BFA Film, University of Central Florida

Applications will be accepted from: 

Friday, November 15, 2024 - Friday, December 6, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.
Application Fee is $35

BFA Film, University of Central Florida
The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Film emphasizes authorship that empowers our graduates for lifelong success in a variety of filmmaking and screenwriting modalities. Working with a diverse faculty in an intensive tutorial environment, students author original works, collaborate with a creative team, and develop their personal voice. Graduates will leave equipped with a broad array of skills to compete in the film industry or continue their studies in graduate school.

The Film BFA is a specialized admission, 4-year degree program that shares a cinema studies and production core with the Film B.A. program. After completing foundational requirements as Film B.A. majors, students can choose to apply for entry into the BFA via a portfolio review in their second year.  Prospective students must choose and apply for a Studio Course Sequence in one of the following: Narrative, Documentary, Experimental, or Screenwriting.  Here are descriptions of these programs to carefully consider before making any selections.

• Experimental cinema (sometimes referred to as avant-garde) can be characterized by alternative forms of expression (non-narrative and narrative) and an emphasis on process, form, and experimentation with the tools and techniques of moving images. Students in these studio classes can expect to make small, personal films through non-industrial methods. Some examples of experimental forms include film essays, abstract films, film poems, music video, video installation, and hybrid approaches to documentary and fictional content.
• Documentary filmmakers see themselves as storytellers like fiction filmmakers, but they are crafting stories about real people in real life situations. One of documentary’s functions is to explore truths. However, there are many different styles of documentary ranging from a docuseries like The Last Danceto an artistic documentary like Moonage Daydreamto a social justice documentary like 13th. Students in these studio courses will explore documentary modes, the current trends in documentary, and the ethical, artistic, and technical aspects of documentary production as well as questioning preconceptions and tropes of documentary form and function.
• Narrative fiction filmmaking stresses the creation of original fiction or fictionalized stories told cinematically through classic means of production, albeit with modern, digital tools. While scale can vary greatly in professionally made narrative filmmaking from a small team of collaborators in the single digits to crews in the hundreds, many of the approaches to communication, management, and preparation remain consistent and transferable across the whole of narrative filmmaking. In these studio courses, we’ll move step by step through the many steps needed to create a convincing artificial world on screen tailored to a realistic budget and scale according to a filmmaker’s resources, while locating singular artistic voices and expression within the form, exploring the assembling and management of an efficient and effective cast and crew, and the creation of distinct, original cinematic storytelling from script to screen.
• In the Screenwriting track students will develop a feature screenplay or tv pilot through each step of the writing process -- pitch, step outline, first draft -- while giving input andfeedback on their fellow students' work.  The two-semester course each year is a writing workshop for students to sharpen their screenwriting skills and develop new ones, through their own writing and by reading and guiding other students' writing throughout the development of their creative projects. In the process, students will learn and improve their ability to construct narrative and character through their own individual voices.  This track does not include film production.

As part of their Capstone experience, Film BFA students organize a curated exhibition of creative works from the Film B.A. and Film BFA degree programs. They also learn about the professional practice to help better prepare themselves for life after film school, navigating a career in industry and the arts.

HOW TO APPLY

The Film BFA is a limited-access program. Only a select number of students are invited to join the program each year. The application process for this track requires submission of a portfolio which highlights the student’s creative work.

Applicants must be in the Film B.A. major or Film BFA Pending major at UCF. Students whose portfolios are accepted and are admitted into the Film BFA program will begin taking Film BFA-specific courses in the fall semester following admission into the program. Students cannot begin these classes in the spring or summer semesters. Students must meet requirements and complete prerequisite courses prior to admission (see “Eligibility” below)

1. Assemble the Portfolio

The portfolio must meet all the specifications listed in the portfolio specifications. Portfolios that do not meet the requirements will not be considered. All sections of the portfolio must be submitted online.

2. Submit the Portfolio

The Film BFA Application must be completed online via Acceptd and include your portfolio. The application is open for submissions from Friday, November 15, 2024 - Friday, December 6, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.  Submit at app.getacceptd.com/ucfnscm.

3. Announcements

When the selection committee completes its review by the end of February, students will be notified by email indicating whether they have been accepted, denied or put on the alternate list. Accepted applicants must follow the directions in the email to confirm acceptance. Should accepted students decline or fail to confirm acceptance, the position will be given to an alternate. Alternates may be notified as late as the start of the fall semester.

4. Declare your Major

If you are accepted into the Film BFA program, you will be notified via email with instructions for changing your major.

ELIGIBILITY

You must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Currently enrolled at UCF in the Film B.A. or BFA Pending major
• Sophomore status or above (minimum 30 credits completed overall)
• Complete the following prerequisite courses by August 2025 FIL 1007 Foundations of Story, FIL 2030 History of Motion Pictures, FIL 2424 Intro to Film Production, FIL 2552 Editing 1, FIL 2107 Script Analysis, FIL 2534 Sound Design 1, FIL 2461C Cinematography 1

• A grade of “B” (3.0) or better in the major. Applicants must maintain a grade of “B” (3.0) or better in the major during the spring semester following application or admission into the Film BFA will be forfeited.