Course Descriptions

Term: W26S26F25W25S25F24W24S24F23W23S23Y23Z23F22W22S22Y22Z22F21W21S21Y21Z21F20W20S20Y20Z20 

Spring Quarter

Dept	Course No and Title	Instructor
FLM&MDA (S26)	87  NEW MEDIA & DIGITAL	KRAPP, P.
This course examines ways of thinking about, and with, digital media, and so extends our introductory course series on film and media studies into the 21st century. In digital culture, we witness not only a new storage paradigm, but a transition to interactivity, to proliferating screens of all sizes, to new systems of circulation and transmission - computers, streaming services, and handheld devices. This course will examine how digital networks alter our notions of publicity and privacy, memory and knowledge, transforming our experience of language and art, and producing new configurations of information and entertainment.
FLM&MDA (S26)	101B  STUDIO ERA	PAYTON, P.
This course provides an introduction to film history beginning with the incorporation of synchronous sound technology at the onset of the “Golden Age” of cinema. Although we will focus significantly on the development and maintenance of the Hollywood film industry, this lens will also prompt questions about power, propaganda, and spectatorship, in a global context. Therefore, we will track the evolution of the motion picture industry in both Hollywood and international markets through the end of, what is known as, the “studio system” era. One of the primary goals of this class is to understand how dominant ideologies related to race, class, gender, and sexuality have impacted American and international film industries over time. By analyzing the industrial, technological, and cultural changes that shaped the film industry, students will be prompted to consider various film movements and the ways in which they attempted to address the socio-political conditions of their respective audiences. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with a range of film styles that collectively shifted the form and function of the industry during critical moments in history.
FLM&MDA (S26)	110  FILM & MEDIA THEORY	BENAMOU, C.
This course offers a critical overview of key theoretical concepts and arguments that have informed film and television studies, with a focus on the study of sound and voice-over narration in documentary and fiction film.  After a brief historical and technical introduction, we will consider the creative manipulation of sound elements across genres and in the work of influential filmmakers such as Francis Ford Coppola, Agnès Varda, Orson Welles, and Ousmane Sembène.  How did documentary help to launch the use of voice-over?  How have fictional genres featured voice-over as a core element of their narrative discourse? What role has voice-over played in the development of feminist cinema and films from the Global South?  Segments of films from a wide range of cultural sources will be shown in class.  Prerequisites are FMS 85A, FMS 85B, FMS 86, or FMS 87.
FLM&MDA (S26)	110  FILM & MEDIA THEORY	KUNIGAMI, A.
Survey of major directions in film and media theory. Various theories of mass culture, realism, auteurism, semiotics, feminism, cultural studies, and theories of other media, with an emphasis on developing the student’s ability to analyze and articulate a theoretical argument. Materials Fee
FLM&MDA (S26)	110  FILM & MEDIA THEORY	KUNIGAMI, A.
Survey of major directions in film and media theory. Various theories of mass culture, realism, auteurism, semiotics, feminism, cultural studies, and theories of other media, with an emphasis on developing the student’s ability to analyze and articulate a theoretical argument. Materials Fee
FLM&MDA (S26)	118A  WRITING TV I	SARACENI, M.
A writing-intensive class focused on constructing and writing an original screenplay for a one-hour TV drama. Students will explore dramatic writing by developing characters stories, and scenes. We will study episodes of several critically acclaimed TV series to understand the creative decisions, approaches and techniques of the writing team. We will compare and contrast traditional and nontraditional approaches. Building on weekly writing assignments, students will complete a treatment (Beat Sheet) for a one-hour drama, and also complete and revise screenplay pages for a complete first act. (Prerequisite: FLM&MDA 85A.)
FLM&MDA (S26)	120A  BASIC PRODUCTION	CANE, E.
This course introduces the fundamentals of filmmaking using digital video. It is designed for students who have little or no production experience. There will be lectures, workshops and discussions. Assignments provide hands-on learning of the basic elements of filmmaking. From cinematography, lighting, and sound, to writing a short script and editing with Adobe Premiere Pro, this class takes you through the production process culminating in each student's completion of their own short 3-5 minute digital film. At times students will be divided into production teams and will be expected to collaborate. Class is organized as a workshop; everyone will know your characters, your script, etc. You will be expected to share and participate at every stage of the production process.
FLM&MDA (S26)	120C  PRODUCTION WORKSHOP	CANE, E.
This advanced production workshop is designed to develop your creative vision and your ability to apply the skills necessary to realizing your vision.  Emphasis is placed on thorough pre-production, organized production shoots and work-in-progress screenings.  Class is structured as a workshop.  It is designed to deepen your experience as a filmmaker, from discussing script ideas, shot lists and storyboards, to work-shopping scenes and work-in-progress screenings.  By the end of the quarter, you will have completed a 7-12 minute polished short digital film with multiple sound tracks and titles.  Students enrolled in this class may use University-owned equipment and are financially responsible for the University equipment on loan to them. The prerequisite for this course is FLM&MDA 120B.
FLM&MDA (S26)	130  LATINAS/OS IN MEDIA	BENAMOU, C.
This course will provide an historical overview of the complex relationship of Latinxs to U.S. audiovisual media from the early sound era in the 20th century to the present.  Highlights include the sea change that took place during the “Good Neighbor policy,” the sitcom from “I Love Lucy” to “One Day at a Time,” the recent wave of Latinx podcasting, and the pivotal “Decade of the Hispanic” which saw the emergence of several new directors both independently and within the ambit of Hollywood.   We will be looking into some of the causes of the persistent gaps and slippages in Latinx screen representation, as well as the initiatives of independent Latinx directors to redefine and reposition Latinx subjectivity on the screen.   Students will have the opportunity to study theories of stereotyping, genres, and authorship, as well as engage with contemporary media in in-class presentations.  Prerequisites are FMS 85A, FMS 85B, FMS 86, or FMS 87, or by permission of instructor.
FLM&MDA (S26)	130  AFAM HIS/CLTR N CIN	JEAN-LOUIS, F.
African American History and Culture in Cinema explores the history of people of African descent in the United States from the colonial period through the present. It will explore the Black Freedom movement as continual from 1619 onward and move in generalities to describe historical moments. The curriculum will explore periods in general and zoom in on moments of particular inflection. The class is designed to take an intersectional approach to African American history exploring how race along with gender, class, and sexuality have informed experience. It uses films by African American authors to punctuate the historical arch. Moreover, it will explore those films to draw into relief the cultural currents they express to chronicle the development of African American culture. The course will cover the period of enslavement, Emancipation, the Jim Crow era, the Great Migration, the New Negro Renaissance, Civil Rights Movement, and the post-Civil Rights Era. The readings will be drawn from a cross-disciplinary selection of materials selected to support the lecture and nuance understanding of the films. The readings will be drawn from academic and literary texts. Ultimately, we will explore how African Americans have captured their history and revealed their culture through the medium of film.
FLM&MDA (S26)	139W  WRITING ON FILM&MDA	LIU, C.
FMS 139W "Food on Screen" will explore the representations of food consumption and preparation in mainstream and art film of the past 50 years. Looking at ethnic, cultural and political underpinnings of food in cinema, we will consider its role in the expansion of our understanding of media and media consumption habits. This class will be workshop focused. The use of AI will be limited to bibliography construction. Students will strengthen their editing, writing and research skills.
FLM&MDA (S26)	139W  WRITING ON FILM&MDA	GUTIERREZ, A.
This class is designed to help you think and write about film and media. Students will work on critical thinking, reading, and humanistic academic writing skills. This quarter’s focus will be on examining the participation and representation of Latinxs in media. We will examine the production, representations, and cultural meaning of Latinxs in media and reflect on the impact of Latinx media production on identity formation. Special attention will be paid to the intertwined questions of race, ethnicity, class, gender, and sexuality.
FLM&MDA (S26)	139W  WRITING ON FILM&MDA	PAYTON, P.
This advanced writing-intensive course examines film adaptation as a critical, creative, and political practice, focusing on the transformation of fiction, non-fiction, and autobiographical novels into feature-length films. Students will analyze how narratives change across media, exploring the aesthetic, ideological, and industrial forces that shape adaptation. Through close readings of literary texts and their cinematic counterparts, the course interrogates questions of authorship, originality, fidelity, and interpretation, while foregrounding issues of power, representation, and cultural authority in the adaptation process.
FLM&MDA (S26)	160  SINOPHONE CINEMA	LIU, C.
Sinophone Cinema is an introduction to Chinese language film and filmmaking from the 1980s to 2014. We will look at the aesthetics and politics of Chinese language film and cinematic production across Chinese language film industries and markets. We will look at the history of Hong Kong, People's Republic and Taiwan film history and culture in the context of anti-colonial, Cold War and industrializing East Asia.
FLM&MDA (S26)	160  AVANT-GARDE JAPAN	KUNIGAMI, A.
National schools, period styles, or cultural movements beyond U.S. cinema, as defined by national borders or by geographic regions, such as Latin America. May be approached from a comparative perspective.
FLM&MDA (S26)	190  STAND-UP COMEDY	HAGGINS, B.
The purpose of this course is to provide a nuanced examination of contemporary Stand-Up comedy and how it reflects and refracts American culture. By examining Stand-Up comedy, across medium, students will be able to discern and differentiate:      1) how stand-ups function in cultural, historical, industrial & socio-political terms;          2) how the development of persona, comic voices and forms speak to the articulation of multiple identities in specific socio-historical moments;      3) how Stand-Up comedy allows audiences to engage a variety of complex human experiences while they are laughing.

For the most up-to-date information, check the Schedule of Classes.