HUM 3110 - Introduction to Cinema

Prerequisite(s): ENG1272.
This course will study film as a mass media. Fundamental elements of film and examination of the social, cultural, political and aesthetical values communicated by film will be explored. Students will engage in critique and analysis of both narrative and documentary film. Credit(s): 3 (3 plus 0)

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Differentiate between “movies” as mass entertainment or consumer products, and “films,” which may offer unique insights into society, culture, and the human condition.
Summarize many contentious debates surrounding the medium of film, debates such as the introduction of sound and color into film and the value and purpose of special effects.
State the building blocks of film with special concentration upon the shot and cut, and montage.
Analyze films using the tools of film analysis, including auteur theory and scopophilia (gaze theory), hermeneutics, and semiology.
Recognize film as a powerful medium of illusion, with the ability to mold beliefs, desires, fears, and in some ways our personal and cultural identities.