Studies & Degrees in Motion Pictures

Choose where you would like to study Motion Pictures:

“I am the king of the world!” as proclaimed by James Cameron when he went up to the podium to receive his award as Best Director for the blockbuster movie, “Titanic,” at the 70th Academy Awards night. Grossing $1.8 billion, this makes him the most accomplished director at that time. Again he broke his own record when he came out with another movie called “Avatar” which grossed $2 billion. James could never have made a movie in his life if he had never studied a course in Motion Pictures. Normally, people who make movies for a living are called directors but to become a director one has to study courses in Motion Pictures first. Movie producers, big movie studios wouldn’t dare entrust their millions of dollars to movie directors who have no not made a full-length movie in their lifetimes.

Making a movie is not as easy as pointing a camera and capturing scenes. Movie making is beyond the images captured on camera as a movie is a collaboration of many different technical areas of expertise which a director is all responsible for. A movie has many different parts, the script, financing, casting, shooting, editing and distribution. Perhaps, all the different phases of the movie would fall on the responsibility of a director except the distribution part as distribution falls on the production company. All of these aspects of creating a movie usually can be done by a director but we notice that big movies have usually different people doing the jobs for casting, editing, producing and screenplay writing.

In enrolling in a Motion Pictures course, all of these things would be tackled but the most important aspect of doing a movie is the shooting part. The emphasis of schools offering this course would really make it a point that its students get the scene they want for the message they are trying to convey. Every scene, from lighting to delivery of lines by the actors to costumes and even back ground music should be in consonance to every part of the whole movie, and that is what spells the difference between good directors and bad directors. What type of camera, what type of films, what effects are needed for a scene will all be explained in detail.

Screenplay writing is important because this is the heart of the movie. All movies need a script and usually budding directors also write their own scripts that they will present to people who would risk their money to turn those scripts into a movie. When the director has achieved some bit of fame then that is the time that he can choose a script written by somebody else. Analyzing a script is one of those subjects that will be taught future movie directors.

Casting and audition is also important as only the director would have the final say on who will get the role. Even up to now, the practice of awarding lead roles usually fall on a director but the minor parts like support cast and bit players are done by the director’s underlings.

Editing and post production activities are also supervised by the director. However, there are also graduates of this course that doesn’t go into directing but specializes on editing and post production. Editors cannot just cut a scene or connect scenes if they don’t know anything about the concept of continuity of films.

Motion Pictures courses are not just about live action, they would also teach about how to film movies in animation and how to add special effects to further enhance the impact of the scenes. Special effects are now becoming more and more important as technological advances in inserting effects have made possible things that cannot be done like a decade ago. Those who have specialized in special effects are actually making a lot of money right now as the public seems to be gobbling up movie with special effects like the one they did on “Matrix” where Keanu Reeves dodges bullets in slow motion while the traces of the bullets’ paths linger on the screen and then followed by fast forward scenes.

Opportunities for Motion Pictures graduates can depend on one’s talent and influence. New directors can usually join the big leagues if they can prove themselves by winning awards on any kind of movie making contests where there are always people on the lookout for new blood and new talent. Winning an award can actually open up lots of opportunities as those involved in the business of film-making would be the ones to look them but only after they have proven themselves. Editing and special effects are also good to specialize in as the demands for these services are an integral part of a movie’s overall identity. There is a shortcut however, that is if they could afford to finance their own movie then it would be a fast ticket to one’s fame and career.