Certificate in Film Production

The Certificate in Film Production is designed to help students develop expertise in all the areas of film, including screenwriting, directing and producing as well as the technical aspects of film and digital video production.

This program, at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, can be taken as a standalone certificate program or in conjunction with a degree program, with the approval of the appropriate faculty.

Students interested in a four-year major in film production should consider instead the film production option in the Media Arts and Cultures program.

Hands-on experience in filmmaking

Students participate fully in the production structure of filmmaking in a variety of positions, such as:

• camera operator
• cinematographer
• director and screenwriter

They also gain hands-on experience in the post-production process of picture and sound editing.

The program also covers basic film studies, including the history of film, because students making films learn from watching other films and analyzing how they work. The broad range of the program prepares students for a variety of positions. It also helps them in making informed choices in pursuing opportunities or specialized training.

Eligibility

Candidates for admission must meet the university's requirements for admission to the Bachelor of Arts or admission as a mature student.

The standalone certificate is a part-time program.

Students with limited or no university background who are enrolled in the standalone certificate should note that some upper-level courses have prerequisites that must be met. They should also consider taking advantage of the university’s writing and skills development programs.

Please note: It takes a minimum of two years to complete the program. Some courses for the Certificate in Film Production may be scheduled in late afternoon or evening time slots.

Program of study

The Certificate in Film Production program consists of 30 credit hours. Of these, 24 are from required courses. The remainder is from electives. Normally, a grade of C or better is required for each course in the program.

Required courses

• FILM 2022 / MAAC 2022 The Art of Film (3 ch)
• FILM 2909 / ENGL 2909 International Film History (3 ch)
• FILM 2998 / MAAC 2998 Digital Filmmaking I (3 ch)
• FILM 2999 / MAAC 2999 Digital Filmmaking II (3 ch)
• FILM 3903 / ENGL 3903 Film Theory (3 ch)
• FILM 4000 / MAAC 4000 Digital Film Production III (6 ch)
• At least one of FILM/ENGL 3183: Creative Writing: Screenwriting for Short Formats (3 ch) and FILM/ENGL 3186 Creative Writing: Feature Screenplay (3 ch)

The other may be taken as one of the three electives. Other courses which might count towards the film program can be approved by the film advisor.

Electives (6 credit hours must be selected)

• ENGL 2263 Shakespeare and Film (3 ch)
• ENGL 3906-9 Film Genre (3 ch)
• ENGL 3916-9 National Cinemas (3 ch)
• FILM 3075/MAAC 3075 Framing Reality: Theory and Practice of Documentary Media (3 ch)
• FILM 3082/MAAC 3082/CCS 3082 History of Canadian Cinema (3 ch)
• FILM 3981/MAAC 3981 Screen Acting (3 ch)
• FILM 3066/GER 3066/CCS 3066/MAAC 3066 Trauma and Seduction: Early German Cinema (3 ch)
• FILM 3072/ GER 3072/ CCS 3072/ MAAC 3072 (Re)constructing National Identity: Contemporary German Cinema (3 ch)
• HIST 1315 Canadian History on Film (3 ch)
• HIST 3415 America at the Movies (3 ch)
• HIST 3803 War through Film (3 ch)
• MAAC 3212 Lens Media I (3 ch)
• MAAC 3362 Sound Design (3 ch)
• SPAN/CCS 3455 Latin American Cinema (3 ch)
• SPAN/CCS 3456 The Cinema of Spain (3 ch)
• CCS 4053 Culture and Film: The Cinema of Transitional Democracies (3 ch)

Other film-related university courses may be approved as electives by the academic advisor.