UTD’s ATEC department is constructing a new film production program, marking the university’s first practical filmmaking curriculum.
The addition will be initiated by the launch of two foundational classes, FILM 2330: Foundations of Production and FILM 2335: Foundations of Post-Production. Each course will not require any pre-requisites and will be open to any student interested in the industry.
The classes will serve as an introduction to hands-on filmmaking as well as the language, culture, collaboration and overall experience surrounding a movie set in the industry. These courses will later allow students to take more advanced courses in cinematography, color grading and editing as ATEC builds a full-fledged, standalone film production major.
This fall, FILM 2330 and FILM 2335 will be taught by new professor, Ryan Park, an experienced Korean-American filmmaker and a production studio owner.
Returning professor Rowena Pedrena is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker who will continue to offer Introduction to Screenwriting this fall. Pedrena has already played a major role in fleshing out the new film production program.
The introduction of the new major and courses follows a plan that has been in development since the 2022 merger of the School of Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication (ATEC) and the School of Arts and Humanities (AHT).
The merger gave the combined school a vast set of new resources and opportunities including audio studios, computer labs, production equipment and the consolidated animation and film faculty that UTD is known for today. Now, the merge has allowed the school to create faculty positions and focus on a new, production-based film program.
UTD is not a new player when it comes to film studies; ATEC has taught the historical and theoretical aspect of cinema for two decades through the film concentration within the existing Visual and Performing Arts program and has produced many students with alternative filmmaking skills through its animation, games and audio programs.
Despite the various courses teaching the historical and theoretical aspect of cinema within the existing Visual and Performing Arts program, ATEC has thus far lacked the faculty and resources exclusively catered to production and industry standards surrounding filmmaking.
“So many students from JSOM, from ECS, from EPPS, from BBS, tell us that they want to make films,” Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Associate Professor of Visual and Performing Arts and Film Studies Shilyh Warren said. ”We want to provide hands-on, crew-based industry standard production classes for students who really want to move in that direction, but we also want students in other majors to come and learn the basics, and see where that will take them.”