Culminating Experience

The Culminating Experience requirement asks each graduating Major and Modified Major to create a project related to their experience in Film & Media Studies. Students will propose their project based on the guidelines below, and must meet stated departmental standards. 

REQUIREMENTS

  • Must be a major or modified major in Film & Media Studies

  • Must have taken FILM 40 before proposing or enrolling in a Culminating Experience course

  • Must have completed FILM 1, FILM 2, or FILM 3 and FILM 20 prior to their Culminating Experience, or be enrolled in those courses fall term of the relevant academic year.

DEADLINES

  • Proposals for both Winter 2025 and Spring 2025 are due by October 23rd, 2024

CULMINATING EXPERIENCE AVAILABLE OPTIONS

There are three pathways to completing the Culminating Experience Requirement: extra work in an advanced course, enrolling in FILM 93, or enrolling in the FILM 95/96 sequence.

  1. Extra Work in an Advanced Course in Film & Media Studies

  • During one term, the student completes extra work in an advanced course

    • May be completed in any term

    • Eligible courses for this option: FILM 32, 34, 38, 39s, and any courses among the FILM 41s and 50s.

    • The course cannot fulfill another requirement for the major

    • The instructor of the course grants permission and is considered the project advisor

    • The instructor must be a faculty member of the Department of Film & Media Studies

  • Extra work will be determined by the student and instructor in collaboration

    • "Extra work" means an additional dimension added to an existing course requirement and a reflective writing component

    • The "additional dimension" depends on the type of course. For example:

      • A 15-page final research paper might be replaced with a 30-page final research paper

      • A course with a creative project using a single production method might be expanded to require engagement with a second production method

      • A course in production might require the student to make a longer film and/or engage with an additional method

      • A course in game design might expand a final project assignment to require additional playtesting and iteration beyond usual course requirements

      • A course in screenwriting that requires students to complete a TV pilot script might expand the assignment to the production of a series bible

        • Please note that the examples are intended to give you a sense of the scope of extra work needed to culminate. You will work with your professor to determine the details

  1. FILM 93: Major Project

  • The Culminating Experience instructor is the advisor for all projects

  • The major project is a two-term commitment and may be pursued in history/criticism/theory studies or production/media-making

  • The major project may only be completed during winter and spring terms

  • Students register for FILM 93 in the winter only and receive an "ON" (ongoing) grade at the end of winter term. The grade will be updated at the conclusion of the spring term

  • Students must attend the Culminating Experience seminar in both winter and spring terms

  • The major project is designed to be commensurate with the Extra Work in an Advanced Course requirement. For example:

    • A 30-page, double-spaced paper based on independent research

    • An independent creative project using two methods

    • A game with a plan for playtesting and iteration

    • A film that engages experimentally with an existing form or style, or employs a new method(s)

    • A TV pilot screenplay with a series bible

      • Please note that the examples are intended to give you a sense of the scope of the Film 93 Major project.

  1. FILM 95/96 Sequence: Honors Project I and II

  • In addition to the basic requirements for the Culminating Experience above, a student must have completed at least five major courses and have an average in the major of 3.4 or higher and a college average of 3.0 or higher

  • The Culminating Experience instructor is the advisor for all projects

  • The Honors Project is a two-term commitment and may be pursued in critical studies or production/media-making

  • The Honors Project may only be completed during winter and spring terms

  • Students must attend the Culminating Experience seminar in winter and spring terms

  • The Honors Project is designed to be an ambitious and innovative project that uses at least two methods and reflects two contexts (social, historical, political, aesthetic, conceptual, theoretical, personal).

    • "Ambitious" and "innovative" are not synonymous with longer. Rather, they signal the creative use of multiple methods and contexts in the research and creation process

    • The department expects the general length to be commensurate with other options for the Culminating Experience but expects an honors project proposal to articulate the use of multiple methods and contexts and to articulate the aesthetic approach

  • Please note that in order to be considered for "Honors" or "High Honors," students must be accepted into the FILM 95/96 sequence. Completion of the FILM 95/96 sequence does not automatically confer Honors or High Honors for the project. The awarding of Honors and High Honors will be determined by the F&MS faculty.

LIMITS FOR PROPOSED PROJECTS

  • Taking into account departmental resources, the following limits apply to all proposed Culminating Experiences

    • Time-based media cannot exceed 10 minutes in length

    • Scripts cannot exceed 120 pages in length for a feature with a pre-production notebook or 60 pages for a pilot screenplay with a series bible.  

    • Research papers cannot exceed 30 pages in length (double-spaced, 12 pt font)

    • Games should aim for approximately 20 minutes of gameplay and multiple playthroughs

    • Digital humanities projects vary depending on type. If you are interested in proposing a digital archive, multimedia digital project, application, data set, visualization, or other digital humanities project, please speak with an appropriate faculty member to determine a reasonable scope

  • Your project proposal should be designed taking these limits into account

(WINTER AND SPRING)

REQUIRED CULMINATING EXPERIENCE SEMINAR

  • Students using FILM 93 or the FILM 95/96 sequence for their culminating experience are required to attend the Culminating Experience Seminar in winter and spring terms

  • Students who select extra work for their Culminating Experience may choose to attend the Culminating Experience Seminar in winter and spring terms, but are not required to do so

  • Students using FILM 93 or the FILM 95/96 sequence for their culminating experience are required to make a brief presentation of their projects for FMS faculty in the spring and have the option of exhibiting their work publicly at the end of spring term

  • The Culminating Experience Seminars will be taught by FMS faculty members

PROJECT ADVISORS

  • The instructors for the Culminating Experience Seminar serve as the project advisors for students completing FILM 93 or the FILM 95/96 sequence

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

  • Project proposals will be assessed for feasibility, appropriate scope and focus, and likelihood of completion

  • Production projects will be assessed in relation to the rest of the production curriculum, and regularly scheduled courses will have priority for equipment use

  • Under extreme circumstances, students may petition to alter or change their culminating projects but approval is not guaranteed

  • Please note that if you are taking FILM 40 in winter term of senior year, you may only choose extra work in an advanced course as your Culminating Experience

  • Please note that enrolling in FILM 80 (Independent Study) is not an option for pursuing extra work in a class for the Culminating Experience Project

SUBMITTAL OF PROPOSAL

  • The proposal must be emailed as a Word Doc. or PDF to the Chair (Roopika.Risam@Dartmouth.edu) and copied to the Department Administrator (Erin.E.Bennett@Dartmouth.edu) by October 23rd for winter and/or spring term projects.

  • FMS faculty will review all proposals

  • Students will be notified about the status of their proposals within 2-3 weeks of the deadline

    • Responses will take one of three forms:

      • Proposal Accepted: The proposal is accepted as written. No further action required.

      • Proposal Acceptance with Modifications: The proposal is accepted with modifications determined by the FMS faculty. No further action required.

      • Proposal Requires Revision: The proposal requires revisions determined by the FMS faculty. Please revise accordingly, consult FMS faculty as appropriate, and re-submit your revised proposal by December 1.

      • Reject: The proposal has not been accepted and an alternative Culminating Experience must be proposed. Please make an appointment with the Department Chair as soon as possible.

Please use this Culminating Experience Project Proposal Template to submit your proposal. 

Culminating Experience Project Funding

With the support of The Louise Rapf Memorial Fund  Senior Majors and Modified Majors can get reimbursed for the cost of approved Culminating Experience Project expenses. Please follow the instructions detailed here on how to submit a proposal for this funding.