By Nasai Rivas
In the beginning of the Fall 2024 semester, the Film and Electronic Arts Department changed its name to the Department of Cinematic Arts, as reported by the Long Beach Current.
The decision has come with other changes and new plans for the future– from structural renovations to the alteration of course requirements to graduate.
On Oct. 18, department chair Adam Moore announced that he is stepping down.
Since this announcement and its following impacts, film students have expressed concerns in a petition and town hall about the increase of workload in courses like CINE 305: Production Workshop 1 and CINE 272: Editing I Lab.
Daniel Figueroa, the student ambassador for CINE, said that one recent change beneficial for students was allowing more students into the directing and cinematography track.
Figueroa said that previously, only 40 students could get in the cinematography and directing track, and now the new curriculum has gotten rid of that cap.
“I think the new changes make the actual department more equitable,” Figueroa said.
Figueroa also said the changes give more people the opportunity to be on film sets.
Third-year film major Laci Monay said she thinks some of the changes were good as some classes are now more available to students, and there is no longer a requirement for a short film in portfolios.
However, Monay said that the CINE 305 class has given them strict rules for films, such as guidelines for what they are able to film and a lack of time to get work completed.
“I feel like it’s a love-hate thing,” Monay said.
Currently, Monay is one of the 329 students that have signed the change.org petition calling for a change in the department.
According to the petition, “the new curriculum has major design flaws that deprive students of a fair and equal education.”
Alana Morris, a third-year film major who also signed the petition, said it was created to bring awareness to the problems in the CINE department and gives students a heads up on classes with large coursework and time commitments.
“Me personally, I like these classes, I like all the exercises that I am doing cause I do feel like I’m doing something,” Morris said. “But, it is something to address.”
Post-production major Adonis Renteria-Pine said that the changes to the curriculum are interesting, but praised the CINE department on getting its own established building on campus.
“One of the classes that I have is definitely more of a workload,” Renteria-Pine said. “But nothing I can’t handle.”
He said that the department should give the new curriculum two years to see how well it “pans out” for the students.
According to Figueroa, there have been some changes to the curriculum due to complaints.
Students were supposed to be required to work on three film sets and an additional three on crew, but this decision received backlash from students and was removed. Figueroa attributed the dropped requirements of working on three sets towards the student-made petition.
Another student ambassador, Naveah Sabiloo said she understands the students’ concerns.
“I think it’s really hard to balance social, work and school life as a college student,” Sabiloo said.
Sabiloo said the petition was successful in bringing attention to the issues in the department and helped to fix some of them.
She also said that she respects the department for fixing the flaws of the previous curriculum and holding the town hall for students to express their concerns on the new changes in the department.
Currently, the department is overlooked by interim chair, David Waldman, who teaches cinematography. Waldman is also the associate chair of the department as well as head of the cinematography track.
As of Oct. 24, the Students Against CSULB CINE 305 Curriculum petition is at 329 of its 500 signature goal.
