Open Courses

Interested in taking a cinema course? The School of Cinema is offering a variety of open courses for Fall 2026. These classes are open to all majors. Please email the corresponding professor for a permission number to register.

Editing

Master the edit with Prof Laura Green

Master the Edit

CINE 420: Projects in Film Editing

Professor Laura Green
Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.
  • Cut scenes from existing films
  • Learn professional Premiere Pro workflows
  • Understand cinematic color grading
  • Edit a complete short film

Contact

Email lagreen@sfsu.edu for a permission number.

Experimental Film

Hand-crafted Cinema with Prof Greta Snider

Hand-crafted Cinema

CINE 480: Material Cinema

Professor Greta Snider
Wednesday, 12:30 – 3:15 p.m.
  • Manipulate and "destroy" physical celluoid
  • Develop film using coffee, beer and other alternative processes
  • Master the iconic 16mm Bolex camera and projector
  • Shoot and edit archival film into a finished short film

 

CINE 632: Media Archaeology

Professor Greta Snider
Thursday, 2 – 4:45 p.m.
  • Cut 16mm found footage and archival reels
  • Digitize analog film to a modern workflow
  • Reframe home movies into new cinematic stories
  • Connect with guest filmmakers in the archival industry

Contact

Email greta@sfsu.edu for a permission number.

Short Film

The Short: Less is More with Prof Rae Shaw

The Short: Less is More

CINE 350GW: The Art of Short Film

Professor Rae Shaw
Asynchronous 
  • Learn why great filmmaking begins with the short film
  • Master the pacing and aesthetics of short-form stories
  • Develop critical writing skills and rhetorical analysis
  • Draft professional queries for industry representation

Contact

Email nraeshaw@sfsu.edu for a permission number

Screenwriting

Crafting the blueprint with Professor Rae Shaw

Crafting the Blueprint

CINE 452: Screenwriting: Women in Horror

Professor Rae Shaw
Hybrid • Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
  • Understand tropes and conventions of the horror genre
  • Draft the first act of your "Dark Femme" screenplay
  • Study the influence of social and gender movements
  • Launch a social media project for your film concept

Contact

Email nraeshaw@sfsu.edu for a permission number.

Queer Cinema

The Queer Lens with Prof Johnny Symons

The Queer Lens

CINE 494: Queer Cinema Production

Professor Johnny Symons
Wednesday 1 – 3:45 p.m.
  • Dive into LGBTQ+ representation in film
  • Create queer-themed films and scripts
  • Learn different approaches to queer narratives
  • Screen your work for a public audience

Contact

Email symons@sfsu.edu for a permission number.

Grad Studies

Grad Studies: Queer with Prof Johnny Symons

Grad Studies: Queer

CINE 743: Sexuality in the Cinema

Professor Johnny Symons
Thursday 9:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
  • Trace the artistic evolution of LGBTQ+ documentary
  • Connect with industry guest filmmakers and activists
  • Learn how cinema produces and polices intimacy
  • Explore film as a tool for political change

Contact

Email symons@sfsu.edu for a permission number.

Internship

Intern for credit with professor Laura Green

Intern for Credit

CINE 692 / 765: Internship

Professor Laura Green
  • Choose your own internship
  • Earn credit toward your degree
  • Develop hands-on skills with a mentor
  • Expand your portfolio
  • Grow your professional network
  • Open doors to future job opportunities

Contact

Email lagreen@sfsu.edu for a permission number.

Sound

From mic to mix with Prof Rosa Park

From Mic to Mix: Cinematic Sound

CINE 750: Production Workshop Intensive

Professor Rosa Park
3 units, 6 sessions
  • Section 01
    • Date: September 11 and 12
    • Time: 2 – 5 p.m.
  • Section 02
    • Date: October 9 and 10
    • Time: 2 – 5 p.m.
  • Section 03
    • Date: November 13 and 14
    • Time: 2 – 5 p.m.
Overview
  • Master professional on-set and field recording techniques
  • Learn post-production workflows for sound mixing and editing
  • Explore how psychoacoustics shape cinematic stroytelling
  • Build a professional sound portfolio for film and digital media

Contact

Email rosapark@sfsu.edu for a permission number.