Spring 2008

FILM AND MEDIA STUDIES (L53)
SPECIAL PROJECTS L53 200 FILM
This course is intended for freshman and sophomores who wish to register for internships. Students must receive Program approval and file the Learning Agreement with the Career Center BEFORE the internship begins. Please consult the Program guidelines governing internships. NOTE: Internships may only be taken Pass/Fail. Credit variable, max 3 units.
01 TBA XXX Paul
03 TBA XXX Marton
04 TBA XXX Chapman
05 TBA XXXII Sewell

MOVING IMAGES AND SOUND L53 230 FILM
SPECIAL NOTE: Admission by Wait-list only. Preference will be given to Film and Media Studies majors and minors. This introductory video production course explores how images and sounds function as cinematic building blocks and purveyors of content. Through creative assignments involving at times personal inquiry, at other times the understanding of elementary semiotics, the components of film and video are examined. Students learn the basics of key sound and editing software to produce, outside of class time, a short video piece. This course is a prerequisite for all other Film and Media Studies production courses. Prereq: Film Studies 220 or consent of instructor. 3 units.
AS:> LA
01 W 4:00p-7:00p XXX Marton

DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION L53 311 FILM
In parallel with an overview of various documentary genres, ranging from the personal, the poetic, the agitprop, and cinema veritŽ, this course will offer students the opportunity to produce a short documentary piece on the topic of their choosing. Aesthetic and ethical issues will be explored by considering the overall methodology in terms of subjectivity, content, structure, and the possible usage of music and/or voice-over. For the sake of completing the project in time, it is recommended that students be familiar with the subject matter of their investigation, before taking the course. Prereq: L53 Film 230 (Moving Images and Sound) or permission of the instructor. 3 units. Same as L98 AMCS 3110.
AS:> LA
01 Th 4:00p-7:00p XXXII Marton

THE CINEMA OF EASTERN EUROPE IN THE COLD WAR ERA L53 323 FILM
This course has two objectives. On the one hand, we will watch masterpieces of European cinema, awarded at international festivals and directed by legendary names such as Milos Forman, Emir Kusturica and Andrzej Wajda, and focus on their artistic genius. On the other hand, we will study the way in which the confrontational politics of the Cold War inform these films, with a special focus on the perplexing predicament of a divided and antagonized Europe. The readings for this class emphasize our dual exploration. We will work with texts dealing with both film history and its aesthetics and with broader analyses of the intellectual and political landscape of the Cold War context. REQUIRED SCREENING TIME: Wednesday at 7 p.m. 3 units. Same as L79 EuSt 323, L97 IAS 323.
AS:> CD, TH
SB:> IS
FA:> AH
01 TuTh 1:00p-2:30p XVIII Parvulescu

HISTORY OF AMERICAN CINEMA L53 330 FILM
This course traces the history of the American cinema from the earliest screenings in vaudeville theaters through the birth of the feature film to movies in the age of video. The course will examine both the contributions of individual filmmakers as well as he determining contexts of modes of production, distribution, and exhibition. The course aims to provide an understanding of the continuing evolution of the American cinema, in its internal development, in its incorporation of new technologies, and in its responses to other national cinemas. REQUIRED SCREENING TIME: Monday at 7:00 p.m. 3 units. Same as L98 AMCS 3301.
AS:> TH
SB:> HUM
FA:> AH
01 MW 2:00p-3:00p XV Paul
Subsections:
A M 3:00p-4:00p XXX Paul
B M 3:00p-4:00p XXX [TBA]
C M 3:00p-4:00p XXX [TBA]

CINEMA AND IRELAND L53 336 FILM
Like many other anglophone and francophone countries, Ireland only even started to develop a robust national cinema in the 1970s. As in, for instance, Australia and New Zealand, growth had previously been blocked by the dominance of local screens by films from, on the one hand, the overbearing 'imperial' power, Britain, and, on the other, Hollywood, center of an even stronger cultural imperialism. Increased national self-assertion coincided with the weakening of the grip of those two cinemas in the post-classical period. A major focus of the class is on some of the key works of the film-makers who established themselves in the 1980s, notably Neil Jordan and Jim Sheridan. But, as the title indicates - not simply 'Irish Cinema' - it deals with more than this. Like Ireland itself, Irish cinema is deeply marked by, and preoccupied with, the political and cultural struggles of the past, and recent cinema is illuminated by seeing it in the context of earlier films: Hollywood and British versions of Ireland, whether shot on location or in the studio, as well as the isolated earlier landmarks of an indigenous Irish cinema. We also look at the rich topic of the representation of Irish immigrants in Hollywood films. REQUIRED SCREENING TIME: Tuesday at 4 p.m. 3 units. Same as L79 EuSt 336, L97 IAS 3365.
AS:> CD, LA
FA:> AH
01 TuTh 10:00a-11:30a XX Barr

HISTORY OF ELECTRONIC MEDIA L53 350 FILM
This course traces the history of electronic media as they have become the dominant source for entertainment and information in contemporary culture, starting with over-the-air broadcasting of radio and television through to cable and the "narrowcasting" achieved by digital technologies. While some attention will be paid to other national industries, the chief focus of the course will be on electronic media in the United States to determine, in part, the transformative role they have played in the cultural life of the nation. The course will explore the relationship of the electronic media industries to the American film industry, determining how their interactions with the film industry helped mutually shape the productions of both film and electronic media. REQUIRED SCREENING TIME: Wednesday at 4 p.m. 3 units. Same as L98 AMCS 351.
AS:> TH
SB:> HUM
FA:> AH
01 MW 11:30a-1:00p XVII Sewell

INTRO TO SCREENWRITING L53 352 FILM
SPECIAL NOTE: Admission by Wait-list only. Preference will be given to Film & Media Studies AND English majors/minors. Writers will explore the various elements, structure and styles used in crafting a motion picture screenplay. They will experience this process as they conceive, develop and execute the first act of a feature-length script. Writers will create a screenplay story, present an outline for class discussion and analysis, then craft Act One. Writers will be encouraged to consult with the instructor at various stages: concept, outline, character and scene development, and dialogue execution. While the students fashion their screenwriting independently, the class will also explore the general elements of THEME, GENRE, and VOICE. A more specific examination of mechanics, the nuts and bolts of story construction. plotting. pacing, etc. will follow to support the ongoing writing process. In-class exercises will aid the writer in sharpening skills and discovering new approaches to form and content. Writers' work will be shared and discussed regularly in class. Screening of film scenes and sequences will provide students with concrete examples of how dramatic screenwriting evolves once it leaves the writer's hands. 3 units. Same as L13 E Comp 352.
AS:> LA
SB:> HUM
01 TuTh 10:00a-11:30a XXXI Chapman

TELEVISION CULTURE AND CULT TV: CRITICAL
APPROACHES TO FANDOM L53 356 FILM
Why do television series inspire passionate involvement on the part of some viewers? What are the differences among being a viewer, an audience member, and a fan? How can we make scholarly sense of cultural practices such as learning to speak Klingon or building a repli-car of the General Lee? Studies of fandom have attempted to answer such questions and continue to explore issues that are crucial to understanding contemporary television culture. The phenomenon of "Cult TV" offers fertile ground for examining the complex dynamics at play among fans, popular culture, the institutions of American media, and individual programs. In its exploration of cult television and fans, this course will engage with key issues in contemporary media such as the proliferation of new media technologies and the repurposing of existing media forms, the permeable boundaries between high and low or mass and oppositional culture, and the fragmentation and concentration of media markets. The class will combine close textual analysis with studies of fan practices to examine a variety of television programs, from canonical cult texts such as Star Trek and Doctor Who to "quality" fan favorites such as Designing Women and Cagney & Lacey to contemporary cult/quality hybrids such as Lost and Heroes. In mapping out this cultural territory, we will develop a set of critical perspectives on audience identities and activities and examine the continuing and conflicted imagination of fans by media producers, distributors, regulators, and critics. REQUIRED SCREENING TIME: Wednesdays at 7 p.m. 3 units.
AS:> TH
01 TuTh 11:30a-1:00p XXXV Sewell

THE HISTORY OF THE FILM SCORE L53 360 FILM
Moving pictures have always needed sound, and long before film actors could talk, the emotions on their faces were (literally) underscored with music. This course considers the breadth of film history, from the silent era to the present, by way of music and how it has been deployed for artistic effects and commercial purposes. Topics include: live accompaniment practices in silent film, thematically-integrated, original "classical" scores; pastiche scores; popular music scores; how music defines and supports various film genres; technical and creative practices behind the making of film scores; Hollywood film music versus selected world cinemas; the highly personal uses of music by important writer-directors; the power of music to generate nostalgic feelings (often for a quite recent past); the relationship between classical and popular music as vehicles of emotional expression within film narratives; and the shifting commercial connections between the music and film industries. Structured around 14 screenings, the course surveys the uses of music in narrative feature-length films, with particular emphasis on films that bring music-making as a creative human activity directly into plot or overall theme. The films range from THE JAZZ SINGER (1927) to THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY (1999). REQUIRED SCREENING TIME: Wednesday at 4 p.m. 3 units. Same as L98 AMCS 360, L27 Music 328.
AS:> TH
SB:> HUM
FA:> AH
01 MWF 1:00p-2:00p XXIII Decker

AMERICAN HORRORS L53 370 FILM
Horror movies. Fright films. Scream marathons. Blood and gore fests. Why should we want to look at movies that aim to frighten us? What is the attraction of repulsion? Is there an aesthetics of ugliness? Except for some early prestige literary adaptations like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the horror film began as a low class genre, a notch above exploitation movies. In the 1970s-1980s, it became the dominant commercial genre by offering increasingly graphic images of violence and mayhem. The horror film had arrived: lavish budgets, big stars, and dazzling special effects in mainstream major studio films competed with low-budget, no frills productions that helped establish artistically ambitious and quirky filmmakers like George Romero and David Cronenberg. By a chronological survey of the American horror film, this course will explore how differing notions of what is terrifying reflect changing cultural values and norms. Throughout, we will consider the difficult questions raised by horror's simple aim of scaring its audience. In addition to weekly screenings, work for the course will include analytical and theoretical essays on the horror film. Written analyses of films with a close attention to visual style will be required. REQUIRED SCREENING TIME: Monday at 4 p.m. 3 units. Same as L98 AMCS 369.
AS:> TH
SB:> HUM
FA:> AH
01 MW 10:00a-11:30a XII Paul

FILM THEORY L53 420 FILM
This course is an introduction to both classical and contemporary film theory. It starts by examining the earliest attempts to understand the nature of cinema as a new art form, and then reviews the ways in which, through successive decades, a variety of theorists have formulated, and applied, their definitions of the essential nature of the medium. The course then examines more recent developments within film theory, notably its attempt to incorporate the insights of other critical and analytical paradigms, such as semiotics, structuralism, psychoanalysis, feminism, and postmodernism. A consistent reference point will be Alfred Hitchcock, since his films have been, and continue to be, the focus of exceptionally intensive analysis from a wide range of critical and theoretical perspectives. Readings for the course will include work by Sergei Eisenstein, AndrŽ Bazin, Christian Metz, Laura Mulvey, Raymond Bellour and Slavoj Zizek. REQUIRED SCREENING TIME: Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. 3 units.
AS:> TH, WI
FA:> Lit
01 TuTh 2:30p-4:00p XXIV Barr

ADVANCED SCREENWRITING L53 452 FILM
SPECIAL NOTE: Admission by Wait-list only. Preference will be given to Film & Media Studies AND English majors/minors. This course is intended for students who have already taken Film Studies 352, "Intro to Screenwriting." Building on past writing experiences, students will explore the demands of writing feature-length screenplays, adaptations, and experimental forms. Particular attention will be paid to the task of rewriting. 3 units. Same as L13 E Comp 4521.
AS:> LA
FA:> Lit
01 TuTh 1:00p-2:30p XXXI Chapman

SPECIAL PROJECTS L53 495 FILM
This course is intended for juniors and seniors who wish to register for internships. Students must receive Program approval and file the Learning Agreement with the Career Center BEFORE the internship begins. Please consult the Program guidelines governing internships. NOTE: Internships may only be taken Pass/Fail. Credit variable, max 3 units.
01 TBA XXX Paul
02 TBA XXX Barr
03 TBA XXX Marton
04 TBA XXX Chapman
05 TBA XXXII Sewell

STUDY FOR HONORS L53 499 FILM
This course is intended for majors pursuing honors in Film and Media Studies. In order to enroll for this course, students must apply in advance for honors and be approved by a faculty committee. Please consult with the Program for application deadlines and other requirements. 3 units.
01 TBA XXX Paul
02 TBA XXX Barr
03 TBA XXX Marton
04 TBA XXX Chapman
05 TBA Sewell

INDEPENDENT STUDY L53 500 FILM
This course is intended for students who wish to pursue areas of study not available within the standard curriculum. In order to enroll for this course, students must have a faculty adviser and submit a contract outlining the work for the course to the Film and Media Studies office. Please consult the Program guidelines governing independent study work. Credit variable, max 3 units.
01 TBA XXX Paul
02 TBA XXX Barr
03 TBA XXX Marton
04 TBA XXX Chapman
05 TBA XXX Sewell