Cinema Studies Courses
CINE 130: American Stage Design
What is the role of scenic design in performance? What are the basic elements of all design? How can we utilize design as a process for discovery and a method of inquiry? Throughout this introductory course, we analyze aesthetic choices of major scenic designers throughout the history of American theater using the elements and principles of design as a basis for conversation. We also discuss the important role that the set plays to help elevate the story being told on stage. As a half-credit course, under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets one-half of the Creative & Performing Arts requirement. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Creative & Performing Arts.)
cross listed: THTR 130
CINE 140: Costumes and Identity
The clothing that we choose to wear reveals a great deal about our identity. Our choices are shaped by our understanding of race, class, sexuality, gender—and how we want to convey who we are. In this course, students explore the performative nature of costume and fashion in theatre, art, media, popular culture, and everyday life. The course includes readings, discussions with guest speakers, and writing assignments. Students analyze historical costumes/fashion from samples of well-known film and theatre works with a focus on identity politics. Assignments include in-class presentations and discussion, and a costume research project. As a half-credit course, under the Forester Fundamental Curriculum, this course meets one-half of the Creative & Performing Arts requirement. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Creative & Performing Arts.)
cross listed: THTR 140
CINE 155: Stop Motion Animation
This course is an introduction to basic animation principles for students with little or no animation experience, using a camera or mobile phone and minimal equipment. Through demonstrations and short exercises students become familiar with a variety of animation techniques, including storyboarding, lighting, shooting, editing, image-capturing software and puppet building methods. Unorthodox and alternative approaches to stop motion animation are also covered such as back-lit clay on glass, single-page surface alteration, and special effects using pixilation. Cost of materials is not included in tuition; it will be billed upon enrollment and is not refundable. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Creative & Performing Arts and Technology Intensive.)
cross listed: ART 155
CINE 175: Introduction to Film Studies
This course addresses basic topics in cinema studies, including: cinema technique, film production style, the basic language of film criticism, genres of cinema, movements from the history of cinema, and film criticism. Many topics are addressed through careful analysis of particularly important and representative films and directors. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Writing Intensive.)
cross listed: AMER 175
CINE 185: Film and Religion
Viewing films as meaningful texts, this course examines the perspectives offered by Asian and American filmmakers on such religious questions as: What does it mean to be human? How does death inform the living of life? How do values shape relationships? What is community and how is it created? What is ethical behavior? The range of films explored here function as vehicles for entering religious worldviews, communicating societal values, and probing different responses to the question of how to live a meaningful life. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Global Perspective.)
cross listed: RELG 185, ASIA 185
CINE 200: Film Editing
This course focuses on different theories and approaches in film editing. It examines the techniques and aesthetic principles of editing of various filmmakers in film history. This class also provides practical experiences for students, who are assigned creative video editing projects. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Creative & Performing Arts and Technology Intensive.)
CINE 201: Narrative Filmmaking
This course gives students experience in narrative film production through use of practical projects. The course also provides an understanding of the basic terms and elements of narrative films. Students are introduced to the preproduction, production and post-production steps of narrative filmmaking while they explore the fundamentals of narrative film structure and production. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Creative & Performing Arts and Technology Intensive.)
CINE 202: Documentary Filmmaking
This course gives students experience in documentary film production and provides an understanding of different forms, methods, and features of documentary films. Students are introduced to the preproduction, production, and post production steps of documentary filmmaking while they explore the historical and contemporary issues of the documentary film field through academic texts and key films. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Creative & Performing Arts and Technology Intensive.)
CINE 210: Gender, Geek Culture, and Hollywood
(Wonder Women: Gender, Geek Culture, and the Hollywood Blockbuster) Women are engaged with all kinds of fandoms, attending conventions, gaming, cosplaying, and seeking representation on the screen like never before. Responses from the male-dominated community have been varied, and in cases like Gamergate and the response to the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot, unwelcoming and threatening. In this course, we will consider the history and formation of a cinematic Geek Culture and the evolving role women have played as subjects, consumers, and producers of all things geeky. We will pay particular attention to films from the past thirty years. Course viewing may include: Wonder Woman, Mad Max: Fury Road, the Alien franchise, The Hunger Games, Ghost in the Shell, and others. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Domestic Pluralism.)
CINE 230: French Literature and Cinema
(The Art of Adapting: French Literature and Cinema) This course, taught in English, compares French literary works, both historical and contemporary, and their cinematic adaptations. The course addresses whether the author's literary style is reflected in or displaced by the cinematic style of the film directors studied. Students pay attention to the translation across genres (literature to film), across language and culture (example of American remakes), and across history (a historical period depicted in a modern cinematic era). This course is discussion-based and acquaints students with cinematic terms used to interpret the genre. All readings, discussions, and assignments will be in English with an option for French majors to complete reading and writing in French. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Global Perspective and Speaking Intensive.)
cross listed: FREN 230, LCTR 233
CINE 232: Chinese Cinema in English
This course provides a historical, critical, and theoretical survey of Chinese cinema, broadly defined to include films from Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. We will look at the specific political, social, economic, technological and aesthetic factors that have influenced the shape and character of Chinese cinema over the last century. We will discuss a range of works by internationally directors, including Zhang Yimou, Feng Xiaogang, Stephen Chow, Ang Lee, etc. As this course serves as a general introduction to Chinese film, it is intended for students who have little or no knowledge of China. All films screened for the course have English subtitles, so no knowledge of the Chinese language is required. . (This course satisfies Humanities and Global Perspective.)
cross listed: CHIN 232, ASIA 232, LCTR 232
CINE 236: Latin American Film in English
Taught in English. An interdisciplinary study of Latin American film, from multiple perspectives: artistic, historical, political, and socio-economic. This course will highlight the artistic achievements of Latin American filmmakers from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico. We will use selected readings from original works for films that are based on fiction. A number of films have been Academy Award nominees or winners. Further readings will include a history of Latin American cinema, movie reviews, and interviews with directors. The course will scrutinize the links among cultural phenomena, socio-political events, and the art of filmmaking. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Global Perspective.)
cross listed: SPAN 236, LNAM 236, LCTR 236
CINE 237: Identity/Memory Spanish Film
(Identity and Memory in Contemporary Spanish Film.) Through the study of a selection of films and documentaries stretching from late Francoism through the Transición, until the 2008 economic crisis, this course provides a critical examination of the history and poetics of cinema in Spain, with particular attention to the relation between the representation of identity and the recovery of traumatic memory in contemporary culture. Regarding identity, this course addresses questions of national and regional identity (Spanish, Basque, and Catalan contexts), as well as the role of gender and sexual identity throughout late Francoism, the Transición, and democratic state. We also analyze how the directions problematize memory, especially traumatic memory, through their films. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities and Global Perspective.)
cross listed: SPAN 237, GSWS 237
CINE 240: Shakespeare on Film
This course will focus on major cinematic adaptations of Shakespeare's plays, with attention both to the original texts and to the process of transferring them to the new medium by film directors. We will pay special attention to plays that have been filmed a number of times, so that we can develop useful comparisons: Richard III (Olivier, Loncraine), Romeo and Juliet (Zeffirelli, Luhrmann, Shakespeare in Love), Henry V (Olivier, Branagh), Hamlet (Olivier, Zeffirelli, Almereyda), and Macbeth (Polanski, Kurzel). Major goals will be to develop our ability to do close readings of both the original texts and the films, to do creative film adaptation projects, and to develop effective ways of expressing both our analytical and our creative ideas. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities.)
cross listed: THTR 240, ENGL 239
CINE 243: Video, Sound, and Electronic Art
(Time-Based Media: Video, Sound and Electronic Art)This is an introductory course to time-based media and electronics that help students develop skills and techniques in professional video, sound, and electronic production software and hardware. By putting technology and new media to use in such forms as experimental documentary, video projection, sound installation, and electronic interactivity, we explore the potential of contemporary art practices within and beyond galleries and museums. Once equipped with the professional and creative practices learned in this course, students will have important and highly sought-after skills in a variety of fields including art and technology. No prerequisites. Course Fee Applies. (This course satisfies Creative & Performing Arts and Technology Intensive.)
cross listed: ART 243
CINE 258: Fight the Power
(Fight the Power: Spike Lee's Black Aesthetics.) As one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Spike Lee is both loathed and loved. His films challenge the stereotypes and paternalistic assumptions about African Americans that have become sacrosanct in America's popular imagination. We will explore how the aesthetic representation of race, class, and gender in Spike Lee's filmography have helped create a new genre of film called African American noir. In so doing, we will watch several of Spike Lee's films, documentary projects, and television ads. Ultimately, our goal will be to appreciate Lee's cinematic technique, examine his critique of white supremacy, and consider the cultural and historical events that have shaped his artistic vision. (This course satisfies Humanities and Domestic Pluralism.)
cross listed: PHIL 258, AFAM 258
CINE 260: Design: Stage and Screen
(Design for Stage and Screen.) This course is an introduction to the processes and principles of design. It covers the development of a design concept through script reading and analysis; the discussion and analysis of professional set, costume, lighting, and sound designs; training in basic drafting skills; and lecture information on theater and film technology and terminology. Several design projects are coupled with text readings and hands-on work with lighting instruments, and sound and lighting control systems. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Creative & Performing Arts.)
cross listed: THTR 260
CINE 266: Music in Film
Music has played an important part of the movie-going experience since the beginnings of the film industry in the 1890's, and the blending of music and drama has deeper roots still. This course charts the development of music and sound in film, from these deep roots through the mis-named silent-movie era and on to the great film composers of the twentieth century and today. Students will learn the fundamental elements of a film score, investigate how a film composer works, and develop a vocabulary for describing and assessing film music. No prior knowledge of music or film history is necessary. (This course satisfies Humanities.)
cross listed: MUSC 266, AMER 266
CINE 280: Subversive Cinema
(Subversive Cinema: Pictures at a Revolution) This course explores the connections between movies and social politics with an emphasis on subversive and cult films. We view films such as Heathers, Fight Club, Sorry to Bother You, and Parasite. We explore the nature of cinematic revolution and its relationship to various historical moments. We seek to answer questions about visual culture and its relationship to our collective imagination. We consider the place of movies in how we consider themes such as gender, race, oppression, sexual politics, and democracy. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities.)
CINE 281: Movies and Mental Illness
Mental health disorders are a leading cause of disability in the United States and there are many misconceptions about psychiatric illnesses. This course analyzes movies, books, and other media related to mental illness from a psychological perspective to help students develop a basic awareness and understanding of diagnostic criteria for common mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression, and to reflect on how various media shapes our attitudes and beliefs concerning mental illness. No prerequisites.
CINE 286: Soc Structure & Culture thru Film
(Social Structure and Culture Through Film) This course combines a historical survey of narrative films and an overview of international schools of filmmaking and couches them in a sociological framework. The questions of treatment of the other (races and nations), totalitarianism, revolution, militarism, deviance, various views of human nature, and utopias and distopias portrayed in cinema will be addressed. Prerequisite: SOAN 110. Required: an additional weekly lab session for viewing movies. (This course satisfies Social Science.)
cross listed: SOAN 286
CINE 301: Romantic Comedies & Phil of Love
(Romantic Comedies and Philosophy of Love) Why do we like to watch romantic comedies? What's satisfying about them, even when they're not great films? Film theorist Leo Braudy claimed that 'genre [film] … always involves a complex relation between the compulsions of the past and the freedoms of the present. … [They] affect their audience … by their ability to express the warring traditions in society and the social importance of understanding convention.' In this course, following Braudy, we will investigate the relationship between the film genre of romantic comedy and age-old thinking about love, marriage, and romance. We'll read some ancient and modern philosophy of love, as well as some relevant film theory, and watch and discuss an array of romantic comedies, trying to unpack what we really believe about love. Prerequisite: One Philosophy course or permission of the instructor. ('Genre: The Conventions of Connection,' Film Theory and Criticism, eds. Leo Braudy and Marshall Cohen. New York: Oxford U. Press, 538).
cross listed: PHIL 301, GSWS 301
CINE 302: Philos Issues in Documentary Film
(Philosophical Issues in Documentary Film) What is a documentary film? What does it mean for a movie to be 'non-fiction'? In this course, we will view and discuss a number of documentary films, e.g., those of Robert Flaherty, Leni Riefenstahl, Claude Lanzmann, Albert Maysles, Erroll Morris, and Seth Gordon. We'll also read some aesthetic and film theory, to try to understand what about these films is and is not 'true,' 'good' or 'beautiful.' Prerequisite: One Philosophy course or permission of the instructor.
cross listed: PHIL 302
CINE 304: Philosophy of Film
In this course, students consider the aesthetics of moving pictures: What is most "cinematic" about cinema? What is its relation to reality? Is cinema "high art" or "low art?" What are the secrets behind "movie magic"? What is the function of genre in film? Readings may include Eisenstein, Arnheim, Kracauer, Braudy, Bazin, Cavell, Carroll, Bordwell. Of course, we consider application of theory by viewing a number of movies. Prerequisite: One Philosophy or Cinema Studies course. (This course satisfies Writing Intensive.)
cross listed: PHIL 304
CINE 320: Acting for the Camera
This course is an exploration of the acting techniques required in film, television, and other media. Knowledge and understanding of film techniques, vocabulary, and genre styles is accomplished through viewing and analysis of modern and contemporary film works from the early twentieth century to the present by noted authors and filmmakers. Acting projects center on the performance of scenes, monologues, voice-overs, and commercials. Other projects include written script and character analysis, daily actor journals, and in-depth critiques of self and peer performances. Papers of analysis on films viewed in and out of class and other research projects including adaptation of texts and acting styles for the screen are also required. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Creative & Performing Arts.)
cross listed: THTR 320
CINE 337: Cine e Historia en América Latina
The course examines the ways that movies view historical events and periods, while at the same time shaping public perception of those events and periods in Latin America. Examples of topics are the Conquest of the Americas, the legacy of Peron, the Castro and post-Castro eras in Cuba, the Catholic Church in Mexico, dictatorship and democracy in Brazil and Chile, and narco-trafficking. The basic format will be discussion with occasional interactive lectures. Readings will include essays on cinema and history. Students will view films mostly in DVD format from several countries. Assignments will include short essays, oral presentations, and a midterm and a final exam. Prerequisite: SPAN 300 or 305 or 306 or equivalent, or permission of instructor.(Counts toward the Spanish major and minor. ) (This course satisfies Global Perspective.)
cross listed: SPAN 333, LNAM 333
CINE 338: Cinéma Français
This interdisciplinary course provides an overview of French cinematic history, with an emphasis on how French films and movements represent various social and political concerns of their time period. Film will be studied as an art form and cultural text to be interpreted, and films by major directors will illustrate key cinematic concepts and themes. Readings will address the socio-political context, from French film beginnings to the complexity of post-colonial French identity and cultural globalization depicted in contemporary French and Francophone films. This course is discussion-based,with occasional lectures, is taught in French, and will acquaint students with cinematic terms used to interpret the genre. Prerequisite: FREN212 or equivalent. Not open to students who have completed FREN 333: French Culture Through Film in English. (This course satisfies Global Perspective.)
cross listed: FREN 338
CINE 339: Cine Español
An interdisciplinary study of Spanish film, from multiple perspectives: artistic, historical, political, and socio-economic. This course will highlight the artistic achievements of Spanish filmmakers from several periods, including Luis Buñuel, Carlos Saura, and Pedro Almodovar. Readings will include essays on film history, the language of cinema, movie reviews, and interviews with directors. The course will scrutinize the links among cultural phenomena, socio-political events, and the art of filmmaking. Films will be treated as complex aesthetic objects whose language does not merely photograph socio-historical reality but transfigures it. The course will also consider Spain in its broadest Iberian sense and will include films in Catalan, Galician, and Portuguese. Classes will be based mainly on discussion interspersed with occasional lectures. Prerequisite: SPAN 300 or 305 or 306 or equivalent, or permission of instructor. (This course satisfies Global Perspective.)
cross listed: SPAN 334, LNAM 334
CINE 340: Africa in Films: Pol., Edu., & Dev.
(Africa in Films: Politics, Education, and Development.) Africa is an enigma in global imagination. This course uses film as lens to explore historical, cultural, political, and theoretical perspectives on education and social change in African societies. Specifically, it examines the role of politics in the broader contexts education and international development. Key themes--such as tradition and modernity, culture and identity, power and politics, demography and ecology, gods and technology--all draw from historical and contemporary representations of Africa in films to deepen our understanding of the complex origins of humanity and its relationship with rest of the world. Class sessions feature films in/on Africa and discussions on select themes relating to indigenous political institutions, empire, the state, international relations, education, and social change. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Social Science and Global Perspective.)
cross listed: EDUC 340
CINE 341: Cine Latinoamericano
An interdisciplinary study of Latin American film, from multiple perspectives: artistic, historical, political, and socio-economic. This course will highlight the artistic achievements of Latin American filmmakers from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico. We will use selected readings from original works for films that are based on fiction. A number of films have been Academy Award nominees or winners. Further readings will include a history of Latin American cinema, movie reviews, and interviews with directors. The course will scrutinize the links among cultural phenomena, socio-political events, and the art of filmmaking. Films will be treated as complex aesthetic objects whose language does not merely photograph socio-historical reality but transfigures it. Classes will be based mainly on discussion interspersed with occasional lectures. Prerequisite: SPAN 300 or 305 or 306 or equivalent, or permission of instructor. (This course satisfies Global Perspective.)
cross listed: SPAN 338, LNAM 338
CINE 343: Adv, Video, Sound & Electronic Art
(Advanced Video, Sound, and Electronic Art) This course further enriches and helps develop new skills and techniques in professional video, sound, and electronic production software and hardware. Using technology and new media as a means to produce compelling works of art, this project based studio course allows student to work on extensive and complex time-based projects. Students taking ART 343 are expected to know the fundamentals of video and sound production and post-production. The course emphasizes completion, craftsmanship, and presentation through well designed video, sound and electronic art installation practices. The course also includes an overview of media art history and theory. Completion of both CINE 243 in combination with CINE 343 helps prepare students for an exciting array of professional possibilities in media, arts, and technology. Prerequisite: CINE 243. (This course satisfies Creative & Performing Arts and Technology Intensive.)
cross listed: ART 343
CINE 344: Africa in Films: Lang., Educ., Dev.
(Africa in Films: Language, Education, Development.) Africa is an enigma in global imagination. This course uses films as lenses to explore historical, cultural, political, and theoretical perspectives on education and social change in African societies. Specifically, it examines language policies and linguistic practices in learning contexts and in the broader context of global development. Key themes--such as tradition and modernity, orality and literacy, communication and conflict, culture and identity, power and politics, demography and ecology, gods and technology--all draw from historical and contemporary representations of Africa in films to deepen our understanding of the complex origins of humanity and its connection to rest of the world. Class sessions feature films in/on Africa and discussions on select themes. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Social Science and Global Perspective.)
cross listed: EDUC 344
CINE 346: Africa in Films: Gender, Edu., Dev.
(Africa in Films: Gender, Education, and Development.) Africa is an enigma in global imagination. This course uses film as lens to explore historical, cultural, political, and theoretical perspectives on education and social change in African societies. Specifically, it examines gender mainstreaming and global education norm making in the broader contexts international development. Key themes--such as tradition and modernity, heteropatriarchy, culture and identity, power and politics, demography and ecology, gods and technology--all draw from historical and contemporary representations of Africa in films to deepen our understanding of the complex origins of humanity and its connection to rest of the world. Class sessions feature films in/on Africa and discussions on select themes. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Social Science and Global Perspective.)
cross listed: EDUC 346, GSWS 346
CINE 360: History and the Moving Image
This course explores the role of moving images (film, television, internet) in understanding history as both collective process and contested interpretation. The course will integrate a discussion of recent historical methodologies concerning moving images, with examples from a variety of forms, including historical epics, documentaries, propaganda, television series, literary adaptations, and biographies. Special emphasis will be placed upon the ambiguities of historical context, including the time of production, the period depicted, and changing audiences over time. Topics include: 'Feudal Codes of Conduct in Democratic Societies,' 'Film as Foundation Myth for Totalitarian Ideologies' and 'Situation Comedy of the 1970s as Social History.' Prerequisite: Two history courses or permission of the instructor.
cross listed: HIST 360, AMER 340
CINE 371: Music Video Production
This course examines the history, style, techniques, and structural language of music videos and focuses on the preproduction, production, and post production process of music video-making. In this course the students explore the cultural and artistic effects of music videos while they create their own music videos. Prerequisite: CINE 175 or CINE 201 or CINE 202. (This course satisfies Creative & Performing Arts and Technology Intensive.)
CINE 376: Queer Cinema
This course will focus on queer cinema--films that not only challenge prevailing sexual norms, but also seek to undermine the categories of gender and sex. Gender and sexual norms are perpetuated and challenged through notions of visibility, a key tactic in the fight for societal acceptance and civil rights. How sexuality is made visible and invisible will serve as a central focus in our analysis of queer film and media, focusing primarily on explicit representations of GLBTQ characters. Through feminist and queer theory, film theory and cultural criticism, we will analyze the contested relationships between spectators and texts, identity and commodities, realism and fantasy, activism and entertainment, desire and politics. Prerequisite: COMM 255, COMM 275, or permission of instructor. (This course satisfies Domestic Pluralism.)
cross listed: COMM 376, GSWS 376
CINE 380: Cine, Literatura y Sociedad Amr Lat
(Cine, Literatura y Sociedad Am?ca Latina ) This course is an interdisciplinary study of Latin American societies, focusing on film and literature from multiple perspectives: artistic, historical, political, and socio-economic. The seminar will highlight the magisterial artistic achievements of Latin American novelists, short story writers, and playwrights and film adaptations of their works. It will scrutinize the links between socio-political events and artistic production. Seminar materials will include films, chapters from novels, short stories, plays, and readings on film, social issues, and politics. The basic format will be discussion with occasional interactive lectures. Assignments will include short essays, oral presentations, and a final exam. Prerequisite: SPAN 300 or 305 or 306 or equivalent, or permission of instructor. (This course satisfies Global Perspective and Writing Intensive.)
cross listed: SPAN 380, LNAM 380
CINE 381: The Movies of Wilder and Hitchcock
("How Beautifully Made": The Movies of Billy Wilder and Alfred Hitchcock.) In June 1960, Alfred Hitchcock sent this letter to Billy Wilder: "I saw THE APARTMENT the other day. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed it and how beautifully made. I felt this so much that I was impelled to drop you this note." Two meticulous directors with dark senses of humor and interest in the darker sides of the human psyche, Wilder and Hitchcock will help us understand how great movies are made. In this course we will watch, read about, and discuss several of each director's best movies, comparing and contrasting as we go. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities.)
CINE 382: Reel Journalism: Hollywood & News
(Reel Journalism: Hollywood and the Newsroom.) The news media has been a popular subject for Hollywood since the inception of filmmaking. Whether it’s the story pursued by journalists or reporters’ own narratives, movies such as Citizen Kane, All The President’s Men, Good Night & Good Luck, and, most recently, Spotlight won awards, entertained millions, and grossed millions more at the box office. In this course, we observe how ethical standards are portrayed on the big screen and explore filmmaking techniques and metaphors. Students also will gain perspectives of important U.S. history that continue to be relevant in current events. No prerequisites. (This course satisfies Humanities.)