Assistant Professor of Radio-Television-Film (RTVF) - Cinematography

San José State University • San Jose, CA

4d • $90,000 - $94,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The School of Film, Theatre, and Dance at San José State University invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor specializing in cinematography and visual storytelling, with strong technical expertise in film and television production. We invite applications from accomplished media makers and educators with demonstrated professional expertise or teaching background in camera work, lighting, and moving image production. Successful candidates will exhibit thorough mastery of visual narrative alongside creative and technical film craft, with particular interest in those whose creative work engages historically marginalized voices and perspectives.

The School of Film, Theatre, and Dance brings together Radio-Television-Film, Theatre Arts, and Dance, creating opportunities for collaboration across media and performing arts. The RTVF program combines hands-on training in radio, television, film, screenwriting, and sound production with critical study of media history, aesthetics, and culture. Students develop their creative and technical skills through coursework and collaborative productions, including opportunities with Spartan Film Studios and the university’s radio station, 90.5 FM KSJS. Located in Silicon Valley, the school offers a setting in which faculty can connect creative practice, critical inquiry, and interdisciplinary teaching while preparing students for careers in an evolving media landscape.

The School of Film, Theatre, and Dance and San José State University value institutional excellence and are committed to advancing equity through research, teaching, and service. We enroll more than 40,000 students, many of whom are historically underserved; approximately 45% of our undergraduate students are first-generation college students and 38% are Pell Grant recipients. In addition, we are both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). SJSU aspires to create holistic learning environments that facilitate both individual and collective transformation. We seek teacher-scholars who cultivate inclusive, empowering spaces for mutual learning, skill-building, and knowledge exchange for all students. Our commitment to lifelong learning supports meaningful connections among faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader communities we serve.

We invite all applicants to include a Statement of Institutional Excellence (or incorporate it into your cover letter) to share how your lived and professional experiences will contribute to the SJSU community—particularly in relation to student success. A guide to writing this statement can be found at SJSU Institutional Excellence Statement Guidelines.

Requirements

• MFA in Film Production, or a graduate degree in a closely related field.
• A record of creative practice in cinematography, visual storytelling, and film and/or television production, demonstrating both aesthetic and technical expertise.
• Undergraduate-level teaching experience, with demonstrated ability to integrate theoretical concepts and aesthetic principles into hands-on instruction in cinematography and/or film production.
• Technical proficiency in camera operation, lighting, grip and electrical systems, and digital cinema technologies, including experience with some of the following: digital cinema cameras and camera support systems, lenses, exposure, composition, camera movement, studio and location lighting, color theory, image acquisition, and color management workflows.
• Applicants should demonstrate an awareness of and sensitivity to the educational goals of a socially and economically diverse student population as might have been gained in cross-cultural study, training, teaching, and other comparable experience.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated professional experience as a cinematographer and/or filmmaker in the film and television industry, including work in one or more production formats such as narrative feature or short films, episodic/serial television, web-based media, music videos, commercials, or other professional media productions.
• Familiarity with contemporary filmmaking practices, workflows, technologies, and production environments.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work collaboratively with others in a small, dynamic department.
• Additional professional experience or technical proficiency in areas such as color correction and post-production imaging, editing and contemporary post-production practices, directing within narrative production environments, and emerging technologies in filmmaking, such as AI-related and virtual production tools.
• Experience mentoring students in collaborative film and media production environments, with attention to inclusive collaboration, professional equipment use, set safety, and production planning.
• Experience developing or contributing to cinematography and/or production curricula and courses.
• A record of obtaining external grants from governmental or private foundation sources to support creative work or research.
• An interest in interdepartmental collaborations and cross-disciplinary teamwork beyond the School of Film, Theatre, and Dance, for example, with the Animation program, Digital Media Art program, Digital Humanities Center, or School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
• Demonstrated commitment to addressing equity gaps in film and television and to advancing social justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, including creative work that engages historically underrepresented voices and perspectives.

Responsibilities

• Design and teach introductory and advanced-level courses in cinematography and film and television production, with the possibility of teaching related courses based on the candidate’s specific areas of expertise, emphasizing professional equipment use, set safety, and production planning.
• Advise and mentor students in coursework, creative projects, collaborative production environments, and professional development.
• Contribute to curriculum development in the Radio-Television-Film program, including the development and revision of courses in cinematography and emerging areas of film production.
• Participate in student recruitment.
• Develop and sustain an ongoing record of professional engagement, including research and/or creative activities.
• The candidate will participate in shared governance, usually in department, college, and university committees and other service assignments.
• Faculty shall organize all their classes within the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS).
• The candidate must demonstrate awareness and experience in understanding the needs of a student population of great diversity – in age, abilities, cultural background, ethnicity, religion, economic background, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, and academic preparation – through inclusive course materials, teaching strategies, and advisement.

Benefits

• Faculty employee benefits are very competitive for the higher education sector. See the CSU Employee Benefits Summary for details about the CSU’s excellent benefits package.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level