BOSTON—The Film & Television Department of Boston University’s College of Communication offers degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels for approximately 350 students annually, with instruction that includes hands-on experience using the latest professional production technologies. Students begin their training on entry-level gear, and gradually work their way up to using high-end equipment, which includes a large complement of Canon cinema cameras, digital SLR cameras and lenses.
“Graduate programs are focused, and include a thesis film,” said Charles Merzbacher, Associate Professor and Director of Production at BU. “The undergraduate degree, however, does not differentiate between film, television, writing, or production studies. Undergrads choose from various ‘ladders’ of courses, and they can either be generalists or specialists. That’s really a matter of their own individual needs. Undergrads have an option among advanced production courses and workshops, including a new across-the-board introductory course called ‘Screen Language,’ which examines composition, sequence, and the fundamentals of visual storytelling. This course uses the Canon EOS M digital camera. Then as students progress they move from that to the large-sensor Canon cameras, including the EOS Rebel models, EOS 7D, and the EOS 5D Mark II and EOS 5D Mark III. In the intermediate/advanced-level courses they move further up to the Canon EOS C100 Cinema camera.”
The school runs six entry-level production courses each semester, with 15 students in each class sharing around 35 Canon EOS Rebels, according to Geoff Poister, associate professor of Television. “Our Canon EOS Rebel T2i kits also include Canon EF 20mm, EF 50mm, and EF 100mm prime lenses,” he said.
The tiered education structure of the BU Film & Television department progresses from entry-level Canon consumer EOS M cameras up to Canon consumer and professional HD-capable DSLR cameras, to the Canon EOS C100 Cinema camera.
Lenses for each of the Canon EOS C100 Cinema camera packages that the Film & Television department provides to its students are drawn from its inventory of more than 500 Canon EF-Series models. They include: the EF 20mm f/2.8 USM and EF 35mm f/1.4L USMwide-angle lenses; the EF 50mm f/1.2L USM, EF 85mm f/1.8 USM, and EF 100mm f/2 USM standard and medium telephoto lenses; the EF 17-40mm f/4L USM and EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM ultra-wide zoom lenses; the EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM ultra-wide angle lens; EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM telephoto zoom lens; the EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM telephoto lens; and the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM standard zoom lens.
Canon also provides awards to student filmmakers in the school’s annual Redstone Film Festival.
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