Film study entails understanding the history and aesthetics of this popular art form, and the theoretical approaches used in its analysis. The Film Studies minor offers students the opportunity to develop a critical and analytical perspective about film from which they will be able to examine different national traditions of cinema.
Film Studies (FILM) Courses
210 – Introduction to Film – An introduction to the study of film that teaches the critical tools necessary for the analysis and interpretation of the medium. Students will learn to analyze cinematography, mise-en-scène, editing, sound, and narration while being exposed to the various perspectives of film criticism and theory. Through frequent sequence analyses from sample films and the application of different critical approaches, students will learn to approach the film medium as an art. Four hours. Staff.
215 – Australian Film – A close study of Australian "New Wave" Cinema, considering a wide range of post- 1970 feature films as cultural artifacts. Among the directors studied are Bruce Beresford, Peter Weir, Simon Wincer, Gillian Armstrong, and Jane Campion. Offered every three years. Four hours. Sheckels.
228 – The Holocaust in German and European Film - This survey course introduces students to German and European Film on the Holocaust. Students will study films that deal both with the history and the aftermath of the Holocaust, and learn how the Holocaust affected most of Europe. In addition to weekly filmscreenings, students will read texts on the Holocaust and give presentations, as well as write a final paper. By the end of this course, students will develop the necessary skills to interpret and critique international films.They will also be able to compare how the history of the Holocaust has beendepicted in various German and European films, and they will be able to explain the historical contexts of the countries producing these films. Three hours. Moser.
243 – History of American Film – This course offers a historical survey of American film, from the silent era to the present, with an emphasis on major American films, directors, styles, and genres. The focus will be on "Hollywood" and feature film-making, but other topics such as documentaries will be discussed. This course will introduce students to the serious study of film by focusing on the critical tools and theoretical perspectives necessary for analysis and interpretation. Students will also consider how changes in media and technology have affected American films and film history.Offered alternate years. Four hours. Staff.
244 – Introduction to International Film – This course is one of the basic requirements for the study of film history, with emphasis on major international films, directors, styles, and genres. It is the second course that will introduce students to the study of film by focusing on critical tools and a variety of film/media theories necessary for the analysis and interpretation of film. Moreover, through the discussion of influential international films, students will be introduced to stories. Also, because of the effects of globalization and movements of people, students will explore topics such as identity, nationality, and multiculturalism to better understand the world today. Offered alternate years. Four hours. Eren.
253 - History of American Independent Film - This course traces the evolution of a parallel or second American cinema that developed outside the Hollywood studio system and the Production Code's censors. Comprised ofdiverse perspectives, alternative production modes, and non-classical storystructures, the independent film was able to address subjects--racial, labor, feminist and gay--that Hollywood was reluctant, or unable, to represent. Dailyscreenings, lectures, readings. Four hours. Jones.
261 – Writing for Film – An introduction to the principles and practices on screenwriting, this course analyses the theories, structures, and themes of comedic and dramatic storytelling and explores the creative stages and chronological stages in script development. Offered annually. Three hours. Salins.
262 – Filmmaking – An introduction to the visualization practices and production principles of filmmaking with an in-depth examination of the professional language, personnel, equipment, and technical components involved in pre-production, production, and post-production. An exploration of thecreative role of the director in such activities as artistic shot selection, visual and audio synchronization, music and sound alignment, storyboard development, cinematography, and editing. An examination of the process of filmmaking with an emphasis on interaction and coordination among such elements as scene construction, frame composition, lens selection, lighting, camera placement or movement, and film coverage/ratios. Offered annually. Three hours. Salins.
275 – French Cinema – An introduction to the rich history and development of French cinema, from the Lumière brothers in 1895 to the latest generation of French filmmakers. Students will analyze the films of major film directors and movements of French filmmaking, study the endurance and resilience of French cinema, and examine the characteristics that make thiscinema particularly "French." Special attention is given to cinematographic genres and aesthetics, and the contribution of French filmmakers to film as an art form. Students will also study French cinema in its relationship to modern France and analyze the socio-political and historical contexts represented in films. Prerequisites: FREN 232 and 241 or departmental permission. Three hours. Teixidor.
292 – Japanese Film as History: The Works of Kurosawa Akira – This course serves as general introduction to postwar Japanese film throughclose examination of several films of Kurosawa Akira, one of the most celebrated directors in the history of the medium. Classic samurai drama such as "Rashomon", "The Seven Samurai", and other period films will be the focus of the course. Students will be introduced to basic theories and concepts in film studies, as well as topics in Japanese history relevant to both the settings and production of the films. Close attention will also be paid to issues of nationalism, gender, war and cross-cultural adaptation. Japanese language skills are not required. Same as ASTU 292. Offered alternate years. Four hours. Munson.
300 – Topics in Film Studies Research – Students may select a research topic in a specialized area in film studies. Projects are student-designed in consultation with a faculty member. A proposal (including a literature review or bibliography/filmography and a research plan) must be submitted to the faculty member by the end of the second week of the term in which the research is to be completed. The project culminates in a paper presented to the supervising faculty member and perhaps others by the end of that term. Prerequisites: FILM 210 and permission of the program director. Three hours. Staff.
345 – Major Film Makers – An examination of the works of four or five major figures in film history. For example, the works of such figures as Eisentein, D. W. Griffith, Renoir, Welles, Hitchcock, Hawks, Chaplin, and Truffaut might be included. Offered alternate years. Four hours. Staff.
346 – Film Genres – A detailed examination of several film genres, such as the musical, the suspense film, the political film, and the French "New Wave". Offered alternate years. Four hours. Staff.