Undergraduate Courses

As an RTF student, you choose courses that align with your passions and professional pursuits. Media studies and production course offerings are extensive, rigorous and tailored for your career goals.

Spring 2025

For class details, including times, click on "find courses now" on the registrar's page.
Not an RTF Major? See info on nonmajor courses below or find out details about RTF minors.

Note: If you don’t meet the prerequisites stated in the course schedule, you can contact the instructor to request a prerequisite waiver. This will allow you to add the class if it’s open or to add yourself to the waitlist if it’s full.

LOWER-DIVISION COURSES

RTF 301D MEDIA STORYTELLING/ANALYSIS • SUZANNE SCOTT

This course is designed to help you understand and analyze the basic principles of story structure and storytelling technique through elements of style in contemporary film, television, and video games. Our primary goal is to understand precisely what these storytelling “rules” are, to understand how to use (and break) them when creating our own work, and how to produce textual analysis that critically engages how elements of narrative structure and style produce meaning.

RTF 302D HISTORY OF MEDIA INDUSTRIES • KATHY FULLER SEELEY

This course examines the historical development of media industries—film, radio, television and digital. Through lecture, section discussions, readings and screenings, we will investigate historical contexts (cultural, industrial, technological) in which media have been produced and consumed in the US and globally.

RTF 303D MEDIA AND CULTURE • HANNAH FORSYTHE, AILISH ELZY, ISADORA DUMONT-HAREL

This course approaches media as a fundamentally cultural experience. Cultural values, beliefs, and ideologies all shape the media we create as a society and inform how we as individuals and communities interpret the media that surrounds us. In this course, we examine how politics, economics, and social relationships all simultaneously shape and reflect media, culture, and society.

RTF 304D INTRO TO FILM PRODUCTION • ARTURO R. JIMÉNEZ

This course is designed to introduce fundamental production concepts and techniques through lectures, projects, and lab experiences. The acquisition of technical skills will be a priority, as this course is a prerequisite to upper-division production classes. Emphasis also will be placed on developing a storyteller's point of view and the ability to create works characterized by simple yet effective visual, aural and narrative structures. Students will be required to attend hands-on lab sections and to complete one still photography project, one sound-designed still photo project and one sync sound digital video project.

Sports Production Courses - Open to All

COM 317 INTRO TO SPORTS PRODUCTION/BROADCASTING • JORDAN LEVIN

In this course, students will explore the foundational aspects of the sports production industry and be introduced to the essential production skills required to be successful in the field. The curriculum covers a range of topics, including field production for live sports broadcasts, control room operations, sports interviewing techniques, and the intricacies of shooting and editing video and audio for sports media.

COM 318 INTRO TO SPORTS PRODUCTION/BROADCASTING II • ALI FORBES

Explore foundational aspects of sports broadcasting and production with an emphasis on editing.

UPPER DIVISION - MEDIA STUDIES COURSES

RTF 321C HISTORY OF AMERICAN TELEVISION • CASEY WALKER
Flag/s: Writing

This course surveys the history of American network television during the 20th century. We will explore the complex ways that technological, social, political, industrial, and cultural factors have interacted to shape the form and content of broadcast, cable, and satellite television. Our discussion of industrial practices and regulatory decisions will be balanced with an analysis of representational and formal-aesthetic practices. The semester will briefly conclude with a consideration of the meaning and implications of digital convergence on contemporary American—and global—media culture.

RTF 322D FILM HISTORY 1960 TO PRESENT– Web-Based • CHARLES RAMÍREZ BERG
May count toward the Media Studies Minor and the Latino Media Arts & Studies Minor.

This course is a survey of international film history for undergraduate students who seek an understanding of the history and aesthetics of the motion picture. On a weekly basis, it consists of two 75-minute lectures and a screening of a feature-length film. All RTF majors interested in learning more about the development of the motion picture are welcome, regardless of concentration. The course will cover the history of the medium from the beginning of the New American Cinema in the 1960s (including figures like Stanley Kubrick, Mike Nichols, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese) to the present. Among the topics and filmmakers covered are the cinemas of Japan (Kurosawa and Ozu), Latin America (the New Latin American Cinema and contemporary Argentinian cinema), Europe (Bergman and Kieslowski), Iran (Kiarostami) and Bollywood cinema, as well as recent developments in US cinema such as directors like the Coen brothers, Wes Anderson, the “Mumblecore” movement, and the rise of Austin as a filmmaking hub (Rick Linklater, Robert Rodriguez, Terrence Malick, Andrew Bujalski, and others).

While the history of cinema will be looked at from various perspectives (as a technology, an industry, an entertainment medium, and a mode of personal and national expression), particular attention will be given to the evolution and development of film’s formal elements. This class follows RTF 322C-History of Film to 1960; however, that class is not a pre-requisite. Ideally, students would take both courses in their chronological order, but students are free to take only one of the courses, and they may be taken and out of order. Three short written assignments during the semester. Also one short film quiz and one brief lecture quiz are required weekly.

RTF 328C GENDER AND MEDIA CULTURE • CURRAN NAULT
Flag/s: Cultural Diversity in the U.S.
May count toward the Media Studies Minor.

This course provides an introduction to the critical and theoretical analysis of gender (femininities and masculinities) in media (film, television, new and emerging media). Students will engage dominant and oppositional practices of media production, representation, and reception to investigate the sociocultural mechanisms that shape individual and collective notions of gender in our media-saturated environment. Paying particular attention to wider questions of power, politics, and identity, students will read key texts in cultural, media, and communication studies, as well as influential theories within gender, feminist, and transgender studies. Although primarily focused on the mediated construction of gender, this course insists on an intersectional approach that examines gender in conjunction with race, class, sexuality, nation, and generation.

RTF 331P INTERNET CULTURES • MADHAVI MALLAPRAGADA
Open to both Majors and Minors. May count toward the Media Studies Minor and the Media & Entertainment Industries Minor.

The Internet refers to a global network of interconnected computers. While Internet technology opened up new possibilities for communication, it was the development of the World Wide Web and the graphical browser in the nineties that made the Internet a popular and powerful tool for communication. Today, the Web is the most widely used part of the Internet and has dramatically transformed everyday life, culture, politics, business and communities. This course will critically examine the emergence and significance of Internet cultures in our world today. It will introduce you to the technological, financial, cultural and political aspects of the digital information revolution and Internet and Web-based media and communications. The course will deal with topics such as e-commerce, governance and regulation, online communities, homepages, blogs, videogame cultures, virtual realities, cyborg identities, multi-media applications, technological convergence, digital divide and transnational politics. It will interrogate the politics of race, class, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, nationalism, capital, community and technology shaping the practices of contemporary Internet cultures.

RTF 331P VIDEO GAME CULTURE & CRITICISM • MARINA FONTOLAN
Flag/s: Writing
May count toward the Media Studies Minor.

Games have always been an integral part of our culture, and studies of culture have long been fascinated by our propensity for play. Beginning with a brief historical overview of the inception of the video game industry and arcade culture, this course is centrally concerned with identifying the pleasures of play and engaging with the cultural and academic discourses and debates that surround video games and game culture. While video games have proven themselves as a dominant industrial force within over the past decade, the stigmas and social anxieties that circulate around video games persist. Consequently, one of the primary goals of this course is for students to both become conversant in these critiques and proficient in speaking back to them, acquiring the vocabulary to discuss and analyze the rules that govern our engagement with video games, and our experiences playing them. To this end, in addition to discussing video game aesthetics and mechanics, we will have themed weeks on war and gaming, gender and gaming, and game-based learning. In addition to course assignments analyzing gameplay and considering the representation of video games in film and television, students will be required to collaboratively design and theorize a game as their final project. No player or programming skill set is required, just a willingness to learn through (and about) video games.

RTF 342 STREAMING MEDIA IN ASIA • SHANTI KUMAR
Flag/s: Global Cultures

In this course we will examine how streaming media industries and cultures in Asia have been transformed by the forces of globalization and digitization in the 21st century. We will discuss how the entry of transnational streaming platforms such as Amazon, Disney Plus, and Netflix has contributed to the rapid convergence of television, film, digital and mobile media cultures in Asia and in the Asian diaspora. We will also evaluate how the growing collaboration and competition among various major and minor players in Asian streaming industries has challenged the dominance of national media systems and contested traditional representations of nationalism, gender, race, class, caste and sexuality in various film genres and TV programs. In particular, we will pay close attention to how streaming platforms have engendered new avenues for inter-Asian production, distribution and consumption of popular media forms and genres
(such as multi-language Indian cinemas, K-Pop music and Turkish dramas). An innovative component of this course includes Global Virtual Exchange between students at UT-Austin and Brac University, Bangladesh. The virtual exchange includes the following components: (1) sharing course materials, (2) participating in synchronous online sessions (where students from Brac University will join the UT classroom through Zoom), and (3) collaborating on asynchronous activities such as watching/discussing pre-recorded video lectures and screenings, and working together on class projects on Canvas. The goal of the global virtual exchange classroom is to provide students with a range of skills for critically thinking about streaming media across geographic and cultural boundaries.

RTF 342S GLOBAL HOLLYWOOD • SHANTI KUMAR
Flag/s: Global Cultures
May count toward the Media Studies Minor, the Media & Entertainment Industries Minor, and the Latino Media Arts & Studies Minor.

In this course we will examine the emergence of “global Hollywood” as an influential concept for understanding the ongoing changes in the US film and media industries in relation to other “national” and “regional” cinemas around the world. In the first part of the course we will examine the reasons why for most of the 20th century, Hollywood was predominantly invested in the domestic US market, and why foreign markets were peripheral to its business practices. We will also explore the various theoretical debates about Hollywood’s role in expanding and consolidating the power of American media corporations around the world. In this overall context of globalization, we will explore how major studios, national and regional film industries, independent and alternative filmmakers alike are seeking new strategies for collaboration and competition. The course will include specific case studies focusing on globalization strategies such as international co-productions, changing techniques of storytelling to accommodate more diverse representations, and the convergence of cinema with new digital and mobile technologies to target newer, younger audiences around the world.

RTF 345 AMERICAN HORROR FILM • MIRASOL ENRIQUEZ

This course focuses on one of the most popular and profitable genres of American cinema: horror. Throughout the course of the semester, we will be examining a variety of film texts, as well as their production and reception, within a range of cultural, theoretical, and historical contexts. Central to our examination will be a consideration of the ways in which the genre reflects American fears and anxieties related to race, gender, and sexuality (among other things), paying particular attention to the concept of difference and "otherness." From the Universal classic monster movies of the 1930s and 40s to more recent examples of "elevated horror," we will cover subgenres such as psychological, body, folk, and comedy horror, just to name a few. We will consider some of the most celebrated auteurs of the genre, such as George Romero, Wes Craven, and Jordan Peele (again, among others), and we will consider important international influences, as well. Overall, this course will investigate the wide range of meanings and pleasures that the genre provides for fans and audiences of horror films. Please be advised that because this course is focused on horror, weekly screenings will include images of graphic violence and a host of other traumatic situations that may be upsetting to some students.

RTF 345 ENVIRONMENTAL CINEMA • LALITHA GOPALAN

Landscapes have surfaced in cinema since its inception, highlighting the long shadows cast by painting and photography on composition of panoramas and vistas. Yet, the cinematic apparatus asserts its own singularity by endowing images with movement and duration. As a point of departure, this course considers a range of post-war cinemas to explore how ruins, debris, earthquakes, dust, storms, and waste impinge on anterior concepts of the pastoral. In subsequent decades beyond such obvious periodization, the course assembles films that herald a move towards images of environments and non-human protagonists. Through such a renewed focus on the elemental, the course reconfigures the scholarship on world cinema that has far too long been considered under distinct categories such as national, new waves, festival, experimental, and art cinema.

RTF 347D ARCHIVAL STORYTELLING • CAROLINE FRICK

This class introduces students to the increasingly central role of the archival producer in developing creative non-fiction (e.g., documentaries, podcasts, etc…). Building upon work by the award-winning Texas Archive of the Moving Image, as well as regional and national repositories, the course engages with issues related to copyright, contemporary ethics and standards as related to older, repurposed film and video. Students will be responsible for developing high quality, well-researched creative content featuring unique, newly digitized archival materials.

RTF 347F CINEMATIC CITIES: MUMBAI• ZELTZYN SANCHEZ LOZOYA

In this class, we'll explore the political, social, and artistic transformations of the global city of Mumbai from the early 20th into the 21st century. Films serve as documentation of the city's evolution from Bombay to Mumbai. Our study will delve into classic texts and film-texts such as Shree 420, Amar Akbar Anthony, Satya, and The Lunchbox. Through analysis of these texts, we'll examine how artists address themes of social inequality, justice, political upheaval, and violence, as well as architectural and cultural changes, and issues of race, gender, and sexuality within Mumbai's dynamic landscape.

We'll examine questions such as: Who claims space within the city, and how? How does film create an archive of the city? What languages does Mumbai speak, and what sounds define its identity? How do buildings, people, plants, and animals interact with and in the city? Who gets to script and map the city and to what political and social effects?

Our analysis of films will be complemented by theoretical, creative, and historical readings. Active participation in discussions is expected from students in this advanced cultural and cinema studies course.

RTF 347F HISTORY OF VIDEO GAMES • MARINA FONTOLAN

May count toward the Media Studies Minor.

Video games and video gaming have changed through history—from the early attempts of developing games in the late 1950s to the complex game systems we have today. This course aims at exploring the histories and historiographies of games and gaming. We will start by analyzing history and its challenges as a discipline and well as discussing historiography and how to read historical documents. Then, we will explore the literature on games and gaming history, going from fan-based histories of games and gaming to current scholarly takes on the subject. We will discuss the roles of people and processes within the industry, minorities in the industry, histories of technology, and how players are integral parts of the game industry. Course assignments are based on papers, enabling the student to research histories of games, people, and technologies of video games.

RTF 359 ASIAN AMERICAN MEDIA CULTURES • MADHAVI MALLAPRAGADA
Flag/s: Cultural Diversity in the U.S

How can we locate the present status of Asian Americans in the media within a historical and cultural context? Why is it that despite increased representation in recent years, for Asian Americans, the road to fuller and more complex participation within US media industries is fraught with complexity and ambivalence? These two questions will guide our study of Asian American media cultures.

This course is designed to help us understand the role and significance of media such as film, television, radio, the Internet, and social media platforms as it relates to Asian Americans. We will examine a variety of media examples, from the early twentieth century to the present and focus on prevailing stereotypes as well as efforts to combat stereotypes. We will discuss representation alongside significant industry practices such as casting, writers and creative talent and explore controversies around color-blind casting. We will also consider examples of independent media production, activist media and transnational, digital media that offer alternative, local and subversive images, narratives and discourses about Asian Americans as media creators, distributors, consumer and audiences.

RTF 359 MUSIC, MEDIA, AND CULTURE • CURRAN NAULT

Music, Media and Culture critically considers the mediation of music and sound, as well as the relation between this mediation and the formation of (sub)cultural communities. From music videos, to fanzines, film/TV soundtracks, Spotify playlists, pop star biopics, Tik Tok videos, dance party projections, Instagram photos at live performances, and beyond, students will explore the myriad ways in which music and its mediations shape public and private life. Rigorous attention will be paid to music media texts, their fandoms, and their production cultures, alongside attendant issues of representation, identity, ideology, economics, pleasure and participatory practice. Students can expect to examine a wide selection of (global) music genres, from pop to punk, rap to rock, afro-beat to alternative, dance to doom soul…and to bring complex questions of taste, style and sociality to bear. This course insists on an intersectional lens that centers differences of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, ability, class, nation, generation, and beyond.

RTF 359S GENDER & MEDIA IN THE 1960S • KATHY FULLER SEELEY
Flag/s: Cultural Diversity in the U.S.

This course explores how generation, gender, race and class were experienced through American media in the 1960s (TV, film, music, ads) and challenged by young people. Readings draw broadly from US cultural history, television and film studies. Learning will occur through lectures, student discussion, primary sources, screenings and numerous writing assignments. Students will develop final research and/or creative projects that apply historical and theoretical ideas to information learned throughout the semester.

RTF 359S LATINA FEMINISMS AND MEDIA • MIRASOL ENRIQUEZ
Flag/s: Cultural Diversity in the U.S.

This upper-division undergraduate course surveys Chicana and Latina feminist scholarship, activism, and creative expression, with an emphasis on Latina media production and representation in U.S. entertainment media. We will explore the rise and development of Latina activism and feminisms in relation to the Chicana/o, Puerto Rican, and U.S. women’s movements and in relation to historical and social contexts for women and girls of Mexican American and other U.S. Latina heritage. The course will also survey scholarship on Latina participation and representation in mediated popular culture and strategies of resistance enacted through Latina film and media production.

UPPER DIVISION - PRODUCTION & SCREENWRITING COURSES

RTF 329C DIGITAL MEDIA PRODUCTION - Web-Based • BEN BAYS
Open to BOTH RTF Majors & Non-RTF Majors.

Animation, Visual Effects, Digital Painting and CGI are used to produce content for a variety of media including live-action film, classical and 3D animation and interactive formats like video games and XR. This course will teach you the industry standard tools and practical techniques of digital media production, no experience necessary. The course is self-paced, non-linear and offers a variety of options. Students choose their area of interest from a large array of assignments covering topics like concept art and previsualization, color correction and post production, animation and simulation, compositing and visual effects or CGI and interactive game design (and more). Will you become a generalist across all digital media production, will you specialize in one discipline or will you define a new role in digital media production? Choose your own path and the instructor and a team of TAs collaborate with you. No prior knowledge of digital media production required. Mac or PC. No software purchase required. This course offers both access to instructor guidance and the ability to complete assignments at your own pace.

View Course Promo Video.

RTF 333 INTRODUCTION TO SCREENWRITING • STUART KELBAN
Flag/s: Writing

RTF 333 will introduce students to screenwriting for both film & television. In lecture, we will study the fundamental concepts behind all screenwriting: story, character, and structure. In section, you will apply those concepts to writing your own original scripts for both features and TV in a workshop setting. Students will follow the same development process as professional screenwriters—from initial premise, through character exploration and treatments, to writing the first draft. The goal of this course is to develop skills to tell strong, engaging stories for the screen. This emphasis on storytelling will not only make you better screenwriters, but also better directors, editors, cinematographers, set designers, i.e., filmmakers.

RTF 333 INTRODUCTION TO SCREENWRITING • STUART KELBAN
Flag/s: Writing

RTF 340 MULTI-CAM TELEVISION DIRECTING • DAVID SCHNEIDER
Flag/s: Independent Inquiry

This course will examine the techniques of multi-camera live television directing in numerous formats. It will provide an overview of the current technology and how that technology impacts directing decisions. Students will learn how directing styles shape various genres of broadcasts and how the director contributes to a successful production. The course will focus on planning and preparation and elements of production design. The demands of a controlled studio atmosphere will be compared and contrasted with those of live remote sports and entertainment programs. Exercises will acquaint the students with camera placement, shot blocking and shot selection.

RTF 340D/388F PRODUCTION DESIGN BASICS • ADRIANA SERRANO

Understand the role of production design and how the creation and selection of sets, locations and environments contribute to the visual language of film. Explore fundamental elements of story, production, critical analysis, and the collaborative process of film making from the design perspective.

RTF 343 ADVANCED DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION • ILIANA SOSA
Flag/s: Independent Inquiry

This course involves intensive hands-on work in all aspects of documentary video production, in addition to critical investigations of a variety of contemporary non-fiction forms. Much of the semester revolves around producing a documentary (either individually or in a small group) and completing workshop projects, thus offering experience in project development and conceptualization, camerawork, sound recording, lighting, and editing.

RTF 343 ADVANCED NARRATIVE PRODUCTION • MIGUEL ALVAREZ, BERNDT MADER
Flag/s: Independent Inquiry

From script to sound design, students spend the semester completing an advanced video production (5–10 minutes). Emphasis is placed on storytelling, strong cinematic style, and production values. Students are not required to direct but must participate in the key crew positions on various projects for full credit.

RTF 343/388P CINEMA LABORATORY • DEBORAH EVE LEWIS

Limited to 15 participants. In the cinema laboratory, we will make ten short films – some during class and some outside of class – with the emphasis being on making, taking risks and exploring the cinematic form on an elemental level. There will be failures and triumphs—all work strengthening and stretching our ability to express ideas and feelings through picture and sound. Cinema Laboratory’s practice of consistent moviemaking aims to create a space and time where filmmaking efforts are not expensive and precious, but intuitive, brief, engaging, and challenging in a fast-paced workshop setting. Motivated, hard-working, curious and highly creative students are sought to participate.

Throughout the semester-long laboratory, we will sharpen our cinema-making skills through attention to process and experimentation in order to move to a higher level of precision in our work. We will take many exercises from the notebook of Robert Bresson, who wrote, “It is with something clean and precise that you will force the attention of inattentive eyes and ears.” Precision arises through both practice and experimentation.

“The cinema language happened by experimentation—by people not knowing what to do…. I always like to say that cinema without risk is like having no sex and expecting to have a baby… If you don’t take a risk then how are you going to make something really beautiful, that hasn’t been seen before?”—Francis Ford Coppola

Cinema Laboratory seeks self-driven RTF graduate students, upper level RTF undergraduates (especially those in their last semester at UT), Photojournalism students, and students from the School of Architecture and the Art School. There will be a Wednesday evening lab for those from non-RTF departments to learn RTF protocol and basic editing, camera and sound work.

Undergraduates registering for this class will need to acquire emailed consent of the instructor. Please contact Deb Lewis with questions regarding the Laboratory: deb.lewis@utexas.edu.
See website for more information

RTF 343C / 388P ACTING FOR FILMMAKERS • ANDREW SHEA

This workshop explores the key elements of basic acting technique through active engagement in a variety of exercises and assignments: improvisation, monologue and scene study, observation, and emotional preparation. The goal is to develop a deep understanding of the job of the actor: to live life truthfully under imaginary circumstances.

RTF 343D CINEMATOGRAPHY • DEBORAH EVE LEWIS

This course explores visual storytelling and the art of cinematography through practice in a workshop environment. We will explore visual expression through a variety of cinema tools including camera and lighting as well as time, movement and color. Students are encouraged to think cinematically in both fiction and non-fiction approaches. A number of readings and exercises are assigned to also increase a student's technical knowledge and understanding of one's tools, leading to greater creative and personal visual expression.

RTF 344C 2D ANIMATION • LANCE MYERS
Flag/s: Independent Inquiry

The study and practice of 2D digital and traditional animation, including its history, artistic theories, and current digital techniques. Hands-on exercises and creative projects include character concept and design, animated figures and walk cycles, lip sync and audio for cartoons, acting and performance for animation, and more. Ultimately, students produce and animate their own 2D animated cartoon. All skill levels welcome. Taught in a state of the art computer animation lab. Watch teaser.

RTF 344M CGI FOR FILM AND GAMES • BEN BAYS

CGI for Film and Games explores the history, principles and methods of 3D Modeling, Surfacing, Animation and Simulation using CGI. This course is self-paced and non-linear: students customize the course according to their area of interest. Topics to choose from include (but are not limited to) creating concept art for CGI, modeling and sculpting hard surfaces and organic characters, designing virtual sets and game levels, procedurally generating flora, hair, fur and terrain, painting (and photographing) textures, simulating effects, lighting and virtual cinematography, real-time (game engine) implementation and advanced rendering techniques (and much more). Additionally, there are "combo" projects which allow students to combine their skills into larger ideas like making a cartoon, integrating CGI into live action and creating interactive games. Choose your own path and the instructor collaborates with you to achieve your vision. No prior knowledge of CGI is required. Mac or PC. No software purchase required.

RTF 344M/388F POST-PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES • DAN STUYCK
Flag/s: Independent Inquiry

This course involves intensive hands-on work in digital color grading. It is designed to familiarize students with the entire digital image-making process, whether you are a director or a cinematographer who wants to understand how picture finishing works, to more advanced students who wish to specialize in post production or color correction.

RTF 344M VIDEO GAME PRODUCTION • BEN BAYS
Open to all majors.

Students explore the history, mechanics, aesthetics and cultural touchstones of video games through a wide variety of creative projects. Topics include writing story and dialogue, creating/acquiring/implementing audio and music, designing puzzles games and combat, drawing and painting, CGI asset creation and implementation, and more. The course is auteur focused (not collaborative), software agnostic, gamified and designed for RTF students, but open to all majors. No coding required. No prior art skills required.

RTF 344M WRITING FOR INTERACTIVE GAMES & MEDIA • NATHAN CUTIETTA
Flag/s: Independent Inquiry; Writing

Interactive storytelling is a form of dramatic writing, just like theater or television. What makes the medium unique is that the author does not control the story; the audience does. Creatives have only just begun to explore the storytelling possibilities of this field. In this class, you will begin to develop the skills & knowledge necessary to write for interactive mediums such as video games, digital media, VR, and augmented reality. Your final deliverable in this course - a narrative design document - will serve as a writing sample for your portfolio. A limited number of seats are open to non-majors.

RTF 344T GAME DEVELOPMENT CAPSTONE: 3D GAMES • PAUL TOPRAC
Flag/s: Independent Inquiry

The Capstone Game Development course brings together students from Computer Science, College of Fine Arts, and Radio-TV-Film to form small teams in which each student will contribute specialized knowledge to the group creation of 3D games for mobile, online, and social technology platforms. Students will gain a thorough understanding of the 3D game development process, through modeling of the environment and practices that are used in game studios.

*OFFERED IN SPRING SEMESTER. If interested, please read instructions to apply. Consent of instructor required.

RTF 346 INTRO TO EDITING • ANNE LEWIS, MATT LENNON, EM SHAPIRO
Flag/s: Independent Inquiry

Whether you want to be an editor, director or producer, Introduction to Editing is an essential, hands-on course for any production student. By completing a series of narrative and nonfiction assignments, students will finish this course with increased confidence in, and understanding of, Avid software and editing technique and style. We will view and analyze film scenes to understand how editing contributes to meaning.

RTF 347C INTRO TO THE MUSIC BUSINESS • JOHN PEYTON
May count toward the Media & Entertainment Industries Minor.

What is the distinction between a manager, agent, publicist, promoter, or A&R? We will delve into record deals, music contracts, concert riders, intellectual property (IP), TV and film sync licensing, terrestrial and satellite radio, as well as the impact of AI and the metaverse on the music industry. What implications does streaming have for record labels? How did Fyre Fest come about? We are currently in an era where young entrepreneurs can establish a business in their twenties and subsequently sell it without obtaining a degree in business or finance. Students will acquire the skills to plan, coordinate, and manage their own small music business in their chosen avenue. We will explore artist management and representation, focusing on the development of recorded music and the significance of the touring business for contemporary artists. Additionally, we will delve into the business aspects of concerts and music festivals, teaching students how to book, market, and produce shows. Each session will tackle a different aspect of the music industry. Numerous special guests will share their success stories and entrepreneurial journeys, followed by an open Q&A session with the students.

RTF 347E ADVANCED EDITING • CHRIS ROLDAN
Flag/s: Independent Inquiry

This course is a further elaboration of the principles and techniques of editing students will have encountered in RTF 346, building a broader technical background for professional development. We will discuss aesthetic, technical, and practical approaches to editing and consider how they might best apply to some (provided) editing challenges. In particular, we'll concentrate on the development of editing styles that are appropriate to a range of material and creative solutions to editing challenges. Taught using AVID software.

RTF 366K DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION • NANCY SCHIERSARI
Flag/s: Independent Inquiry

This class introduces students to single-camera field documentary video production. During this semester-long documentary workshop, we will screen a variety of documentary works, but our focus will be on making documentary films. There will be group discussions, reading assignments, lectures, hands-on lab instruction, and short documentary exercises, in addition to a culminating documentary project. Students will keep a journal of the documentaries they see and how these films influence the documentaries they make (or plan to make). The primary focus of the class will be working from pre-production to post-production by starting with an idea and finishing with a short documentary film.

RTF 366K EAST AUSTIN STORIES • ARTURO JIMENEZ

Since 2000, as the forces of gentrification and development make profound changes in neighborhoods of East Austin, University of Texas RTF students have made short documentary films about the communities, families, individuals, institutions, and businesses east of I-35. Simply listening can be an empowering act for the filmmaker and for the documentary subject. We will practice basics of production and non-fiction story structure.

RTF 366K NARRATIVE PRODUCTION • DEBORAH LEWIS, MICAH BARBER, MIGUEL ALVAREZ
Flag/s: Independent Inquiry

The class explores the expressive potential of sound and image through the production of digital video exercises and short films. It is an intensive workshop in visual storytelling and non-dialogue filmmaking. It is designed to build upon the fundamental production concepts and techniques that were introduced in RTF 318 and to prepare students for advanced narrative classes.

RTF 366K QUEER MEDIA PRODUCTION • PJ RAVAL

From DIY pixelvision videos to campy drag melodramas, queer artists have long embraced filmmaking as a form of imaginative expression, despite limited resources and sometimes limited training. Often reacting to turbulent times, these queer films have introduced audiences to new narratives, new characters, and new concepts of mediamaking. This course will embrace queerness as an artistic sensibility, mode of artmaking, and a form of creative boundary pushing that will encourage students to collaborate in producing work rooted in the values of community action, unapologetic authenticity, and a bold visionary excitement. Students are encouraged to have previously completed one of the following RTF courses: Queer Media Studies, Queer TV, Gender and Media, Global Trans Media and/or Queer Art & Activism.

RTF 366S AUDIO PRODUCTION INTO POST • TODD THOMPSON
Flag/s: Independent Inquiry

Audio is half of your movie; arguably more than half since it exceeds the limits of the visible frame. It operates at a literal and subliminal level and gives the filmmaker access to deeper parts of the audience’s consciousness. Great audio is a combination of creativity and an understanding of both the science and the tools of the medium. This is the first-level class for audio, a perfect starting point for people who want to know how to better use sound in their projects as well as for those who may be thinking about audio as a lifelong craft. You will learn production mixing, basic post techniques, and the ideas behind them. This will include recording on location using both high-end and low-end recorders, especially recording dialog, set and location problems and protocol, basic sound editing, mix prep, and creating a basic mix. You will become familiar with the operation and use of the Sound Devices 633 mixer/recorder and 744T recorder, other production mixers, and microphones on location and in the studio. You will learn the science behind the tools, and cultivate an appreciation for sound as a creative element in storytelling. You will create mixes in Pro Tools for audio-only projects, as well as fully realized soundtracks synced to picture.

Students are encouraged to have their own headphones. Over-ear headphones are highly recommended, and an industry standard, such as the Sony MDR-7506, is preferred. (Earbuds will only do in a pinch).

RTF 366S/388P EARS ONLY: AUDIO STORYTELLING • TODD THOMPSON

Audio production and post for storytelling using voice, actuality, music, ambiences and sound effects. Structuring stories for audio only, plus microphone and recorder techniques, mono, stereo, and binaural recording, field mixers, basic Pro Tools, signal processing, and noise reduction, applicable to sound for picture as well. Students will make a variety of small projects leading up to a longer, final project of their choice.

RTF 366S PRODUCTION SOUND TECHNIQUES • KOREY PEREIRA

Capturing quality sound on location or set is fundamental to making a project successful. Throughout the semester we will learn how to approach production sound recording for various filming environments, meet with top production sound teams and work on at least two film sets. Whether you want to pursue a career in production sound or just want to learn more about it, you will leave with an understanding and appreciation for the value that well-recorded sound can bring to any project.

RTF 366S SOUND DESIGN AND MIXING • KOREY PEREIRA

Sound as a medium can create a sense of space, time, and set the mood of a film. This course will explore the post-production sound process for film, television, and immersive media. We will develop a vocabulary for talking about sound, as well as provide practical hands-on training on each step in the post-sound process. This includes sound editing, sound design, ADR and foley recording as well as re-recording mixing. RTF 341C is the course for those who seek a career in post-production audio and for those who just want a thorough understanding of the post sound process. A familiarity with Pro Tools or Non-linear editing is preferred, but not required.

Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, RTF 301D and 304 with a grade of at least B- in each, and six additional semester hours of lower-division coursework in radio-television-film. (RTF 341 is NOT required as a prerequisite.)

RTF 367D DIRECTING WORKSHOP • MICAH BARBER, ANDREW SHEA
Flag/s: Independent Inquiry

This workshop explores the role of the director in the process of translation from page to screen, focusing on the director/actor relationship, narrative structure and visual language. Assignments will include the casting, mounting, and realization of dramatic narrative scenes. Special emphasis will be placed on the development of the skills necessary to communicate effectively with actors to achieve authentic and vivid performances..

RTF 367K PRODUCING FILM AND TELEVISION • JORDAN LEVIN
Flag/s: Independent Inquiry; Writing
Open to BOTH RTF Majors & Minors. This course counts towards the Media & Entertainment Industries minor.

Producing for Film & Television will explain and demystify the most elusive, misunderstood, and arguably most fundamental role in all of entertainment – that of the producer. What is a producer, what do they do, and how do they do it? This course will focus on the dual creative and business functions of a producer as they shepherd ideas from inception to reception through the full life cycle of a project, including sourcing material, development, packaging, financing, pre-production, production, post-production, marketing, and distribution. Lecture topics will mirror this project life cycle, while students will concurrently collaborate with one another to profile movies and series and develop pitches and business plans for original film and television projects of their choosing. The course will also incorporate production management processes and exercises— budgeting and scheduling—with the intention for these skills to be applied in other production courses. Throughout the semester, students will build a vocabulary that enables meaningful understanding of the complicated and evolving film and television industry and the unique creative media management strategies that producers deploy to bring ideas to life. Whether or not your goal is to become a producer, understanding the value of producing and what makes a great producer will enhance your professional growth in the field of entertainment and media.

Prerequisites: Upper Division standing.

RTF 368 DRAWING FOR DESIGNERS • JASON BUCHANAN

Improve your skills of visual expression and communication through the act of Drawing. In the course we will experiment with various drawing media, and examine the Principles and Elements of Design through conceptual and observational drawing.

RTF 368D/388P ADVANCED CINEMATOGRAPHY • PJ RAVAL

This course is designed for students to explore the art of cinematography beyond the basic principles of camera and lighting. Students will film several assignments designed to help one understand the cinematic tools used to create an overall visual approach to storytelling. A close study of film genre will also be emphasized as well as aesthetic and technical topics such as color, texture, lens continuity, and aspect ratio. We will also explore practical on set strategies and challenges. Undergraduate students are strongly encouraged to take 343 Advanced Narrative Production or equivalent as a prerequisite. Undergraduates who have not previously taken 366K Intro to Narrative Production will not be admitted.

RTF 368P PRODUCING SHORT FILMS • SARAH SEULKI OH

Short films are often seen as an excellent calling card for first time filmmakers. But it’s much more than just a way to practice your craft or make something that is shorter or cheaper than a feature film. Though the principles and steps involved to produce a short film is no different than producing a feature film, it is also a unique discipline of its own. How do you tell an interesting and compelling story in a short film? How do you translate a minimum budget into maximum quality on screen?

This course will examine all fundamental aspects of development, pre-production, production, and distribution of producing a short film. Students will practice the step-by-step processes of physical production such as script breakdown, scheduling, budgeting, location scouting, crew hiring, working with cast and crew, etc. Using weekly lectures, homework assignments, course readings and class workshops to reinforce each class topic, students will put together a final production binder for a short film

RTF 368S FILM PRODUCTION THESIS • RICHARD LEWIS
Flag/s: Independent Inquiry

This course is for filmmakers wishing to create a narrative or documentary film that demonstrates and showcases advanced filmmaking skills.

The class accepts DIRECTORS and PRODUCERS only (exceptions to this rule noted below), and students should apply in two-person directing/producing teams with the intent of working together to shepherd the project from beginning to end. From pre-production to sound mix, students will complete a short film (under 12 minutes in length) with the most advanced equipment available to RTF undergraduates. Emphasis will be placed on storytelling, strong cinematic style, and production values. Teams should plan to enter the class with considerable story work already completed.

Apply by 5 pm, Nov. 1. See thesis page for details.

Information Session: 10/17 6 pm via Zoom: Professor Lewis will host a virtual information session at 6 pm CT on Thursday, Oct 17. Please join if you're interested in learning more, as well as for an opportunity to meet other producers and directors!

RTF 368S SCREENWRITING THESIS • MAYA PEREZ
Flag/s: Independent Inquiry

The class is run like a graduate screenwriting class where advanced students will develop and write either a feature-length screenplay or an original tv pilot. Applicants must have already taken a 369 Screenwriting class and should submit a sample (a feature or pilot) and a one-page statement as to why they are interested in this class. We will also be reaching out to the applicant’s former or current instructors to find out how they performed in their workshop.

Deadline to apply: Midnight on Friday, November 8, 2024. For more information and how to apply, see: https://rtf.utexas.edu/undergraduate/courses/thesis#Screenwriting

RTF 369 ADVANCED SCREENWRITING: ANIMATION • JUAN CARLOS GUTIERREZ
Flag/s: Writing

Each student will develop and write an original animated feature film screenplay or television pilot. This course will function like a writing workshop; students will read and provide constructive notes for their classmates’ work. Along the way, we will study a range of animated films and series.

RTF 369 ADVANCED SCREENWRITING: FEATURE FILM • KAT CRAFT, STUART KELBAN
Flag/s: Writing

In this class, students will complete a feature-length screenplay (90-120 pages) by the end of the semester. In addition, they will read and comment on their classmates' work.

RTF 369 ADVANCED SCREENWRITING: SHORTS • TOM WILLETT
Flag/s: Writing

In this class, students will focus on short films and what makes for a successful short script. At a minimum, students should expect to write five short scripts and rewrite a minimum of two of them. These scripts can be used in other classes or for projects produced outside UT/RTF. In addition, students will read and comment on their classmates' work.

RTF 369 ADVANCED SCREENWRITING: TELEVISION • TOM WILLETT

Each student will create an original television show, developing the show bible and writing the first draft of the pilot script. They will also read, analyze, and discuss professional screenplays and their classmates’ work.

RTF 369 ADVANCED SCREENWRITING: WRITERS ROOM • KAT CRAFT
Flag/s: Writing

Students will act as a television writers' room to create and write an entire season of original television. The class will partner with David Schneider's Multi-Camera Directing class to produce the pilot and several additional episodes of the series.

RTF 369P SCRIPT TO SCREEN: COMMERCIALS • SCOTT RICE & LAURA BRIGHT

From SalesForce to Lincoln, Script to Screen: Commercials takes students behind the scenes of Matthew McConaughey’s latest commercial work. By studying campaign briefs, early concepts, scripts, storyboards and exclusive behind the scenes footage, students will garner insight into the making of major advertising campaigns. Script to Screen: Commercials is cross-listed with the Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations, and it offers many experiential learning opportunities. Students will explore the production of commercials as well as the development and distribution of advertising campaigns from the ad agency perspective. Script to Screen: Commercials is an essential “how-to” for students who are serious about advertising, marketing, producing or directing.

INTERNSHIPS

Learn more about RTF Internships

RTF 130N INTERNSHIP IN THE MEDIA INDUSTRIES - Hybrid/Blended • MICAH BARBER

The purpose of this 1-hour internship for RTF majors and minors is to provide practical work experience in the media industries (film, television, radio, video games, and/or digital media). Students must make their own arrangements to secure relevant internships in the Austin area, though remote internships may be accepted, depending on need and opportunity. In addition to providing practical experience in the vocation of your choice, this course is designed to help you develop the resources and routines necessary to succeed in the contemporary media industries. The course meets weekly for one hour, in addition to the student's off-site internship. This course is offered on a pass/fail basis only.

RTF 330N INTERNSHIP IN THE MEDIA INDUSTRIES - Hybrid/Blended • MICAH BARBER

The purpose of this 3-hour internship for RTF majors and minors is to provide practical work experience in the media industries (film, television, radio, video games, and/or digital media). Students must make their own arrangements to secure relevant internships in the Austin area, though remote internships may be accepted, depending on need and opportunity. In addition to providing practical experience in the vocation of your choice, this course is designed to help you develop the resources and routines necessary to succeed in the contemporary media industries. The course meets weekly for one hour, in addition to the student's off-site internship. This course is offered on a pass/fail basis only.

RTF 630N INTERNSHIP IN THE MEDIA INDUSTRIES - Hybrid/Blended • MICAH BARBER

The purpose of this 6-hour internship for RTF majors and minors is to provide practical work experience in the media industries (film, television, radio, video games, and/or digital media). Students must make their own arrangements to secure relevant internships in the Austin area, though remote internships may be accepted, depending on need and opportunity. In addition to providing practical experience in the vocation of your choice, this course is designed to help you develop the resources and routines necessary to succeed in the contemporary media industries. The course meets weekly for one hour, in addition to the student's off-site internship. This course is offered on a pass/fail basis only.

NON MAJOR COURSES

Note: In addition to courses listed below, which are open to non-majors, there are courses listed on this page that count toward minors in Media Studies, Media and Entertainment Industries, or Latino Media Arts & Studies.

RTF 303C INTRO TO MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRIES - Web-Based • ALEX REMINGTON
Restricted to non-RTF majors. Fulfills a social & behavioral sciences core curriculum requirement for the 2022–2023 academic year. Qualifies for the Media Studies Minor.

Drawing on literatures from media studies, management, sociology, and communication, this course helps students to develop a social science understanding of media industries and entrepreneurship. We start with a survey of key social science theories and concepts the media landscape. We examine the social, political, and economic contexts in which media are produced, distributed, and monetized. Special attention is paid to new media and communication technologies such as Web 2.0, social media, gaming, and mobile media and the implications of these disruptive innovations for media organizations and professionals. Cases in old and new media industries from different countries will be analyzed. It is designed to help students achieve the following goals upon successful course completion:

Understand key social science theories, concepts and methods on the complicated interaction between media and society.
Recognize various opportunities, challenges, and responses media industries have to address due to globalization and technological advancements.
Understand government policies and industry practices that affect the formation and function of media organizations.
Understand the trajectory and development of various legacy and new media industry sectors.
Evaluate entrepreneurial opportunities, challenges, and process in the media industries facilitated and constrained by institution and culture.

RTF 304 STORYTELLING IN FILM AND TV • TERESA WARNER
Restricted to non-RTF majors.
In this introduction class, students will be given the fundamentals of story structure for Feature Films and Television. This will include analysis of three act structure, character development and the language of screenwriting.

RTF 306 INTRO WORLD CINEMA HISTORY - Web-Based • ASH KINNEY d'HARCOURT
Restricted to non-RTF majors. Fulfills a Visual and Performing Arts core curriculum requirement for the 2022–2023 academic year. Qualifies for the Media Studies Minor and the Latino Media Arts & Studies Minor. The course fulfills VAPA requirements, and is designed for non-RTF majors who have not taken previous coursework in film or media studies.

Love the movies? Join us and explore how the movies developed from a circus amusement to multinational industry as well as how film can be understood as socio-cultural , technological, aesthetic and economic artifact. Global in scope, this course will sample a variety of “national cinemas” in order to compare and contrast how moviemaking developed uniquely in different parts of the world.

RTF 329C DIGITAL MEDIA PRODUCTION - Web-Based • BEN BAYS
Open to BOTH RTF Majors & Non-RTF Majors.

RTF 344M WRITING INTERACTIVE GAMES/MEDIA • NATHAN CUTIETTA

RTF 367K PRODUCING FILM AND TELEVISION • JORDAN LEVIN
Open to BOTH RTF Majors & Minors. This course counts towards the Media & Entertainment Industries Minor.

RTF 367K will detail how things work in the supposedly noncreative side of the entertainment industry. The course will focus on the function and duties of a producer as he or she shepherds an idea through a project "life cycle": development, financing, pre-production, post-production, marketing and distribution. Lecture topics will mirror the project life cycle while students concurrently develop their own business plans/prospectuses for original film or television projects of their choosing. At the end of the semester, each student should have a complete and realistic business plan for a film or video project, one which is ready for presentation to entertainment industry contacts and financiers. Prerequisites: Upper Division standing.

Sports Production Courses - Open to All

COM 317 INTRO SPORTS PRODUCTION/BROADCASTING • JORDAN LEVIN

COM 318 SPORTS PRODUCTION/BROADCASTING • ALI FORBES

SPECIALTY COURSES

STUDY ABROAD WITH MOODY

RTF 336 SPECIAL PROJECTS IN RADIO-TELEVISION-FILM
Flag/s: Independent Inquiry

This course gives students the opportunity to do independent research or creative projects. These are developed and executed by the student under the supervision of a faculty member. (Note: Students cannot use departmental equipment to complete these projects.) May be taken twice for credit. May be counted toward the independent inquiry flag requirement. Hour(s) to be arranged. Restricted enrollment; review instructions.

Prerequisites:

Upper-division standing
Approval from a faculty sponsor
Approval from the Department Chair

RTF 368S UNDERGRADUATE THESIS COURSES - OFFERED SPRING SEMESTERS ONLY
https://rtf.utexas.edu/undergraduate/courses/thesis

RTF 368S UNDERGRADUATE FILM PRODUCTION THESIS
RTF 368S UNDERGRADUATE MEDIA STUDIES THESIS
RTF 368S UNDERGRADUATE SCREENWRITING THESIS

UTNY

The New York City experience amplifies creative energy, professional opportunity and world-class arts and culture. Live, work, and learn as you explore and engage through UTNY’s connection to companies, people and prospects. Business, government, and technology merge with entertainment, fashion, and media in this global epicenter.

UTLA

Spend a semester in Los Angeles to jump-start your career in the entertainment industry. Open to all UT Austin students regardless of major, the UTLA program is a chance to get hands-on training at an internship, take classes taught by industry insiders, and explore new career paths to set yourself up for success after graduation. Learn about UTLA courses.

Maymester

RTF 359 ITALIAN CINEMA • VALERIE MCGUIRE

2025 - Spring

Undergraduate Courses

Spring 2025

LOWER-DIVISION COURSES

Sports Production Courses - Open to All

UPPER DIVISION - MEDIA STUDIES COURSES

UPPER DIVISION - PRODUCTION & SCREENWRITING COURSES

INTERNSHIPS

NON MAJOR COURSES

Sports Production Courses - Open to All

SPECIALTY COURSES

UTNY

UTLA

Maymester

Undergraduate Courses by Semester