The Minor in Cinema Studies

Course Requirements for the Minor: 18 units

The following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required of all candidates for this minor.

Approaches to Film: 9 units

At least 6 units must be upper-division.

3 courses selected from:

SUBJ NUM	Title	Units	Semester Offered	Course Flags
ENGL 303W	Survey of American Film (W)	3.0	FS	W
Study and criticism of selected American films, with emphasis on their literary sources, their illustration of various literary conventions, and their use of language. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Writing Course. (003463)
HUMN 281W	Food and Film (W)	3.0	FS	GE W
This course explores themes about food in international cinema, with special attention to the social, cultural and historical context for food as depicted in film, the cultural issues regarding national, ethnic and gender identity, and how the art and history of cinema have presented the many roles that food plays in our lives. 2 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory. This is an approved Writing Course. This is an approved General Education course. (021204)
MADT 141	Media Aesthetics	3.0	FS
This course will explore the elements of visual design as they apply to the production of video and film. An overview of visual literacy will be given, and the application of these elements to the critical analysis of video and film productions will be discussed. Successful completion of this course for majors requires a grade of C or higher. 3 hours lecture. (001649)
MADT 350	The Art of Cinema and Television	3.0	SP
This course is designed to foster appreciation for the art of cinema and television among students. Every year the course covers a different theme (a genre, a director, a TV series, a specific subject matter as explored in American TV and/or cinema). Through the study of cinema and television, the course explores stylistic, narrative, and cultural phenomena. The course also considers various critical approaches to film and television studies in order to examine media representations, artistic forms, and industrial practices. Through screenings, lectures, written assignments, and exams students become familiar with a variety of genres, auteurs, and TV texts. 2 hours lecture, 2 hours activity. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 6.0 units. (021613)
MADT 351	Global Media and Convergence	3.0	FA
The course explores distribution strategies adopted by international media industries in the era of globalization. Such strategies include: genre adaptation, content reformatting, audiovisual translation, and programming. 3 hours discussion. (020660)
MADT 352	Media Arts and Identity	3.0	SP
Examines the creation and propagation of representations of identity, such as sexuality, ethnicity, race, nationality and class within film, video and electronic arts. 3 hours discussion. (020661)
RELS 365	Religion and Film	3.0	INQ
An examination of the representation of religious concerns and meaning in modern film. Utilizing resources developed in religious traditions and in the field of religious studies, the course examines themes central to the human condition such as selfhood, religious conviction, despair, redemption, and race and ethnicity. 2 hours discussion, 3 hours laboratory. (008149)

Cinema and Cultures: 6 units

2 courses selected from:

SUBJ NUM	Title	Units	Semester Offered	Course Flags
ENGL 203	Shakespeare in Film	3.0	FS	GE
Through examining the texts and film interpretations of Shakespeare plays, students in this course develop a deeper understanding of both Shakespearean drama and the language of film. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (015856)
FLNG 380	Language and Culture in Film	3.0	FA	GE
Students examine films which, as cultural products of specific geo-linguistic areas, offer a key to understanding a society's language, history, and unique interests, concerns, practices, and perspectives. This course focuses each semester on a specific geo-linguistic area of film production. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (021181)
FREN 480	French Cinema	3.0	INQ
An introduction to French cinema as a narrative form, with emphasis on key films and directors from various periods of French film history. The class is taught in English. All films have English subtitles. 3 hours discussion. (003813)
GERM 480	Topics in German Cinema	3.0	INQ
Course is taught in English; films in German with English subtitles. Study of selected films, themes, periods, genres, or directors in German cinema. Content varies. Topics are announced each semester offered. 3 hours discussion. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 12.0 units. (021817)
HUMN 224W	Asian Film and Literature (W)	3.0	FS	GE GC W
An introduction to Indian, Chinese, and Japanese film and literature beginning with Hindu epic. Special attention is given to gender relations between men and women. 3 hours discussion. This is an approved Writing Course. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (020684)
ITAL 482	Italian Cinema -- General History, Genres, and Trends	3.0	INQ
The Italian Cinema as a creative art form has had a profound and lasting impact on world cinematography. The course will include Italian film history and the study of major trends and techniques. The relationship of the cinema to socio-political, economic, and literary events in Italy and the world will be studied: Neorealism, The Felliniesque, Spaghetti Western, Commedia all'Italiana, and more recent trends. The class is taught in English and all films have English subtitles. 3 hours discussion. (005111)
ITAL 483	Italian Cinema -- Great Film Directors	3.0	INQ
Consists of a series of related in-depth monographic studies of such great film directors as De Sica, Visconti, Rossellini, Fellini, Antonioni, Bertolucci, Pasolini, the Tavianis, and Scola. The class is taught in English and all films have English subtitles. 3 hours discussion. (005112)
JAPN 381	Japan in Film	3.0	INQ
This course is taught in English. It examines a variety of Japanese films involving the following cultural themes: roles of men and women, society, history, politics, education, theater, sports, music, industry, comedy, etc. In the process, the students examine and analyze the myths and realities of Japanese people as portrayed in the films. Discussions are designed to increase students' awareness of intercultural communication, to foster their preparedness for functioning in the complex order of Japanese society. All films have English subtitles. 3 hours lecture. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 6.0 units. (020182)
MADT 203	Latinx Film: Representation, Resistance, and Disruption	3.0	FS
This course is also offered as CHLX 203. Viewing and analysis of Latinx and Chicanx films, from classics to contemporary popular and critical hits. Feature and documentary films are discussed in sociopolitical context and as cultural production. Special attention is paid to intersections between race/ethnicity, gender, sexuality, socio-economic class, and other facets of Latinx identities. 3 hours lecture. (021921)
MADT 344	American Cinema	3.0	FS
The course offers a survey of American film from historical, industrial, cultural, and stylistic perspectives. In Fall, the content of the course focuses on the beginnings of cinema until the 1950's; in Spring, the content of the course focuses on the 1960's to the present. Readings and screenings explore key American directors, genres, film movements, and technological advancements in relation to industrial and cultural shifts. Open to non-majors. 2 hours lecture, 2 hours activity. (001677)
MADT 353	World Cinema	3.0	SP
Investigates the concept of world and national cinema within historical, economic, cultural, and theoretical contexts. 2 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. (020662)

Comparative Study: 3 units

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM	Title	Units	Semester Offered	Course Flags
ARTH 433W	20th Century Art (W)	3.0	INQ	W
An investigation of the history of modern art from the early-to-mid twentieth century. The course covers such movements as Cubism, Expressionism, Constructivism, Dada, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, and Minimalism. An emphasis is placed on understanding how art relates to critical debates and social and historical contexts. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Writing Course. (000777)
ARTH 441W	Contemporary Art (W)	3.0	FS	W
An investigation of artists and issues in the global contemporary art world. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved Writing Course. (000838)
ARTH 484	History of Photography	3.0	FA
The development of photography from roots in classical and medieval discoveries to the present, its role in historical documentation, its reciprocal influence upon the arts, its contribution to science, and its importance as an extension of human vision. Non-silver processes and fusion of photography with computer and other media will be examined. Ansel Adams, Imogen Cunningham, Alfred Stieglitz, and Edward Weston are among the photographers to be considered. 3 hours lecture. (000773)
ARTS 250	Introduction to Digital Media	3.0	FS
Prerequisites: ARTS 122 or ARTS 125, sophomore standing. This is a foundation computer course for studio artists. The course covers basic instruction using computers for painting, vector drawing, image processing, photographic composites, typography/words as art, animation, research, and internet publishing. Emphasis is on conceptual and creative processes. Art and design principles, aesthetic decision making, visual effectiveness, digital ethics, and sustainability are addressed. Basic drawing skills strongly recommended. 6 hours activity. (000737)
ARTS 350	Intermediate Digital Media	3.0	FS
Prerequisites: ARTS 122, ARTS 125, ARTS 250. Intermediate studies in digital media and electronic arts. Hands on exploration of digital media with focus on cross-media and interdisciplinary collaboration to create new media artworks; and understanding of presentation issues surrounding digital media for a variety of platforms. Course focus may vary each semester. 6 hours activity. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 6.0 units. (000770)
ENGL 204	Introduction to Comics and Graphic Novels	3.0	FS	GE
An introductory survey of comics, graphic novels, and related forms of text-rich sequential art genres, this course provides foundational approaches to understanding graphic narratives' intersections with artistic and literary traditions. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (022079)
ENGL 304	Comics and Graphic Novels	3.0	FS
An examination of the historical development of comic books and the graphic novel as a distinct genre. This course introduces students to key terminology within comics' studies, and strategies for analyzing and composing comic books. 3 hours lecture. (021584)
ENGL 461	The Modern Novel	3.0	FS
British, American, Continental, and Latin American novels in the twentieth century. 3 hours seminar. (003562)
MUSC 290	Introduction to the World of Music	3.0	SP	GE GC
A survey of the elements of music and diverse cultures and values in relation to music. Representative examples are drawn from the traditions of Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia, including classical, folk, and popular idioms. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (006053)
MUSC 292	Great Musical Compositions and Composers	3.0	FS	GE
A survey of seminal compositions and composers from western art music history. Musical traditions, compositional techniques, performance mediums, and the compositional background of individual works and composers, and the effects of political, social and philosophical issues upon the compositions and composers studies are explored. 3 hours discussion. This is an approved General Education course. (006183)
PHIL 384	Aesthetics	3.0	S2
A philosophical study of the nature and significance of art, with references to relevant works. The course considers such themes as the beautiful, the sublime, comedy, tragedy and the social psychological dimensions of art as well as the periods of Romanticism, Modernism, Postmodernism. 3 hours lecture. (020624)
RELS 403	Religion and the Arts	3.0	F1
This course is designed to examine the ways religion helps shape artistic expression and how various art forms-music, architecture, visual arts, storytelling, and film-serve as means of religious expression. We explore both traditional "sacred" art (e.g. temples, mosques, churches) as well as popular art (novels, movies, etc.) that have been shaped by religious themes. We explore the role of the arts in a number of different religious traditions. 3 hours seminar. (021622)
THEA 251	World Theatre	3.0	SMF	GE GC
This is a survey course examining theatrical performance throughout the world focusing primarily on non-western forms. It examines representative examples of theatrical performance within specific cultures or geographic locations and explores the social and cultural connections between performance and society. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved Global Cultures course. (021114)
THEA 252	Politics, Performance, and Power	3.0	FS	GE
This course serves as an introduction to the connections between theatre and politics, ranging from traditional theatre to performance art. It examines the nature of political theatre and performance and introduces key figures such as Bertolt Brecht, Augusto Boal, and Guillermo Gomez-Pena. Students see live performance, read theoretical and performance texts, and develop a critical discourse about the nature of politics, power, and performance. Students also engage in performance practice as well as theory, formulating a creative work in response to a contemporary performance issue. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. (021151)
THEA 315	Performance of Identity	3.0	FS	GE USD
This course is also offered as MCGS 315. A study of identity as expressed through performance in theatre and other media. The course focuses on issues of race, gender, and sexuality. Students see live performances, read classic and contemporary performance texts, and gain exposure to key figures who engage with identity politics in performance in the contemporary consciousness. 3 hours lecture. This is an approved General Education course. This is an approved US Diversity course. (009520)