Academics
Faculty     Courses

Syllabi are for course approval and reference only. Students will receive up-to-date syllabi when their courses begin.

Courses

Students enroll in the following two courses and the internship course. Each course carries four Boston University credits. Students must enroll for a total of 12 credits.

COM CM 561 HL Survey of Entertainment Promotion
Survey of Entertainment Promotion surveys the strategy, techniques and communication media employed to market the range of entertainment available to the American audience. The course examines the organizations and people who conceive, create and distribute video, film, print, interactive and new technology within the framework of the entertainment promotion landscape. The course demonstrates how advertising, publicity, promotion, research and overall marketing campaigns are created and the impact on the creative and business operations of entertainment companies. 4 cr. Syllabus

COM CM 561 HW Careers in Promotion and Advertising in the Entertainment Industry (Speaker Series)
The course will showcase agents, managers, publicists, and studio executives, among others, who will discuss their role and real life experience in developing and guiding an entertainment project (be it a movie, play, book, or music) to success. The course surveys the nuts and bolts of taking an entertainment project from the ground up with emphasis on doing so in the digital age of the 21st Century. 4 cr. Syllabus

COM CM 471 E Internship or COM CM 809 E Graduate Internship
The internship is one of the primary academic and professional pillars of the Los Angeles Internship Program. Students are introduced to industry environments in their respective fields at sites where they will see the work of industry professionals and participate “in the business.” Students are required to intern for a minimum of 20 hours per week, however, they are expected to intern at two companies for up to 40 hours per week. Progress is monitored through student journal entries and a final paper in which students reflect on their education and experience over the semester. 4 cr. Syllabus

Internship
Placements are contingent on the student's past experience and available opportunities, so flexibility is essential. Recent internship placements have included Lionsgate Films, mPRm, SKG Dreamworks, Capital Records, TBWA/ChiatDay Advertising, Arnold Worldwide, CBS, ABC, NBC Publicity, The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Young and the Restless.

COM FT493/494 Los Angeles Internship Only option (Boston University students only)
The Los Angeles summer internship program offers Boston University undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to spend 10 weeks working in the fields of film and television. Students intern full-time for networks, studios, or other companies that specialize in film or television production, development, casting, or related areas.

This internship only option gives students the possibility to work professionally in the heart of the film and television industries. Upon successful completion of the internship, students earn four Boston University credits.

Back to top

Faculty

Alan Cohen has worked in the publishing, television and feature film businesses. He built NBC's marketing function as cable began to grow and networks needed to be more aggressive in promoting themselves. He later went to ABC when they were acquired by The Walt Disney Company and he established ABC's first centralized marketing department, created the ABC brand identity, and was responsible for advertising and promotion of ABC's programs.

Benjamin Laski received his M.S. degree in Mass Communication from Boston University and his J.D. degree from Boston University School of Law. From 1996 to 2003, Professor Laski advised various clients in the entertainment industry while working at various law firms in Los Angeles. In 2003 he formed his own entertainment law firm in Santa Monica representing music, motion picture, television, and Internet clients. At the same time, he formed Sonic Management where he manages and assists talented musicians in their careers. He is a member of the Recording Academy, NARIP, California Lawyers for the Arts, California Bar Association, Beverly Hills Bar Association, Santa Monica Bar Association, and Century City Bar Association.

Bill Linsman: born and raised in Los Angeles, and having been a director and producer of television commercials for over thirty years, Bill Linsman, knows the ins and outs of professional film production. He has worked with actors (including numerous celebrities), award-winning DPs, and all the major camera and equipment suppliers in Hollywood. Linsman has taught at BU’s Dept. of Film and Television, NYU’s Department of Broadcast in the School of Continuing Professional Studies, at New York Film Academy, and the International Film & Television Workshops in Rockport, Maine. He has directed over 2000 commercials, including hundreds for Procter and Gamble (worldwide) and dozens for Honda motorcars. Linsman is also currently the Director of B.U. in L.A..

Back to top