Film & Television Studies: Contemporary Cinema

Introduction to basic film history, theory, and analytical skills. An historical overview of contemporary international cinema.

Asynchronous online

This course is an introduction to cinema through an investigation of the films from 1945 until the present. We will read about and discuss the aesthetic, theoretical, technological, social, and economic considerations surrounding this cinema. The primary objective of the course is to provide students with an introductory understanding of cinema from this period as well as to sharpen skills in film analysis. During the period we are studying there is a tremendous amount of social upheaval, technological changes, economic shifts, and industry changes that affect the films that are produced. We will look at some of the key cultural, technological, and industry changes that brought us to where we are today. Throughout the course, students will sharpen their ability to analyze film form through close readings of the films that we are studying. And we will begin to identify basic theoretical concepts you may encounter and study more in depth if you take later film classes. We will also consider case studies of women in film and representation of race in film during this time period to study the evolution of ideological changes in content and form.

This is an online course, which means that we will not meet as a group synchronously. Instead, you will go through the material at your own pace though there will be due dates throughout the course. The class will be interacting through the discussion boards each week.

We will have quizzes and short written responses to films and readings as well as a creative project and a paper.