Overview of Video

Maryland Institute College of Art

MICA’s major in video allows you to address the technical and conceptual concerns of work in video and film with courses that explore the full range of opportunities for creating original artwork featuring moving images of all kinds. Major coursework combines a strong foundation of technical practice with an understanding of the history of film and video, and fosters the conceptual and intellectual sophistication necessary to develop a personal body of work, as well as strong problem-solving and production coordination skills.

You will have the opportunity to execute projects in both field and studio production, analog and digital post-production, sound recording, and musical composition. Through electives, you can build a specialty in an area such as content delivery via the Web, large-scale sculpture incorporating projected imagery, and computer programming.

Tailoring your study, you can prepare for a career in the production of narrative or documentary film and video. Or you might focus on developing a body of work for exhibition as video installation. Graduates in video at MICA are producing motion graphics, doing feature film production, pursuing graduate work in film, creating gallery-based projections and music videos, and have screened their work in film festivals including Sundance and the London Film Festival. Students can garner professional experience running screenings of work by students from MICA and other colleges through Channel Organix; and in internships at MTV Network, New York, Transistor Studios, Hollywood, WBFF Fox 45, Baltimore.

Facilities in video include a dedicated 20-workstation video lab featuring high-resolution television monitors, digital video decks, and sound editing equipment. Each workstation is equipped with Final Cut Pro, Pro- Tools audio editing software, and Adobe Aftereffects for motion graphics and special effects. Six digitally based editing stations offer extra monitors and workspace and a double floor-to-ceiling dub rack, which allow copying of work in ten different formats, including DVD to cassette, and multiple simultaneous dubs. Sound recording/editing facilities include a large recording studio with control room and mixing board, a smaller narration studio, two studio/performance/recording rooms, and a high-end sound post-production suite. A video production studio with professional lighting grid and lights and green/blue screen capabilities allows students to work on largescale projects with sets, and to undertake sophisticated lighting projects.

Recent Visiting and Resident Artists

Recent Film Series : MICA/Maryland Film Festival

Falvey Hall, Brown Center’s 525-seat auditorium, was designed specifically to support the projection of film, video, and digital work. The department collaborates with the Maryland Film Festival to produce a major film series each semester.

Professional Experience

MICA video students have many opportunities to gain professional experience and build their resumes through real-world projects that connect directly to the curriculum. Two recent projects have teamed up select groups of students with clients to produce projects that allow access to professional grade equipment and experience they will face as professionals. One group scripted, designed, cast, shot, and produced 35mm film “bumpers” that exhort audiences to “turn off your cell phones” at the Charles, Baltimore’s premiere movie house. These shorts premiered at the 2006 Maryland Film Festival. Another worked with Baltimore-area charter schools to create a high-definition video documentary on charter schools that is being used as an advocacy tool with the legislature and opinion leaders throughout the region.