Spring Quarter 2024

This course examines some of the key figures and events of the Church. Students will learn about the Church’s response to important heresies and understand the Church's impact on world history.

This course is an introduction to the step-by-step methodology companies use to realign work flow, procedures, structures, and systems to fit the business. The course will look at how this process leads to effective organizations through: improved profitability; better customer service; efficient internal operations; and integration of employees with core business processes, technology, and systems.

This final creative studio course is designed to help students finish their master-game prototype, test it and get it ready for publishing to the intended game platform.

This course is an exploration of stage movement based on work of masters such as Suzuki, Alexander, Feldenkrais, and Bogart. It may include physical character development, Kabuki theatre physical techniques, Noh theatre physical techniques and mask work.

As our namesake and patron, Pope Saint John Paul the Great has had signifiance influence on this institution. In this course, students will gain a better understanding on his impact on the Church, the world, and their own individual formation by studying his thoughts and writings.

This class is an exploration in modern electronic music, synthesizers, computer assisted rhythm, and production. Primarily demonstrated with third party software (ProTools and Ableton live), the student will produce electronic compositions and develop unique sonic environments. NOTE: Knowledge of musical fundamentals is helpful.

This course will familiarize students with fundamental scientific concepts and explore how the application of those concepts affects society and global economics. Topics include: the structure of the atom and its applications in biology and physics; circuits, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet of Things; DNA, diseases, and vaccines. Each topic builds towards the question, "what does Catholic teaching tell us about how we as Christians live and participate in this rapidly changing world?" 

This course is part of the Feature Film Program. Students apply the knowledge and experience gained in Fundamentals of Story Development to craft entertaining and unique story concepts that are producible on an independent scale. The best projects will be selected as candidates for  production within the Feature Film Program.

This course will familiarize students with fundamental scientific concepts and explore how the application of those concepts affects society and global economics. Topics include: the structure of the atom and its applications in biology and physics; circuits, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet of Things; DNA, diseases, and vaccines. Each topic builds towards the question, "what does Catholic teaching tell us about how we as Christians live and participate in this rapidly changing world?" 

This class will build on the skills learned in Fundamentals of Post-Production. Students will analyze different editing styles and techniques for impact and effectiveness. They will apply these different approaches in various exercises relating to pacing, rhythm, emotion, montage and style, as well as the interplay of picture and sound. The application of proper media management and workflow will also be incorporated.

This course is oriented toward the production of a complete, substantial, and complex work of prose fiction. This process of writing a novella or significant prose narrative will provide students with a unique opportunity to learn and master elements of prose fiction such as character, structure, plot arc, narrative voice, and prose style, with the ultimate aim of creating a lasting work of literary art.

In this course students learn the human-centered design process, which moves from concrete observations about people to abstract thinking then back to the concrete with tangible solutions that are desirable, feasible, and viable in today's global business environment. 

This introduction to screen acting begins by analyzing the similarities and differences between stage and screen acting. Course work continues into exercises that instruct students on basic screen techniques and will evolve into introductory scene work in front of the camera. 

Nothing kicks a door open in Hollywood faster than a movie concept that instantly promises to attract and entertain an audience. This course will teach students how to find or create high concept stories, how to field-test them prior to writing or pitching them, and how to craft them into screenplays that exploit the full potential of their ideas. Skills that will be fostered in this class include The Brainstorming Process; How to Pitch a High-Concept Story; How to Tell if Your Story is Pitchable (or will need to be written as a spec), and How to Know You’ve Got a Really Good One.

A continuation of the three-part media capstone sequence. Communications Media students will further develop their media capstone project that serves as the cumulation of their media coursework. Students will complete real-world media project under faculty supervision. This course is intended for media students who do not plan to enroll in the senior project sequence of classes. This course serves as a substitution for the Senior Project requirement.

There is no counting the number of scholars, artists, and admirers who have gotten entirely knotted up contemplating the figure and literary output of William Shakespeare. By plunging into his dramatic works, students will grow entangled in the work of arguably the greatest literary writer in human history. Only by reckoning with the truly revolutionary impact of Shakespeare’s art—its massive literary and dramatic influence, and also its prompting for a new appreciation of what it means to be human—will they find themselves untied again.

This class is designed to help students develop drawing skills by translating what students observe about three-dimensional objects into lines and shapes on a two dimensional medium, while incorporating surface textures and varying line qualities into object and environment design concepts.

This course explores the practical realities of living as a professional artist in a variety of work settings and across a range of creative areas with significant contributions from guest speakers. Students will analyze their strengths and weaknesses, set clear goals to work toward for the remainder of their degree program, and create an online, professional presence including a portfolio.

A continuation of the skills developed in Vocal Techniques I, this course will provide the student with the opportunity to explore their natural singing voice and find their vocal identity through a variety of musical genres. Utilizing healthy vocal technique, students will develop and practice skills to enhance solo vocal performance. Topics may include but are not limited to: body alignment, releasing tension, onset/offset, breathing, resonance, focus of tone, registration, articulation, and expressivity. Students continue to work on sightsinging techniques, further developing aural skills and melodic and rhythmic dictation and working with sightsing material with shifting meters. Individual private training will have continued focus on each individual student's abilities as well as development of more refined and nuanced vocal skills needed for singing a variety of musical genres.

This course provides advanced writing experience for students who have completed multiple scripts for the screen. Assignments will be individualized based on student experience, interest, and skill, and may include development and writing of feature film scripts, television episodes or pilots, short film scripts, and scripts for web-based distribution. Students may also rewrite existing works for which they've written earlier drafts. Students will read and lead discussions of numerous screenplays. Students will pitch their stories, and may be asked to pitch to students in other courses. Students will critique one another’s work in large and small groups, with instructor supervision and guidance. They will also develop a personalized career strategy as a writer for the screen. The knowledge, skills, and experience gained in this course will serve aspiring writers, writer-directors, and writer-producers for film, television, and new media. Considerable time will be required for students to write and develop scripts outside of class.

This course provides students with information on how to obtain work and succeed as a television, film, voice over, or stage actor. This course prepares students for the actor's journey, with emphasis on career tools (resumés, headshots, reels, self-tapes), strategies, audition techniques, industry terminology, and extensive information about casting, representation, and union membership.

As this course engages apparently timeless literary works from the classical tradition, it situates them within specific historical contexts. This approach enables students to come to both a greater appreciation of the enduring power of story, and a recognition of the relationship of works of art with their surrounding culture. Masterworks of pagan antiquity (Homer and/or Virgil) give way to key texts of early Christendom (Augustine, Beowulf, et al) in order to further illuminate the impact of Christian theology and anthropology on artists and thinkers in myriad disciplines.

As this course engages apparently timeless literary works from the classical tradition, it situates them within specific historical contexts. This approach enables students to come to both a greater appreciation of the enduring power of story, and a recognition of the relationship of works of art with their surrounding culture. Masterworks of pagan antiquity (Homer and/or Virgil) give way to key texts of early Christendom (Augustine, Beowulf, et al) in order to further illuminate the impact of Christian theology and anthropology on artists and thinkers in myriad disciplines.

This class is designed to help students develop drawing skills by translating what students observe about three-dimensional objects into lines and shapes on a two dimensional medium, while incorporating surface textures and varying line qualities into object and environment design concepts.

Building on the foundations of BUSI329 and BUSI331, students will take a deep dive into how the eternal soul shepherds the human mind. This course is intended to produce students capable of responsibly harnessing the power of marketing to Impact the Culture for Christ.

This course will teach students how to write and speak effectively in business and other communication.

Students will continue their study of screenwriting with a focus on writing narrative films under 40 minutes in length. They will screen and analyze multiple examples of short cinema to gain an understanding of the qualities possessed by the best examples of the form. They will write numerous short scripts with the goal of generating one or more short scripts of high quality that can be produced either inside or outside the university setting. Students will critique one another's work with instructor supervision and guidance. Considerable time will be required for students to write. Students will read and respond to the required texts.

In this production intensive class which builds on the directing fundamentals learned in Directing I, students will work together weekly to create short film subjects, dealing with spiritual and Christian subject matter, in an attempt to connect noble themes to photographed light. Students will be assigned weekly subjects and be expected to present them in class for feedback and analysis.

As this course engages apparently timeless literary works from the classical tradition, it situates them within specific historical contexts. This approach enables students to come to both a greater appreciation of the enduring power of story, and a recognition of the relationship of works of art with their surrounding culture. Masterworks of pagan antiquity (Homer and/or Virgil) give way to key texts of early Christendom (Augustine, Beowulf, et al) in order to further illuminate the impact of Christian theology and anthropology on artists and thinkers in myriad disciplines.

Application of the ideas learned in Real Estate Principles and the role of a salesman therein. Covers the listing, selling, and closing processes. Additional topics incluse financing, escrow, taxes, and devloping relationships withing the industry, etc.

Using techniques learned in previous courses, students will design, prototype, and produce a complete portfolio-ready short game.

The senior project is a series of courses (up to three) in which students will work either individually or as part of a team and create or contribute to a significant media project that spotlights their area of emphasis. Class III is the post-production phase. Instructor approval is required to take this class.

The student will study of ethical problems encountered in business and the foundational principles to inform decisions involving ethical issues. Topics include ethical concepts, personal integrity, conscience, loyalty and responsibility.

Students conduct research on a primary text and write a lengthy paper, practicing revision and editing skills as they develop their original theses.  This class encourages a “close reading” of a primary text, requires students to build an annotated bibliography to evaluate secondary and tertiary source material, and introduces rhetorical concepts in the effort to help students become stronger readers and writers.

This course introduces students to the diverse world of radio, television, news, cinema, internet, print and advertising. Students will learn how to critically experience such media and analyze its desired results. Students will also explore how media has developed and evolved through history and examine the current influences of media on society from a cultural, artistic and economic perspective. In addition, we will explore what the role of Christians in this new media environment can and should be, and how we can best utilize the opportunities available to us to become who we want to be.

Description TBA

This course introduces students to the diverse world of radio, television, news, cinema, internet, print and advertising. Students will learn how to critically experience such media and analyze its desired results. Students will also explore how media has developed and evolved through history and examine the current influences of media on society from a cultural, artistic and economic perspective. In addition, we will explore what the role of Christians in this new media environment can and should be, and how we can best utilize the opportunities available to us to become who we want to be.

In this course students will acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively communicate an idea to an audience through the use of a documentary film. Students will view and analyze current and past documentaries and identify the idea, concept and structure that makes up the film. Students will create a documentary film that either records the present using behavioral or anthropological means, or recalls the past using historical or biographical elements, incorporating visuals, statements and interviews with verifiable truths.

The course examines the legal relationships in the motion picture and television industries, as well as the legal relationships between artists and their personal managers. It covers the key legal principles that are involved in most media productions. This includes with trade unions, licensing, intellectual property and contract issues. In addition, this course explores ethical challenges students are likely to encounter working in entertainment and guides them through the development of a personal code of ethics that is informed by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

From first reading through to performance, students rehearse and perform a musical from a classic or contemporary writer. Students must audition to register for this class. This course may be taken multiple times for credit.

Students conduct research on a primary text and write a lengthy paper, practicing revision and editing skills as they develop their original theses.  This class encourages a “close reading” of a primary text, requires students to build an annotated bibliography to evaluate secondary and tertiary source material, and introduces rhetorical concepts in the effort to help students become stronger readers and writers.

This course focuses on the traditional and materials techniques used to create hand-drawn illustrations and imagery. Graphite, charcoal, ink, watercolor, gouache, acrylic, and collage will be used to create projects rooted in originality. The assignments are intentionally experimental, allowing students to explore innovative solutions in image making. Form, structure, tone, light, shadow, texture and color, combined with different approaches to visual style, atmosphere and mood will be covered.

This course exposes students to the vast wealth of the English-language poetic tradition. Beginning with the micro-sagas, riddles and serenades that populate Old and Middle English verse, students advance to engage with major writers and works of intervening centuries before concluding with the more familiar speech—but also the bewildering disjunction—of the poetry of our modern era.

Students will participate in a small group providing musical scores and sound effects for movies, television and video games. Analysis of scoring techniques and practicum will be explored.

In this course students learn about the basic structures of sound reasoning, focusing largely on classic Aristotelian logic. The course serves to help students think and argue with clarity as well as to effectively analyze arguments of others. The course includes a careful analysis of the operations of the intellect, i.e., understanding, judgment, and reasoning, focusing on their products, i.e., term, proposition, and syllogism.

This course is an introduction to aesthetics and explores the philosophy of art and beauty. Questions we will explore include: What makes art art? Is beauty solely in the eye of the beholder? Are there specific, objective qualities that make something beautiful and, if so, what are they? Can beauty draw us closer to God? How do art and beauty relate to metaphysics? Are judgments of taste inextricably bound to subjective feeling or are they objective and intellectual? What can we learn from art and beauty? We will look at and critique various ways great thinkers have responded to these questions. Special focus will be given to the role beauty and art can play in coming to knowledge of God.

This class builds on the topics covered in Hard Surface Modeling I and introduces modeling with NURBS. Students will explore the pros and cons of working with NURBS and model several kinds of vehicles.

This course introduces students to understanding how we dress ourselves. Students study the components and language of fashion - how and what we communicate through what we wear. Intended for those who want to study fashion, costume design, or understand how to dress a character.

In this course students learn about the basic structures of sound reasoning, focusing largely on classic Aristotelian logic. The course serves to help students think and argue with clarity as well as to effectively analyze arguments of others. The course includes a careful analysis of the operations of the intellect, i.e., understanding, judgment, and reasoning, focusing on their products, i.e., term, proposition, and syllogism.

This course is an introductory-level course for students. Its intent is to give an in-depth understanding of the differences between—and similarities of—leadership and management. The course focuses on the major traits of leaders and managers, and augments these with examples of great historic leaders, including George Custer and Jesus Christ. The course also studies the many leadership traits of Abraham Lincoln and looks at how these can be applied in modern business to improve management techniques. As part of the learning process, students give summaries of Lincoln’s leadership lessons, using short, Power Point presentations.

There is no counting the number of scholars, artists, and admirers who have gotten entirely knotted up contemplating the figure and literary output of William Shakespeare. By plunging into his dramatic works, students will grow entangled in the work of arguably the greatest literary writer in human history. Only by reckoning with the truly revolutionary impact of Shakespeare’s art—its massive literary and dramatic influence, and also its prompting for a new appreciation of what it means to be human—will they find themselves untied again.

This course is an introductory-level course for students. Its intent is to give an in-depth understanding of the differences between—and similarities of—leadership and management. The course focuses on the major traits of leaders and managers, and augments these with examples of great historic leaders, including George Custer and Jesus Christ. The course also studies the many leadership traits of Abraham Lincoln and looks at how these can be applied in modern business to improve management techniques. As part of the learning process, students give summaries of Lincoln’s leadership lessons, using short, Power Point presentations.

This class will approach the fundamentals of acting, structured for students outside the acting emphasis. Tools learned in class can be applied to directors, screenwriters, and storytellers of various genres.

This class will expand the on the student’s application of the art of compositing. The class will evaluate the limits of compositing within an editing software application, and then segue into the more advanced platform of Adobe After Effects. 

As this course engages apparently timeless literary works from the classical tradition, it situates them within specific historical contexts. This approach enables students to come to both a greater appreciation of the enduring power of story, and a recognition of the relationship of works of art with their surrounding culture. Masterworks of pagan antiquity (Homer and/or Virgil) give way to key texts of early Christendom (Augustine, Beowulf, et al) in order to further illuminate the impact of Christian theology and anthropology on artists and thinkers in myriad disciplines.

As this course engages apparently timeless literary works from the classical tradition, it situates them within specific historical contexts. This approach enables students to come to both a greater appreciation of the enduring power of story, and a recognition of the relationship of works of art with their surrounding culture. Masterworks of pagan antiquity (Homer and/or Virgil) give way to key texts of early Christendom (Augustine, Beowulf, et al) in order to further illuminate the impact of Christian theology and anthropology on artists and thinkers in myriad disciplines.

This course teaches the principles of project management that are commonly used to plan and measure projects in industry. It presents the project management mind-set, tools, and skills for successfully defining, planning, executing, monitoring, controlling, and reporting a project. Topics covered include: the project life cycle, fundamental PM processes, development of the project plan, interpersonal management skills, and managing changes during project execution. Case studies are from technology and media applications.

This course Is structured as a practical introduction to the fundamental concepts and ideas in modern finance. Topics include: time value of money, financial environment overview, financial planning, financial statement analysis, and more. Practical experince is gained through the use of spreadsheet software in calculating: basic finance statistics; simple and compound interest; nominal and effective interest rates; discounted cash flows; capital/project investment. Students will also learn about different possible careers in finance.

The senior project is a series of courses (up to three) in which students will work either individually or as part of a team and create or contribute to a significant media project that spotlights their area of emphasis. Class III is the post-production phase. Instructor approval is required to take this class.

As this course engages apparently timeless literary works from the classical tradition, it situates them within specific historical contexts. This approach enables students to come to both a greater appreciation of the enduring power of story, and a recognition of the relationship of works of art with their surrounding culture. Masterworks of pagan antiquity (Homer and/or Virgil) give way to key texts of early Christendom (Augustine, Beowulf, et al) in order to further illuminate the impact of Christian theology and anthropology on artists and thinkers in myriad disciplines.

Students will learn how to successfully execute a small project, gaining understanding of the key steps in project planning and execution. They will play a key role in a real project by planning, executing and debriefing. By experiencing being a part of a team and having to learn from team members, they will apply their lessons learned in class and eventually in their own businesses.

This final creative studio course is designed to help students finish their master-game prototype, test it and get it ready for publishing to the intended game platform.

This course is oriented toward the production of a complete, substantial, and complex work of prose fiction. This process of writing a novella or significant prose narrative will provide students with a unique opportunity to learn and master elements of prose fiction such as character, structure, plot arc, narrative voice, and prose style, with the ultimate aim of creating a lasting work of literary art.

This course will cover the fundamentals of sound and how they are applied in a media environment to help communicate a message. The class will address the importance of sound in the pre-production process and how to properly prepare a project with a sound state of mind. In the production environment, students will learn the proper sound tools and techniques and how to use them to record clean, consistent and intelligible recordings.

Follow-up to the LaunchPad sequence. Entrepreneurial students will receive mentorship as they continue to launch their company. Goal is to make meaningful progress toward the start or growth of their company.

This course is part of the feature film program. Students actively participate in the creative development and pre-produciton process on an independent feature film. Students assess the challenges and opportunities associated with a slate of film projects and help determine which film is ultimately greenlit for production. Once a project is greenlit, students collaborate to produce the film by crafting a budget, schedule, and marketing strategy. Students who participate in Feature Film Producing I & Feature Film Producing II are eligible to earn an associate producer credit on the film.

From first reading through to performance, students rehearse and perform a musical from a classic or contemporary writer. Students must audition to register for this class. This course may be taken multiple times for credit.

A thorough breakdown of the process of creating from initial concepts to final design taught by professionals at one of the top design studios in San Diego.

This is a course in the various understandings of metaphysics, or the nature of being as being, beginning from Plato’s Timaeus, continuing through the Classical period by means of Aristotle, and the Middle Ages in St. Thomas Aquinas. The course continues by covering several related questions, beginning with Natural Theology (discussing the traditional proofs for the existence of God, the Divine Attributes that can be understood using reason alone, the analogy of being, and the act of creation), continuing with the “problem of evil” and the question of free will.

Building upon previous philosophy courses, this class examines the causes of human knowledge. Specifically, students will be introduced to philosophical solutions to questions relating to the nature of knowledge, the object of knowledge, the role of the internal and external senses, and the concepts of truth and certainty. After thoroughly examining the sophisticated understandings of the nature of truth and certainty found in Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, we will closely examine the skepticism of the modern period through the writings of Hume, and the systematization of the structure of the mind in Kantian idealism, concluding in the 20th Century attempt to fuse idealism and realism in Martin Heidegger.

This is a course in the various understandings of metaphysics, or the nature of being as being, beginning from Plato’s Timaeus, continuing through the Classical period by means of Aristotle, and the Middle Ages in St. Thomas Aquinas. The course continues by covering several related questions, beginning with Natural Theology (discussing the traditional proofs for the existence of God, the Divine Attributes that can be understood using reason alone, the analogy of being, and the act of creation), continuing with the “problem of evil” and the question of free will.

This class expands on the “12-Principles.” Through a combination of lecture and lab, the class will produce two (2) short 30-second animated Pencil Test movies (no color) using a soundtrack provided from the teacher. Each movie project will include creating Thumbnail Storyboards, drawing Key Poses, preparing Exposure Sheets, creating in-betweens, and compositing a final Quicktime Movie.

This class expands on the “12-Principles.” Through a combination of lecture and lab, the class will produce two (2) short 30-second animated Pencil Test movies (no color) using a soundtrack provided from the teacher. Each movie project will include creating Thumbnail Storyboards, drawing Key Poses, preparing Exposure Sheets, creating in-betweens, and compositing a final Quicktime Movie.

Comprehensive introduction to basic tools and principles of Game Design including game systems, their components and interaction. Exploration into game analysis and game definitions. Opportunities to conceive an original idea and create a pitch to sell a game concept.