University of Wisconsin-Stout brought the number of its undergraduate majors to 50 after the UW System Board of Regents approved a proposal to add a Bachelor of Science degree in video production.
Applications are being accepted for the program, which will begin in fall 2019.
The program builds on the existing photography and video minor offered at UW-Stout, along with the undergraduate degrees in digital marketing technology; graphic communications; graphic design and interactive media; and a digital cinema concentration in entertainment design, said Provost and Vice Chancellor Patrick Guilfoile.
Guilfoile told the Regents’ Education Committee on Oct. 4 that the new major is unlike others offered in the UW System because UW-Stout’s version is aimed at meeting the needs of business and industry. Regents approved the major Oct. 5.
“In keeping with UW-Stout’s career focus,” Guilfoile said, “this program is not aimed at film and video as fine art but rather as a communication medium for business, nonprofits and other entities wishing to reach an audience through visual means.”
He added: “This program will fall into a different category with a focus on technology and video production skills, although students will also have grounding in the theory and art of video and project management.”
Students will be introduced to industry standard software and hardware for digital image capture, editing and compositing. Hands-on learning in the studio and on location will emphasize creative and critical thinking skills, principles of visual literacy, technical processes of video/media technologies and the planning and management of video/media production.
Areas of coursework will include video, lighting, audio, digital imaging, conceptual storytelling, editing, studio production, motion graphics, digital cinematography, sound design and scriptwriting.
The projected enrollment in the new major after five years is 112 students.
“Technology is now the most important communication tool for businesses,” said Professor Peter Galante, who will be the program director. “The lightning speed that has made video content available virtually everywhere, anytime, has created the requirement for businesses to create and deliver video content that responds to an organization's communication needs, not only in near real time but cost-effectively.
“The UW-Stout video production program will enable graduates to successfully engage in this fast-paced communication field and grow as the field continues to emerge,” Galante said.
UW-Stout received more than 10 letters of support from employers and others who thanked the university for establishing a program that will fill a growing need for video production.
“The trends for video content are skyrocketing and, as we like to put it, it’s a modern day gold rush,” said Chaddix Malchow, a UW-Stout graduate and a commercial filmmaker in the Twin Cities. “Production companies and agencies alike are struggling to figure out how to compete with a brand’s needs for the amount of content they’re demanding.”
More on the Bachelor of Science degree in video production can be found at the program website.
UW-Stout is Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, with a focus on applied learning, collaboration with business and industry, and career outcomes. Graduates have a 98.2 percent employment rate.
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Photos
Top: Patrick Guilfoile
Bottom: Peter Galante
