Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Personal Cinema (Face-to-Face)

FILM 1100-01

Course: FILM 1100-01
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: ARTD
CRN: 10479

Course Description

Using their personal stories as basis, students write, produce, edit, and screen an individual project aimed at developing their individual voice as an artist. (Fall, Spring, Summer [As Needed]) [Graded (Standard Letter)]

Required Texts

*Schroeppel, Tom. 2015. The Bare Bones Camera Course for Film and Video, Third Ed. New York, NY: Allworth Press.


*Through SUU’s bookstore, this text is part of the “inclusive access” program, where students are automatically charged for the digital text when they register for the course. This saves students about 65% off the regular price of the book. 

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to effectively shoot footage for professional/artistic video projects. Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to use creative thinking to generate original ideas for video projects. Students will be able to utilize creative/critical thinking to assess and troubleshoot common problems which occur during shooting. 

Course Requirements

20% - Attendance & Participation
 5% - Your history with film assignment

Practice & Skills Prep Assignments (30% of Final Grade):

5% - Download Blackmagic or FilmicPro & submit 20 sec. shot with shallow depth of field

5% - Film an Emotion

5% - Video Framing Practice in One Take

5% - B-roll Montage

5% - Storyboard of a favorite film (15 shots)/ camera framing assignment

5% - Film shoot protocol, checklist & generic shot list assignment


Final Project (45% of Final Grade):
10% - “Film Pitch” for the final Short Essay Film 
10% - Rough Cut of Short Essay Film (at least 3 minutes long & starting to gel)
 25% - Final Short Essay Film (3 to 5 minutes)

Course Outline

Week #1

Read Chapters 1 & 2
 
Week #2
Read Chapter 3, 4 & 5
[  ] Emotion clip (no edits needed) due on Canvas on Thurs
 
Week #3
Read Chapter 6 on Montages
[  ] Video Framing in 1-take due (no edits needed) on Thurs
[  ] in-class demonstration of Adobe Premiere Pro editing
 
Week #4
Read Chapter 7 & 8
[  ] Montage (edited sequence) assignment due on Thursday
 
Week #5
Read Chapter 9 & 10
[  ] Storyboard/ Camera framing (paper) assignment due on Thurs
 
Week #6
[  ] B-roll (edited sequence) assignment due on Thurs
 
Week #7
[  ] Film pitch presentations begin in class (slideshow presentation)
 
Week #8
[   ] Film pitch presentations continue on Thursday in class
 
Week #9
[  ] Film shoot protocol due (paper assignment) on Thursday
[  ] Organize film shoot for next week
 
Week #10
[  ] Begin shooting your film
 
Week #11
[  ] Continue shooting, begin editing
[  ] Rough cut films due on Thurs
 
Week #12
[ ] work on projects inside & outside of class, consult with professor
 
Week #13
[ ] work on projects inside & outside of class, consult with professor
 
Week #14
[   ] Screening of Final Films begins
 
Week 15/ Finals Week  
[   ] continue screening of Final Films during the Final Exam period for this course

 

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

The instructor understands that illness, family demands, and other challenges and responsibilities may make it impossible to complete assignments on time. Please communicate in writing why you need an assignment extension (and sign your name), as soon as possible.  If you miss several weeks of class and/ or run into a personal crisis during the semester, you are encouraged to talk to the Dean of Students in person, and bring proof of your situation to the Dean (e.g., a doctor’s note, etc.). The Dean is here to support you, and to validate absences that should be excused by professors. In many cases, the Dean can keep the reasons for your absence confidential. 

Attendance Policy

Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each meeting. Your attendance grade is based on how often you attend (students who miss more than 2 classes will see their attendance grade drop).

Course Fees

There are no course fees for this class.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.