Overview
The Minor in Film, Video, Animation, and New Genres offers non-majors the opportunity to explore the art of film production. In our foundation production courses, you’ll build essential skills in camera work, sound design, and editing while gaining hands-on experience in a collaborative environment.
Through screenings, workshops, and creative exercises, you’ll be introduced to a diverse range of cinematic forms, deepening your understanding of filmmaking techniques and visual storytelling.
To tailor your minor to your interests, you’ll choose from courses covering production, portfolio development, contextual studies, and professional practice. You’ll also have opportunities to engage with film festivals, documentary projects, and media internships, expanding your experience beyond the classroom and into the industry.
Faculty and Staff
Our inspirational faculty and staff make sure students feel welcome and empowered to think outside the box and explore all possibilities of making art at UWM. Visit the Peck School of the Arts directory to meet these artists, explore their biographies and engage with recent work.
Minors and Certificates
Peck School of the Arts minors and certificates are open to all students who have already earned or are currently seeking a bachelor’s degree. Most certificates are also open to those not pursuing a degree (non-degree students).
To be admitted individuals must meet general University admission requirements. To determine aid eligibility, please review all financial aid requirements.
Contact us to get started and one of our Peck School of the Arts advisors will connect with you about your interests and opportunities.
Undergraduate Advising
Academic advising is a collaborative process that empowers students to realize their maximum educational potential. Students are encouraged to visit the Peck School of the Arts Advising & Student Services page to meet with your advisor prior to each semester’s registration period. Advisors provide students with individualized appointments to assist with degree requirements, course selection, campus resources, college success strategies, graduation assessment, academic policies and more.
Credits and Courses
After completing the Foundation Requirements, students will complete the remaining six credits of 300-level courses from the elective lists below.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Requirements | ||
| FILM 110 | Foundation Topics: (students are required to complete 2 sections for 6 credits of FILM 110) | 6 |
| FILM 180 | Foundation Production: Fiction | 6 |
| or FILM 181 | Foundation Production: Nonfiction | |
| FILM 222 | Digital Filmmaking | 3 |
| Electives | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 21 | |
Department Electives
Department electives are separated into four categories:
- Production: these courses build expertise with tools and technologies while continuing to develop critical thinking and creative expression.
- Portfolio: these courses explore topics and/or themes, develop artistry and require students to develop their individual portfolios through the creation of self-authored works.
- Contextual: these courses continue to develop student's critical thinking and expressive voice by exploring topics and/or themes through screenings, discussions, written assignments and creative media projects.
- Professional Practice: includes internship and other forms of professional practicum.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Production Electives | ||
| FILM 220 | 16mm Filmmaking | 3 |
| FILM 222 | Digital Filmmaking | 3 |
| FILM 231 | Writing for Film | 3 |
| FILM 232 | Animation I | 3 |
| FILM 234 | Introduction to the Screenplay | 3 |
| FILM 379 | Storyboarding | 3 |
| FILM 380 | Production Topics: | 3 |
| FILM 382 | Visual Effects | 3 |
| FILM 385 | Experimental Animation | 3 |
| FILM 386 | Interactive Animation | 3 |
| FILM 390 | Directing | 3 |
| FILM 391 | Cinematography | 3 |
| FILM 392 | Documentary Filmmaking | 3 |
| FILM 393 | Sound Design | 3 |
| FILM 394 | Film Score Studio | 3 |
| FILM 395 | Preproduction | 3 |
| FILM 396 | Video Installation | 3 |
| FILM 398 | Editing and Post-Production | 3 |
| FILM 399 | Advanced Independent Study | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Portfolio Electives | ||
| FILM 360 | Portfolio Topics: | 3 |
| FILM 361 | Animation Studio | 3 |
| FILM 362 | Documenting Community | 3 |
| FILM 363 | Mumblecore: Fundamental Cinema | 3 |
| FILM 364 | Music Video Production | 3 |
| FILM 365 | Sex and Gender in Film and Video | 3 |
| FILM 366 | Experimental Sound Techniques | 3 |
| FILM 367 | Personal Cinema | 3 |
| FILM 368 | Dreams: Yours, Mine, Ours | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Contextual Electives | ||
| FILM 305 | Digital Cinema and the Computer | 3 |
| FILM 319 | Theory/Practice Seminar: | 3 |
| FILM 320 | The Art of the Short Film | 3 |
| FILM 323 | Film as a Modernist Art Form | 3 |
| FILM 324 | Genre and the Horror Film | 3 |
| FILM 325 | Indie Cinema | 3 |
| FILM 326 | Philosophy and Film | 3 |
| FILM 328 | Radical Cinema | 3 |
| FILM 329 | Sociological Cinema | 3 |
| FILM 330 | Structuring Gaps | 3 |
| FILM 336 | Special Effects and Illusion in Cinema | 3 |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Practice Electives | ||
| FILM 342 | Milwaukee Underground Film Festival | 3 |
| FILM 343 | The Business of Animation | 3 |
| FILM 344 | The Producer's Role | 3 |
| FILM 345 | The Screenwriting Business | 3 |
| FILM 346 | Documentary Projects: doc/UWM | 3 |