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Culminating Experience

The Culminating Experience requirement is designed to offer each student an opportunity to fulfill an enhanced and focused project related directly to their emphasis within the major. It is required of both Majors and Modified Majors. This course will be selected and declared by each individual student, but must meet department requirements and deadlines.

* Each fall and spring the department hosts a meeting about Culminating Experiences. Sophomores and Juniors should attend so they can plan terms accordingly. Stay tuned for that announcement!

CULMINATING EXPERIENCE AVAILABLE OPTIONS

Students may propose one of the following options to count as the Culminating Experience:

  1. FILM 93 Major Project
    • A two-term commitment that can be pursued in studies or production.
    • Must attend the C.E. Seminar held at the 6B schedule each term. The seminar instructor is the advisor for all projects.
    • Available only in winter and spring terms.
       
  2. FILM 95 and FILM 96 Honors Project I and II
    • A more ambitious and higher caliber two-term commitment that can be pursued in studies or production. 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).
    • Must attend the C.E. Seminar held at the 6B schedule each term. The seminar instructor is the advisor for all projects.
    • Available only in winter and spring terms.
       
  3. Extra work in an offered advanced FILM course
    • One-term commitment.
    • The FILM course must be taught by a F&MS faculty member. 
    • The instructor of the course grants permission and is considered the project advisor.
    • The course cannot fulfill another requirement for the major.
    • This option may be pursued in any term.
    • The following are considered Advanced Courses: 
      • FILM 32 Filmmaking II
      • FILM 34 Writing for the Screen II
      • FILM 38 Advanced Animation
      • FILM 39's Advanced Videomaking
      • Any courses between FILM 41's—FILM 48's
      • FILM 49's Practicum in Digital Culture and New Technologies
      • FILM 50's Topics in Media Theory

CULMINATING EXPERIENCE SEMINAR (WINTER AND SPRING)

  • Two-term project students are required to attend the Culminating Experience Seminar in the 6B timeslot, taught by a F&MS faculty member.
  • Seminar attendance is recommended but not required for students pursuing their Culminating Experience Project as extra work in an offered FILM advanced course during winter and spring terms.
  • Students are required to make brief presentations of their projects at the Senior Showcase held at the end of spring term.

PROJECT ADVISORS

  • Students for FILM 93 and FILM 95-96 don't need to seek advisors. The advisor will be the faculty assigned to the C.E. Seminar for either winter or spring term. 
  • Students may seek out faculty subject-matter experts across the department, but these mentoring sessions are limited to regular office hours from those faculty, or up to 2 special meetings a term.
  • Students choosing the option EXTRA WORK in an advanced FILM course, must contact the course's F&MS faculty member and request permision to do extra work for the C.E. Project within their class. The course's instructor will be considered the advisor for the project.

REQUIREMENTS

BEFORE your propose or enroll in a Culminating Experience Project, you need to have taken:

Note: If you are taking FILM 40 in winter term of your senior year, you may only do a one-term culminating project.

DEADLINES

 

Mid April: 

Required Department Info Meeting for one-term summer and fall projects 

Mid September:

Required Department Info Meeting for one- and two-term winter and spring projects 

15th May: 

Proposals due to Department

15th October: 

Proposals due to Department
 

End of Spring Term (early June)

SENIOR SHOWCASE
Final Culminating Experience Projects Presentations. 
  • Proposals for summer or fall term Culminating Experience Projects (extra work in an offered FILM advanced course) are due by May 15th of junior year. Proposals for winter or spring terms are due by October 15th of senior year.
  • Attendance at the Departmental Culminating Experience Project planning Info Meeting is required.

PROPOSAL

Use this PROPOSAL COVER SHEET.

  1. Write a description of the proposed culminating experience project (2-5 pages).

  2. Briefly describe the format and goals of the project and how it represents the culmination of your major. Please be specific.

    1. Does it extend work and interests developed in other classes?

    2. Does it allow you to synthesize or isolate issues and ideas introduced in your major coursework?

    3. Does it allow you to combine goals of the major with goals of your career or post-graduate academic work?

  3. Indicate how long the project will be (in pages, minutes, etc.)

  4. Indicate how long you expect it will take you to complete it

  5. Indicate a budget if applicable.

For the option EXTRA WORK in an offered FILM advanced course, the course's instructor needs to assign the percentage of the course's final grade that the extra work would count for and sign the end of the C.E. Cover Sheet form. 

REMINDERS

  • Production projects will be assessed in relation to the probability of their completion and to the rest of the production curriculum. Regularly scheduled courses will have priority regarding equipment demands.

  • Under extreme circumstances (such as medical leave), students may petition to alter or change their culminating projects, but approval is not guaranteed.

  • Note that FILM 80 Independent Study is not an option for a Culminating Experience Project

CULMINATING EXPERIENCE PROJECT EXPENSES

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 read the CULMINATING EXPERIENCE PROJECT FUNDING to learn how to submit a proposal.