FLM - Film Course Descriptions
Is an introduction to the art studio practice of sequential narrative in the development of storyboards, concept art and illustration. This course prepares the student to work in pre-production roles in media, bringing scripts and characters to life in visual form, as well as using the elements of design and composition to create complete works of graphic storytelling such as graphic novels, non-fiction memoirs and graphic journalism. Course fee: $25
Surveys contemporary methods of visual analysis. Using a model of criticism based on Aristotle's Rhetoric, four general areas are examined: programming genres, cultural significance of content, social viewing habits, and visual literacy. This course helps the individual development active viewing skills that can be used by media producers, critics, or consumers.
Focuses on the development of performance skills for the digital media. Students explore various broadcast and non-broadcast performance situations (radio and television commercials, news, interviews, and a dramatic film scene), analyze the techniques used, and then practice those techniques. Class work includes studio performance assignments with regular evaluations. Lab fee.
is the first of two courses that work with selected German-language films and coordinated readings in German to provide culturally authentic initial advanced-level practice in all four skill areas of German: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Emphasis is placed on comprehension, communicative ability, as well as linguistic accuracy. Therefore, basic grammar concepts are reviewed and advanced grammar and style concepts are studied as warranted. Readings, lectures, discussions, task assignments, written and oral projects, as well as exams are in German.
GRM 202, equivalent, or permission.
Is the second of two courses that work with selected German-language films and coordinated readings in German to provide culturally authentic initial advanced-level practice in all four skill areas of German: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Emphasis is placed on comprehension, communicative ability, as well as linguistic accuracy. Therefore, basic grammar concepts are reviewed and advanced grammar and style concepts are studied as warranted. Readings, lectures, discussions, task assignments, written and oral projects, as well as exams are in German.
GRM 202, equivalent, or permission.
Throughout this course students will become familiar with the very surreal world of film acting, surrounded by lights, technicians and myriad of other distractions while striving to deliver very personal, private and honest acting moment. Through a series of exercises in front of the camera in “on set” like conditions students will use film and TV scripted scenes and monologues to uncover the set of skills necessary to hone the very subtle craft of film acting.
THR 314
Traces the history of cinema from 1895 to the present in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, focusing on significant directors, movements, influences, films and terminology. Special attention is paid to the tension between film as art and/or as commerce. The course helps students identify important moral and philosophical issues raised by serious as well as entertainment films. It will also help students develop an appreciation of the artistry involved in film production. This course includes weekly screenings of significant films. (2 credits lecture; 1 credit lab)
Introduces some of the major themes, techniques, movements, and directors of this most important art form of the 20th century. The course teaches the critical skills required for making informed judgments on the artistic merits and deficiencies of cinematic works. Open to all students, with lectures, discussions and readings in English.
Surveys the major theories and tools utilized in the analysis of narrative, experimental, and documentary cinema, including formal analysis, semiotics, phenomenology, genre studies, and related approaches. Includes screenings of significant films and application of analytical techniques.
Covers the historical development of the world's largest film industry from 1896 to the present, focusing on significant directors, movements, films, terminology, and the influence of socio-cultural factors. The course highlights the tension between popular (musical) and artistic (non-musical) film. It also assists students in developing a deeper understanding of non-Western modes of cinematic storytelling and culture. Includes weekly screenings. All lectures, readings, and discussions are in English. (2 credits lecture; 1 credit lab)
Compares and contrasts filmic and literary versions of major mystery stories written by various authors, focusing on how they approach a popular fiction genre from various perspectives. Representative works, critical analysis and biographical information will all be included in the course. Other mystery genre short stories and films will be compared and contrasted. (2 credits lecture; 1 credit lab)
Covers the historical development of one of the most innovative and influential genres of world cinema-science fiction-from 1902 to present, focusing on significant directors, movements, films, terminology, and the influence of socio-cultural factors. The course assists students in developing a deeper understanding of how sci-fi cinema has been used to forecast and promote social change, as well as warn about negative social consequences. While the best of world sci-fi cinema will be screened, all lectures, readings, and discussions are in English. 2 hours lecture; 2 hours lab
Is the first of two courses that investigate how German culture from 1946 onward dealt with the Nazi past, the war, the Holocaust and their various after-effects, as well as the question of resistance, survival, and guilt by studying selected German-language films on the subject that were produced in the German-speaking countries between then and now. This course meets for 3 contact hours per week.
Is the second of two courses that investigate how German culture from 1946 onward dealt with the Nazi past, the war, the Holocaust and their various after-effects, as well as the question of resistance, survival, and guilt by studying selected German-language films on the subject that were produced in the German-speaking countries between then and now.
Notes
This course meets for 3 contact hours per week.
This course offers an intensive study of representative films of one of the premier film directors of the 20th century, "Master of Suspense" Alfred Hitchcock. Students will learn to identify Hitchcock's characteristic style and themes, read major film criticism on Hitchcock, and learn how to write about film in composing their own criticism. Particular attention will be given to the Cahiers du Cine'ma school of Hitchcock criticism, which claims a special place for Hitchcock's Catholic sensibilities, notably in terms of the doctrine of Original Sin, and the related cinematic concept of "transference of guilt."
Introduces studio and remote video production techniques. Cameras, audio and visual equipment, directing, scriptwriting, and graphics are also included. Work is completed through group and individual projects. Lab fee.
Focuses on the theory and processes of digital video editing for broadcast, professional, and multimedia productions. Both aesthetic and technical principles are applied through small group and individual projects. Lab fee.
Focuses on the skills needed to create short independent digital film including budgeting, scripting, location scouting, rehearsing, lighting, filming, editing, scoring, mixing, and marketing. Students will explore the relationship between cinema, culture, and society by producing a short film that makes an important statement about our world today. Students will also explore opportunities to market their films via digital technologies, contests, and the like.
Is designed to survey the aesthetic, historical, and theoretical aspects of film studies, as a means of appreciating the role of film in modern Western culture, and especially to prepare the student to engage effectively, through this unique medium, historical periods, events, and persons worthy of consideration in the history and culture of the West in general, and Catholic Christian culture in particular. This effort will be accomplished by introducing the student to the history and basic techniques of film making, and by critically evaluating the subject matter of key films in both their historical context and their topical perspective. Through the judicious use of film, the integration of faith, reason, and culture will be enhanced as the student engages, in a modern and distinctive liberal arts manner, the best of Western and Christian culture.
Emphasizes and utilizes advanced single and multiple-camera production and editing techniques. The course includes individual and small-group projects. Lab fee.
Provides study and practical experience in advanced digital media projects beyond the normal curriculum. It is designed for students seeking to review, apply, and refine professional skills at an advanced level. Individual and group activities are included. Lab fee.
The processes and considerations for creating motion graphics, special effects, 2D, and 3D compositions are covered in this course. Students utilize industry-standard applications as they study and explore the methods for integrating images from multiple sources into a seamless whole, and practice various techniques for visual effects post-production.
COM 243 Broadcast and Electronic Media or FLM/
COM 345 Independent Digital Filmmaking, and
COM 281 Graphic Design (waived for Film Studies concentration students), or permission of the instructor.