The International Applications is now closed.
The 2025 USC SCA Summer Program runs from Friday, June 20, to Friday, August 1.
The deadline for Applications from U.S. Citizens is Wednesday, April 30, at 5:00 PM PT. For any questions, please email us at summer@cinema.usc.edu.

Important Notice:

• Students may only take a maximum of 8 units.
• Students cannot take more than one production course.
• Students cannot take a production course with any of the feature writing courses.
• Students cannot take more than one feature writing course.
• No auditing courses.
• The SCA Summer Program courses are intended for students not currently enrolled at USC/SCA
• USC/SCA students will not be granted D-Clearance for SCA Summer Program courses.

Poetic Filmmaking - 4 Units

Units: 4
Student Level: All

Jun 23 - Aug 1 Apply
In-Person - Ages 16+
Schedule: Tue/Thu 4:00pm - 7:50pm
Max. Seats: 21
Faculty: Samantha Sadoff

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Craft emotionally profound films by blending the lyrical power of poetry with rich cinematic expression.

About the Class

Poetic Filmmaking immerses you in a cinematic experience where traditional storytelling dissolves, allowing for a richer, more nuanced form of expression. In this course, we’ll explore films that transcend formulaic narratives, where image, sound, and editing evoke deep emotion and meaning.

By studying auteur filmmakers, experimental films, and video essays, you’ll discover how the language of poetry—its rhythm, imagery, and metaphor—infuses cinema, creating a unique aesthetic. Here, cinema becomes more than entertainment; it becomes pure art.

This course will take you on an adventurous journey through films that challenge conventional structures and invite audiences into a world where narrative flows like poetry, untethered by traditional plotlines. Through curated screenings, in-depth analyses, and stimulating discussions, you’ll dive into the minds of filmmakers who pioneered the poetic approach to cinema, learning to manipulate the essential components of film—image, sound, and editing—into expressive, emotional works. These films are meant to be felt and interpreted on a visceral level.

But Poetic Filmmaking is not just about studying. It’s about creating. You will apply what you learn directly to your own work, writing, directing, and editing three original short films in the genre of poetic or experimental cinema. This is where your creativity will truly be unleashed, as you’ll be encouraged to break free from traditional filmmaking frameworks and embrace an exploratory, fluid approach. In these projects, you’ll experiment with narrative, symbolism, soundscapes, and editing techniques to evoke emotion, create atmosphere, and challenge audience expectations.

Course Objectives

• Expand Your Film Knowledge: Deepen your understanding of cinema by exploring how poetry, art, and photography intertwine with film. Through screenings, discussions, and analysis, you’ll discover how visual and auditory elements combine to create layers of meaning and emotion.
• Hands-On Experimentation: Channel your newfound knowledge into practice by creating three short films in the genre of poetic cinema. This hands-on experimentation pushes you beyond traditional storytelling, giving you the freedom to explore and express yourself artistically.
• Poetic Filmmaking as an Art Practice: Break the rules and explore new ways to tell deeply personal stories through experimental filmmaking.

Additional Information

• All projects are created outside of scheduled class time.
• Additional tutorials may be taught outside scheduled class dates and times.
• All dates and times of the course are subject to change.
• SCA has a strict ban on the use of prop weapons during the SCA Summer Program.

Poetic Filmmaking is an invitation to reimagine cinematic expression. It’s for those who dare to dream in abstract images, feel through sounds, and think in metaphors. Prepare to step into a world where your imagination knows no limits.

INSTRUCTOR: Samantha Sadoff