Art of Filmmaking, Digital Technology and Narrative Gaming Merged in New Degree Offerings

Digital technology is leveling the playing field for moviemakers.

In the past, filmmakers needed a great deal of money and resources to produce a movie. Now, new digital cameras and equipment enable any artist with an idea to make a professional-quality movie if they want to. Meanwhile, animation and gaming technology are making visual effects affordable, while advances in online media streaming will revolutionize the distribution of movies to theatres.

Clearly, the industry is changing and placing a premium on technology, in addition to artistic vision. That’s why DePaul University's School of Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Systems (CTI) launched the nation’s first comprehensive digital cinema program earlier this month.

The program will feature two degree options: a bachelor of science or a bachelor of arts. The bachelor of science degree has a distinct technical emphasis and is designed for students who are interested in hardware, animation, graphics and programming code for games. The bachelor of arts degree is designed for students interested in the fundamental aspects of moviemaking and visual storytelling, but utilizing digital equipment instead of traditional celluloid. Five courses are offered during the current quarter, and an additional 10 classes are slated for the spring. By next year, Irvine expects the program to feature 20-25 different course offerings.

Current course offerings include cinematography, motion capture animation (similar to what is found in such movies as "The Matrix" and in current video games), basic production techniques, digital sound, game design and a course on the real-life operations of the entertainment industry.

"We felt that it was crucial that our students have a no-nonsense education in what the entertainment business is actually like," Irvine said. "Many traditional film schools nurture the artistic side of their students, and that's important. However, many of them don't educate their students on the realities of the industry, and so they get out of school and have no concept on how to deal with the business issues of making movies. We want our students to be able to graduate and then walk into a meeting with studio executives with their eyes wide open."

DePaul has invested more than $2.5 million in the program, which currently features two facilities plus a third on the way. At the university's Lincoln Park Campus, the program has a laboratory with 30 computer workstations with editing, animation, visual effects and sound software installed. There are five advanced editing suites, as well. Across campus is another facility with 20 workstations, a motion capture studio, a digital newsroom, a sound studio and a cinematography studio. A new laboratory with more than 25 workstations is scheduled to open at the university’s Loop Campus later this spring. All of the facilities will be fully equipped with high-definition digital cameras for students' use.

Approximately 130 students are registered in the programs' courses this quarter, with 40 of them declaring their intent to major in one of the two degree sequences. Two master's degree programs in digital cinema are planned for fall of 2004.

Irvine hopes that the program can provide a shot in the arm to Chicago's film industry, which has struggled in recent years despite the city’s active creative community.

"Chicago has a great tradition in movies and entertainment, and the city has the most bandwidth of any in the country," Irvine explained. "We feel that this is an opportunity to start something special here that looks forward into the future of cinema instead of simply embracing the past."

DePaul CTI is one of the largest computer science programs in the country. The undergraduate program enrolls more than 1,300 students and offers eight different degrees. For more information on DePaul’s Digital Cinema Program, visit www.cti.depaul.edu/digitalcinema/.