Course Catalog 2011-2012 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Cinema Studies
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Geoff Pingree, Associate Professor of Cinema Studies and English; Director, Cinema Studies Program
EunJung Grace An, Associate Professor of French and Cinema Studies
Doron Galili, Visiting Assistant Professor of Cinema Studies
Rian Brown-Orso, Associate Professor of New Media and Cinema Studies
Carla Carter, Visiting Instructor in Cinema Studies
William Patrick Day, Professor of English and Cinema Studies
Daniel Goulding, Emeritus Professor of Film Studies and Theater Arts
Brett Kashmere, Visiting Assistant Professor of Cinema Studies
Jeffrey Pence, Associate Professor of English and Cinema Studies
CINEMA STUDIES THEORETICAL CONCERNS
Cinema, modern culture’s primary art form, is also the central component of the media traditions and industries that structure contemporary society. We cannot understand fully how music, painting, literature, and other artistic practices have developed without seeing them in relation to cinema, and we cannot begin to comprehend the full significance of the media in our lives without first studying cinema. Movies, as well as novels, magazines, radio broadcasts, television shows, art installations, and the Internet (to name just a few) comprise what we think of, loosely, as media. Each profoundly influences how we understand and experience the world; each stands, in some meaningful way, between us and the world – past, present, and future.
The Cinema Studies Program encourages its students to consider cinema and media within this framework and to explore the “in between” – to think, more precisely, about what mediates the relations among authors and readers, artists and audiences, filmmakers and spectators. It encourages them to pursue the meanings of cinema and other media in the broadest, most interdisciplinary ways, considering movies, for example, as works of art, as cultural forms, and as industrial practices.
Media are material forces that enable a global exchange of information, ideas and stories. From the Guttenberg press to Kindle wireless reading devices, from Morse Code to short-wave radio broadcasts, from magic lanterns to movie projectors, from typewriters to computer word processors, from town criers to YouTube, media have integrally shaped human history and society.
Students majoring in Cinema Studies explore not only the “how” of this influence (how, for instance, an ancient poem or a contemporary television program is composed, gains influence, and shapes social and cultural attitudes and behaviors), but the “what” as well. They study the materials of art and communication – whether as words spoken, texts written, canvases painted, or celluloid exposed to light – that mediate their understanding of the world, of their own experience, of each other. And they consider media’s “how” and “what” in order to enrich their reflection upon its “why” – upon its moral, political, and cultural effects and justifications.
CINEMA STUDIES PRACTICAL REQUIREMENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Cinema Studies at Oberlin thus concerns itself with a broad process of critical understanding that lies at the heart of liberal arts education – a process that involves paying close attention not only to the values and assumptions we bring to our encounters with different artistic and communicative structures, practices, and artifacts, but also to our engagements with the individuals, communities, and traditions that give them human significance.
We study cinema and other media, in other words, so that we might become more reflective not only about the forms that structure our world, but about our own actions as creators and consumers of those forms. On the idea that to genuinely understand cinema and other media one must learn to create media forms as well as analyze them, then, majors are required to take both hands-on media production as well as critical studies courses.
And on the belief that to fully grasp media’s role in structuring social relations and shaping communities one must engage in concrete ways with one’s own community, in addition to other areas of focus within the major, students have the opportunity to translate their experience with cinema and media into community outreach and service learning through the Apollo Outreach Initiative, a year-round media literacy outreach program housed in Cinema Studies whose central mission is to provide sustainable educational outreach and media literacy opportunities for public school students of all ages. Cinema Studies majors, after receiving training in the Program’s Practicum in Media Literacy and Pedagogy, can then work with local public elementary, middle, and high school students to help them grow as artists, citizens, and leaders by mentoring them in the use of media, especially film, as a force for local and global education, understanding, community building, and change.
CINEMA STUDIES COURSES AND MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
Cinema Studies offers various types of courses. The General Interest Cinema Studies Courses are CINE 110, What is Cinema?, and CINE 111, What is Media?. The Introductory Cinema Studies Core Courses, which together form a gateway to the Cinema Studies major, are CINE 298, Form/Style/Meaning/Media, and CINE 299, Persistence of Vision: Approaches to Cinema Studies. Both courses are required for Cinema Studies majors who declare after July, 2009. Students who are interested in majoring in Cinema Studies should take these courses in order – CINE 298 followed by CINE 299 – and by the end of their sophomore year, before they declare the Cinema Studies major, and before studying abroad/away. Neither CINE 298 nor CINE 299 may be taken in either of a student’s final two semesters at Oberlin and still count toward the major. The Cinematic Traditions Courses include all other courses taught by the Cinema Studies faculty at the 200 level, as well as film courses from many College and Conservatory departments/programs in the list of cross-referenced courses below. Cinematic Traditions Courses count as electives toward the major. At least one of CINE 110, CINE 111, or CINE 298 is suggested as preparation for Cinematic Traditions Courses. Courses cross-referenced with other departments may have different requirements noted in the catalog section of the listing department. Media Literacy and Outreach Courses (which prepare students to participate in the Apollo Outreach Initiative) count as electives and are geared for students who are interested in learning through teaching and community involvement. The requirement for CINE 394, Practicum in Media Literacy and Pedagogy I: Theory, is CINE 298 and consent of instructor; the requirement for CINE 395, Fall Practicum in Media Literacy and Pedagogy II: Practice, and for CINE 396, Spring Practicum in Media Literacy and Pedagogy II: Practice, is CINE 394 and consent of instructor. The Advanced Cinema Studies Courses are classes taught by Cinema Studies faculty at the 300 level. Prerequisites may vary by course (see course descriptions for details). In general, 300-level critical studies courses will require CINE 110 or CINE 111, CINE 298 or 299, and possibly consent of instructor. 300-level production courses will, in general, require CINE 298 or consent of instructor. Majors must take at least three Advanced Cinema Studies Courses, and at least one of these must be completed before the senior year. Finally, majors must successfully complete The Senior Project, CINE 400. This course allows seniors to conceive and develop substantial independent projects of their own design, typically either films or critical works. CINE 298, CINE 299, at least one Advanced Cinema Studies Course, and consent of instructor are required for CINE 400. The Senior Project does not count toward any other requirement for the major.
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Major
The Cinema Studies Major requires 30 hours in Cinema Studies courses, including - CINE 298, Form/Style/Meaning/Media (CINE 298 is required for the Cinema Studies major for those who declare after July, 2009. Students who are interested in majoring in Cinema Studies should take this course by the end of their sophomore year and before they declare the Cinema Studies major.)
- CINE 299, Persistence of Vision: Approaches to Cinema Studies (CINE 299 is required for the Cinema Studies majors who declare after July, 2009. CINE 299 should be taken after CINE 298 and by the end of the sophomore year, before declaring the Cinema Studies major. Both CINE 298 and CINE 299 should be taken before studying abroad/away, and neither course may be taken in either of the final two semesters at Oberlin and still count toward the major.)
- At least three 300-level courses taught by the Cinema Studies faculty, one of which must be taken before the senior year.
- CINE 400, The Senior Project
- Electives chosen in consultation with advisor
Courses in which a student has earned a letter grade lower than a C- cannot be used to fulfill the requirements of the major. Grades of CR or P can fulfill some major requirements but should be taken sparingly. Film Production: Curriculum, Logistics, Costs
In order for students to understand the various dimensions of cinema and to become familiar with a broad spectrum of media, the Cinema Studies curriculum integrates critical and production courses. Students are encouraged to do both critical studies and production work. Our production facilities include a fully outfitted shooting studio with green screen and professional lighting capabilities, an equipment Depot that lends to students a wide range of digital video, HD, Super 8, and (Bolex and Arriflex) 16mm film cameras, tripods, digital audio recording tools, projectors, Blu-ray decks, and more. For post-production we have editing facilities fully equipped with Final Cut Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, ProTools, and other post-production software. There is a vast collection of DVDs and films housed in the Oberlin Library system that are available to students for classes and research. Students in production courses are required to purchase their own external fire-wire hard drives and A/V supplies, including tape stock, memory cards, and DVDs. In addition, most production courses require a lab fee. Fall Semester at Prague Film School, Prague, Czech Republic
The Cinema Studies Program has a consortial arrangement with the Prague Film School. Students interested in the fall semester at PFS should consult with the Director of Cinema Studies. Both CINE 298 and CINE 299 should be taken before studying abroad. All film courses offered at PFS, including those in film production, count toward the Cinema Studies major. Students may earn up to 14 credits during a semester at PFS, which will count as electives towards the Cinema Studies major. In addition, students may substitute these credits for one 300-level production course for the major. Spring Semester at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts
The Cinema Studies Program has a consortial arrangement with the Film Program at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Students interested in the spring semester at Tisch should consult with the Director of Cinema Studies. Both CINE 298 and CINE 299 should be taken before studying away. All film courses offered at Tisch, including those in film production, count toward the Cinema Studies major. Students may earn up to 14 credits during a semester at Tisch, which will count as electives towards the Cinema Studies major. In addition, students may substitute these credits for one 300-level production course for the major. Transfer of Credit
No more than 14 hours of transfer credit may be applied to the Oberlin Cinema Studies major. At least 12 hours in advanced courses (Advanced Cinema Studies Courses and The Senior Project) must be taken within the Cinema Studies Program. For approval of transfer credit toward the major and/or toward meeting prerequisites for upper-level courses, students should consult with the Director of Cinema Studies (or his or her designate), preferably with syllabi in hand. Winter Term
Winter Term projects will be sponsored by Cinema Studies faculty according to their interests and availability of staff. Students are encouraged to propose group projects that, with an approved sponsor, they will direct. First-Year Seminar Program
First-year seminars do not count toward the Cinema Studies major, but are recommended as an introduction to deeper-level skills in critical thinking, reading, viewing, analysis, writing and discussion. The successful completion of a first-year seminar will serve as one of the ways to satisfy the prerequisite for Cinematic Traditions Courses. General Interest Cinema Studies Courses
These courses are mainly intended for students not planning to major in Cinema Studies. However, CINE 110 and CINE 111 may count towards the major as electives. They will not replace other required courses, but can serve as entry into some Advanced Cinema Studies Courses. See Advanced Cinema Studies course descriptions for specifics.
Prerequisites: Neither CINE 110 nor CINE 111 has a prerequisite. Some spaces are reserved for first- and second-year students. Introductory Cinema Studies Core Courses
Cinema Studies majors who declare after July, 2009, are required to take CINE 298, Form/Style/Meaning/Media, and CINE 299, Persistence of Vision: Approaches to Cinema Studies, which together form the foundation for the major. CINE 298 and CINE 299 should be taken: 1) in sequence, as the gateway to the major, 2) by the end of the sophomore year, 3) before declaring the major, and 4) before studying abroad/away. Neither course may be taken in either of the final two semesters at Oberlin and still count toward the major.
Prerequisite for CINE 298: CINE 298 has no prerequisites. CINE 110 or CINE 111 is recommended as preparation for CINE 298. Some spaces are reserved for first- and second-year students.
Prerequisite for CINE 299: CINE 298 or consent of instructor. Cinematic Traditions Courses
Cinematic Traditions Courses count as electives towards the major. They include any 200-level course taught by Cinema Studies faculty exclusive of CINE 298 and CINE 299. They also include cross-referenced courses from other departments in the College and Conservatory (see the heading, “Cross-Referenced Courses” below).
Prerequisites: One of CINE 110, CINE 111, or CINE 298 is strongly recommended as preparation for Cinematic Traditions Courses. Unless otherwise noted, Cinematic Traditions Courses are open to students who have completed any Writing Intensive (WRi) course or have gained Writing Certification (WR) in any course in the Humanities. They are also open to those who have achieved a 5 on the AP exam in English Language/Composition or English Literature/Composition; or a score of 710 or better on the SAT II writing test; or a score of 6 or 7 on the International Baccalaureate (IB). Other students may be admitted by consent of the instructor, with the understanding that students should be able to demonstrate the ability to handle writing, discussion, and analysis in ways typically taught in Writing Intensive classes. Media Literacy and Outreach Courses
The Media Literacy and Outreach Courses, which are geared for students interested in learning through teaching and community involvement and prepare students to participate in the Apollo Outreach Initiative, count as electives. During spring semester, students study media literacy and pedagogy techniques in CINE 394, Practicum In Media Literacy and Pedagogy I: Theory. These students then are eligible to work at the Apollo Outreach Initiative’s Summer Media Workshop for Teens. During the following fall and/or spring semester(s), students implement the CINE 394 curriculum as instructors and mentors in media literacy and outreach projects in Oberlin Public Schools’ K-12 classes in CINE 395 and/or CINE 396, Fall/Spring Practicum in Media Literacy and Pedagogy II: Practice. Prerequisites for CINE 394: CINE 298 AND consent of instructor.
Prerequisites for CINE 395 and CINE 396: CINE 394 AND consent of instructor. Advanced Cinema Studies Courses
Advanced Cinema Studies Courses are classes taught by Cinema Studies faculty at the 300 level. Majors must take at least three Advanced Cinema Studies Courses, and at least one of these must be completed before the senior year. Prerequisites may vary by course (see course descriptions for details). In general, 300-level critical studies courses will require CINE 110 or CINE 111, CINE 298 or CINE 299, and possibly consent of instructor. 300-level production courses will, in general, require CINE 298 and consent of instructor. The Senior Project
Cinema Studies majors must complete CINE 400, The Senior Project, during their final year at Oberlin. This course allows seniors to conceive and develop substantial independent projects of their own design that will be presented publicly. NB: The Senior Project is offered ONLY Fall semester in 2011-12. Prerequisite: CINE 298, CINE 299, at least one Advanced Cinema Studies Course, and consent of instructor. Private Readings
Private Readings are available to those who have completed introductory coursework in the Program. Students seeking to arrange Private Readings should contact professors directly. Cross-Referenced Courses
These courses count towards the Cinema Studies major as elective Cinematic Traditions Courses. Students should register for these courses using the number in the department or program of origin. For course descriptions and prerequisites, please find the relevant department or program in this catalog. |
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