A) Share responsibilities

– Select a moderatorwho does not have a conflict of interest with the subject matter of the panel discussion and who will keep the conversation moving and adhere to the guidelines and rules.

– Choose knowledgeable well-educated panelists, allow them time to prepare.

b) Write questions for the panelists.Questions should be open-ended and require more than “yes” or “no” answers. Create more questions than you think you will need in case the panel discussion proceeds more quickly than anticipated.

C) Determine the rules for the panel discussion.

That’s how you wish the panel discussion to proceed.

– Open discussion panel forums usually begin with a question and discussion between panelists.

– Set a time limit for each speaker.

– Determine how questions from the audience will be handled. Some formats allow questions during the panel discussion. Others provide time after the panel discussion for audience members to ask questions of the panelists.

d) Present and introduce the panelists at the beginning of the panel discussion. Introduce the moderator.He should inform the audience of the purpose of the discussion and provide a brief summary of the discussion format and rules. The moderator should give a short biographical introduction of the panelists.

e) Conduct the discussion as planned, following the established rules.The moderator should ask questions and coordinate the discussion as planned.

f) Conclude the panel discussion with a summary and closing remarks.The moderator should thank the audience and panelists, and give any information for follow-up activities or events.

Exercise 15. Create your own “Dogma 20_ _” reflecting your artistic principles and your personal approach to technology. Present it to the audience and answer their questions.

READING, VOCABULARY

AND COMMUNICATION

Exercise 16. a) Skim through the article about Film, TV and Digital Media Programs and Degrees and count the number of its sections and their titles.

b) Scan the article to find the following information:

§ the kind of approaches film, television and digital media programs combine;

§ the difference between Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees;

§ Master of Arts as distinct from Master of Fine Arts degree;

§ the focus of attention in a PhD program;

§ the average tuition fee per year for a film program at any of the leading US universities;

§ the factors you should take into consideration while choosing a program;

§ career prospects within the film industry as assessed by Margaret Holbrough;

§ degree timing strategy;

§ the difference between Master’s and Doctorate degrees and the availability of on-line education;

§ sources of financial support for international students;

§ what distinguishes the application process to film school.

Film, TV and Digital Media Programs and Degrees

Do you want to study Film, TV, or Digital media in the United States? We’ve put together a useful guide to what’s top and what you can expect going into one of these programs.

A Brief Introduction

Film, television and digital media programs combine a theoretical and scholarly approach to the study of visual media with professional training in how to actually produce a piece of original work.

Undergraduates pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in film studies attend courses that are for the most part “theory heavy” providing scholarly overviews of the various media, the industries involved, their history and recent trends while availing the opportunity to “taste” the field by taking on internships with film companies or trying their hand at working for graduate student films.

Schools that offer Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees introduce students to the craft of film making and include courses in animation, art direction, cinematography, directing, editing and sound, producing and screenwriting.

Coming through as a well-educated, determined, imaginative and creative person can heavily tilt the scales in your favour.

Graduate programs dig deeper and make it possible for students to choose between Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degrees and the opportunity to enrol for research heavy PhD programs. The MA includes courses in cinema and media studies and is many ways an extension of ground already covered in undergrad studies while the MFA focuses on the actual craft of film/television/digital media “making” whether in terms of production, directing or screenwriting.

Several top schools such as the Columbia University School of the Arts place the MA and MFA programs close together, so that students have ready access to the experience of their counterparts across the MA/MFA divide and some schools even make it compulsory for students to dip in to both theory and practice in equal measure.

Schools offering PhD degrees provide students the opportunity to conduct in depth research in film and media studies often paving the way, among other professions, to academic careers.

Unsurprisingly, getting into the top schools is tough and expensive but the rewards just as sweet in terms of top class training, exposure, influential contacts and nearly always a push to recognition.