Undergraduate Courses – Fall 2023

FOR CLASS DETAILS, INCLUDING TIMES, CLICK ON "FIND COURSES NOW" ON THE REGISTRAR'S PAGE.

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 
UPPER DIVISION - MEDIA STUDIES COURSES 
UPPER DIVISION - PRODUCTION & SCREENWRITING COURSES 
SPECIALTY COURSES 
STUDY ABROAD 
INTERNSHIPS  
NON MAJOR COURSES 
MINORS IN RTF 
UTLA - WOFFORD DENIUS UTLA CENTER FOR ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA STUDIES (listed on separate site) 
UTNY

UPPER DIVISION - MEDIA STUDIES COURSES

RTF 321D        FILM HISTORY TO 1960  Web-Based • CHARLES RAMIREZ-BERG

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 beginning (Thomas Edison and the Lumière brothers) to 1960.  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. Several written assignments are designed to acquaint students with how research in film history is conducted; in addition, three exams are also required.

RTF 323C         SCREENING RACE • MADHAVI MALLAPRAGADA

This course is designed to provide students with the language and critical tools to understand and discuss racial and ethnic representation and production issues in U.S. film and entertainment television. We will survey the history and evolving representations of race and ethnicity in the entertainment media and related topics of concern to media producers, audiences, and scholars. While a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches will be reviewed, critical and cultural studies approaches to film and television criticism will be emphasized. This course carries UT’s Cultural Diversity flag and meets the Moody College of Communication’s Communication and Culture requirement. It focuses on the representation of African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and American Indians/Alaskan Natives in narrative film and television, as well as on Middle Eastern/Arab, Jewish, and European American representation and the construction of “whiteness.”  In addition, intersections of class, gender, sexual orientation, and citizenship with race and ethnicity in mediated representation will be explored.

RTF 324C         INTRODUCTION TO GLOBAL MEDIA • SHANTI KUMAR

This course critically examines the role that film, television, video games, and digital media play in shaping our sense of global, regional, national, and local cultures. It focuses on the role of global media institutions in society, from Hollywood and Netflix, to Bollywood, Korean Wave and telenovelas, and also examines how diverse audiences use global media to negotiate with issues of cultural identity in everyday life. The goal of this course is to introduce students to a broad range of issues and debates in the field of global media studies.

RTF 335           RACE, CLASS, AND GENDER IN AMERICAN TV • ADRIEN SEBRO

Television is one of the primary popular culture forums through which notions of race, ethnicity, citizenship, class, gender, and sexuality have been presented, validated, and challenged in the United States; this seminar explores the poetics and politics of that evolution. In addition to study of how racial and ethnic groups, and also of how gender, sexual orientation and class have been constructed in U.S. narrative television since its inception and how various groups have participated in the production of television texts throughout these decades, we will survey the seminal scholarship on these topics and areas of theoretical and popular contention. Key areas of focus will include the evolution of popular genres such as sitcoms, debates over equitable representation and over the possibilities for television to serve as a public forum for all, negotiations over self-representation and television authorship, feminist and other progressive content, and televisual representation in the recent era of “Peak TV”. Although a variety of media studies approaches are taken up in the readings, critical and cultural studies scholarship will be emphasized. A weekly screening will provide key texts that we will analyze in our discussions.

RTF 331P         VIDEO GAME CULTURE & CRITICISM • MARINA FONTOLAN  
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 331P         VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY-  Web-Based • MARINA FONTOLAN

Open to BOTH RTF Majors & Minors. This course counts towards the Media & Entertainment Industries minor.

Trade press and business experts love to hype the profitability of the global video game industry, measuring its success in units sold and revenues earned. And while it is certainly a juggernaut within the media industries, there has been much less focus on what it is like to actually work in the industry. From game designers to games journalists, QA testers to Twitch streamers, this course will explore the material realities, working conditions, and business models of the games industry and their impact on its workers: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Instead of focusing on specific games, genres, systems, or mechanics, this course will trace the impact of digitization, casualization, and globalization on the industry’s production cultures, employment models, commodity forms, profit centers, promotional logics, and more. We will explore historical and contemporary concerns shaping the industry, such as government regulations and rating systems, outsourcing and offshoring, labor casualization and unionization, precarious employment and crunch periods, loot boxes and revenue models, live streams and gambling laws, mods and skins, user-generated content and end-user license agreements, identity politics and systemic inequalities, promotional work and emotional labor, etc. In addition to a thorough consideration of what it means to work in the games industry (past, present, and future), we will also hear from guest speakers about their experiences working in a variety of games companies and positions. From crash to crunch, this course will give you a better sense of how to anticipate and navigate the changing nature of work in these increasingly digital and global media industries.

RTF 342           MEDIA AND EMPIRE • CAROLINE FRICK

Although empires have existed throughout human history, the inception of moving image and sound technologies occurred concomitantly with the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century iterations of global imperialism. Historical courses that investigate the intersections between film and empire often focus on Hollywood or other so-called national cinemas’ depictions of imperialist discourse, policy, and action. Media and Empire includes a look at big-screen “imperial” narratives (e.g., Gunga Din, 1939 or Lawrence of Arabia, 1962) but will spend significant time on educational films, home movies of colonial expatriates, and state-sponsored propaganda. Historical exhibition practices, too, offer a prism through which to examine how European, U.S., and Asian empires utilized twentieth-century media to further socio-cultural, economic, and political aspirations.

RTF 342           STREAMING MEDIA IN ASIA • SHANTI KUMAR

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).

RTF 345           DOCUMENTARY & CREATIVE NONFICTION • CAROLINE FRICK

What do Muhammad Ali, the Tiger King, your local TV news anchor, and the Lumière Brothers have in common?  They have all been featured or otherwise involved in the creation of non-fiction film and media.  Reality shows, true crime dramas, Academy Award-winning documentaries, newsreels, and more have contributed to the so-called “blurred boundaries” between truth and fiction as represented on screen.  This course will feature a look at a wide range of non-fiction genres through carefully selected readings, screenings, and more.

RTF 347C        INTRODUCTION TO THE MUSIC BUSINESS • SASCHA STONE GUTTFREUND

How did Fyre Fest happen? What does streaming mean for record labels? Why are concert tickets so expensive? What determines the order of artist names on the festival poster? What is the difference between a manager, agent, publicist, promoter or A&R? We are in the era of the young entrepreneur. People in their 20's are able to start a business, and then sell it without acquiring a degree in business or finance. Students in this course will learn how to plan, orchestrate, and oversee their own small music business in the avenue of their choice. We will discuss artist management and representation through the development of recorded music as well as the importance of the touring business for artists today. We will also cover the business of concerts and music festivals; students will learn not only how to book and market shows but also how to produce them. Each class will address a different element of the business and will feature a guest lecturer that will share their story of success and entrepreneurship, followed by an open Q&A with the students.

RTF 347D        BRAND/CONSUMER CULTURE • JENNIFER McCLEAREN

This course will focus on the intricate marriage of identity, meaning, values, and commodities in brand and consumer culture vis-a-vis critical/cultural and feminist scholarship. We examine the topic theoretically and culturally rather than pragmatically. So, this class will not teach you how to brand or prepare you for careers in advertising; rather, it seeks to deconstruct the ideologies underpinning a culture of brands and consumption such as capitalism, individualism, and neoliberalism that affect all aspects of our lives as cultural beings. We will study the symbolic power of brands, interrogate the ways that brand strategies operate through neoliberal business and cultural logics, and consider how consumers are interpellated into brands via participatory culture.

RTF 347D        HISTORY OF VIDEO GAMES • MARINA FONTOLAN  
May count toward the Media Studies Minor and the Media Industries 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 also 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 347P/380D         BUSINESS OF HOLLYWOOD • ALISA PERREN

What is going on in the media industries today? What kinds of issues and challenges are entertainment industry professionals dealing with? This class has two key goals: First, students will learn how the media industries operate, gaining a sense of the “big picture” of the contemporary film, television, and digital video landscape. Large-scale issues being faced by those working in the entertainment industry – including the impact of conglomerate ownership, regulation, globalization, and digitization on creative practices and work roles – will be addressed through readings and class discussion. Second, students will hear from a range of guest speakers coming from Hollywood, New York, and Texas about their personal experiences navigating the media business, past and present. While some of those visiting the class will work in production and postproduction (writing, directing, editing, etc.), most of the guests will work in other types of creative, managerial, and executive roles (e.g., studio and network development, acquisitions, marketing, talent management, etc.).

RTF 352           GERMAN MEDIA: PRINT TO TV • HANNES MANDEL

You likely have heard of Johannes Gutenberg and Martin Luther before, but they are not the only influential media entrepreneurs in the history of what today we have come to call Germany. In this course, we will investigate a whole range of once revolutionary, sometimes forgotten, always fascinating media technologies that have shaped the ways in which people perceive, know about, make sense of, and interact with the world. Some of these old media, it turns out, aren't quite as obsolete as we may think, and there is a lot to be learned from them about the media-saturated environment we are living in today, on either side of the Atlantic.

RTF 352            MODERN EGYPT FILM/FICTION • EMILY DRUMSTA

RTF 359S         THE SIXTIES: GENDER & MEDIA • KATHY FULLER-SEELEY

This course looks at how gender was experienced, defined, and challenged through media (TV, film, music, magazines, and advertisements) by Americans in the 1960s. Readings draw broadly from US cultural history, television and film studies, cultural studies, and gender studies. We will examine texts, performers, and audiences across a wide variety of media -- television and film, literature, comics, radio, internet, live performance, and other forms. The seminar will be focused on student group discussion; there will also be written tests and brief in-class writing assignments. Screenings each week will provide illustrations and primary research sources. Students will develop final research and/or creative projects that apply historical and theoretical ideas and information learned throughout the semester.

RTF 359S         QUEER MEDIA STUDIES • CURRAN NAULT

This course immerses students in the critical and theoretical analysis of queer media in order to explore dominant strategies used by the media industries, as well as those utilized by LGBTQI independents and subcultures. Important to this project are historical shifts in representation, including the mainstreaming of queerness, and the alternative media reception, production and exhibition practices developed by LGBTQI communities. Marginalized queer identities (including qpoc and transgender) will be centralized and the intersections of queer identities, queer politics and media culture will be engaged.

RTF 359S         LATINA/OS AND U.S. MEDIA  HYBRID/BLENDED • MARY BELTRAN

This course provides a critical survey of the participation and representation of Latina/os in U.S. English-language film and television since the silent film era.  It explores the representation of Mexican Americans and other Latina/os in North American media culture with respect to how various Hispanic-origin groups have been portrayed and Hollywood and the television industry’s construction of notions of Latinidad.  Intersections with gender, race, citizenship, class, sexuality, and other elements of identity also will be highlighted.  We’ll also survey the work of U.S. Latina and Latino media producers and explore contemporary issues and debates related to Latina/o representation and shifting and static notions of Latinidad in the public imaginary.  

This course carries the Cultural Diversity flag.

RTF 365           GLOBALIZATION & SOCIAL MEDIA • WENHONG CHEN

What are social media doing to us? And we to them? Drawing on literatures from media studies, sociology, communication, and management, this course invites students to engage in critical analysis of the causes, patterns, and consequences of using social media in a global context.  Building on cases from diverse cultures and nations, the course provides a rich comparative perspective. The course has three components. We start with major debates on the role of communication and media technologies in network society, globalization, and transnationalism. In the second part, we focus on how macro social forces and institutions such as state and market shape the development of social media and other new communication technologies. We explore how social inequalities and cultural differences affect digital divides. In the third part, we investigate how social media and other new technologies have facilitated changes in politics, organizations, networks, as well as media and culture.

RTF 370           COMEDY IN FILM AND MEDIA • KATHY FULLER-SEELEY

This course explores theories of humor and comedy and applies them to media and performance from the early 20th century US to the present. Readings draw broadly from philosophy, cultural studies, cinema and TV studies, race, gender, sexuality, politics, psychology. We will examine producers, texts, performers and audiences across a wide variety of media -- television and film, literature, comics, radio, internet, live performance and other forms. The seminar will be focused on student group discussion and presentation of theories, texts, specific examples of applications, and findings. Students will develop research/and/or create projects.

RTF 370           ASIAN HORROR • LALITHA GOPALAN

This course assumes the student’s familiarity with classical horror films, European and American films to be precise, and all the attendant theories on genre and spectatorship.  While the established theoretical tracts have taken American and European films as their models, they seem totally unprepared for the vibrant horror films emerging from Asia, India to Japan, and this is exactly our charge for the course—to better understand the cinematic style of Asian horror films. As any cinephile would testify while these films have the stock figures of ghosts and monsters, haunted houses and possessed women, they also question our settled ideas of beauty and disgust that imperceptibly shape our notions of racial, sexual, and national differences. The course will consider how questions of national style and authorship revise the ways in which we consider genre cinema.

LOWER-DIVISION COURSES

RTF 307           MEDIA & SOCIETY • ADRIEN SEBRO

This course surveys the role of media in our society through understanding economic, social, political, organizational, ideological, and global contexts. We will discuss themes relevant to media representation, audience interpretation, and social consequences.

MS minor

RTF 308           DEVELOPMENT OF FILM & MEDIA • RYAN BRIGGS, KRISTINA BRüNING, PETE JOHNSON

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 317           NARRATIVE STRATEGIES & MEDIA DESIGN • LAUREL ROGERS

This class focuses on the style, structure and storytelling strategies in a wide range of media forms, from narrative films and television series to documentaries and videogames.

RTF 318           INTRODUCTION TO IMAGE & SOUND • YA'KE SMITH

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.

UPPER DIVISION - PRODUCTION & SCREENWRITING COURSES

RTF 329C         DIGITAL MEDIA PRODUCTION Web-Based • BEN BAYS

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. OPEN TO BOTH RTF MAJORS & NON-RTF MAJORS.

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RTF 333        INTRODUCTION TO SCREENWRITING HYBRID • STUART KELBAN

RTF 333 introduces students to the art of screenwriting, delving into its three foundational elements:  story, character, and structure. We will focus primarily on writing for features, shorts, and television, but the same basic storytelling principles are applicable to games, documentary, web series, and other forms of writing for the screen. In lecture and sections, we will break down each step of the writing process—from the initial premise, through character exploration and treatments—and apply those steps to writing your own scripts. The class will also examine a variety of produced scripts, as well as feature invited guests from the industry, in order to learn about screenwriting from a professional perspective.

RTF 337 / 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 340           MULTI-CAM TELEVISION DIRECTING • DAVID SCHNEIDER

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 340M/388P      MUSIC VIDEO/FILM PRODUCTION • PJ RAVAL

This course explores the collaborative nature between filmmakers and performing artists. Students will partner with a local musical artist/band to create a portfolio of original short films ranging from live performance videos, to non-fiction and promotional materials, to music videos and ultimately music films. This course embraces conceptual and non-traditional forms of filmmaking often seen in the works of early music video pioneers. From the Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star,” to Beyonce’s “Lemonade,” music videos have defined generations and cultural movements. This course will explore the artistic expressions and subsequent social impacts that music videos have had in steering the public conversations around artist personas, censorship, and cinematic innovation. Please note: Previously listed as 366K Music in Film Production.

RTF 341           AUDIO PRODUCTION INTO POST  • TODD THOMPSON

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 Zoom H6 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. 

Prerequisites: Upper-division standing, RTF 317 and 318 with a grade of at least B- in each, and six additional semester hours of lower-division coursework in radio-television-film.

RTF 341C 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 317 and 318 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 343            ADVANCED PRODUCTION: NARRATIVE • HUAY BING-LAW

From script to sound design, students spend the semester completing an advanced video production (3 - 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 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 344M         3D ANIMATION AND DIGITAL PERFORMANCES  • BEN BAYS

3D Animation and Digital Performances explores the history, principles and methods of animation and storytelling using CGI. Through the intersection of in-person activities and creative project-based learning, students animate characters, design and render simulations, create compositions in motion, even sequence motion capture data for a variety of formats from live action to cartoons to videogames. Students have the ability to customize the course to their area of interest, whether it is developing expertise in the craft of animation (or one particular aspect of it) to applying these techniques to larger projects. There are as many ways to take the course as there are students. Choose your own path and the instructor collaborates with you to achieve your vision.  No prior knowledge of digital media production required. Mac or PC. No software purchase required.

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        GAME PROGRAMMING PARADIGMS • SARAH ABRAHAM

The course is designed to give students experience and insight into how game engines are built. Students will work with Unreal Engine 4 as an example of modern game engine architecture, and work with the existing systems including physics, graphics, AI, networking, and animation among others to understand how these components interact. Students will also gain experience working with source control, built systems, and understanding the UE4 compilers. Projects will be done in teams to allow students to gain experience working together with other programmers on relatively large projects, as well as working with ticketing systems. We also expect students to "fend for themselves" to an extent greater than that of most other courses in the department. This means we try to provide the minimal amount of starter code and help with build environments to encourage students to leverage online resources and the expertise of colleagues. By the end of this course you should feel comfortable working in large systems with multiple APIs, and have greater experience debugging and reading documentation of third-party software.

RTF 344M        INTERACTIVE MEDIA AND GAME DEVELOPMENT • DEEPAK CHETTY

This course provides students with the fundamentals of interactive media through digital game creation. The course focuses on two areas: (1) general principles of game design and game development, and (2) development of simple 3D games. A limited number of seats are open to non-majors.

RTF 344M/388F  POST-PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES (COLOR GRADING) • DAN STUYCK

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. Familiarity with non-linear editing is recommended but not required. A limited number of seats are open to non-majors.

RTF 344M        VIRTUAL PRODUCTION • DEEPAK CHETTY

Virtual Production and real-time rendering are here. Learn how to plan, layout, light, animate and render your ideas, concepts and art in real-time using Unreal Engine. Physically accurate cameras will simulate their real-world counterparts and give you the ability to learn and develop your real-world skills in a virtual environment or integrate your real-world skills into the virtual production environment. Final projects, which will be fully realized short-form pieces, will display an understanding of the methodology and creative potential of this game-changing workflow.

RTF 344M        VFX FOR STORYTELLING • DEEPAK CHETTY

In this hands-on course, students will be introduced to the new frontiers of VFX technology, including neural networks for VFX (deep learning), Style Transfer, Real-time rendering and mixed reality Stagecraft. These technologies, fast becoming industry standards, are not out of reach! Along with production elements, the class will have screenings and analysis of films that contain historical milestones in VFX, which have led us to the present state of VFX and the development of the industry.  Whether you are interested in VFX as an additional skill in your filmmaker's toolkit or would like to become a visual effects artist and technician, you must understand the past to contextualize the present and the future of this art form. This class explores the production of contemporary and cutting edge VFX as well as both sides of this chronology, with the ultimate goal of creating a well-rounded understanding of where VFX started, and where it is headed. 

RTF 344M        WRITING FOR INTERACTIVE GAMES & MEDIA  • NATHAN CUTIETTA

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: 2D GAMES • PAUL TOPRAC

The Capstone Game Development course brings together students from Computer Science, College of Fine Arts, and Radio-Television-Film to form small teams in which each student will contribute specialized knowledge to the group creation of 2D games for mobile, online, and social technology platforms. Through modeling of the environment and practices that are used in game studios and the larger industry, students will gain a thorough understanding of the 2D game development process. Local game companies and industry professionals are committed to evaluating student projects and hiring successful graduates. 
*If interested, please read instructions to apply. Consent of instructor required.

RTF 346           INTRO TO EDITING • ARTURO JIMENEZ, KAREN KOCHER, MATT LENNON

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, you will finish this course with increased confidence in, and understanding of, the seamless editing technique and the AVID software. We will also view and analyze film scenes to understand how editing contributes to meaning.

RTF 347E         ADVANCED EDITING  • ANNE LEWIS

This course is a further exploration and analysis of the ideas, craft, and techniques of editing that students will have encountered in RTF 346. It is project based with raw material provided, both narrative and documentary. Students may workshop their independent work as well. The class offers an opportunity to build a strong background for professional work and complete user certification in Avid.

RTF 351C        INTRODUCTION TO 2D ANIMATION • LANCE MYERS

This course will introduce the student to the art and mechanics of two-dimensional animation in film and in digital media. Weekly exercises will be required, with an emphasis on animation as personal expression. A limited number of seats are open to non-majors. 

RTF 366K        DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION  • ARTURO JIMENEZ

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        LATINX FILMMAKING • ILIANA SOSA

In Latinx Filmmaking, we will challenge and explore new ways of depicting the US Latino experience through narrative fiction, documentary, and experimental short films. Students will make a 5–10-minute film of their choosing (fiction, documentary, or experimental) that is Latinx themed and specifically focuses on US Latino communities. The class will include screenings of lesser-known work by Latinx artists, and conversations with established and up-and-coming Latinx filmmakers and producers. We will explore the work/have class visits from US Latinx filmmakers including but not limited to: Lourdes Portillo, Cristina Ibarra, Alex Rivera, and Aurora Guerrero. 

RTF 366K        NARRATIVE PRODUCTION • ARTURO JIMENEZ, CRISTIN STEPHENS

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         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 366K        SOCIAL MEDIA PRODUCTION • JORDAN LEVIN

Mine what you’re passionate about to produce your own original short-form content and engage with online communities who share your passion. Learn how digital entertainment companies and online content creators, like Austin-based Rooster Teeth, think about what they make, who they make it for, and where and how they reach their fans. You’ll hear how to collaborate with your audience in the creative process and explore the role of community in digital media. Creative and business executives from Rooster Teeth and elsewhere will be regular guests throughout the semester to share their experiences in the increasingly influential world of social media entertainment and consider how these lessons will impact the future of film / television production and fan engagement.

RTF 367D        DIRECTING WORKSHOP • MIGUEL ALVAREZ, ANDREW SHEA

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 • MICAH BARBER, SARAH SEULKI OH

An overview of the business and creative side of the film and television industry.  This course focuses on the function and duties of a producer as they shepherd an idea through a project “life cycle”: development, financing, pre-production, production, post-production, marketing, and distribution. Lecture topics will mirror the project life cycle while students build a vocabulary that enables meaningful understanding of the film and television industry and its protocol. Using weekly lectures, course readings and workshops to reinforce each class discussion topic, students will, in groups, develop their own original film or scripted television series..

RTF 368         DRAWING THE STORYBOARD • JASON BUCHANAN

Learn the art and skills of drawing a storyboard, even if you can’t draw.

A storyboard is a set of sequential drawings used to tell a story—a graphic organizer that helps to illustrate a narrative.  Used often in entertainment applications like film, TV, theatre, gaming, and immersive experiences, storyboards are also valuable in the development of advertising videos or demonstrating a production process.

RTF 368P /389P   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 are 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 369           ADVANCED SCREENWRITING: FEATURE FILMS • TOM WILLETT

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: INDIE FILMS • TOM WILLETT

This workshop class is focused on writing screenplays designed for micro-budget, independent production. As students write their own feature-length scripts (90-120 pages) throughout the semester, they will study and analyze completed micro-budget films and their production methods. In addition, they will read and comment on their classmates' work.

RTF 369           ADVANCED SCREENWRITING: SCI-FI/HORROR • MAYA PEREZ

This workshop class will focus on horror and science fiction writing—two genres that have provided opportunities for countless new writers in the film industry. Each student will write a feature-length horror or science fiction screenplay and provide weekly notes on their classmates’ work. In addition, we’ll make a semester-long study of the current trends in each genre, reading and analyzing the biggest hits of recent years.

RTF 369           ADVANCED SCREENWRITING: TV PILOTS • KATHERINE CRAFT, TOM WILLETT

Each student will create a brand new television show (30- or 60-minute, network or cable) from the ground up: researching the setting and historical moment, inventing the characters and relationships, and ultimately designing the conflicts necessary to propel a show through multiple seasons. Students will then distill all of this work into a single showpiece episode - a pilot - that demonstrates the artistic and commercial potential of the new show. We’ll also be looking at a range of produced pilots (both aired and unaired) and discussing what makes the best of them work.

RTF 369P        SCRIPT TO SCREEN: FEATURES • SCOTT RICE

Script to Screen takes students behind the scenes of Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey’s films. By studying script drafts, shot lists, storyboards, early edits and even exclusive behind the scenes footage, students will garner insight into the making of a major Hollywood feature. Script to Screen also gives students practical instruction on producing their own projects including web series, shorts, commercials, and indie features. From guidance on pitching to the ins and outs of founding a production company, Script to Screen is an essential “how-to” for students who are serious about producing and directing.

Prerequisites: Upper Division standing and either RTF 367K (Producing I), RTF 366D (Directing Workshop) or RTF 333 (Intro. to Screenwriting). Non-majors will not be allowed to add this course. If you do not meet the prerequisites you may seek admittance by contacting the instructor.

SPECIALTY COURSES

RTF 336      SPECIAL PROJECTS IN RADIO-TELEVISION-FILM

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; contact the department for permission to register for this class.

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 EMERGENT CINEMATIC ARTS THESIS 
RTF 368S UNDERGRADUATE FILM PRODUCTION THESIS 
RTF 368S UNDERGRADUATE MEDIA STUDIES THESIS 
RTF 368S UNDERGRADUATE SCREENWRITING THESIS

INTERNSHIPS

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NON-MAJOR COURSES

RTF 303C        INTRO TO MEDIA/ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRIES – Web-Based • KATHRYN HARTZELL 
Restricted to non-RTF majors. Fulfills the social & behavioral sciences core curriculum requirement for the 2021–2022 academic year.

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 306           INTRO TO WORLD CINEMA HISTORY - Web-Based• LALITHA GOPALAN 
Restricted to non-RTF majors.

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. We will also address how decades of popular and critical attention to the glamour and gossip surrounding Hollywood movies has affected our understanding of “American” cinema. The course fulfills VAPA requirements, and is designed for non-RTF majors who have not taken previous coursework in film or media studies. 
 

RTF 307           MEDIA & SOCIETY • ADRIEN SEBRO

This course surveys the role of media in our society through understanding economic, social, political, organizational, ideological, and global contexts. We will discuss themes relevant to media representation, audience interpretation, and social consequences.

Qualifies for Media Studies minor.

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.

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RTF 331P         VIDEO GAME CULTURE & CRITICISM • MARINA FONTOLAN  
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 331P         VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY-   Web-Based • MARINA FONTOLAN

Open to all Majors. This course counts towards the Media & Entertainment Industries minor.

Trade press and business experts love to hype the profitability of the global video game industry, measuring its success in units sold and revenues earned. And while it is certainly a juggernaut within the media industries, there has been much less focus on what it is like to actually work in the industry. From game designers to games journalists, QA testers to Twitch streamers, this course will explore the material realities, working conditions, and business models of the games industry and their impact on its workers: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Instead of focusing on specific games, genres, systems, or mechanics, this course will trace the impact of digitization, casualization, and globalization on the industry’s production cultures, employment models, commodity forms, profit centers, promotional logics, and more. We will explore historical and contemporary concerns shaping the industry, such as government regulations and rating systems, outsourcing and offshoring, labor casualization and unionization, precarious employment and crunch periods, loot boxes and revenue models, live streams and gambling laws, mods and skins, user-generated content and end-user license agreements, identity politics and systemic inequalities, promotional work and emotional labor, etc. In addition to a thorough consideration of what it means to work in the games industry (past, present, and future), we will also hear from guest speakers about their experiences working in a variety of games companies and positions. From crash to crunch, this course will give you a better sense of how to anticipate and navigate the changing nature of work in these increasingly digital and global media industries.

RTF 347D        HISTORY OF VIDEO GAMES • MARINA FONTOLAN  
May count toward the Media Studies Minor and the Media Industries 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 also 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.