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Program Details

UNCW’s MFA in filmmaking is an immersive three-year terminal degree program. The comprehensive curriculum includes multi-modal (narrative, documentary and experimental) workshops in cinematography, screenwriting, editing, sound design, producing and directing, as well as courses in cinema history, analysis and aesthetics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Applicants from any discipline may apply.
The department admits up to 12 qualified students each year, for a total of approximately 36 students in the MFA program at one time.
Most MFA classes enroll 12 students. Elective classes may have up to 16 students.
MFA in filmmaking tuition rates are significantly lower than the tuition charged by other comparable graduate filmmaking programs. UNCW MFA in filmmaking applicants are eligible for graduate teaching assistantships, residency waivers, scholarships and production budget support.
The department offers a limited number of paid graduate teaching assistantships to qualified applicants. GTAs begin teaching under the mentorship of faculty and eventually teach their own course sections.
To schedule a tour of our facilities, call 910-962-7502 or contact MFA program coordinator Dave Monahan at monahand@uncw.edu. You may also take a virtual campus tour or register for a campus tour.

Wilmington’s Creative Community

Wilmington is an established and thriving film community, home to EUE/Screen Gems studios, the Wilmington Regional Film Commission, the non-profit documentary organization Working Films, multiple production companies, and the acclaimed Cucalorus Film Festival. The city also features an excellent art museum, a historic downtown, and some of the nicest beaches along the Atlantic Ocean.

Many of our undergraduate film studies majors have filmmaking skills they are eager to apply as crewmembers on MFA in Filmmaking projects.

UNCW offers additional opportunities for study and collaboration, including a highly ranked MFA in creative writing program, and undergraduate degree programs in studio art, digital arts, music and theatre.

Courses and Equipment Details

Curriculum Overview
Equipment

The program consists of 61 hours. No course may satisfy more than one requirement or elective within the degree program. Visit the graduate catalog for additional information.

Year 1:

  • FST 500 Introduction to Film Study and Production
  • FST 531 Editing
  • FST 535 Cinematography
  • FST 536 Sound Recording and Design
  • FST 537 Producing

Summer 1:

  • FST 558 Film Project 1

Year 2:

  • FST 510 Screenwriting
  • FST 551 Directing the Narrative Film
  • FST 552 Directing the Documentary Film
  • FST 553 Directing the Experimental Film
  • Graduate Critical Studies Elective
  • Film Production Elective  

Summer 2:

  • FST 559 Film Project 2.

Year 3:

  • Graduate Critical Studies Elective
  • Graduate Course Elective
  • FST 594 Thesis Film Pre-production
  • FST 599 Thesis Film

 

May be taken at anytime:

  • FST 598 Applied Learning
  • FST 529 Entrepreneurs in the Industry

Our equipment room includes multiple 4K+ camera packages in each of the following models:

  • Blackmagic Design URSA Studio EF
  • Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 EF
  • Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro 4.6K EF
  • Blackmagic Design URSA Mini EF
  • Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K EF
  • Sony A7sii
  • Canon EOS C300 Mark II
  • GoPro Hero7
  • GoPro Hero4

4K+ Video

  • Blackmagic Design URSA Studio EF
  • Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 EF
  • Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro 4.6K EF
  • Blackmagic Design URSA Mini EF
  • Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K EF
  • Sony A7sii
  • Canon EOS C300 Mark II
  • GoPro Hero7
  • GoPro Hero4

HD Video

  • Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera
  • Sony HXR-NX100
  • Sony NEX-FS100
  • Sony NEX-VG20
  • Panasonic AF100
  • Canon 7D
  • Canon T5i
  • Canon T2i

360 Video

  • Ricoh Theta S
  • 360Fly
  • Samsung Gear 360
  • Samsung Gear VR

HD Monitoring

  • "Video Villa", with 17" Smartview 4K monitor and Smartscope Duo 4K dual waveform monitors
  • "4K Monitor Hut" with 17" Smartview 4K monitor
  • "Quad Monitor Hut" with 2x Smartscope Duo 4K dual waveform monitors
  • "Dual Monitor Hut" with Smartscope Duo 4K dual waveform monitor
  • Atomos Ninja Inferno 7" 4K recorder
  • Blackmagic Design Video Assist 4K 7" recorder
  • Blackmagic Design Video Assist 5" recorder
  • Lilliput A7s 7" monitor

Prime Lenses

  • Rokinon Xeen 24/35/50mm t/1.5 cine lens kits (EF)
  • Rokinon CineDS 14/24/35/50/85mm t/1.5 cine lens kits (EF)
  • Sigma 35/50/85mm f/1.4 art lens kit (EF)
  • Zeiss 50mm f/1.2 / 100mm f/2 lens kit (Nikon)
  • Lensbaby Burnside 35mm art lens kit (EF)
  • Lensbaby Velvet 56/85mm art lens kit (EF)
  • Lensbaby Composer Pro art lens (EF)
  • Lensbaby Twist 60mm art lens (EF)
  • Lensbaby Circular Fisheye art lens (EF)
  • Lomography Petzval 58/85mm art lens kit (EF)
  • Lomography Daguerreotype Achromat 64mm lens kit (EF)
  • Rokinon 135mm t/2.2 cine lens (EF)
  • Rokinon 8mm f/3.5 cine lens (E)
  • Opteka 6.5mm f/3.5 fisheye lens (EF)
  • Canon 60/100mm f/2.8 macro lens kit (EF)
  • Sony 50/100mm f/2.8 macro lens kit (E)

Zoom Lenses

  • Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II (EF)
  • Canon 70-200mm f/4L (EF)
  • Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L II (EF)
  • Opteka 650-2600mm (EF)

Lens Adapters

  • Metabones T Adapter - Canon EF to Sony E
  • Metabones T Adapter - Canon EF to MicroFourThirds
  • Fotodiox Pro Adapter - Nikon F to Canon EF
  • Fotodiox Pro Adapter - Nikon F to Sony NEX
  • Fotodiox Pro Adapter - Canon EOS to C-Mount
  • Fotasy Adapter - Canon EF to MicroFourThirds
  • Fotasy Adapter - Canon EF to Sony NEX
  • Opteka Adapter - T-Mount to Canon EOS
  • Fotodiox Adapter - Canon EOS Macro Tube Extension

Accessories

  • Tilta Nucleus-Nano Wireless Lens Control System
  • 47" DSLR sliders with Manfrotto heads
  • 48" Proaim Curve-N-Line motorized parabolic DSLR slider
  • 70" Neewer DSLR jib arm
  • 8-12' Proam DSLR jib arm
  • O'Connor Ultimate 1040 Fluid Head and 30L Tripod
  • O'Connor Ultimate 1030Ds Fluid Head and 30L Tripod
  • Manfrotto 509HD Fluid Head w/ 545GB Mid-Spreader Tripod
  • Manfrotto 509HD Fluid Head w/ 536 Tripod
  • Manfrotto 504HD Fluid Head w/ 535 Tripod
  • Manfrotto 558B Monopod w/ MVA50A Fluid Base
  • Manfrotto 100mm 529B Hi Hat
  • 100mm Ball Hi Hat w/ base
  • 75mm Ball Hi Hat w/ base
  • DJI Ronin-S 3-Axis Gimbal Stabilizer
  • DJI Ronin-M 3-Axis Gimbal Stabilizer
  • Sekonic L398A Light Meter
  • Sekonic L-758CINE-U Light Meter
  • Sekonic C-700-U Spectrometer

Assistant Camera Toolkits

  • AC Kit - Large
  • AC Kit - Mini
  • AC Kit - Micro

16mm Film

  • Arriflex SR1
  • Bolex H16 RX-5

Super 8 Film

  • Bauer C700 XLM
  • Nizo 801

Audio

  • Zoom F8 recorder
  • Zoom F4 recorder
  • Zoom H6 recorder
  • Zoom H4n recorder
  • Zoom H1n recorder
  • Zoom FRC-8 F-Control Mixing Control Surface
  • Zoom R16 interface
  • Zoom H3-VR Audio Recorder
  • Sennheiser MKH-416 shotgun mic w/ blimp system
  • Sennheiser ME66 shotgun mic w/ windscreen
  • Rode NTG-3 shotgun mic w/ blimp system
  • Audio-Technica AT835b shotgun mic
  • Sennheiser MKH 50 supercardioid mic
  • Rode NT4 stereo x/y condensor mic
  • Fostex MC10ST stereo mic kit
  • Audio-Technica AT4050ST stereo mic
  • AKG PZM30 D Boundary Mic
  • Rode VideoMic Pro
  • Rode VideoMic
  • Rode VideoMicro
  • Rode smartLAV+ Lavalier Condenser Mic for iOS/Android
  • Shure MOTIV MV88+ Stereo Condenser Mic Kit for iOS/Android
  • Zoom iQ7 iOS Stereo Mic
  • Sennheiser G2/G3/G4 wireless lavalier mic kit
  • Sennheiser G3 wireless plug-on transmitter
  • K-Tek K230KTA2 6-section 19' carbon fiber boom pole with KTA2 Transmitter Adapter
  • K-Tek KS246 5-section 20' carbon fiber boom pole
  • Gitzo G557 4-section 8' boom pole
  • Gitzo GB3560 6-section 13' carbon fiber boom pole

Lighting

  • Arri S60-C LED SkyPanel RGB kit
  • Arri S60 LED SkyPanel Daylight kit
  • Arri 650w/300w Fresnel kit
  • Arri 1Kw/650w Fresnel kit
  • Arri 2K Fresnel kit
  • Arri 201 Fresnel kit
  • KINO FLO Daylight kit
  • KINO FLO Tungsten kit
  • KINO FLO Mini-Flo car kit
  • Lowel Pro 3-light kit
  • Mole-Richardson 575w HMI Daylite Par kit
  • Mole-Richardson 1200w HMI Daylite Par kit
  • Mole-Richardson 1K Moleparcan
  • Mole-Richardson 1K Baby Fresnel
  • Arri 2K Blonde
  • 750W ETC Source Four
  • Lowel Pro Power LED Daylight kit
  • Lowel Pro Power LED Daylight kit
  • iKan Pro LED panel kit
  • Fotodiox LED 1x1 panel kit
  • Neewer NL-960 LED Panel
  • Neewer 1904 LED Panel
  • Mixed LED kit (half/quarter panels)
  • Yongnuo YN360 LED Wand Kit
  • Neewer 14" LED Ring Light
  • Neewer 18" LED Ring Light
  • LED RGB effect Par kit
  • LED RGB effect Derby kit
  • Paper lanterns with 2700K or 4000K LEDs
  • Misc. Gobos for Source Fours
  • Magic Gadgets Shadowmaker Flicker Box
  • Magic Gadgets 2K Flicker Dimmer
  • Magic Gadgets 2K PRODimmer
  • LEX/Impact/Filmtools 1K Dimmers
  • Matthews Reflector Survival Kit
  • Neewer 43" Collapsible Reflector
  • Honda EU7000iS Generator

Contact the MFA in Filmmaking Program

Mr. Dave Monahan

Phone: (910) 962-7544

monahand@uncw.edu

601 College Rd
Wilmington, NC, 28403

Hours:
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Summer hours:
Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Friday, 7:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

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