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

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.

• 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. 
  
  

Priority will be given to candidates who possess several of the following:

• 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. 
  
  

• →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.
  
  

Note that all San José State University employees are considered mandated reporters under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and are required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and CSU systemwide policy, some faculty duties may lead to designation as a Campus Security Authority (CSA). CSAs are required to complete Clery Act training and to immediately report Clery incidents to the institution. 

Faculty employees must complete CSU employee training as assigned and required based on their role (e.g., Data Security, FERPA, Preventing Discrimination and Harassment, Title IX, Health and Safety). The President may recommend or require compliance with safety measures that decrease the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission or illness and allows the core mission and activities of the campus to continue.

Click Apply Now to complete the SJSU Online Employment Application and attach the following documents:

• letter of interest

• curriculum vitae
• institutional excellence statement (dedicated statement or addressed in letter of interest)
•  one-page statement of teaching interests/philosophy, describing the candidate’s plans to engage undergraduate students in film production and studies
• one-page statement of current and future research and/or creative production plans
• link to an online portfolio and/or inclusion of work in cinematography and visual storytelling 
• three professional references, who will be contacted for the final pool of applicants 

Inquiries may be directed to: Dr. Matthew Spangler, Director of the School of Film, Theatre, and Dance, at matthew.spangler@sjsu.edu. 

Pursuant to California Education Code 89521, applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended.  Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct. 

The work for this faculty position may only be performed in the State of California and requires establishing an on-campus presence.  Employment is contingent upon US residence and proof of eligibility to work in the United States. Satisfactory completion of background and reference checks (including criminal records and prior employment) are required. SJSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background and reference checks reveal disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background and reference checks may affect the continued employment of a current employee who was conditionally offered the position.

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley — one of the most innovative regions in the world — San José State University is the founding campus of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system and the first public university in the West. Recognized as a leading transformative educational institution, San José State is an essential partner in the technological, economic, cultural, and social development of Silicon Valley, the Bay Area, and California. SJSU is a top-200 school nationally in research funding and second highest in research productivity in the CSU system. Cutting-edge research, world-class scholarship, student-centered learning, diverse communities, and commitment to social justice, allow SJSU to provide life-changing opportunities and advance the public good locally and globally.

San José State University prohibits discrimination on the basis of Age, Ancestry, Caste, Color, Disability, Ethnicity, Gender, Gender Expression, Gender Identity, Genetic Information, Marital Status, Medical Condition, Military Status, Nationality, Race, Religion, Religious Creed, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Sex Stereotype, and Veteran Status. This policy applies to all San José State University students, faculty, and staff as well as University programs and activities. Reasonable accommodations are made for applicants with disabilities who self-disclose.

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the Annual Security Report (ASR) is also now available for viewing at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Security-Report.pdf. The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and Sexual Assault prevention information, and information about drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics of Clery crimes for San José State University locations for the three most recent calendar years. A paper copy of the ASR is available upon request by contacting the Office of the Clery Director by phone at 408-924-1501 or by email at clerycompliance@sjsu.edu.

Pursuant to the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Annual Fire Safety Report (AFSR) is available at https://www.sjsu.edu/clery/docs/SJSU-Annual-Fire-Safety-Report.pdf. The purpose of this report is to disclose statistics for fires that occurred within SJSU on-campus housing facilities for the three most recent calendar years, and to distribute fire safety policies and procedures intended to promote safety on Campus. A paper copy of the AFSR is available upon request by contacting the Housing Office by phone at 408-795-5600 or by email at uhs-frontdesk@sjsu.edu.

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