News

UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television’s Professional Programs, which offers graduate level non-degree certificate programs focused on the entertainment industry, announced today a new academic course dedicated to the study of video game development, one of the fastest growing forms of entertainment in the world. “Interactivity: A Course in Video Game Design and Development” will be taught by renowned game writer Marianne Krawczyk (“God of War” franchise) and Sony Computer Entertainment’s Senior Manager of Internal Production, Whitney Wade.

The course will teach students about the gaming development process beginning with the initial phase of creating ideas to the technicalities of production, including scheduling, resourcing and budgeting, resulting in the creation of a Greenlight Game Proposal.

“The goal of UCLA TFT Professional Programs is to provide individuals with the tools they need to play a significant role in the entertainment industry with courses focused on the art and craft of storytelling, a discipline that is at the heart of every class and initiative at UCLA TFT,” stated Joe Rosenberg, director of Professional Programs. “We will continue to build new courses and programs around the already robust Professional Programs curriculum to focus on the ever-changing needs of the marketplace.”

Game developer Krawczyk has received numerous awards for her pioneering work involved in the creation of game worlds, stories and characters, including the “God of War” franchise and “Prince of Persia.” She won a BAFTA award for her character and story work on “God of War 2” and received a WGA nomination for “God of War 3” and “God of War: Ascension.” Krawczyk has worked extensively with Ubisoft, THQ and Activision on major franchises such as “Skylanders,” “Driver,” “Far Cry” and “Prince of Persia,” the latter earning her another WGA award nomination. She also collaborated with J.J. Abrams and Roberto Orci to develop the 2013 video game tie-in for their “Star Trek” film franchise. Later this year, Krawczyk’s work can be seen in the highly anticipated Hinterland game “The Long Dark,” in which she was the lead writer.

Sony computer entertainment executive Wade has over a decade of experience in the gaming world and has been a producer on the entire “God of War” franchise. She now oversees production scheduling, process and methodologies on multiple video game projects developed by Sony’s internal development team.

Launched in 1994, the UCLA TFT Professional Programs is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary. In the past two decades, the program has grown exponentially providing industry professionals with an opportunity to refine their skill sets, while also networking with other like-minded individuals. Professional Programs offers graduate level, non-degree courses, modeled after UCLA TFT’s world-renowned M.F.A. curriculum, that are taught by industry professionals, several of whom also teach at UCLA TFT. Professional Programs alumni include Josh Bycel (“Happy Endings,” “Psych,” “Scrubs”), James Ponsoldt (“The Spectacular Now”), Dan Mazeau (“Wrath of the Titans,” upcoming “The Flash”), and Susan Hurwitz Arneson (“Bordertown,” “South Park”), among many others.

The application deadline for the video game course is Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2014. Students will be notified of their acceptance status on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014. For more information or to enroll, please visit http://legacy.tft.ucla.edu/programs/professional-programs/.

Posted: August 4, 2014