Film Studies (FLM)

Provides an introduction to the study of film as narrative, an form, and a medium of cultural communication. Students will gain a basic understanding of the technical aspects of film, including cinematography, editing, acting, mise-en-scene, and sound. In addition to learning to analyze films using film terminology students will also also explore the broader cultural impact and politics of film and the film industry.

This course will provide hands-on instruction in narrative filmmaking/digital video production, introducing students to production, directing, editing, cinematography, and audio. Content involves technical concerns such as camera, lens, format, and lighting instruments, as well as various methods related to composition and subject modeling in order to tell the story.

This course, a required foundation course for the Film Minor, is the study of the history of motion pictures from their inception in the late nineteenth century to the present. Emphasis is placed on major directors, films, social and cultural developments, and aesthetic movements that have contributed to the evolution of cinema. Students will also learn the terminology and concepts necessary for the intensive study of film.

From the inception of the movies, women have played an integral role, yet their struggles to tell their stories persist. This course offers an overview of the careers and film productions of various internationally recognized women filmmakers (writers, directors, cinematographers, editors) focusing on their unique contributions to the cinema.

This course investigates nation and identity in films that are approached in their specific cultural, historical, and theoretical terms. It includes the study of international film movements, individual directors, and comparisons between national cinemas.

This seminar will provide the advanced student the opportunity to do intensive work in Film Studies. Topics vary and may include the study of genre, individual directors, screenwriting, film production, or themes/issues.

Students with compelling reasons may participate in independent study under the direction of a member of the English faculty. Permission of department chair is required.