Courses in Producers Program

The First Year

UCLA Producers Program students are trained in the fundamentals of feature development, production and distribution in their first year. Topics include but are not limited to: planning the independent feature; principles of producing; feature film development; current business practices; studio management; television management; contract negotiations; representation, etc.

The Second Year

The second year courses emphasize thesis project development and additional required courses in advanced producing, as well as allow students to pursue required courses outside their area of specialization (e.g., production and critical studies). In addition, students are encouraged to take the elective UCLA Producers Program courses not taken during the first year.

Course Requirements

All Producers Program students are advised to take four or five courses per quarter. The minimum total units required to graduate is 72 units (18 courses); however, the typical Producers Program student enrolls in 100-120 units (25-30 courses).

Students must take the following four required courses in producing: one course in the 289 series: Current Business Practices in Film and Television; one course in the 291 series: Entertainment Management in Film and Television; and one course in the 292 series: Network Television Management. Also, 247: Planning the Independent Film Production is required of all students.

In addition, there are eight courses which are essential to successfully completing the required thesis project. They are: 287A, B, C: Introduction to the Art and Business of Producing 1-3; and 288A, B: Feature Film Development 1-2; and 290A, B, C: Research and Development 1-3.

In addition to the courses in producing, students must also take an additional three courses outside the Producers Program (designated as "outside requirements"). At least two of these courses must be from the Cinema and Media Studies program and one must be from another MFA program within the Department of Film, Television, and Digital Media: Production/Directing; Animation; or Screenwriting. There are no exceptions to this outside requirement within the department.

Collaborations

In order to fulfill their thesis requirements, during both years students are expected to be pursuing ideas, optioning material, and/or developing screenplays with writers (inside the Program or outside), and are strongly encouraged to work with UCLA directors on their short films. Most classes within the Department of Film, TV, and Digital Media are open to students from all programs and offer additional opportunities to learn from different disciplines and network with directing, screenwriting, critical studies and theater students.

Internships

Students who do not currently hold an entertainment industry position must intern a minimum of one quarter and are encouraged to intern all six quarters. Internships are available in feature film development, marketing, distribution/acquisitions at production companies or studios; talent agencies; management companies; television or cable network; or on a professional production. We regularly place students at companies such as DreamWorks, Lionsgate, Fox, TriStar, Warner Bros., Paramount, Nickelodeon Films, Miramax, The Weinstein Co., ICM, The Gersh Agency, Sundance Institute, Misher Films, Maguire Entertainment, Digital Domain, Kennedy/Marshall, Laura Ziskin Productions, HBO, CBS, Touchstone TV, MTV Networks, Showtime, and many others.

Visit our Internship Program web portal for more information.

Thesis Requirements

Thesis is made up of one professional-length feature project that the student is producing and a production experience through collaborating with a UCLA directing student on their Advanced or Thesis project. The feature project consists of an optioned screenplay that the student will develop with the screenwriter and a strategy report that discusses how to package, finance, budget, market, and distribute the project.

For the production experience the Producers Program student has to work in a producer capacity with corresponding credit. The student may petition to work with a non-UCLA director if the student can demonstrate effectively how this collaboration will lead to a full-length feature or video project or, in the case of a feature, how it will gain distribution.

As part of the final thesis review process, the student will be assigned three faculty members to serve on his or her thesis committee. One serves as the chair or primary thesis advisor. In addition to all the binder requirements, the student must participate in an oral panel presentation of his or her project before three industry professionals in late May during Research and Development 3.

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