The Cinematic Arts Minor combines the critical analysis and creative production of the moving image art form, ranging from time-based film and video to new media art. The courses emphasize technical fundamentals and conceptualization, creative experimentation and critical thinking, and personal expression and social responsibility. A hybrid instructional approach for several of the courses integrates critical analysis and creative production in order to encourage students to analyze as well as to produce the moving image art form as
an engaged critical practice.
Students minoring in Cinematic Arts take six courses from the disciplines of Art, Communication, English, Anthropology, and World Languages and Cultures. Beyond the coursework, an internship elective (ART 193) provides a hands-on experience that can include assisting with a film exhibition, working as an assistant with a faculty filmmaker or researcher, and other options. This minor is jointly administered with the Department of Art and Art History. (This program is coordinated with the Art and Art History Department and is cross-listed with their section of the course catalog).
Personal insight into the minor:
“The Cinematic Arts minor provides students the opportunity to study film & video through an ecology of course work from media production to critical analysis. A collaboration between the Art & Art History and Communication departments, the minor is an interdisciplinary study of moving image art, engaging both traditional filmmaking and new media art practices. What’s exciting about this program is the opportunity for students to explore all aspects of the cinematic arts - from narrative and documentary to animation and video art – through classes focused on creative production and post-production, historical analysis, visual culture and more. Further, there’s latitude for students to individualize the minor through a wide range of elective options, from departments across the School of Liberal Arts. This minor takes a hands-on approach to conceptualizing, creating, and analyzing film & video art, giving students the foundation and skill set to approach graduate study or industry careers.” - Laura Elayne Miller, Visiting Professor
Plan, shoot, edit a finished film or video art project.
Contextualize moving image artworks within a broader cultural, historical, and political framework.
Utilize critical-theoretical concepts as a springboard to develop a film or video art project.
Write a concept statement articulating the aims, influences, and process associated with their own production work.
Write an extended critical essay integrating research, analysis, and interpretation of cinematic works of art.
Colette Huber, Class of 2021
What course has offered you a memorable experience?
What I have loved the most about this minor is being able to learn more about different types of filmmaking. I was very accustomed to narrative film but when I took Art 155: Experimental Film and Video it completely opened my eyes and deepened my appreciation for all types of filmmaking. While it took me a while to learn how to make a good experimental film I can confidently say now that I can make a good experimental film. All thanks to amazing professors like Laura Miller who teach that class.
How has the memorable experience reflect your choosing on minoring in the Cinematic Arts?
The amazing classes I have gotten to take as a Cinematic Arts minor like Art 155 have expanded my viewpoint to what film is and can be. If you love film or. media I would highly recommend adding the Cinematic Arts as your minor so you can learn about all this and more.
The Film Club
The Film Club (est. 2020) is a student-run organization that facilitates a variety of creative film focused projects on Saint Mary’s campus. Expanding upon and unifying the growing film community at SMC, this club provides shared access to filmmaking resources, hosts events, workshops, screenings and more. Inspired by the Cinematic Arts minor program, this club attracts film & video interested students from across campus, across disciplines, and is open to all. The Film Club is advised by Professor Jason Jakaitis (COMM) and Professor Laura Miller (ART).
Interested to learn more? Contact The Film Club President, Gabriella Ramirez: gir3@stmarys-ca.edu
Bay Area Student Shorts Film Festival (BASS)
Founded in 2019 by Art Major, Kasey James (‘19), the Bay Area Student Shorts Film Festival is a professional, regional film festival showcasing student films from SMC and universities across the Bay Area. BASS provides a substantial opportunity for Bay Area college students to screen their work to a larger audience, as well as bringing emerging filmmakers together on Saint Mary’s campus to connect, network, and support each other’s artwork. This festival is a student-run initiative. In professional roles, students run the operations, marketing, programming, and outreach to develop, plan and run the festival. Now in its third year, we’ve gained quite a following, and the festival is expanding it’s audience, programming, and alumni participation.
Curious about BASS? Check out the website: https://bayareastudentshorts.com/ or follow us on instagram: @bayareastudentshorts
Want to get involved? Contact BASS Faculty Advisor, Laura Miller: lem6@stmarys-ca.edu
Interested to submit your film? Contact BASS Programming Coordinator, Stephanie Ramirez: sgr6@stmarys-ca.edu
Due to the Cinematic Arts minor fairly being new, these alumni did not have the opportunity to declare this minor at the time as Saint Mary’s students. The alumni presented below are currently working within the Cinematic Arts which paves career pathways for future Cinematic Art minors.
Emilia Serrano, Class of 1995
The writers’ room is a place to share your stories. In a way, being a TV writer lets you relive the best, or most influential, moments in your life. Your brain is forced to pull out memories and you’d be surprised how great your recall is when called upon in a writer’s room.
Our job is to help the Showrunner/Creator make their TV show come alive on the small screen. We follow the Showrunner closely to match their tone and hand-in scripts that they (hopefully) won’t have to rewrite. Writers brainstorm all day, every day, and then put it on paper. It’s harder than that, but that’s the scope of the work that’s not the actual scriptwriting.
Getting into a network writing program is a huge step, but it’s not the only way to become a writer. I did the National Hispanic Media Council Latino Writing Program with ABC. Met other aspiring writers, network execs, and development execs. I would not have met these people without the help of NHMC. The programs are great and all the networks have them, so I encourage writers to look on their websites and apply.
Mahershala Ali, Class of 1996
I was the lead in an indie film called Making Revolution, and that followed with the lead role in a play called The Great White Hope. A few months later, I booked a pilot and did the first season of Crossing Jordan.
I've been working professionally for 11 years. I've been in blockbuster films like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Predators; I've done a number of TV shows, including The 4400, Crossing Jordan, and Law and Order SVU, and I'm looking forward to seeing recent projects come into fruition. This summer (2011) I did a film with Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, and Eva Mendes, called The Place Beyond The Pines. I think it's going to be an amazing film. I'm really proud to be a part of it.
Kristen Hosack, Class of 2001
In 2010 I moved out of media buying and started working with a digital agency called The Groop, which focuses on helping clients develop, strategize and shape websites and digital experiences for their target audiences. My role is Interactive Producer, and my key responsibilities consist of developing and managing the necessary teams (strategy, information architecture, design, development) to execute digital sites and online experiences. I’ve been fortunate enough to work on such accounts as the Jamie Oliver Food Revolution, Smashbox/Quixote Studios, the UCLA/Focus Project, and The Edible Schoolyard Project in Berkeley.
Laura Elayne Miller, Visiting Professor of Art Practice, Department of Art & Art History
Professor Miller is an Interdisciplinary Artist, Filmmaker, and Educator, and teaches two of the required Cinematic Arts courses: ART 55 Digital Art & ART 155 Experimental Film/Video. Her cinematic artworks range from narrative and documentary films, to music videos and video art installations. Current interests include new genres in filmmaking, and interdisciplinary expanded cinema practices. Her artwork has been shown across the USA and in Europe, including exhibitions/screenings at Albus Lux Gallery, The Center for Book and Paper Arts, Arcade Gallery, The Mission Projects, Krasl Art Museum, Artists’ Television Access, and Fort Mason. Over the course of her career, Laura has worked as a Director, Producer, DP, Writer and Editor for film, commercials, and television, with clients such as MTV, BET, Coca Cola, and BBC America. Initially trained as a Theatre Director, this experience substantially informs her cinematic arts practice.
Jason Jakaitis, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication
Jason Jakaitis is an Assistant Professor in the Communication Department. A creator of mixed-media and poetic documentaries, his work explores themes of illness and disability. Jason’s documentary Mothersbane won the Jury Prize at the 2011 SXSW Film Festival. He previously served as Director of Independent Media at the Bay Area Video Coalition, where he supervised community storytelling programs, including San Francisco’s Public Access Television Station and the National Media Maker Fellowship.