Document Type
Syllabus
Publication Date
Fall 9-1-2024
Course Description
The advent of cinema in the late nineteenth century profoundly transformed how we experience and depict reality. In contrast to previously dominant forms of print media, silent film conveyed information and stories to mass audiences in a manner that transcended language and literacy barriers. The ensuing addition of synchronized sound created new types of moving image media that have become ubiquitous and increasingly indistinguishable in the digital age, ranging from television to the web. These dramatic changes should inspire us to want to understand the remarkable impact that these technological shifts now have on our everyday lives. This course will accomplish that goal by exploring the most significant aesthetic, cultural, and industrial aspects of moving image media. Much of the class will emphasize cinema because of its influence on subsequent mass media forms; however, we will also investigate television in detail and end with a brief examination of YouTube to determine the links between these media and film. To help us comprehend how moving image media shapes and is shaped by its contexts, we will focus exclusively on two short and important industrial and technological moments in recent history: 1975-1980 (aftermath of global cinema new waves, rise of cable and satellite television, etc.) and 2013-2018 (digital media convergence, growth of streaming platforms, etc.). Such a concentration will prepare you for advanced coursework in Film and Media Arts. It will also make you more proficient consumers and producers of moving image media by revealing how audiences and creators respond to specific production and reception circumstances.
Recommended Citation
Friedman, Seth, "FLME 100A Introduction to Film and Media Arts Friedman Fall 2024" (2024). All Course Syllabi. 697, Scholarly and Creative Work from DePauw University.
https://scholarship.depauw.edu/records_syllabi/697
Student Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to achieve the following learning objectives: 1. RECALL a. key moments and tendencies in the history of audiovisual media, especially cinema. b. core development in the critical and academic study of film. 2. UNDERSTAND a. the social, cultural, and commercial significance of developments in film and media history. b. how theoretical approaches to film fit into broader understandings of media and culture. 3. ANALYZE a. various film and media texts, drawing on formal, historical, and theoretical approaches. b. various theoretical writings on film and media, with a particular emphasis on points of similarity and contrast. 4. CREATE a. conceptualizations of media’s impacts that can be applied to students’ lives. b. original academic writing on film texts that integrates formal analysis and research-based contextual analysis.