 
Filmmaking Area Coordinator:
Prof. Anthony Pemberton
973-655-7200
Overview | Curriculum | Faculty | Studio Facilities | Student Work | Careers and Resources | Applying
BFA Filmmaking/
What It’s About
Filmmaking is both an art form as well as a far-reaching industry that embraces everything from creating and disseminating You-Tube clips and documentary movies to time-based art, edgy indie films, and, of course, blockbuster hits. The Filmmaking program at Montclair State focuses on film in all of its genres with the objective of helping students not only acquire the skills they need to make films but also a personal vision for meaningful content.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Filmmaking is a pre-professional program through which undergraduate students create their own films and actively participate in all aspects of the medium. Students are encouraged to develop a creative voice by producing works in the various genres of narrative, documentary and experimental films, culminating in a thesis project in one of the categories. Students also develop fluency in filmmaking crafts such as story boarding, editing, cinematography, sound recording, screenwriting and producing.
Our goal is to continually intertwine the program with the filmmaking industry by hiring working professionals and offering special seminars, visiting lecturers and internships. The program is further supported by a liberal arts and humanities curriculum through which students derive a well-rounded education, critical-thinking skills and informed perspectives for filmmaking subject matter.
Montclair’s filmmaking program offers many advantages
- A location just 14 miles from Manhattan (with train and bus stops on campus).
- Small classes, ensuring individualized attention.
- A faculty of professional filmmakers and artists.
- Up-to-date practices; industry and alternative forms.
- Tuition far less than many schools. (Freeing up funds to spend on your films.)
- Excellent internship possibilities.
- More credits within your concentration than at many schools.
- Courses in the humanities to inform your art.
- Current film industry-standard equipment and software, including Arriflex Cameras, Panasonic 24P Cameras, 16mm and DVCAM, AVID, FINAL CUT HD.
- And no waiting list to use a camera.
What You Will Study
Students majoring in filmmaking learn about the art of the moving image through coursework that introduces the basic elements of 8 mm and 16 mm film production and the art of screenwriting through the analysis of screenplays. They then move on to sound recording and film editing where they learn about juxtaposing images and designing soundscapes. In Cinematography class, majors become educated on the use of camera equipment, shooting methods, composition and interpretive lighting, followed by coursework on the business of the industry covering how films are financed, marketed and distributed.
Intermediate and advanced-level courses cover techniques of narrative scene construction and cinematic sequence alongside practical, applied filmmaking experiences. In the senior year, students develop a studio project in a chosen area of specialization and finalize their body of work for a Thesis exhibition.
Curriculum Links —
Curriculum requirements and course descriptions for the BFA in Filmmaking, as well as other programs in the Department of Art and Design, may be found through the following links:
In addition to the BFA major in Filmmaking, Montclair State University offers a Film Minor (offered by the English Department) and also a major in Broadcasting.
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An Outstanding Faculty
More than 28 full-time faculty and 90-plus adjuncts and visiting guest artists, including renowned filmmakers and film critics, are available to our art, design and filmmaking students every semester.
Our filmmaking faculty brings impressive credentials in film and video production and post-production including showcased screenings of their documentary, live action and feature film work. Their films have been shown extensively in the United States and Europe at highly-regarded film festivals such as Sundance and the Whitney Museum, and on television stations including HBO, Bravo, A&E, WNET, and Channel 4. All faculty are active filmmakers who have been recognized for their work and have received grant funding from prestigious organizations such as the Princess Grace of Monaco Foundation, the Jerome Foundation and New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
Faculty and Guest-Artist Directory Links —
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Studio Facilities
The Department of Art and Design occupies several buildings on campus, housing fully equipped studios for all art areas including Filmmaking.
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Student Work
Students in the program produce works in a range of genres including documentary, experimental, live action and animation. Thesis presentations are screened annually at the end-of-year BFA show.
Student Work Galleries —
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Careers in Filmmaking
Reading the credits at the end of a movie may be the best means of realizing how many jobs and career paths exist in the filmmaking industry. We all know about the screenwriter, producer, actors and director, but there are hundreds – indeed thousands – of additional jobs that must be carried out to produce the film and bring it to an audience. Students in the filmmaking program pursue a wide range of career paths.
Links —
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Sample Career Titles
- Art Director
- Assistant Director
- Associate Producer
- Best Boy
- Boom Operator
- Camera Operator
- Casting Director
- Cinematographer
- Director of Photography
- Director
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- Dolly Grip
- Editor
- Executive Producer
- Foley Artist
- Gaffer
- Key Grip
- Line Producer
- Location Manager
- Negative Cutter
- Postproduction Supervisor
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- Producer
- Production Assistant
- Production Manager
- Production Sound Mixer
- Screenwriter
- Set Designer
- Storyboard Artist
- Sound Designer, Engineer
- Talent Scout
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How to Apply
For information on applying to the BFA in Filmmaking and all programs in the Department of Art and Design, go to the Department Admissions page
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