<p>What are the courses like for the Cinematic Arts Minor? If I cannot get into the Production major will I still be able to take all(most?) of the classes offered to Production majors? If so, will I be granted the same networking oppurtunities as the Production Majors?</p>
<p>The Minor in Cinematic Arts is wonderfully flexible - you can choose your own focus. It is a total of 20 units. There is one 4-unit lower-division required course: Either CTCS 190 or 191, then you choose 8 units from a LONG list of choices. Here are the *production courses <a href=“there%20are%20LOTS%20more%20courses%20on%20the%20list%20-%20these%20are%20just%20the%20production%20courses!”>/I</a> that are on that list:</p>
<p>CTPR 327 Motion Picture Camera 3
CTPR 335 Motion Picture Editing 3
CTPR 385 Colloquium: Motion Picture Production Techniques 4
CTPR 409 Practicum in Television Production 2,4
CTPR 460 Film Business Procedures and Distribution 2,4
CTPR 461 Television Station Management 2
CTPR 484 Advanced Multi‐Camera Television Workshop 4 </p>
<p>The other eight units can be chosen from almost any of the offerings in SCA - you pick - so if you want to only take production courses, that will work. You can also choose to take more than 20 units in SCA if you have extra room in your schedule.
[USC</a> School of Cinematic Arts - Prospective Students Minor Degrees and Additional Programs Minor Degrees Cinematic Arts](<a href=“http://cinema.usc.edu/prospective/other/minors/cinematic-arts.htm]USC”>http://cinema.usc.edu/prospective/other/minors/cinematic-arts.htm)</p>
<ul>
<li>I saw your question on another thread asking if there is a competetive application process for the Cinematic Arts minor, so i thought I would add: To declare a Cinematic Arts minor, you walk into the SCA office and fill out a form. You have to have a declared major and be in good academic standing. That’s it!</li>
</ul>
<p>Do you know anything about the job prospectives? Are minor students still able to network with the alumni?</p>
<p>Taking SCA courses or even getting an SCA minor is an amazing opportunity to study in the top film school in the world. This option is open to all USC students, regardless of major. You will learn from the best and get great preparation for working in the film/tv industry. </p>
<p>But it is not the same as majoring in film production in the SCA. For one thing, most SCA majors take the 290 (film production) sequence. Production majors go on to take 390 (more advanced film production). These courses are intense, requiring students to write, produce, light, cast, shoot, and edit a series of films throughout the semester. In addition, the major has ivy-like cache in Hollywood. The SCA film major is admitted in a highly selective process that admits around 3% of applying freshmen, and this fact is well-known. </p>
<p>Keeping it real, there are differences between minoring and majoring. As far as internships/job opportunities there is a job board available to the SCA community and alumni. I am not certain if this is restricted to majors. Perhaps someone with more knowledge will post about it. </p>
<p>In truth, those with drive and talent are going to get ahead in the film/tv business. It’s more about how assertive you are in hunting for opportunities and what you do with those first few jobs to impress the people you report to. Having taken courses at USC SCA, or minoring in film will be well respected. Jason Reitman (director of “Juno” and “Up in the Air”) graduated from USC–but did not major or minor in film. Will Ferrell did not major in Theatre or Acting. So I’d advise students to take classes they are passionate about and get ready to work hard.</p>
<p>I’m majoring in Crit Studies and have an internship with a production company that has produced several very well known movies, and has another couple fun ones coming out soon. </p>
<p>Anyway, my boss is the Sr VP of Development and Production, and he graduated from SC with a English major and Crit Studies minor. :] While you’d probably learn more/take more classes through the major, don’t be deterred - it definitely is about your passion!</p>
<p>So on a similar topic, one of my dreams would be to somehow be involved in Hollywood, and by that I mean something more than cleaning the Hollywood sign. Something like set design, costumes, casting, screenwriting, scores, etc. Maybe even acting! Problem is I don’t have much experience in any of this, just a lifelong passion for film and movies. </p>
<p>What can I do at my undergrad university to prepare for a career like this? Is it possible to go to USC or NYU to study after undergrad even if I am majoring in biomechanical engineering and minoring in polisci? I’m having trouble getting into arts and film classes at my current school because those classes are pretty much reserved for majors or like seniors who have a strong background in the subject. </p>
<p>Also to help compose a film’s score, would I have to be like a music major? Because I’m not, but I do play piano for 1-2 hours everyday just for the fun of it (mainly improv and composition).</p>
<p>I know there are stories of people like Chris Montieth who work their way up from almost no upbringing in the arts, so anything is possible really, but I’m just wondering realistically do I have a shot to start off with a pretty cool job without an intense background?</p>
<p>madbean’s post #4 sums it all up wonderfully - great post! </p>
<p>Re: the question about whether the SCA job/internship board is available to those minoring in SCA - yes, it is (per daughter minoring in Cinema-Television).</p>
<p>Thanks for all the replies! They’re very reassuring.</p>
<p>Another question: How easy is it to get the classes you want? I mean, i wouldn’t be very useful to minor in cinematic arts if I couldn’t get into any classes.</p>
<p>There is such a wide array of classes that provide credit towards a minor, it is hard to answer that question - most will be no problem to get, some you will have to wait until you have a bit more registration priority. </p>
<p>Daughter minoring in Cinematic Arts has had no problem at all getting the classes she wants.</p>
<p>Thanks alamemom! </p>
<p>Is your daughter looking for a career in the film industry? What’s she majoring in?</p>
<p>She has a major in the humanities, but has loved her SCA classes so much and her internship so much that she is starting to consider film or television as a career. We’ll see!!!</p>
<p>@alamemom.</p>
<p>I saw your post on the cinema courses for minors at USC.</p>
<p>What does the 2,4 mean?
Does it mean lab and lecture courses? Do we take both the 2 and 4 unit course, or can we choose?</p>
<p>Btw, thank you so much for the information!</p>
<p>Would it be possible to major in music(more specific:popular music), and also minor in cinematic arts at USC?</p>
<p>@tofugirl Any combination is possible at USC!</p>
<p>LOL. I must have typed the earlier message wrong. Didn’t mean to include the smiley.</p>
<p>Is it possible to major in Popular Music and minor in Cinematic Arts at USC? Would that be too hard?</p>
<p>No it wouldn’t. To minor in Cinematic Arts at USC you only need 20 units. You should also check to see how many units you need to major in popular music(find a flow chart). You need at least 128 units to graduate with a bachelors degree. And you can fulfill cinema minor courses as electives.
Good luck!</p>
<p>I think the 2, 3, and 4 refer to fall, spring, and summer respectively.</p>
<p>@dreamupsided0wn
For example, in these courses below</p>
<p>CTPR 409 Practicum in Television Production 2,4
CTPR 460 Film Business Procedures and Distribution 2,4 </p>
<p>We get 2 units if we take it in the Fall and 4 units if we take it in the summer?</p>
<p>^ It’s referring to the unit count. 409 is a learning lab-style course for Trojan Vision and students have the option of enrolling in 2 units or 4 units. If you look online, only 4 students are registered for the 4 unit option, so it’s probably on an individual basis. (Maybe they’re producers/directors of a Trojan Vision show? You don’t know…)</p>
<p>460 is only being offered as a 2 unit course this fall. </p>
<p>CTPR 460: Film Business Procedures and Distribution (2.0-4.0 units, max 8)</p>
<p>The thing in parenthesis means that the class can be offered as a 2 unit to a 4 unit course and that students can take the class for a maximum of 8 units. I’m guessing this class is offered with a different “focus” each semester, which is why the repeating units thing is there.</p>
<p>For example, take this class:
CTCS 469: Film and/or Television Style Analysis (4.0 units, max 8)</p>
<p>Every section has a different “theme” – noir film, rock documentary, Scorsese films, etc etc etc. Each section is 4 units, but you can only receive credit for 8 – meaning you can only take the class twice. If you take it more than twice, you don’t receive the credit.</p>
<p>Hope this makes more sense. It’s not as complicated as it looks.</p>