Dear Dr. Kovacs,

On behalf of the first year MFA cohort, I am writing to express our profound disappointment in learning that the Advanced Cinematography and Lighting course, a class that has been offered every spring for more than a decade by the Cinema Department, will not be offered for graduate students any more.

Cinematography is a cornerstone of Cinema. It is a complex process, an essential skill, and deserves a thorough foundation in our film education. Despite our enrollment in Production Practice I this Fall, most of us felt a need to continue studying specific cinematographic and visual aesthetics through the use of camera and lighting techniques. Production Practice I serves as a great introduction to the art of cinematography, yet we still feel that our skills are elementary at this moment, and strive to enter the profession with a mastery over this important aspect.

After weighing our options moving forward among both faculty and students, I have decided to petition for CINE 762’s reinstatement on behalf of graduate students in Cinema. CINE 762 was a class MFA students expected to be able to take during their studies at SFSU. We all feel limited by our elective options and many of us would benefit from further instruction and practice in Cinematography and production.

With love,

MFA Cinema 2017

November 20, 2014