PRESS RELEASE
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS
COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS AND COMMUNICATION
CONTACT: Dr. Bruce Hutchinson, (501) 450-3419; bruceh@uca.edu
November 3, 2014
UCA DIGITAL FILMMAKING PROGRAM TO HOST FALL MFA SCREENING
By Cassidy Crawford
College of Fine Arts and Communication Media Office
CONWAY — A science fiction film about a man’s attempt to free himself from the control of a totalitarian society will be the focus of the University of Central Arkansas’s Digital Filmmaking program Fall MFA Screening Tuesday, Nov. 18.
The event, set for a 7 p.m. start at the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall, is free and open to the public. A short Q&A with director Jarrod Beck of Monroe, La., an MFA candidate for December graduation, will follow the screening.
Beck’s film is approximately 23 minutes long. It was shot on a Red camera by a student crew and features a mix of professional and non-professional actors.
“Jarrod’s film is unique in its mixture of narrative and poetic storytelling,” said Dr. Bruce Hutchinson, associate professor and director of graduate studies in Digital Filmmaking. “It showcases both computer-generated visual effects and the natural beauty of central Arkansas. It explores issues of control, free will and love and should engage any fan of thoughtful science fiction.”
The public screening of the thesis film is in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the MFA degree. Students must complete 60 hours of coursework, write and direct a short narrative thesis film of approximately 20 minutes and must defend the quality of their film and their artistic choices in front of a committee of three digital filmmaking faculty members.
UCA’s MFA program is a three-year, 60-credit hour program that focuses on training students to be complete filmmakers. It is one of the most inexpensive graduate film programs in the country.
For more information, contact Hutchinson at (501) 450-3419 or bruceh@uca.edu.
The UCA College of Fine Arts and Communication includes the Departments of Art, Communication, Mass Communication and Theatre, Music and Writing. The college’s primary mission is the preparation of the next generation of artists, educators and communicators. For more information about CFAC, visit www.uca.edu/cfac or call (501) 450-3293.
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