Time Schedule:
Jennifer Ann Myers
T FILM 272
Tacoma Campus
Introduction to the languages and forms of cinema. Topics include narrative and non-narrative film; mise-en-scene, cinematography, and editing; the soundtrack; film directors, genres, and historical movements.
Class description
This course is designed to provide a foundation in film studies. It is an introduction to cinema as artistic medium; as a source of entertainment; and as a powerful socio-economical influence on and reflection of our culture and intellectual movements. The goals of the class are threefold and will be structured around three major topics: first, you should gain an understanding and be able to apply the language of formal film analysis and the stylistic devices used by filmmakers; second, crucial theoretical and ideological approaches to film studies; and, third, a concise film history which establishes the various contexts in which these formal and conceptual developments occur.
Student learning goals
Understand the significance of film as an art form, a technological apparatus, an industry, and a cultural institution
Locate films in their historical contexts
Understand how the various elements of film – including narrative structure, mise en scène, cinematography, editing, and sound – work together to create meaning
Sharpen visual literacy and the decoding skills necessary to analyze films closely and critically
Gain foundational knowledge of the medium, which will benefit them in more advanced classes in film studies, visual culture, and communication
Strengthen written and verbal communication skills by way of analytical papers and class discussions
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
