Film & Media Studies

Despite its apparent proximity to the history of cinema, this course is in fact a "History and Cinema" course. It looks at both fiction and non-fiction cinema and considers questions posed by Michèle Lagny and Marc Ferro on how film allows us to rethink the historicity of history and whether cinema and television modify our vision of history.

This course considers the relationship between philosophical reflection and aesthetic practice through the lens of cinema, with the purpose of engaging students of both philosophy and film theory in a cross-disciplinary investigation into cinema. The course draws both from philosophical texts on film, and classical and contemporary film theory. Topics may include epistemological, ontological, and ethical questions about film; the role of memory, subjectivity, identity, and desire in cinema; time, space, and the nature of the image; perspectives on sexuality, gender, and race in film; psychoanalytic, feminist, and postcolonial film theory; and analytic and continental approaches to film and philosophy. This course is offered to both graduate and undergraduate students with distinct assessment requirements for each; this represents the graduate version of the course. 

This course will first lead students to be familiar with mainstream English media from home and abroad, such as China Daily, CGTN, Xinhua News Agency, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN, BBC, South China Morning Post, etc. Social media such as popular English-language or bilingual video programs on Douyin (TikTok), Bilibili, Little Red Book and YouTube will be included. Students can not only understand the latest developments of global news, but also can form their own critical views on the world media and compare the similarities and differences between Chinese media and Western media. Secondly, this course will also select typical or hot cases to explain news production and news reporting skills. Finally, the course will take students majoring in different foreign languages through extensive practice in news making. This course is a practical course for reporting China and the world in English, bilingual or multilingual. The learning effect is based on the international news works produced through the semester.

This course explores the evolution of classic French cinema in all its diversity from the 1930s to the 1950s, while highlighting its aesthetic, ideological, and cultural characteristics through the genres, major directors, actresses/actors, and currents representative of production at the time. It looks at the technical, practical, and financial changes brought about by the transition to talkies, and the cultural repercussions on production. The Occupation sheds light on the genesis of the institutional foundations of today's cinema, with government involvement in the organization of the film industry. The post-war period also provides an opportunity to grasp the subtext of the cultural policy issues that are still relevant today, linked to cultural exception or diversity, of which the Blum-Byrnes agreements are the crucible from which subsidized cinema was born.

This course, "Gaming, Esports, and Interactive Narratives," offers a comprehensive exploration of the gaming and esports landscape, covering the cultural, artistic, and technical dimensions of games. Students examine complex questions about games' potential to achieve a depth of character development and insight into the human experience comparable to novels or films. Through literary criticism, postmodern theory, and cinema studies, we analyze how interactive narratives and visual design contribute to unique player experiences. Additionally, students gain an advanced understanding of the cultural and aesthetic history of games. A distinctive feature of this course is its integration of industry expertise. Gen G—one of the largest and most innovative companies in gaming— provides guest lecturers throughout the semester, including influential figures from the gaming industry, professional gamers, and experienced developers. These guest speakers offer valuable insights into the latest trends, challenges, and innovations shaping the gaming industry today. Guided by a "learning by doing" philosophy and a problem- and project-based learning (PBL) approach, students explore interactive narrative design and develop advanced game literacy. Hands-on assignments introduce students to the game development process, emphasizing game design principles and team collaboration. Through this approach, students understand the diverse roles within a game development team, gaining insights into how each role contributes to the overall design and player experience—laying the foundation for creative and collaborative project work.

This dynamic, general undergraduate course leverages the captivating power of cinema to explore world religious civilizations, life philosophies, and a spectrum of ethical and moral issues. "Film, Faith, and Moral" is designed to enhance students' understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures, offering insights into the similarities and differences among various world religions and fostering a deep respect for religious cultures. 
 
The course delves into major world religions and addresses cross-religious moral and ethical themes, such as the rewards and punishments in the afterlife, the Golden Rule, concepts of rebirth, worldviews, the interplay between digital technology and religion, and the nature of temptation and sin. It also covers repentance, loyalty, forgiveness, altruism, self-salvation, and transcendence. 
 
Utilizing a rich array of films, including documentaries, animations, and feature films, the course broadens students' perspectives on religious and philosophical thinking and their understanding of the interconnections between cinema, literature, and art. An introduction to semiotic theory is also included to enhance students' media literacy and critical thinking skills.

• Provide a comprehensive introduction to the history, current state, and trends in entertainment reporting and programs, both domestically and internationally.
• Analyze print media, broadcast television, and online entertainment content.
• Help students understand the social functions of entertainment reporting and its interaction with other media types.
• Foster critical thinking about the future development of entertainment reporting and how it relates to societal mechanisms and other forms of media.

This course will approach the interactive relationship between electronic games and society from multi-dimensional perspectives, including cultural history, technological history, art history, and intellectual history. Unlike conventional game-related or design courses that primarily focus on gameplay and mechanics, this course will not assume “game enthusiasts” as the students’ prior identity.

This course examines problems and concerns relating to the laws, and ethical issues that affect journalists and the journalism profession. While the lectures and coursework focus on Hong Kong, they also examine key global developments.

This course introduces influencing factors of audio and video news production, principles of news, news operations, short news video theory and practice, planning and practice of news production.