after a significant donation from the Hearst corporation
Hearst Corporation
The Hearst Corporation is an American media conglomerate based in the Hearst Tower, Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by William Randolph Hearst as an owner of newspapers, the company's holdings now include a wide variety of media...
. The FCC licensed student television station K09VR
K09VR
K29HW-D channel 29, known on-air as TSTV is the Student television station of The University of Texas at Austin, operated by Texas Student Media...
received an 80,000 dollar digital transmitter
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
retrofit to comply with the mandated digital television transition in 2009.
Facilities
Opened in 1974, The CMB building holds most of the school's production classes, while the CMA building provides classrooms for most of the school's media studies courses shared with other communications departments. The 8 story CMB Building is also headquarters of Austin City LimitsAustin City Limits
Austin City Limits is an American public television music program recorded live in Austin, Texas by Public Broadcasting Service Public television member station KLRU, and broadcast on many PBS stations around the United States...
with their 500 seat ACL studio, as well as Austin's PBS station KLRU
KLRU
KLRU is the local Public Broadcasting Service member public television station in Austin, Texas, in the United States of America.-History:...
.
The building features 5 professional 1200 square feet (111.5 m²) sound stages with variety of Mole-Richardson
Mole-Richardson
Mole-Richardson, also known as Mole, is a stage lighting instrument and motion picture lighting manufacturing company based in Hollywood, California...
lights that can be moved around and connected to the studio lighting grid, and a master light board for dimming. There are also a variety of Mac
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
editing labs with both Avid
AVID
AVID stands for:* Advancement Via Individual Determination, a college-readiness system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges in the U.S....
and Final Cut Pro
Final Cut Pro
Final Cut Pro is a non-linear video editing software developed by Macromedia Inc. and then Apple Inc. The most recent version, Final Cut Pro X, runs on Mac personal computers powered by Mac OS X version 10.6.7 or later and using Intel processors...
, as well as Protools and ADR Studios
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
.
The Cage is the department's film production resource center located on the loading dock level of the CMB. The cage allows students enrolled in certain classes film production equipment to check out a variety of equipment including Sony ex-1 and Panasonic HVX digital cameras, bolex and arri 16 mm cameras, boom and sound editing equipment, gaffing equipment including HMI and Mole lights, flags, C stands, generators, and dimmers. Graduate students have preferred access to all equipment in addition to exclusive access to Red One and 35 millimeter
35 mm film
35 mm film is the film gauge most commonly used for chemical still photography and motion pictures. The name of the gauge refers to the width of the photographic film, which consists of strips 35 millimeters in width...
Arri film cameras.
Undergraduate
The department offers a single degree to undergraduates: the four-year, full-time Bachelors of ScienceBachelors Of Science
Bachelors of Science is the stage name of Phil "Rene", Chris and Lukeino. They met in California and formed a successful act, quickly becoming one of the top drum and bass producers in the electronic music scene...
. Generally the first two years are spent fulfilling the university core requirements while completing the necessary lower division courses starting with RTF 305, a class introducing the fundamentals of Media Studies, followed by RTF 317, a narrative strategies class focusing on structure
Act structure
Act structure explains how a plot of a film story is composed. Just like plays have 'Acts', critics and screenwriters tend to divide films into acts; though films don't require to be physically broken down as such in reality....
in film and television, and RTF 318, formerly known as Film 1, the first film production class consisting of three projects: a still photo project, a still photo project with audio, and a final short film project.
Once the three classes initial have been taken along with at least two additional lower division courses, commonly film history class, and a film course with a cultural diversity
Cultural diversity
Cultural diversity is having different cultures respect each other's differences. It could also mean the variety of human societies or cultures in a specific region, or in the world as a whole...
component, students progress into upper division studies where they can specialize in a variety of tracks. The department offers robust media studies
Media studies
Media studies is an academic discipline and field of study that deals with the content, history and effects of various media; in particular, the 'mass media'. Media studies may draw on traditions from both the social sciences and the humanities, but mostly from its core disciplines of mass...
curriculum as well as a variety of film production tracks.
- Editing - The department offers a three tiered editing track, beginning with introduction to editing which lectures on the theoriesFilm editingFilm editing is part of the creative post-production process of filmmaking. It involves the selection and combining of shots into sequences, and ultimately creating a finished motion picture. It is an art of storytelling...
behind editing as well as re-editing existing news, documentary, and narrative footage, usually from former graduate level projects. All three levels use primarily final cut proFinal Cut ProFinal Cut Pro is a non-linear video editing software developed by Macromedia Inc. and then Apple Inc. The most recent version, Final Cut Pro X, runs on Mac personal computers powered by Mac OS X version 10.6.7 or later and using Intel processors...
along with some AvidAVIDAVID stands for:* Advancement Via Individual Determination, a college-readiness system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges in the U.S....
. Intermediate and advanced editing courses are offered after the completion of the introductory course and expound upon editing theory and practical software skills. - Digital Animation - The digital animation track consists of an introductory and advanced animation course, as well as a specialized 3D AnimationComputer animationComputer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
course. The animation courses focus on Adobe After EffectsAdobe After EffectsAdobe After Effects is a digital motion graphics and compositing software published by Adobe Systems, used in the post-production process of filmmaking and television production. Its main uses are the origination of 2D and 2.5D animation, visual effects compositing and finishing...
to teach students the interface and how to create digital special effects, often for undergraduate projects. - Directing - The directing track offers the most robust variety of courses. A three tier narrative film making track with classes in 16mm film or digital videoDigital videoDigital video is a type of digital recording system that works by using a digital rather than an analog video signal.The terms camera, video camera, and camcorder are used interchangeably in this article.- History :...
is offered, which culminates in an undergraduate thesis course. There are also two levels of documentaryDocumentary filmDocumentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
courses, and two levels of studio production courses using a 3 camera setupMultiple-camera setupThe multiple-camera setup, multiple-camera mode of production, or multicam is a method of filmmaking and video production. Several cameras—either film or professional video cameras—are employed on the set and simultaneously record or broadcast a scene...
. - Cinematography - There is one dedicated cinematography course offered after completing two levels of directing courses, though in both directing classes, students are divided into groups with a dedicated cinematographer appointed to photograph a short film project.
- Screenwriting - The department offers a two tier screenwriting track starting with an Introduction to Screenwriting class focusing exclusively on three-act structure for films and common structures for various television genres. Students learn to write coverageCoverage-Filmmaking:* Coverage , the size of the image a lens can produce* Camera coverage, the amount of footage shot and different camera setups used in filming a scene...
by reading notable screenplays and submitting their feedback, and also write the first act of a feature length screenplay with a road map for the rest of the film, as well as a spec television scriptSpec scriptA spec script, also known as a speculative screenplay, is a non-commissioned unsolicited screenplay. It is usually written by a screenwriter who hopes to have the script optioned and eventually purchased by a producer, production company, or studio....
from a current television show of their choice. After completing the introductory course, students can specialize in either film or television writing where they either write a completed three-act screenplayScreenplayA screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
or spec episodes of TV shows. - Sound - The audio track consists of an introductory and advanced audio production class along with a radio fundamentals course. Students are required to boom or sound mixAudio mixing (film and television)Audio mixing for film and television is a process during the post-production stage of a moving image program by which a multitude of recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels...
on other undergraduate projects as part of their final grade. - Producing - The producing track consists of two class taught by independent filmIndependent filmAn independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
producer's representative John PiersonJohn Pierson (filmmaker)John Pierson is an American independent filmmaker. He is best known for helping to produce the first works by filmmakers Spike Lee, Richard Linklater, Michael Moore, and Kevin Smith...
or Industry veteran Richard Lewis. The introduction to producing class focuses on the fundamentals of producing films where students learn to breakdown scriptsScript breakdownA script breakdown is an intermediate step in the production of a play, film, comic book, or any other work that is originally planned using a script.-Film and television:...
before integrating them into industry standard EP Budgeting and EP Scheduling. Students also analyze the production, distribution, and marketing of films often produced as a result of the advanced producing class, or from interviews brought in by John Pierson which usually feature Kevin SmithKevin SmithKevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
's producer Scott MosierScott MosierScott A Mosier is an American-Canadian film producer, editor, podcaster and actor best known for his work with director Kevin Smith, with whom he co-hosts the weekly podcast, Smodcast.-Early life:...
at least once per semester. The advanced producing class typically selects two films each semester in hopes of promoting the film in the festival circuitFilm festivalA film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
. Students devote their spring break to the class to attend the South By SouthwestSouth by SouthwestSouth by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
film festival in order to promote their chosen film.