What is Videographic Criticism?
Videographic criticism is an emerging, practice-based mode of research that, unlike conventional writing, allows scholars to reason with and through their materials, generating knowledge that is affective and embodied, and able to communicate ideas that text alone cannot convey. Emerging from the affective turn in the humanities, videographic criticism privileges the sensory, emotional, and rhythmic dimensions of thought, revealing how ideas takes shape not only through words but also through image, sound, and affect. Originally rooted in film and media studies, videographic criticism now cuts across disciplines.
Videographic Criticism at UMass
UMass Film Studies has already established itself as a global leader in videographic criticism through several groundbreaking initiatives, including the first International Conference on the Theory and Practice of the Video Essay in 2022, which brought more than seventy scholars and practitioners from three continents to campus; the launch of the Graduate Certificate in Videographic Criticism; and the introduction of a series of undergraduate courses that enable Film Studies majors to earn a Letter of Specialization in Videographic Criticism. The impact of these efforts is reflected in international recognition: video essays produced at UMass have been featured in the prestigious Sight and Sound “Best Video Essays of the Year” lists of the British Film Institute since 2021. Barbara Zecchi , Head of the Film Studies Program, has been invited to serve as editor of [in]Transition, the leading peer-reviewed journal in the field, and, in recent years, has played a central role in major international videographic research projects with the Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies (Denmark), the University of British Columbia (Canada), and Lucerne University of Arts and Sciences (Switzerland).
Why a Letter of Specialization in Videographic Scholarship?
The Letter of Specialization in Videographic Scholarship recognizes Film Studies majors who have achieved advanced proficiency in the research, creation, and presentation of video essays. It highlights students who engage critically and creatively with film through audiovisual means, demonstrating the ability to express scholarly ideas through editing, sound, and image. This distinction showcases a student’s expertise in videographic criticism and strengthens applications for graduate study or careers in filmmaking, teaching, criticism, curation, and digital media production.
Requirements
Students earn a Letter of Specialization by completing 4 courses, selected in consultation with the Specialization's Advisors:
-All courses must be at the 300-level or above.
-A minimum of 4 courses with a minimum grade of 'C',
chosen from this list:
FILM-ST 375 Film Writing and Criticism New Media
FILM-ST 494P Practices of Film Studies (choosing a focus on the video essay)
FILM-ST 310 Visiting Filmmaker Series (choosing a course offered by a visiting videoessayist)
JOURNAL 333 Introduction to Visual Storytelling
FILM-ST 462 Video Essay in Film Criticism
FILM-ST 390M Video Editing and Film Montage
FILM-ST 562 Videographic Essay
FILM-ST 591 Videographic Research as Embodied Practice
Any graduate course of the Graduate Certificate in Videographic Criticism may count towards the Specialization:
FILM-ST 650 Videographic Teaching: Pedagogy, Methods, Assessments
FILM-ST 651 Videographic Practice: Techniques, Formats, Distribution
FILM-ST 660 Working with Sound
FILM-ST 661 Working with Editing
FILM-ST 662 Working with the Body
FILM-ST 663 Working with Surfaces
A 300 or higher level course that directly engages with film editing, digital storytelling, and videographic criticism can count as a substitute. Students will need to get written approval for such substitutions by a the specialization's advisor, Professor Daniel Pope ([email protected]) or Professor Barbara Zecchi ([email protected])
An additional 3-credit internship through the Research Practicum FILM-ST 398R and active participation in the Videographic Inquiry Lab is highly encouraged
For questions about this letter, please contact Professor Daniel Pope ([email protected]) or Professor Barbara Zecchi ([email protected])