Film and Media Studies

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROFESSIONAL, TECHNICAL, HISTORICAL, AND STYLISTIC CHOICES THAT REALIZE, DEVELOP, OR CHALLENGE EXISTING PRACTICES AND TRADITIONS OF FILM (SLO #1).
• Explain the basic formal and stylistic elements involved in the filmmaking process.
• Articulate the core concepts of narrative storytelling and character development in popular film forms (Hollywood, independent, world, documentary, and avant-garde).
• ANALYZE, INTERPRET, AND EXERCISE CRITICAL JUDGEMENT IN THE EVALUATION OF THE FUNDAMENTALS OF FILM AS A PERFORMING/VISUAL ART FORM (SLO #2).
• Identify the various genres and styles of films that have evolved over the course of film history.
• Write clear, concise, and well‐developed analyses of film texts.
• RECOGNIZE AND ARTICULATE CONTEMPORARY FILM TERMINOLOGY/BASIC THEORY, AND USE THEM TO EXAMINE THE NATURE OF CULTURE, CLASS, GENDER, AND ETHNICITY IN HOLLYWOOD MYTHOLOGIES AND OPPOSITIONAL FILMS (SLO #3).
• Examine the codes and the conventions of film genre, style, myth, narrative, and rhetoric.
• Evaluate research on, and popular claims of cinema’s social, political, and individual effects.
• Read and interpret popular films as artifacts of a given culture, and representations of different social/political/cultural ideologies.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• EXHIBIT AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE AESTHETIC AND STYLISTIC DEVELOPMENTS IN FILM THROUGHOUT ITS EARLY HISTORY (1895-1949) (SLO #1).
• Recognize the dominant formal systems and narrative structures of different styles and genres that evolved throughout early film history.
• Critically assess the technological contributions of canonic films, directors, and performers of their respective eras.
• EXAMINE, EXPLAIN, AND DEMONSTRATE CRITICAL THINKING ABOUT THE EVALUATION OF EARLY FILM TEXTS AS REPRESENTATIONS OF HISTORY AND CULTURE (SLO #2).
• Employ basic critical approaches (formalistic, psychological, socio-political, and generic) to analyze early films and their cultural implications.
• Evaluate research on, and popular claims about the social, political, and individual effects of early films.
• DESCRIBE THE EARLY HISTORY, DEVELOPMENT, AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF NATIONAL, MINORITY, DIASPORIC, AND SUBALTERN FILMMAKERS (SLO #3).
• Examine the early formal and aesthetic movements taking place in national cinemas around the globe.
• Read and interpret early historical world films as artifacts of a given culture, and representations of different social/political/cultural ideologies.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• ANALYZE, INTERPRET, AND EXERCISE CRITICAL JUDGMENT IN THE EVALUATION OF FILM TEXTS AS REPRESENTATIONS OF HISTORY AND CULTURE (SLO #1).
• Recognize the dominant formal systems and narrative structures of different styles, movements, and genres that evolved throughout modern film history.
• Critically assess the technological contributions of canonic films, directors, and performers of their respective eras (1950s to the present).
• DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF CONTEMPORARY FILM HISTORY THROUGH WRITTEN ANALYSIS OF SPECIFIC FILMS AND CLIPS SCREENED IN CLASS (SLO #2).
• Employ basic critical approaches (formalistic, psychological, socio-political, and generic) in analyzing films and their cultural implications.
• Evaluate research on, and popular claims about the social, political, and individual effects of modern cinema.
• DESCRIBE THE HISTORY, DEVELOPMENT, AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF NATIONAL, MINORITY, DIASPORIC, AND SUBALTERN FILMMAKERS (SLO #3).
• Read and interpret modern historical world films as artifacts of a given culture, and representations of different social/political/cultural ideologies.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF SCREENPLAY AND TELEPLAY STRUCTURE (SLO #1).
• Identify different screenplay formats for film and television writing.
• Critically analyze produced scripts with a careful attention to scene description and character dialogue.
• Complete an original screenplay treatment or show bible for a television series.
• CRITICALLY ANALYZE THE FUNCTION OF CHARACTER, AND CONSIDER THE DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES FOR DEVELOPING CHARACTERS AND THEIR INDIVIDUAL TRAITS (SLO #2).
• Identify successful writing strategies for crafting three-dimensional characters.
• Apply concepts from mythology to plot and character development.
• Perform character biographies and introspective writing exercises.
• IDENTIFY AND ARTICULATE THE STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING NARRATIVE THEMES (SLO #3).
• Recognize and employ the underlying structure of film and television narratives.
• Watch seminal films and critically analyze their thematic structures.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• DEMONSTRATE COMPREHENSION OF THE PRIMARY CHARACTERISTICS OF A VARIETY OF FILM GENRES (SLO #1).
• Analyze a variety of film genres and their characteristics to identify similarities and differences.
• Recognize the codes, myths, and cycles of a variety of film genres.
• Trace the historical evolution of different genres, and apply a semiotic approach to their study.
• CRITICALLY ANALYZE CONCEPTS OF VERISIMILITUDE AND MISE-EN-SCÈNE TO ADDRESS THE IMPORT OF REALISM AND ICONOGRAPHY IN GENRE FILMMAKING (SLO #2).
• Analyze and interpret examples of mise-en-scène as a way of better understanding the visual signifiers of different film genres.
• Analyze and interpret examples of verisimilitude to better understand the different ways that film genres approach and represent realism.
• APPLY FILM THEORY TO GENRE FILMS, RECOGNIZE THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO POPULAR CULTURE, AND IDENTIFY THEIR ROLE IN FOSTERING IDEOLOGY (SLO #3).
• Evaluate research on, and popular claims about genre films and their social, political, and individual effects.
• Write clear, concise, and well‐developed analyses of different genre films.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Critically assess the popular horror film as a reflection of American culture (SLO #1).
• Evaluate research on and popular claims of the horror film's social, political, and individual effects.
• Critically analyze concepts of race, class and gender as they apply to the criticism of horror films.
• Identify the major codes and conventions of the horror film in general, and its sub-genres in particular (SLO #2).
• Demonstrate an understanding of the major theories related to horror films through written analysis of specific films screened in class.
• Articulate the different sub-genres of the horror film, and the eras in which they become popular.
• Write clear, concise, and well-developed analyses of horror film texts (SLO #3).
• Identify and explain the formal and narrative strategies that different horror subgenres employ.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• EXPRESS IDEAS CLEARLY IN WELL-ORGANIZED WRITTEN MESSAGES (SLO #1). Outcome may be evaluated by all or some of the following criteria:
• Express ideas clearly and completely in a variety of written formats.
• Utilize correct and appropriate conventions of mechanics, usage, style, and citation format in written communication.
• Research and incorporate sources effectively and meaningfully in writing.
• Summarize, paraphrase, and directly quote outside sources as support for ideas and/or represent a belief held by the opposition.
• UTILIZE MODES OF ANALYSIS AND CRITICAL THINKING IN A DISCIPLINE OF STUDY AS APPLIED TO SIGNIFICANT ISSUES AND/OR PROBLEMS (SLO #2). This includes the ability to:
• Construct an accurate and/or logical interpretation of reasoning while applying a framework of analytic concepts.
• ACTIVELY ENGAGE IN INTELLECTUAL INQUIRY TO HONE ACADEMIC LITERACY SKILLS (SLO #3). Outcome may be evaluated by all or some of the following criteria:
• Identify premises, both explicitly and implicitly stated.
• Distinguish among facts, inferences, assumptions, and implications.
• Compare opposing interpretations by scholars.
• Recognize fallacious reasoning, including but not limited to the standard critical thinking fallacies, in various critical interpretations of works (including the students' own interpretations) and respond to (and correct, if necessary) these fallacies.
• RECOGNIZE THE ETHICAL DIMENSIONS OF DECISIONS AND ACTIONS (SLO #4). This includes the ability to:
• Demonstrate the ability to engage in ethical reasoning necessary to exercise responsibility as an ethical individual, professional, local and global citizen.
• ARTICULATE AN AWARENESS OF A VARIETY OF PERSPECTIVES WITHIN A DISCIPLINE AND THE RELEVANCE OF THESE PERSPECTIVES TO ONE’S OWN LIFE (SLO #5). Outcome may be evaluated by all or some of the following criteria:
• Understand, evaluate, and apply critical theory, theory's relationship to art and culture, its role in interpreting literary and visual arts, and examining ideology and representations of gender and ethnicity.
• Apply critical theory to the analysis and criticism of film, literature, and media.
• Understand, evaluate, and apply the basic concepts of the critical theories taught in this course and their relationship to/influence on art and politics.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• IDENTIFY THE DOMINANT STYLISTIC FEATURES OF DIFFERENT FILM DIRECTORS (SLO #1).
• Recognize the repetition of formal/cinematographic devices in a director’s work.
• Identify the narrative motifs and themes that develop in a director’s work.
• Recall the history and evolution of a specific filmmaker’s oeuvre.
• Recognize the various influences that have helped to shape specific filmmaking styles.
• CRITICALLY EXAMINE THE FILMS OF SELECT FILMMAKERS AS REFLECTIONS OF POPULAR CULTURE (SLO #2).
• Employ basic critical approaches to analyze the cinema of different filmmakers and assess their larger role in fostering ideology.
• Evaluate written research on, and criticism about, a range of filmmakers to better understand their social, cultural, political, and individual effects.
• Write clear, concise, and well-developed analysis of director’s and their films, as well as popular claims about their work.
• DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLE OF THE FILMMAKER (SLO #3).
• Examine seminal theories of authorship like classical Hollywood cinema and art/auteur cinema.
• Establish the import of context through an analysis of the shift in culture from modernity to postmodernity.
• ACTIVELY ENGAGE IN INTELLECTUAL INQUIRY AND CRITICAL THINKING BEYOND THAT REQUIRED IN ORDER TO PASS A COURSE OF STUDY IN FILM STUDIES (SLO #4).
• DEMONSTRATE THE ABILITY TO ENGAGE IN UPPER-DIVISION WORK IN THE DISCIPLINE OF FILM STUDIES (SLO #5).

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• SLO #1: Actively engage in intellectual inquiry beyond that required in order to pass a course of study (College Wide Learning Outcome – Area 4).
• Discuss and outline a proposal of study (that can be accomplished within one semester term) with a supervising instructor qualified within the discipline.
• Design an independent study (to be completed individually or by collaboration of a small group) to foster special knowledge, skills, and experience that are not available in any one regularly scheduled course.
• Use information resources to gather discipline-specific information.
• SLO #2: Utilize modes of analysis and critical thinking to apply theoretical perspectives and/or concepts in the major discipline of study to significant problems and/or educational activities (College Wide Learning Outcome – Area 3).
• Analyze and apply the knowledge, skills and experience that are involved in the independent study to theoretical perspectives and/or concepts in the major discipline of study.
• Explain the importance of the major discipline of study in the broader picture of society.
• SLO #3: Communicate a complex understanding of content matter of the major discipline of study (College Wide Outcome – Area 3).
• Demonstrate competence in the skills essential to mastery of the major discipline of study that are necessary to accomplish the independent study.
• SLO #4: Identify personal goals and pursue these goals effectively (College Wide Outcome – Area 4).
• Utilize skills from the “academic tool kit” including time management, study skills, etc., to accomplish the independent study within one semester term.