Independent Project Requirements

All Film/Video majors may apply to take a FMMC 0507. In order to be eligible for film and media honors: During the first term of their senior year, and during the first week of classes, students with a GPA of A- in film/video courses may apply to undertake a senior project (FM707) for honors, with the project to be completed the last term of the senior year.

Students may propose an independent project for writing a research essay, writing a screenplay or making a video. Appropriate course work or experience is necessary. Students with these courses receive preference:

Video (Spring only):

Recommended:
FMMC 0135, FMMC 0235 (Sight & Sound I, II )
FMMC /ENGL 0240 (Screen Writing I)

Screenplay (Fall or Spring):

Required:
FMMC 0135 (Sight & Sound I)
FMMC/ENGL 0240, 0341 (Screen writing I, II)

Research essay (Fall or Spring):
Recommended

Additional requirements:

• Each project must have a public component (either video screening, or a presentation of your screenplay or research paper) before the beginning of the exam period, with appropriate advertising and announcements (posters, Middlebury: The Weekly Calendar, specific invitations to all departmental faculty, etc.). For FMMC 0707's, a project defense is to be scheduled with the faculty supervisors after the public screening or written submission. Students should come to the defense prepared to discuss their project in terms of the criteria for evaluation distributed by the Film and Media Culture Program;
• For independent projects in screenwriting, the normal expectation is that such projects will be based on original story ideas rather than adaptations of existing work by another author in a different medium, such as the novel. Students who do propose adaptation projects in screenwriting need to provide the FMMC Program--as part of the project proposal--with a convincing rationale, addressing such issues as a)permission to work with the proposed story materials, b) the extent to which the challenges of story construction (character, setting, plot, etc.) have been met in advance by the previous author. For students interested in writing for television, 'spec scripts' for existing series are an acceptable option for independent work, as developed in consultation with a project advisor.
• Those directing a video should plan their 507/707 for the spring term since that is when the most DV, 3/4" and editing equipment is available.
• On FMMC 0707's, the student is encouraged to include as one of their three evaluators a faculty member from outside the Film and Media Culture Program.

Application Deadlines:

The deadlines below are for submission to your project adviser; if he/she approves and signs this proposal, then make a copy for FMMC faculty.
For projects to be completed in the

Fall Term
Deadline: March 13

Winter Term*
Deadline: October 10

Spring Term: October 10

To aid you:

To aid you in completing your proposal the following references are available in the FMMC office: