"Because production design involves building a world, we designed the MFA in Production Design curriculum based on the type of courses a student would take for a degree in architecture.  With course work including set design, illustration, story boarding, digital design and production design, we’ve created an intense and rewarding two-year program that offers increasing design challenges each semester.”  
ProfessorLawrence Paull
Dodge Collegeof Film and Media Arts

Year 1

First Semester:
Evolution of Narrative Film I
Fundamentals of Production and Visual Design
Production Design Workshop I
The Art and Craft of Set Design I
Drawing and Storyboarding Studio
Digital Design Studio

Second Semester:
Evolution of Narrative Film II
Production Design Workshop II
Drawing and Storyboarding Studio
The Art and Craft of Set Design II
Digital Design Studio

Year 2

First Semester:
Drawing and Storyboard Studio
Digital Design Studio
Production Design Workshop III
Advanced Set Design Workshop I

Second Semester:
Drawing and Storyboard Studio
Digital Design Studio
Production Design Workshop IV
Advanced Set Design Workshop II


Students will work with scripts from recent films and be challenged to come up with alternative design concepts.  At the same time they will work on cycle films and thesis projects in collaboration with our production students.  The end result will be a portfolio of designs, executed by hand, on computer and in sketch form.  The hands on experience and the creative work they do in the design studio will be their entree into the film and television industry.

Contact our Film Division Chair, Joe Slowensky, at jslowens@chapman.edu with any additional questions.