Television, Radio and Film, MA

Contact:

Michael Schoonmaker, Chair
318 Newhouse 3, 315-443-2150

Faculty

Richard L. Breyer, Fiona Chew, Imraan Farukhi, Benjamin Frahm, Keith Giglio, Tula Goenka, J. Christopher Hamilton, Sharon R. Hollenback, Shaina Holmes, Barbara E. Jones, Ulf Oesterle, Douglas Quin, Michelle Santosusso, Michael Schoonmaker, Evan Smith, Olivia Stomski, Robert J. Thompson, William Werde

Established in 1950, the Television, Radio and Film Master’s program was the first of its kind in the nation and continues to be seen as the leader in graduate education for the field. This one-year, intensive, graduate program is designed for those who want to tell stories for screens of all sizes, examining various forms of entertainment media through the lenses of storytelling, industry, technology and art form.

Every day we experience these entertainment media as commercials on television, our favorite films at the multiplex, games on our iPhones and videos on the Internet. Students in the Television-Radio-Film Department have the opportunity to explore the ways stories are currently told, but also how they might be told decades from now as new technologies develop and the world shrinks.

Major themes in coursework include: production, screenwriting, criticism, business management and trends, the creative process and entrepreneurial strategies in dynamic media environments. The department’s approach to story is framed within film, television, Internet, interactivity and audio. You will create, analyze and explore. You may choose to learn screenwriting, to produce a documentary, to create a web-based public service campaign–and then research your audience and market your creation. Your one year as a student in this program will be multidimensional in terms of its practical, theoretical, forward-thinking, creative, industry-centered and intellectual layers.

This multidimensional approach is most visible in the Proseminar Industry Series (spanning across the year of study) designed to bring together TRF studies and professional practices. The object of the Proseminar experience is to prepare students to engage in current TRF issues and practices, help them understand changes in media environments and enable them to respond to future challenges as skilled creators and decision-makers.

The TRF Master’s prepares future leaders in enterprises where stories for screens entertain and persuade audiences: as writers, directors, editors, producers, media executives, multimedia designers, managers, entertainment lawyers, and agents. Some graduates run their own businesses, while others work for organizations like PBS, Comcast-NBC Universal, Google, MTV, Discovery Networks, Time Warner, Disney, Nickelodeon, CAA and hundreds of others.

For those students interested in sports media, the Television, Radio and Film program also offers a track which focuses on sports media and communications.

The Sports Media & Communications Track within the Television, Radio and Film program allows students to utilize skills learned in the Television, Radio and Film program core and apply them to sports. The track includes an introductory Sports Media & Communications summer course, specialized Sports Media & Communication electives and Internship.

The Master of Arts (M.A.) in Television, Radio and Film is a 36-credit program.

Student Learning Outcomes

In addition to the comprehensive Newhouse School learning outcomes listed in the School’s Educational Mission , students in the Television, Radio and Film program are expected to achieve the following additional learning outcome:

Create and produce entry-level, professional quality television, radio or film media by synthesizing the best practices and current theories of aural and visual media.

Program Required Courses (18 Credits)

TRF 610 - Proseminar in Television, Radio, and Film 1 credit(s) (Phase I, II, and III–1 credit each)
Note: Proseminar includes an optional industry-immersion trip to New York City or Los Angeles during winter break.
TRF 635 - Industry Forces 3 credit(s)
TRF 636 - Critical and Historical Perspectives on Television, Radio, and Film 3 credit(s)
TRF 637 - Telecommunications Law&Policy 3 credit(s)
TRF 655 - Screenwriting and Production Workshop 3 credit(s)
TRF 696 - Research for Entertainment Media 3 credit(s)

TRF Electives for Both Tracks (8 Credits)

TRF Master’s students tailor their individual programs to fit their unique learning goals with specialized coursework from a list of more than 65 courses. Among those are the following:

TRF 510 - Specialized Practice 1 credit(s) Acting Workshop; Advanced Final-Cut Editing; Art of the Sizzle Reel; Avid Editing I; Avid Editing II; Color Correction; Post Production Workflow; Producing the Fashion Video; Reality Check/Unscripted TV; The Art and Science of Managing Creative Teams
TRF 530 - Popular Culture Studies 3 credit(s) Sports on TV; The Godfather: Script Analysis; The Wire: Study in Serialization
TRF 592 - Film Business 3 credit(s)
TRF 594 - Television Business 3 credit(s)
TRF 595 - Programming and Audience Analysis 3 credit(s)
TRF 600 - Selected Topics 1-6 credit(s) Producing Workshop; Sports Production; Visual Effects Workshop: Compositing; Visual Effects Workshop: Creating VFX Assets
TRF 611 - Dramatic Writing for Television and Film 3 credit(s)
TRF 621 - Feature Film Writing 3 credit(s)
TRF 622 - Comedy Writing 3 credit(s)
TRF 623 - Writing the One-Hour Drama 3 credit(s)
TRF 624 - Script Development 3 credit(s)
TRF 640 - Topics in Critical and Historical Perspectives 3 credit(s)
TRF 642 - Multicamera Television Production 3 credit(s)
TRF 644 - Production Management 3 credit(s)
TRF 646 - Working with Actors 3 credit(s)
TRF 648 - Audio Storytelling 3 credit(s)
TRF 651 - Directing 3 credit(s)
TRF 652 - Cinematography 3 credit(s)
TRF 653 - Short-form Production 3 credit(s)
TRF 654 - Music Recording 3 credit(s)
TRF 656 - Sound for Picture 3 credit(s)
TRF 657 - Music Underscoring 3 credit(s)
TRF 659 - Documentary Production 3 credit(s)
TRF 661 - Advanced Management Seminar 3 credit(s)
TRF 662 - Advanced TV Production 3 credit(s)
TRF 667 - Screenwriting Master Class 3 credit(s)
TRF 668 - Advanced Audio 3 credit(s)
TRF 669 - Advanced Filmmaking 3 credit(s)
TRF 683 - Communications Industry Frontiers 3 credit(s)
Students may also petition courses from other Newhouse or University programs to count as electives in their program of study.

Track (Choose One)

Television, Radio and Film Track (10 Credits)

Additional Electives (7-9 Credits)

Practicum (1-3 Credits)

TRF 675 - Entertainment Industry Practicum 1-3 credit(s)

OR

Sports Media & Communications Track (10 Credits)

Sports Media & Communications Proseminar (1 Credit)

SMC 601 - Sports Media & Communications Proseminar 1 credit(s)

Sports Media & Communications Electives (6 Credits)

SMC students may take any combination of 1 and/or 3 credit courses over the fall and spring semesters to reach a total of 6 Sports Media & Communications elective credits. Students will choose their electives under the guidance of the Director of Sports Media & Communications.

Internship (3 Credits)

Students complete an internship in the Sports Media & Communications field, developing industry contacts with the assistance of the program director.

COM 670 - Experience Credit 1-6 credit(s)

Additional Requirements

At least 18 credits of the program’s total 36 credits of coursework must be 600-level or above. Students must pass a comprehensive examination which they are eligible to take upon completion of 30 credits.