Film & Media Studies

This course offers an intensive theoretical and practical study of the craft of directing for camera in film and television, independent filmmaking, and audiovisual creation with an emphasis on developing creative camera proficiency. Students complete a final short video project applying the concepts developed during the course.

This interdisciplinary course discusses the identities of nations in European space that have served as a crossroad of ideas and ideologies, as well as wars and totalitarian regimes. The course covers masterpieces of Russian, Hungarian, German, French, Georgian, Polish, and Czech cinematography, focusing on several crucial periods of history, in particular WWII, its aftermath, and the Stalinist years. Students are exposed to often controversial works of film art focusing on the moral dilemmas of individuals under the stressful times of history. Students map the European space through the means of film, analyzing the individual’s approach to historical events, and gain a general picture of Europe in its crucial periods of history. Students participate in open discussion sessions following each screening.

This course examines how the audiovisual ecosystem has changed over the last decade. It covers new trends and aesthetics, digital film & television, music, audio and online video, video games, fake news, and filter bubbles.

This course examines the nature and development of television fiction and its interaction with media culture. It analyzes the evolution of television fiction from an international perspective and the mutations that occur in the production of contemporary fiction. Case study of the course: "WandaVision" (Disney+: 2021).

European film industries have consistently produced popular films and yet the most common perception of European cinema is one of arthouse production. This course redresses this misperception. Putting the terms "popular" and "European" together illuminates them both. "Popular" means different things in different countries: it may refer to box office success, or local traditions, or particular class or niche tastes. Sometimes what is "popular" is said to express the character of a nation, while at other times it is seen as a corruption of such a national identity. This course address many facets of what we refer to today as "Popular European Cinema." The course's methodologies reflect the rubric's multifariousness. It may be taught through a comparative approach, looking at one genre, such as melodrama or comedy, across several countries, or considering the effect of different institutional and funding contexts. It may also take a trans-national approach, looking at co-productions or stars who worked and were popular in a number of European countries.