From nearly their first day in class, CU Denver’s Film & Television students have a camera (or a boom mic, clapboard, etc.) in their hands. From that point until graduation, there is hardly a time when they aren’t on set or shooting on location. It’s not uncommon for students to graduate from CU Denver with 8-10 reels on their portfolio and experience on at least one professional set, including a documentary filmmaking set.  

For Professor Hans Rosenwinkel, whose professional career has spanned documentary filmmaking delving into natural history, cultural anthropology, wildlife documentary, and human-interest stories, giving students the experiential learning they need to succeed is the north star for the curriculum of his Advanced Cinematography class.  

Helping the Denver Zoo Tell Its Story Through Film 

Last year, Rosenwinkel arranged a project with the Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance (DZCA). DZCA is in the middle of a rebrand, which is designed to highlight the worldwide conservation efforts the zoo has been involved in for multiple decades now. To aid in getting the word out, CU Denver students filmed zookeepers about DZCA’s facilities, their veterinary capabilities, and the animals that are alive because of their conservation efforts. Scheduled to release in January, the short interviews will highlight the unique position Denver’s zoo is in to help with conservation efforts worldwide. 

To help his students capture the best footage possible at the zoo, Rosenwinkel worked with Sony, who loaned special cameras and telephoto lenses. The students had a blast working with the equipment, and for some of them it was their first time using it.  

Projects like this give the students “opportunity with something different that they haven't done before, also in such a way where they can increase their value, diversify their experience, and to give them more professional connections in the industry,” notes Rosenwinkel. If you ask any of CU Denver’s film faculty, they will emphasize the importance of building a network, but they will also talk about getting experience. That is, your network might help you get your foot on set, but whether you get invited back depends on the job you do. 

Hands-On Film Curriculum 

Beyond Rosenwinkel’s class, though, experiential learning opportunities abound at CU Denver. The cohort-style of the film & television degree program sees students working on fellow students’ projects, creating a web series together in their junior year, and crafting senior projects that they screen at Cinefest, the College of Arts & Media’s annual red-carpet event complete with photographers, awards, and speeches.  

Rosenwinkel’s Advanced Cinematography class also had the opportunity to learn from professionals active in the field of effects and stunt work. Workshops arranged with Rocky Mountain Stunts and Gearhead FX had the students learning about martial arts techniques used in combat scenes and prop handling. When Jim Milligan of Gearhead FX spoke to the students, he emphasized how dangerous film sets can be, and how some of the most dangerous things often fall to the least-experienced people on set. Students listened as Milligan shared how to handle unsafe requests and what to do instead. Then the students got to practice the proper way to handle a prop firearm while filming a scene. 

Whether they want to go into narrative filmmaking or documentary filmmaking, students at CU Denver will find the network and experiential learning opportunities they need to succeed in the film industry.