Undergraduate Courses: Winter & Spring 2019

FILM-ST 397A – Alien Encounters

Instructor: Daniel Pope
Lab: Tu 4:00pm-7:00pm Discussion: Th 1:00pm-1:50pm
Classroom TBA
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: III, V

Could extraterrestrial life exist in the cosmos? Scientists say yes, possibly on billions of planets in our galaxy alone. In this class, we will examine the international cinema of alien encounters and explore how these films envision the alien other. How do these films both reflect and shape our own experience of “the alien” or the unknown “other”? Since the beginning of cinema, the figure of the alien has visited the big screen with its promise of otherworldly wonders and its threat of unthinkable perils. This course will explore how alien encounters reflect the haunting of historical realities (such as European voyages of discovery, conquest, and colonization) as well as contemporary issues, such as international conflict (war or global migration), questions of identity (race, gender, sexuality), and the power and perils of emerging technologies (nuclear weapons, artificial intelligence, space travel). Imagining encounters with intelligent beings beyond our own cultural and ideological sphere provides powerful new perspectives on what we think we know about the world, about ourselves, and about others.

FILM-ST 497N – New York on Film

3 Credits (4 credits is possible; discuss with professor)
Instructor: Barry Spence, Cap: 15
Lab: Thu 4:00pm-7:00pm;
Three MANDATORY field trips to New York City (see below)
ILC S404
Prerequisite: This course is designed for Film Certificate students or for those with previous experience studying film. Please contact the professor, if you have any questions.

"New York on Film" is a course offered under the auspices of the New York Professional Outreach Program (NYPOP), College of Humanities & Fine Arts. New York City's celluloid skylines have long been a crucible for the seventh art. On the one hand, this course examines the role of NYC in a wide range of films; on the other hand, it considers NYC as a cultural center for the production of cinema. We will explore multiple representations of the city's dramatic streetscapes and hidden histories, international and multiethnic spaces, architecture and landscapes, with a focus on shifting portrayals of the city from the silent era to the present in diverse genres and temporalities. How do filmmakers of different classes, races, and genders represent social and cultural spaces? What is the role of the city in the creative, programming, exhibition, and distribution process? What interactions take place between film artists and the city's infrastructure? The course will include weekly screenings of narrative fiction, documentary, and experimental genres inspired by, set in, and designed with New York in mind. Required readings will complement these screenings.

The central field component of this course will involve three trips to New York City: a daytrip on Feb 8 (Friday), and two overnight trips March 1-2 and April 12-13 (both on Friday-Saturday). On these trips we will: attend film screenings at iconic and culturally significant cinemas; visit museums such as the American Museum of the Moving Image and the Museum of Modern Art; tour an independent film production company; connect with film professionals; experience the architecture, food, and vibrant street life of one of the most cinematic cultural capitals of the world.

PLEASE NOTE: Attendance on all three trips is mandatory. For each trip there will be a bus chartered by the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. The cost to students for each (roundtrip) bus trip is $25.
In addition, students must find their own accommodations during the two overnight trips.

FILM-ST 497W – Film Writing and Criticism in the Age of New Media

Instructor: Daniel Pope
Lecture: We 2:30pm-5:30pm
Classroom: TBA
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: II, IV, V

This is both a writing class for movie-lovers and a film class for writers interested in new media. With cinema touching nearly every corner of popular and intellectual culture, new varieties of film writing have flourished along with it. From thinking about what cinema is (and what it can be) to personal explorations of cinema, we will dive into the exciting new opportunities for film criticism, from the force of the critical essay and the art of the film review to the rapidly evolving landscape of new media—video essays, podcasts, websites, social media, blogs, and other engagements with film. The core work of this class focuses on discovering our own compelling insights into films and film art from around the world and from different eras of cinema and then expressing those discoveries effectively in moving images, written words, and audio experiences for diverse audiences.

FILM-ST 597E – Strange Engagements-Figural Realism in Film and Literature

Instructor: Daniel Pope
Lecture: Mo 9:00AM-12:00pm
Classroom: TBA

Course Description TBA

ANTHRO 106 – Culture Through Film

UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: III, V

Exploration of different societies and cultures, and of the field of cultural anthropology through the medium of film. Ethnographic and documentary films; focus on gender roles, ethnicity, race, class, religion, politics, and social change.

ART 230 – Image Capturing

3 Credits
Instructor: Susan Jahoda, Cap: 10
Lecture: TuThu 1:00pm-3:45pm OR TuThu 4:00pm-6:45pm
Studio Arts Building Rm 16
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: V

Introduction to photographic tools and methods. The balance between self-inquiry and the importance of process and materials as vehicles of meaning. Theory explored through class critiques and slide presentations. Photography examined and discussed both from a personal point of view and in its wider cultural context.

ART 231 – Photography II

3 Credits
Instructor: Susan Jahoda, Cap: 14
Lecture: TuThu 8:30AM-11:15AM
Studio Arts Building Rm 16
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: V

Open to Undergraduate Art, BFA-ART, BFA-ART ED, and Art History majors
In-depth exploration of techniques and materials including zone system, large format, and non-silver processes. Slide lectures, discussions, and readings. Prerequisite: ART 230 or consent of instructor.

ART 375 – Moving Image

3 Credits
Instructor: Jenny Vogel, Cap: 12
Lecture: MoWe 4:40pm-7:25pm
Studio Arts Building Rm 16
Open to Undergraduates with majors in Art, BFA-Art, and BFA-Art Education only
Prerequisites: ART 104, 110, or 120
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: V

This course explores digital video and sound within the context of contemporary art practices. Students learn basic skills and concepts used in experimental digital video production through small-scale projects.

ART 384 – Computer Animation II

3 Credits
Instructor: Shane Mecklenburger, Cap: 14
Lecture: TuThu 1:00pm-3:45pm
Fine Arts Center 447
Open to Undergraduates with majors in Art, BFA-Art, and BFA-Art Education only
Prerequisites: ART 374 and ART 385
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: V

The second of a two semester sequence. Animation techniques using digital tools as applied to film, video, music and technology. Animation software (Maya) and professional compositing programs are used. Development and design of personal work is stressed. Emphasis is on creativity and professionalism. Studio course.

COMM 140 – Introduction to Film Studies

3 Credits
Instructor: Marty Norden, Cap: 125
Lecture: MoWe 2:30pm-3:45pm; Screening: Mon 4:00pm-6:00pm
ILC S240
Open to Sophomores & Freshmen Only
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: I, V

This course is designed to provide an introduction to the nature and functions of film in its narrative, documentary, and experimental forms. We will look at the various components of film expression (composition, movement, editing, sound, production design, acting), developments in screen narrative, film's relationship to other arts and media, and its role as an instrument of social expression.

COMM 345 – Contemporary World Cinema

3 Credits
Instructor: Anne Ciecko, Cap: 43
Lecture: MoWe 4:00pm-6:00pm
ILC S240
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: III, V

This course offers an overview of recent filmmaking from Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, Europe, and elsewhere. While narrative fiction feature films are central, documentary, short-form work, and other digital/audiovisual media will also be included. Developing tools of film analysis and criticism, we will explore representational strategies and issues of context: current events, cultural, political, social, historical, and economic circumstances that impact the production, exhibition, marketing, distribution, and reception of films. The class meeting time includes lectures, discussions, class activities, and regular screenings of feature films and clips; at least one screening outside class may also be required. All undergraduates are welcome. No prior background in film studies is required, only an openness to diverse cultures and representations.

COMM 441 – Principles and Techniques of Film Style Production

3 Credits
Instructor: Elliot Montague, Cap: 12
Lecture: Tu 3:30pm-6:30pm
ILC N317
Open to Senior and Junior Communication majors only.
Prerequisites: COMM 231 and 331
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: IV, V

A hands-on introduction to single-camera filmmaking using digital video camcorders and non-linear editing. Production assignments will foster student skills in the art of visual storytelling: from pre-production, shot composition and lighting to continuity editing and post production audio.

COMM 444 – Film Styles and Genres

3 Credits
Instructor: Shawn Shimpach, Cap: 25
Lecture: Mo 1:25pm-2:15pm; Screening: Mo 2:30pm-5:15pm
ILC S404
Open to Senior and Junior Communication majors only.
Prerequisites: One of the following: COMM 140, COMM 240, COMM 340
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: III, IV, V

Why do we put certain films into categories? What constitutes a film genre, how do we recognize it, and what do we do with it? This course examines these questions and more by considering a specific genre over the course of the semester. We will learn to think of genre as a way of comparing and contrasting different films. Genre will also be thought of as a way of creating expectations and measuring experience and meaning. The power of film genre is that it allows us to understand film as a text and film as a social practice at the very same time.

COMM 445 – Screenwriting - 3 Credits

Instructor: Marty Norden, Cap: 20
Seminar: MoWe 10:10AM-11:25AM
ILC N345
Open to Senior and Junior Communication majors only.
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: IV, V

An examination of the art, craft, and business of screenwriting from theoretical and practical perspectives. Topics include screenplay format and structure, story, plot and character development, dialog and scene description, visual storytelling, pace and rhythm, analysis of professional and student scripts and films.

COMM 493Z – S-Documentary Production Workshop

3 Credits
Instructor: Bruce Geisler, Cap: 12
Seminar: TuThu 11:30AM-12:55pm
ILC N317
Open to Senior and Junior Communication majors only
Requirements: One of the following: COMM 331, COMM 441, COMM446
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: IV, V

A hands-on workshop in the production of documentary films. Students will learn about the art and craft of non-fiction filmmaking and create two to three short documentaries using high definition video and Adobe Premiere editing suites

COMM 494BI – Countercultural Films

3 Credits
Instructor: Bruce Geisler, Cap: 25
Seminar: We 12:20pm-2:20pm; Discussion: We 2:30pm-3:30pm
Seminar: ILCS350; Discussion: ILCN345
Open to Seniors & Juniors only, or by permission of instructor.
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: III, IV, V

An exploration of the counter-cultural movements of the 1960s and 70s and later, hosted by someone who was there and lived to tell the tale. Through the medium of documentary and fiction films, we will delve into the musical, sexual, artistic, political and spiritual upheavals that rocked America and Europe back then and that continue to reverberate today.

COMM 593D – S-Advanced Screenwriting

3 Credits
Instructor: Bruce Geisler, Cap: 16
Lecture: TuThu 2:30pm-3:45pm
ILC S416
Open to Senior & Junior Communication majors only.
Prerequisite: COMM 493E or another college-level screenwriting course
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: IV, V

Building on the introductory course, (COMM 493E: Seminar-Screenwriting), an intensive workshop where students receive continuing, in-depth feedback on their work in progress, as they strive for professional competence in feature-length theatrical screenwriting or writing for episodic television. Analysis of two professional screenplays and the films or shows produced from them as students delve into the writer's art and craft. Students will complete either 60 pages of a feature length motion picture screenplay or a complete episode for an existing dramatic television show, or two episodes for a current sitcom.

COMP-LIT 290M – Migration, Commotion, and Community

4 Credits
Instructor: Moira Inghilleri, Cap: 60
Lecture: TuThu 4:00pm-5:15pm
ILC S231
Fulfills Gen-Eds AL, DU
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: II, V

Using comic books, films, visual art, and fiction, we widen the meaning of ‘migration’. Why do characters in “Arrival” fear aliens? How are the children in “Logan” allegories for displacement? How does "Brooklyn" delocalize the meaning of home?How does “Ms. Marvel” use a popular comic to talk about belonging? America is made up of her movements, and through group projects, short readings, film screenings, and class presentations, we build a collective understanding of how we experience, at one point or another, what Freud calls ‘unhemleich’, not being at home, and how community becomes the 'chosen' home away from home where we can belong.

COMP-LIT 381 – Self-Reflective Avant-Garde Film

4 Credits
Instructor: Don Levine, Cap: 50
Lab: Mo 4:00pm-7:30pm; Discussion: Tu 2:30pm-3:45pm OR 4:00pm-5:15pm
Herter Classroom TBD
Students have the option of applying for a 1 credit add-on honors credit
Course can apply to Comm major—see Comm advisor
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: II, V

Focus on narrative problems of love, desire, sexual identity, daily life, and death. These films' investigations of how we might gain distance on our life fictions by questioning and undermining viewer identification with narrative.

COMP-LIT 391SF/591SF – International Science Fiction Cinema

3 Credits
NOTE: This class is also available as a FilmSt course
Instructor: Chris Couch, Cap: 50
Lecture: Tu 7:00pm-10:00pm
Discussion: Th 2:30pm-3:20pm OR Fr 11:15AM-12:05AM OR Fr 12:20pm-1:10pm
ILC S240
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: III, V

This course provides an introduction to science fiction cinema from the end of the nineteenth century to today. Beginning with the experiments of the Melies Brothers and the importance of German Expressionist films like Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, the course considers technological prognostication from Destination Moon to 2001: A Space Odyssey, adventure and science fiction in films like Forbidden Planet and Star Wars, and the dystopian imagination from Invasion of the Body Snatchers to District 9. The course will also highlight the roles of women writers and directors form Thea von Harbou to Kathryn Bigelow, and technological cinematic advances from matte painting and process shots to CGI. Cross-listed with FILM-ST 391SF – International Science Fiction Cinema.

FRENCH 353 – African Film

4 Credits
Instructor: Patrick Mensah, Cap: 60
Lecture: Tu 4:00pm-7:00pm; Discussion: Thu 2:30pm-3:45pm OR Thu 4:00pm-5:15pm
ILC S240
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: III, V

Course taught in English. Histories and development of African Francophone and Caribbean film, from its inception to the present day. The sociocultural, economic, and political forces and imperatives defining its forms and directions. Questions this work raises in film aesthetics and theory as a whole. Screenings and analysis of films by Sembene, Achkar, Kabore, Mweze, Cisse, Drabo, Bekolo, Teno, Peck, Palcy, Lara, Haas, and others. (Gen.Ed. AT, G)

JAPANESE 197L – ST-Manga/Anime

3 Credits
Instructor: Bruce Baird, Cap: 52
Lecture: TuThu 10:00AM-11:15AM; Lab: Mo 7:00pm-9:00pm
Classroom: TBD
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: III, V

Japan has become a phenomenally successful exporter of pop culture. This course will give students tools to understand Manga and Anime; it will investigate the role Manga and Anime play in Japan; and, it will examine ways that Manga and Anime flow from one place to another. Course is conducted entirely in English.

JOURNAL 333 – Introduction to Visual Storytelling

4 Credits
Instructor: Olga Kyle, Cap: 40
Lecture: MoWe 4:00pm-5:15pm
ILC N255
Sophomore, junior, and senior journalism majors only
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: II, V

In Introduction to Visual Storytelling, students will become better producers and consumers of visual media. Students will develop a deeper visual literacy by studying topics like visual ethics, aesthetics, agency, and the currents of modern visual journalism ecosystem. By reporting their own video, photography and data visualization projects, students will learn how to control exposure with a DSLR camera, how to capture quality video and how to use different editing and production software.

JOURNAL 339 – Video Content Creation

4 Credits
Instructor: Greeley A. Kyle, Cap: 16
Lecture: TuThu 10AM-12pm
ILC S308
Prerequisite: Journal 300
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: V

This 4-credit hour video content creation class is an introduction to visual storytelling, writing, videography and editing. These skills are crucial in any television newsroom/sports department or for producing professional quality videos for the web, advertising or advocacy. You’ll have the opportunity to create videos that will help build your portfolio for whatever your journalistic goals might be. You’ll learn to shoot professional quality video, how to write for broadcast, and how to edit with professional software.

JOURNAL 390SD – Short-Form Documentary

4 Credits
Instructor: Greeley A. Kyle, Cap: 16
Lecture: MoWe 9:05AM-11:05AM
ILC S308
Prerequisite: Journal 300
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: III, V

This class is where documentary filmmaking and traditional journalism meet. Here we give the headlines depth, alternate perspectives, ask deeper questions and explore topics of interest to the producer. David Wilson, a co-founder of the True/False Film Festival calls this a “new era of journalism.” The challenge of the modern day video is no more than 5 minutes. This course will teach you how to produce short, sharp, strong micro-documentaries. The course will introduce, through hands-on assignments, important skills to move beyond basic video and audio work, giving students multiple experiences in producing and directing their own documentary content.

JUDAIC 354 – Film, Literature, Jews

4 Credits
Instructor: Olga Gershenson, Cap: 30
Lecture: We 4:00pm-6:45pm
Classroom TBA
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: III, V

This course examines the Jews' deep and complicated relationship to the stage and screen, and how that relationship has influenced cultural, national, and religious identity. Topics include: the theater of religion; film and the immigrant experience; the history of Hollywood; and the work of Jewish actors and directors.

POLI-SCI 201 – American Politics Through Film

4 Credits
Instructor: Michael Hannahan, Cap: 108
Lecture: TuThu 10:00AM-11:15AM; Discussion: Fri (See Spire for available class times)
Morrill II 131
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: III, V

Movies are used to explore the development of American politics. The forces that shaped our politics early in the century (immigration, reform, religion), the rise of "big" government in the depression and World War II years (the new roles of the federal government, the enhanced presidency, internationalism, and anti-communism), and selected issues (race, gender, modern campaigns) prominent since the 1960s. The meaning of political democracy in America and how our understanding of it has adapted to changing times and conditions. (Gen.Ed. HS)

SPANISH 397W – Special Topics: Latin American Cinema

3 Credits
Instructor: Barbara Zecchi, Cap: 25
Lecture: We 4:00pm-6:30pm
Classroom TBD
Prerequisite: Spanish 240 or 246
UNDERGRADUATE FILM STUDIES CERTIFICATE CATEGORY: III, V

The course is designed to introduce students to the cinematic work of some of the most important Latin American directors from the seventies to the present. The course will center on a variety of topics that are vital to the understanding of the most significant political, historical, social and cultural events that have shaped Latin America. Some of the topics to be examined in the class are: racial, gender, sexual and identity issues; nation formation; revolution; immigration; repression; utopia; resistance; violence; freedom and slavery. Students will be expected to develop interpretative filmic skills through an exploration of the connections between the technical composition of the films and the social, political, and cultural context to which each film refers. Films for the course will be chosen from the following list: Camila, The Official Story, The Other Conquest, El hijo de la novia, Bye Bye Brazil, Central Station, Quilombo, City of God, Obstinate Memory, Azucar Amarga, Guantanamera, Memories of Underdevelopment, Strawberry and Chocolate, Nueba Yol, The Time of the Butterflies, El Norte, Amores Perros, Y tu mama tambien, Cabeza de Vaca, Like Water for Chocolate, Herod's Law, El callejon de los milagros, Danzon, The Oxcart, Ratas, ratones, rateros, The City of the Dogs, Our Lady of the Assassins, Machuca, and The Lion's Den. Requirements: two short analytical papers, mid-term exam and final paper.