Film Studies (FS)
Courses
FS 101 Introduction To Film Studies: 3 semester hours
This course will talk about how and why people respond to film by examining the fundamentals of film by examining the fundamentals of film analysis (the various language systems and techniques used by film makers to generate meaning). The primary emphasis will be on feature-length narrative fiction films, with occasional study of documentaries, animation, and experimental cinema.
FS 150 Introduction to Film Adaptation: 3 semester hours
This course will study the common practice of creating film adaptations of all kinds: form literature, graphic novels, musicals, television scripts, history, etc. - for instance, adapting works such as Pride and Prejudice, No Country for Old Men, the short story "Million Dollar Baby", the musical Chicago, the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, the graphic novel Persepolis, the comic book series of Batman. This writing intensive class fulfills the literature requirement in the Expressive Arts domain.
FS 210 Major Film Directors: 3 semester hours
This course will study the films of some of the most important directors from the beginning of film to the present. This course may take a number of different approaches: it may study many different directors from many countries, one specific director, or directors from one country. In the process, it will talk about what a director does and about the distinct careers of these important filmmakers.
FS 220 Film Genres: 3 semester hours
This course will study Genre filmmaking by focusing on one or more of the major film genres. Genre cinema has always been one of the more prolific, profitable, and sometimes artistic arenas for all kinds of filmmakers and has led to the creation of some of the world's greatest films (Singin' in the rain, The Godfather, and Raging Bull as examples) and to some of the worst. Students will examine the characteristics of genre filmmaking, look at how the genre film has been one of America's most constant social exports, and identify the thematic/structural concerns with the specific genres.
FS 230 Studies In Foreign Film: 3 semester hours
This course will study some of the most important foreign films (including films for the United Kingdom) that have been produced since the beginning of cinema history until the present. This course may study films from many different countries or concentrate on the cinema of only one country.
FS 240 History of Film: 3 semester hours
This course examines the history of film, especially the narrative film from its advent at the end of the 19th century up until the present. It will look at films from many different countries as it examines the silent era of cinema, the coming of sound and color, the growth of the major studios in Hollywood, Post World War II cinema, The French New Wave, Third World Cinema, and the New American Cinema. Cross listed with HI 240.
FS 260 Spanish Conversation, Film and Culture: 3 semester hours
The main objective of this course is to provide students the possibility to converse while expanding their vocabulary and widening their cultural perspective on Latin America and Spain through the study of film. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: SP 201 proficiency.
FS 265 Politics and Film: The Art of the Message: 3 semester hours
This is not a popcorn and movies class; it is a course to introduce students to a range of political films and to develop their skills in understanding and analyzing their political significance and influence. Film has a broad and persuasive appeal to a significant cross-section of the public. Whether through intentional documentary, dramatic renderings of historical events or timely issues, fictional drama dealing with big issues, or though satire, the cinema has been a powerful medium in influencing public views on the events, people, and places that make up our complex political world. The purpose of this class is to introduce the student to the portrayal of that complex political world through film, its effect on the thinking and attitudes of the public, and ultimately its role in shaping public policy and decision-making.
FS 280 Topics In Film Studies: 3 semester hours
This course will study a specific major topic in film studies. Course content will vary. The course with different content may be repeated.
FS 441 Independent Study: Film Studies: 1 semester hour
Independent Study.
FS 442 Independent Study: Film Studies: 2 semester hours
Independent Study.
FS 443 Independent Study: Film Studies: 3 semester hours
Independent Study.