Film Studies

Dr. Marcela Garcés and Dr. Erich Hertz, Directors

Film has been an artistic and popular medium of exploring representations of the world for over a century now, and film and media studies have grown progressively as an academic discipline for several decades. Film studies expanded rapidly in the 1970s and media studies followed with more analysis of television. Now, digital media in the form of social networks and tremendously popular sites like YouTube are part of everyday life. Smartphones and iMovie now make it possible for anyone to be a filmmaker. These areas are now a well-established and popular course of study at universities throughout the United States and around the world. This discipline also examines the history of film and media aesthetics, technological development, and changes in the production of these visually-centered works, as well as the place of film within cultures around the world. Students who study film in an academic setting learn to analyze this mode of visual representation, while gaining an awareness of the history and theory of the filmic arts. They also learn invaluable writing, critical thinking, visual rhetoric, analytical skills, and research skills that transfer to a variety of professional settings. Knowledge of Film Studies will be useful in a variety of careers. For instance, marketing, television & broadcasting, educational environments that utilize film technology, political campaigning, editorial jobs, and the entertainment industry (writer, director, producer).

Programs

Minor

Film Studies Minor

Courses

Film Studies