College of Arts and Sciences

The "Reel" DIFT Capstone: What you might not know about the DIFT Capstone

April 23, 2026

Senior Seminar Advanced Digital Production I and II is a yearlong capstone experience. During this course, students create either individual or partner-based film projects in documentary or narrative form. These projects are built around storytelling and are shaped by each student’s interests, perspective, and creative voice. Every film must also explore a socially significant theme.
 
Over the two semesters, students do much more than make a film. They also gain networking experience, create self-branding materials, and build personal websites so they are better prepared to enter the industry after graduation. One of the biggest milestones of the four-year DIFT experience is the DIFT Senior Capstone Screening.

What many people may not realize is how detailed and demanding the senior film process really is. The capstone begins informally during the fall of junior year in DIFT 250 Screenwriting and Story Craft. At the end of that course, about eight films are selected to move into production. Students are then paired into teams of two, and the rewriting process begins.
 
Casting takes place virtually over the summer before senior year. During the first two weeks of Senior Seminar, students review, finalize, and approve their casts. From there, they move through the same major stages used in professional film production: pre-production, production, and post-production. During pre-production, students submit extensive planning materials and meet with the Executive Producer (Professor) to review them. These materials include shot lists, overhead diagrams, storyboards, location scouting reports, release forms, script breakdowns, marked scripts, and more. All pre-production work must be approved before a film is greenlit to begin shooting. By the time they graduate, students leave with both their completed short films and production books that are often 80 to 100 pages long.
 
While working on their own films, students are also expected to help on the films of their peers. They report on the shoots they attend and outline their plans for each week. This gives them experience in a wide range of roles beyond directing their own projects, including sound, cinematography, and gaffing. As a result, students graduate with experience in writing, directing, and multiple areas of production, which better prepares them for a variety of career paths. Class sessions can take different forms. Some days focus on networking or learning equipment such as the Steadicam or crane. More often, however, class time is used to review and critique rushes so students can evaluate sound, editing, lighting, and performances and discuss what should be improved on the next shoot. Watching rushes as a group creates a strong learning environment because students can see both what is working and what may need to be reshot.
 
The final months of the capstone are spent in post-production, where students refine their films from rough cuts to fine cuts and complete color grading, ADR, picture lock, sound design, audio fixes, enhancements, and head and tail credit graphics. All this work is completed by the student teams themselves. Once the films are finished, the class votes on whether each one will be included in the screening, and in some cases a team may be asked to make a few final adjustments. Although there has never been a film excluded from the show, the possibility adds extra pressure. Screening night is always a special experience because students get to share their work with a live audience. For many, it becomes the moment that inspires them to keep making films.
 
A DIFT degree is both well-rounded and highly collaborative. Teamwork, problem solving, and learning the language of cross-functional production are all central to the experience. Film production rarely goes exactly as planned. Locations can fall through, actors may leave during production, and unexpected obstacles can appear at any point. Even so, students learn how to adapt and keep moving forward.
 
DIFT is proud of the rankings it has received from the Broadcast Education Association, it is not only the top film and TV program in Ohio it is one of the top programs in the country. The work does not stop after the senior screening. Students must also complete a professional demo reel and upload it to a personal website by finals week. The student’s final day as a DIFT major is a critique of the demo reel and a bunch of heartfelt goodbyes. 
 
Tune in to the Senior Screening on May 1 at 7 PM—you will not want to miss it. Here’s the 2026 Senior Screening YouTube Link:
https://www.youtube.com/live/PgeyZg5DvoM
 
Here is a link to watch last year’s program:
https://tinyurl.com/DIFT25Screening
(The password is everyone’s favorite word: assessment)
 
Happy Spring, Everyone!

Blis DeVault
Professor, Program Director
Digital Innovation, Film and Television Director, Film/TV Center