Film & Media Studies

This course offers a study of varying forms of contemporary Spanish audiovisual media including: film, television fiction, reality TV, and internet videos (such as Youtube).

This course analyzes the role of mass media and other channels of communication in local and international political processes. It examines the way in which governments communicate through the media, and the role the media play as either independent watchdogs or as tools of the political system. 

This course examines the relationship between media, society and politics by examining the ways in which information is mediated between social, cultural and political institutions. It develops a conceptual framework from which to analyze the dynamic technological and regulatory environment in which the media operates and to investigate the consequences of changes in these areas for media practitioners, politicians and ordinary citizens. Topics covered include media ownership and regulation; the media and society; the media and politics; the media and social movements; the politics of spin; censorship, freedom of speech/press; new media and democracy; global media and global politics.

This course addresses how the film medium can provide alternative historical, aesthetic, analytical, and theoretical expressions. The course focuses on various alternatives to the culturally and financially dominant model of Hollywood cinema, and to the characteristics of this model in terms of film style and narrative. The course  invites analysis and theoretical discussions on larger aesthetic movements and trends, as well as focused studies on specific films and audiovisual images. The course illustrates the historical conditions that form the basis of various cinematic orientations, and explores how film has always in various ways tested the limits and characteristics of the medium. The course offers knowledge to students who want to work with film in academic and/or other professional contexts, such as in film production, cultural work, or in various journalistic contexts. Prior basic knowledge of film history, film/media theory, and academic writing is recommended.

This trans-disciplinary course provides details on past and current systems and cases of censorship to allow for in-depth study of certain landmark plays, novels, and film adaptations that have caused the greatest scandals and most intense censorship over the past century. It brings together notions of media studies, sociology, history, law and key legal battles, publication processes, as well as literary and film analysis. The course mainly focuses on banned and censored books and film adaptations in Great Britain and the United States, and students have the opportunity to bring in such cases in other countries during the weekly round table debates and in-class discussions.

Through the teaching of commercial photography related knowledge, as well as a large number of practical photography practice, students can master the basic commercial photography shooting skills, and the ability to carry out and produce creative ideas by means of photography, and finally have the ability and methods to complete the complete commercial visual image production.

This course is guided by commercial photography practice. Based on the study of basic shooting techniques and photographic equipment, three parts of photography training are carried out:

1. Street photography, which mainly trains students' observation ability and capture skills in specific environment, and completes photography works with aesthetic feeling and interest;

2. Advertising photography, mainly carried out in the studio, including shooting scheme planning, visual creativity and placement skills, has the ability to execute a complete set of advertising photography works;

3. Public relations photography, combined with the technique of snapshot and shooting, can fully shoot and present the images of specific commercial activities, marketing events, and characters.The three parts are organically combined to form a relatively integrated commercial photography system.

Migration is and has been, a significant influence on European cultures and societies. This course acknowledges this from two main perspectives. On the one hand, how conditions of migration have been represented in film and television – in different national and historical contexts. On the other hand, how migration has affected film production itself, not least regarding how film workers have moved from one country to another, finding new arenas for exploring both their creativity and identity.

This course examines the basics of media and their social, economic, and psychological implications. It covers theoretical approaches to the study of media and how media technologies affect economic structures, social processes, and psychological consequences, such as information economy, interpersonal communication, relationship development, community building, and civic/political participation. In addition, the course covers various media including the Internet, mobile phones, social networking sites, and computer games. The class also discusses key concepts such as privacy, addiction, and copyright. Furthermore, students learn theoretical concepts and ideas that enable them to understand Korean media and “read” Korean popular culture, including the Korean Wave (Hallyu) and K-pop, from academic perspectives.