FSUFILM Handbook

Author: andrew

  • Walkaway Wraps

    Overview

    Walkaway wraps refer to situations in which production equipment remains at a shooting location overnight rather than being fully wrapped out at the end of the day. The standard expectation for location shoots is that all school equipment will be packed up and removed daily, but under limited circumstances capstone productions may request approval for a walkaway wrap.

    These restrictions exist to protect school equipment from theft, damage, or environmental exposure; to help restore the location owner’s space to normal use at the end of each shoot day; and to support the educational experience of the crew by reinforcing proper wrap procedures and equipment handling practices. Because leaving equipment overnight introduces additional risks and responsibilities, walkaway wraps require careful review and approval before they are permitted.

    Requesting a Walkaway Wrap

    On FC and MC productions only, students may request a walkaway wrap, but permission will only be granted in exceptional circumstances. Approval is at the discretion of the the Head of Set Operations, and the following conditions must be met:

    1. Requests must be made prior to the start of the show’s first day of production.
    2. Walkaway wraps may not be requested for family homes or other residential locations.
    3. Production must resume the day following the walkaway wrap. There cannot be any days off between the walkaway wrap and resuming of production.
    4. All department heads on the crew must approve the plan for the walkaway wrap.
    5. The Producer must provide a detailed description of which pieces of equipment would remain at the location and the reasons for why a walkaway wrap is being requested. Approval will only be given for rigging, where the extensiveness of the tear-down is a major factor.
    6. The Producer must provide a detailed plan for how the equipment will be secured safely at the location, to prevent theft/damage and to prevent injury to anyone who may enter the location before the crew returns.
    7. The Producer must provide a security professional to sit with the equipment overnight. The Head of Set Operations will determine whether or not a specific individual is approved for this task.

  • Honors in the Major Overview

    Overview

    Honors in the Major is the university’s undergraduate honors thesis program, allowing qualified students to complete a substantial independent creative or research project under faculty supervision. Within the film program, Honors projects typically involve the development and completion of a thesis-level research and creative work, accompanied by the required academic documentation and review process.

    The program is designed to give students the opportunity to pursue more advanced independent work while developing stronger research, planning, communication, and creative problem-solving skills. Because Honors projects operate within formal university academic structures, students must also follow specific procedural, documentation, and approval requirements throughout the process.

    Honors at the Film School

    Honors in the Major is an individualized program of study that provides film students who maintain a cumulative 3.750 GPA (for all FSU courses) an opportunity to engage in their own research activity or creative work with the support of a faculty committee.

    Students from the College of Motion Picture Arts have created a wide array of Honors projects, ranging from research to creative work, including:

    • Feature screenplays;
    • Pitch bibles;
    • Story reels for animated films;
    • Documentary projects;
    • Research papers on topics such as cinematography in video games, the role of documentaries in environmental activism, and techniques for deep compositing;
    • Research demos on topics such as cinematic language in Virtual Reality, methods of 3D printing, and techniques for drone photography.

    Timeline

    Honors in the Major for students in the College of Motion Picture Arts typically follows a four-semester cycle: a preparatory semester (BFA2 Spring) to apply for admission into the Honors in the Major program, form a Faculty Committee, and develop a prospectus, followed by three semesters (BFA2 Summer, BFA3 Fall, BFA3 Spring) of work on the Honors project.

    BFA2 Spring:

    • Students must have at least a 3.750 GPA (cumulative GPA for all FSU courses) at the start of the BFA2 Spring semester and attend an info session with the Honors Liaison (Dr. Lisa Tripp) in order to be eligible to apply.
    • Students decide on an Honors topic and enlist a Faculty Director from the College of Motion Picture Arts faculty.
    • By Friday of Week 5, students must complete the application to be admitted into Honors in the Major. The Faculty Director, the Honors Liaison, and the Associate Dean must approve the application, so allow sufficient time to collect those signatures.
    • By Friday of Week 10, students must have their committees fully formed, including the outside member.
    • By April 1st, students submit a written prospectus to their committee for approval.
    • By April 15th, students submit a committee-approved prospectus to the Honors Program.

    BFA2 Summer:

    • Students enroll in 2 credit hours of FIL4975 Honors in the Major Research, which may be taken as one of the summer electives. This translates into an average of about 10 hours of work per week.

    BFA3 Fall:

    • Students enroll in 1 credit hour of FIL4975 Honors in the Major Research. This translates into an average of about 3 hours of work per week, which the student must schedule alongside their work on capstone films.

    BFA3 Spring:

    • Students may enroll in 3 or 6 credit hours of FIL4975 Honors in the Major Research. This translates into an average of about 10 or 20 hours of work per week.
    • By Week 15 of the Spring semester, students must hold a defense of the project in front of their faculty committee. At least TWO WEEKS prior to the defense, students must submit their completed project to their full committee. Students doing a Creative Project in the context of Honors in the Major (defined as one that results in a performance or product rather than a research paper) must also submit a written report on the project at this time (minimum 10 pages in length).

    Milestones

    Students work with the College Liaison and their Faculty Director to develop a set of milestones for their Honors work. These milestones are designed to help the student make steady progress towards the completion of their project over the course of the year and to make sure that all requirements for the Honors Program are met.

    Students may be removed from the Honors in the Major program if they miss milestones, fail the defense, or fail to maintain a 3.750 GPA. Students do, however, have the right to appeal removal from the program if they believe the decision was unfair.

    • Participants must complete the Appeal Form stating the details and reason for reconsideration.
    • Appeal Form must be submitted within two weeks (including holidays and weekends) of the missed deadline in question or notification of removal from the program.
    • The Program Administrator will contact the student with the decision within two weeks of the appeal request.
    • No additional edits to the submission is allowed and a blind reviewer will evaluate the submission on the student’s behalf.
    • Only one appeal request may be submitted per student.

    Restrictions on the use of Film School equipment

    Students are not permitted to use any equipment from the Film School Equipment Room for Honors projects. No exceptions.

  • Admission to Honors in the Major

    Overview

    Admission to Honors in the Major involves the formal application and approval process required for students seeking to participate in the university’s undergraduate honors thesis program.

    Because Honors projects require a significant independent academic and creative commitment, admission helps ensure that students are adequately prepared for the expectations, workload, and procedural responsibilities associated with completing a thesis-level project. The process also allows faculty and administration to evaluate project feasibility and establish appropriate faculty supervision before work begins.

    Requirements

    Students do not need to be part of the University Honors Program in order to participate in Honors in the Major (HITM). The requirements set by the College of Motion Picture Arts are as follows:

    • A minimum cumulative 3.750 GPA (for all FSU courses) at the start of the BFA2 Spring semester
    • Approval from a Faculty Director (selected by the student)
    • Approval from the College Honors Liaison (Lisa Tripp)
    • Approval from the Associate Dean (Andrew Syder)

    Application steps

    All of the steps below must be taken during the BFA2 Spring semester, so that an application to the Honors Program can be submitted before the deadline on Friday of Week 5.

    1. Attend the College’s information session

    The College Honors Liaison will hold an information session about Honors in the Major. Students are required to attend this info session to be eligible to apply for Honors in the Major. The College Liaison will provide general information about Honors in the Major and will also be available to help students identify potential topics for Honors projects.

    2. Identify a topic

    After attending the information session, through consultation with the College Liaison, the student should begin to think about the topic for their Honors project. It doesn’t need to be fully defined at this point in time, but having some sense of a general topic area will be helpful in determining a suitable Faculty Director for the project.

    3. Secure a Faculty Director

    The Faculty Director must be a full-time FSU faculty member from the College of Motion Picture Arts. The College Liaison can assist in this process if the student is not sure who might be a good fit. The Faculty Director will also be able to share valuable insights on broadening or narrowing the scope of your work to make sure you are able to conclude your project within your anticipated timeline.

    4. Create a working title

    Once you have recruited your Faculty Director, you will work together to clarify a working title for your project. Although this title may be changed, it should give a clear idea of what your work will be about. Often this working title will appear on your transcript, so it is important that it accurately reflect the content of your work.

    5. Submit the Honors application form

    No later than 4pm on the Friday of Week 5 of the BFA2 Spring semester, students must submit the Honors Application Form to the College Honors Liaison AND to the Honors Program, via their Honors in the Major Portal. Students will need to get their form signed by their Faculty Director before turning it into the College Liaison; the College Liaison will then sign the form and collect the signature of the Associate Dean.

    6. Secure all committee members

    No later than the end of Week 10 of the BFA2 Spring semester, students must have their faculty committee fully formed, including the outside member. Students should start securing their outside member as early as possible, as this committee position is usually the hardest to fill.

  • Honors Committee

    Overview

    The Honors Committee is the faculty committee responsible for reviewing, advising, and evaluating a student’s Honors in the Major project throughout the development, completion, and defense process.

    The committee structure exists to provide students with academic oversight, constructive feedback, and formal evaluation from multiple faculty perspectives rather than relying on a single reviewer. This helps maintain academic rigor while supporting stronger project development and clearer institutional review procedures.

    How It Works

    Each student is guided by a faculty committee that includes:

    1. A Faculty Director from the College of Motion Picture Arts;
    2. A second faculty member from the College of Motion Picture Arts;
    3. An outside faculty member from another department.
    4. An optional, fourth committee member from any department can be added, if desired.

    Members of the faculty committee must read and approve the student’s prospectus, review the final project, and attend the formal defense.

    When selecting a faculty committee, it is important for students to go over a proposed timeline and give the committee member an opportunity to discuss any conflicts with their schedule. Ideally the full committee will be present on campus for the duration of the project.

    Faculty Director

    The Faculty Director is the primary supervisor and instructor of record for the Honors project, serving as a mentor and resource for the student throughout the process. Faculty Directors will assist students in defining the scope of their project, developing their prospectus, and setting individualized milestones for each semester.

    As students progress through each semester, the Faculty Director is responsible for reporting on the student’s progress to the Department Liaison at regular intervals and is responsible for assigning a letter grade for each semester of Honors work.

    The Faculty Director chairs the faculty committee for the defense.

    Other committee members

    The College Honors Liaison and Faculty Director guide students in selecting the other committee members, which must include one additional faculty member from the College of Motion Picture Arts and one faculty member from another department. Students are required to have their committee fully formed no later than Week 10 of the BFA2 Spring semester.

    Faculty committee members do not need to be experts in the specific area of the research, but should have an interest in the topic and in helping the student. They generally have much less responsibility than the Faculty Director, but do need to commit to the full project timeline. All committee members must read and approve the student’s prospectus, review the final project, and attend the formal defense. Some committee members may choose to play a more active role throughout the whole process, but it is not required.

  • College Honors Liaison

    Overview

    The College Honors Liaison serves as the primary point of coordination between the college, the Honors program, students, and faculty participating in Honors in the Major projects.

    Because Honors projects involve both departmental and university-level procedures, the liaison helps students navigate deadlines, documentation requirements, approvals, and administrative processes throughout the project lifecycle. This role helps maintain clearer communication and ensures that projects remain aligned with university Honors policies and expectations.

    CMPA’s Liaison

    Profile photo of Dr. Tripp

    Dr. Lisa Tripp serves as the Honors Liaison for the College of Motion Picture Arts. Think of her as the primary point person for any general questions about the process of completing an Honors project and for information about CMPA-specific requirements for Honors in the Major.

    Dr. Tripp works with Faculty Directors each semester to ensure that Honors students are hitting their milestones and are remaining in good standing within the Honors Program.

    College Honors Liaisons also serve as a point of connection between Honors students and faculty members who would be suitable Faculty Directors or committee members. These Liaisons are invaluable resources for students who know what they want to do for their Honors projects and are hoping to connect with faculty who have similar interests.

  • Honors Prospectus

    Overview

    The Honors Prospectus is the formal proposal document outlining the student’s intended Honors project, including the project concept, goals, methodology, timeline, and faculty supervision structure. A draft of the prospectus is due April 1st. The final version is due April 15th.

    The prospectus process is important because it establishes a clear academic and creative plan before substantial project work begins. Requiring formal approval of the proposal helps ensure that the project is feasible, appropriately structured, and aligned with the expectations of the Honors in the Major program.

    Prospectus content

    The Prospectus serves as a proposal for the project, giving the faculty committee background information about the work, outlining the research/creative methods, the major milestones, and the expectations for the project’s outcome. The Faculty Director will help guide the student in the drafting of the prospectus.

    A strong prospectus typically includes the following elements:

    Project Description

    Describe the project’s nature and purpose, the issues it will address, and its significance to the field. Including a critical review of related work in the field, to provide background information and to demonstrate the need for the project is also recommended. 

    Research Methods/Creative Activities

    Describe the research methods and/or creative activities that will be undertaken, along with an explanation of why your approach is appropriate for the project. The proposal should be clearly understandable by those not in your field, so jargon should be avoided.

    Schedule of Project Activities

    Provide a timeline indicating the amount of progress anticipated over the course of the year, including the completion dates for major milestones along the way. At minimum, include mid-semester and end-of-semester milestones for summer, fall, and spring. 

    Bibliography/Filmography

    Include a short bibliography and/or filmography for texts you have reviewed, or intend to review, as part of your research for the project.

    Prospectus Timeline

    • Students should plan to meet with their Faculty Director no later than Week 6 of the BFA2 Spring semester to begin work on the prospectus.
    • By April 1st, students must send a draft of the prospectus to their full committee, to receive notes and feedback.
    • By April 15th, students must turn in a hard copy of their prospectus, with a signed copy of the Prospectus Approval Form, to the Honors Program and the College’s Honors Liaison.

  • Honors Defense

    Overview

    The Honors Defense is the formal presentation and evaluation process in which the student presents their completed Honors project to the Honors Committee for review and discussion. All defenses must occur with at least two weeks remaining in the semester, to allow time for any requested revisions to be completed.

    The defense process exists to evaluate both the completed project and the student’s ability to discuss, contextualize, and reflect on their work in an academic setting. It also reinforces the understanding that Honors projects are not only creative endeavors, but formal university thesis projects requiring critical analysis, preparation, and scholarly engagement.

    Defense announcement

    Within the first four weeks of the defense semester, students must schedule the day, time, and location of their defense and get it approved by the full supervisory committee.

    All committee members and the student must attend the entire defense in real time. While defenses can be held remotely under extenuating circumstances, the Honors Program strongly prefers that the defense be held in person. If an in-person defense is not possible or prudent, students may work with their Faculty Director and committee members to schedule a virtual defense in real time. Students do not need permission from the Honors Program to complete a virtual defense if one is deemed necessary.

    Once the defense is scheduled, complete The Defense Announcement Form  and submit it via the Honors in the Major Portal no later than 4pm the day of the posted deadline. The form requires signatures from all of the faculty committee members, so plan ahead.

    The project

    There are two options for an Honors in the Major project, the Research Project and the Creative Project. Both require some written paper and should have a title page and signature page in the traditional format for an Honors project. All HITM students are encouraged to utilize built-in headings and alt text captions to make their project accessible to screen readers.

    The defense

    Defenses usually take place in the Faculty Conference Room on the first floor, but may take place in other venues. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure the location is reserved and available during the time of the defense.

    The defense will typically be structured in the following manner, although the Faculty Director may choose another structure, if deemed appropriate:

    1. The student introduces their committee members;
    2. The student is asked to leave the room, so that the faculty committee may discuss the work amongst themselves for a few minutes;
    3. The student is invited back into the room and makes an oral presentation of 15-20 minutes;
    4. The faculty committee ask the student questions for 30-40 minutes;
    5. The student is asked to leave the room again, so that the faculty committee may decide an outcome;
    6. The student is invited back into the room and the Faculty Director either:
      1. Congratulates the student for passing the defense and the committee signs the defense certificate; or,
      2. Describes revisions that the faculty committee is requiring in order for the student to pass.

    Paperwork and archiving

    Upon successful completion of the defense, students must submit the Defense Certificate (signed by all the members of the faculty committee) to the Honors Program Office.

    All undergraduate projects published at FSU are housed in the DigiNole archive. Students must submit their final, signed project to the archive, either as a .pdf, .doc, or .docx file by the final day of classes in order to officially earn Honors in the Major.

  • Honors Timeline

    Overview

    The Honors Timeline outlines the major deadlines, milestones, approval stages, and procedural benchmarks associated with completing an Honors in the Major project.

    Because Honors projects unfold across multiple semesters and involve both creative and university administrative requirements, students must manage their time carefully and stay aligned with institutional deadlines. The timeline helps provide structure to the process and reduces the likelihood of missed approvals, delayed paperwork, or incomplete project requirements.

    Guidance From Faculty Directors

    Honors work is intended to be primarily self-directed, but Faculty Directors will assist students in identifying clear target goals and deadlines for what should be developed and delivered. Failure to meet these individualized milestones can result in withdrawal from the Honors in the Major program.

    In addition to the individualized milestones determined with the Faculty Director, students also have standardized deadlines and deliverables for the College and the Honors Program, as outlined below.

    BFA2 Spring

    Week 1The College Honors Liaison holds an information session, attendance at which is required for any students considering Honors in the Major. Following the information session, students work with the College Liaison to identify a topic and discuss potential Faculty Directors and Committee Members. Once a Faculty Director is identified, students should meet with them to begin work on the prospectus.
    Week 5
    Fri 4pm    		The Honors Application Form must be completed and signatures obtained from: 1) your Faculty Director; 2) Dept. Chair or Area Coordinator (Andrew Syder); and 3) Honors Liaison (Lisa Tripp). Use one of the electronic signature options. Note: Students do not need signatures from their other committee members on the application form. Once the application form is completed with all three signatures obtained, you must turn it in as a PDF via the HITM online portal.
    Week 10
    Fri 4pm    		The Faculty Committee must be fully formed. Students must give the names of all of their committee members to the College Liaison, including contact information for the Outside Member.
    April 1st
    4pm    		The Prospectus must be shared with the faculty committee and the College Liaison. Make necessary revisions and get approval from all members on the Prospectus Approval Form.
    April 15th
    4pm    		The Prospectus Approval Form must be submitted to the Honors Program and the College Liaison. It is the responsibility of the student to get approval signatures with ample time to meet the deadline. Failure to meet this milestone will result in withdrawal from Honors in the Major.

    BFA2 Summer

    Week 1 Students should schedule a meeting with their Faculty Director to begin work on their project and create a plan for project targets/goals for the summer and how often and when to meet with their Faculty Director. A weekly or bi-weekly meeting this semester is recommended.
    Week 12Faculty Directors report if the student has met milestones and is making satisfactory progress as a requirement of continuing with Honors in the Major.

    BFA3 Fall

    Week 7Faculty Directors report if the student has met milestones and is making satisfactory progress as a requirement of continuing with Honors in the Major.
    Week 16Faculty Directors report if the student has met milestones and is making satisfactory progress as a requirement of continuing with Honors in the Major.

    BFA3 Spring

    Week 4
    Friday 4pm    		The Defense Announcement Form must be submitted to the Collage Liaison and the Honors Program via the Honors in the Major Portal. Identify a date for the defense in or before Week 15. All committee members are expected to be present for the full defense. Virtual attendance by committee members is permitted in extenuating circumstances. Signatures are needed from all the members of the faculty committee.
    Week 7Faculty Directors report if the student has met milestones and is making satisfactory progress as a requirement of continuing with Honors in the Major.
    Two weeks before defenseThe Honors Project must be submitted to all committee members, along with a reminder about the time and location of the defense. This is to give all of the committee members sufficient time to review the project before the defense. Students doing a Creative Project (defined as one that results in a performance or product rather than a research paper) must also submit a written report on the project at this time (minimum 10 pages in length). The report must include a title page and signature page.
    Week 15
    Friday 4pm    		The Defense must take place before the end of Week 15, in order to allow some turnaround time if revisions are requested by the faculty committee.
    Week 16
    Friday 4pm    		The Defense Certificate is due to the Honors Program and the College Liaison, to signify the successful defense the project. If no revisions are requested at the defense, it’s easiest to get these documents signed at the end of the defense, while the full committee is in the room.

  • Pick-Up Photography

    Overview

    Pick-up photography refers to additional filming conducted after principal photography has concluded in order to capture missing material, inserts, revised coverage, or other supplemental footage needed to improve the project.

    Because additional filming affects scheduling, equipment access, staffing, locations, and administrative coordination, productions must approach pick-up photography carefully and with clear planning. The process helps ensure that additional shooting is necessary, realistically achievable, and properly coordinated within the broader production and post-production schedule.

    How It Works

    On the FC and MC cycles, students may make a request to the Head of Production for pick-up photography to improve moments in the film that were not captured successfully during principal photography. Pick-up requests may not be made for additional moments that were not part of the original shooting plan.

    No show will be approved for more than six hours of pick-up photography. And all pick-up photography will need to be completed and cut into the edit before picture lock. In some cases, this may mean that the turnaround time for pick-up photography is tight, so students will need to be diligent and proactive if they want to put in a request.

    Pick-up photography is a privilege to be earned. Since pick-up photography involves time and resources, requests will not be approved automatically. Approvals will be granted only if the time and resources are available and if students make a compelling case for the value of the pick-ups to the film (including proof that the problem cannot be adequately solved with careful editing choices).

    Pick-up request procedure

    Students will need to complete a Additional Photography Request form, in which they must provide the following details:

    • the exact nature of the subject matter to be shot;
    • the reason why it was not shot with the first unit crew during principal photography;
    • the date, times, and location of the proposed shoot;
    • the crew required for the proposed shoot, including names and signatures (you’ll need to determine how many crew members you need and you’ll need to recruit them);
    • notes on any special equipment requests;
    • notes on any budget plans;
    • any other supporting documentation.

    For MC projects, all requests must be submitted to the MFA Head of Production no later than the end of the spring semester. For FC projects, all requests must be submitted to the BFA Head of Production no later than the day of the first cut screening.

    The Head of Production’s decision on whether to approve or deny a pick-up photography request is final.


  • Budgets

    Lunch & craft

    For each live action show, a dollar amount is provided for every assigned crew member, plus two actors and one volunteer:

    • $10.00 per head lunch catering for 14 crew members and 3 actors or volunteers (17 people total ): $170.00 per day.
    • $5.00 per head craft service for 14 crew members and 3 actors or volunteers (17 people total): $85.00 per day.
    PRODUCTION DAYSTOTAL BUDGET
    2 days$510
    3 days$765
    4 days$1,020

    The amount of money allocated to each film is a set amount. It does not increase if you add volunteer crew or actors. This amount is allocated as part of the necessary budget the school provides, based on the scope of the production.

    Food budgets are allocated to live action productions only and are considered part of the “Provided Production Costs” because meal time is regulated and crew members are not allowed to leave set.

    You may use the total funds for food in any way you wish, as long as it goes only to catering and craft service. This is a “use-it-or-lose-it” budget.

    Spark funds

    Each cohort of thesis students is permitted to run a collective, “friends-and-family” fundraising campaign for supplemental expenses on thesis productions. All funds raised through Spark will be distributed evenly amongst each student in the class.

    All messaging in the fundraising campaign must be approved by the Dean. Students are expressly forbidden from soliciting directly from existing donors to the school. If in doubt, check with the Dean’s Office first before reaching out to the individual. 

    The school reserves the right to shut down the Spark campaign if any of these policies are violated.