Film Studies

This course will introduce the art, technology, language, and appreciation of film, exploring the varieties of film experience, film and the other arts, and the ways of viewing. Students will learn about the basic cinematic techniques and structures, including mise-en-scene and montage, use of cinematic time and space, the image, soundtrack, and the script. Consideration will also be given to analyzing the fundamentals of film production, directing, acting, and editing; how the elements of the production process are analyzed separately, then brought together to show how they create the emotional and intellectual impact of the film experience. Film examples will be screened in class.

This introductory course in rhetoric emphasizes clear, effective written communication and preparation of the research paper.

This course provides an exploration of intellectual, psychological, social and physical factors that impact lifelong learning, well-being and success. Topics include motivation and self-efficacy; critical thinking, academic integrity and active study strategies; health issues and lifestyle choices; relating to others as a global citizen; written and oral communication; time management; career exploration; and educational planning.

required for CSU; elective for UC

See the full list: IGETC Area 1C Course

A broad survey is made of the history, theory, techniques, and development of motion pictures. The history of film as a major art form and its major artists, works, and styles are emphasized. Film examples are screened in class.

MATH 21 or 54 recommended

See the full list: IGETC Area 2 Course

This course helps students to develop their critical thinking and writing skills beyond the level achieved in English 1. The course emphasizes the application of logical reasoning, analysis, and strategies of argumentation in critical thinking and writing, using literature (both fiction and non-fiction) and literary criticism as subject matter.

could be 1 unit course if a 4 unit math course is taken

This course presents motion pictures as reflections and influences of American society. Films are often selected from specific decades and analyzed as records of social attitudes shaping the present and past.

consider additional major preparation for transfer schools

consider additional major preparation for transfer schools

This course will explore the history of animation through its earliest beginnings to the present. In addition to the chronological order of events, this course will look at the multi-faceted aspects of this relatively modern art form. The influences of economics and social/political pressures on the art form will be examined. Included will be the study of individual animators and studios, big and small; different art techniques, materials 2D and 3D. The class will also examine the principles of movement and how they apply to the zoetrope as well as the computer.

This course is a historical study and survey of the multiple and varied images of women in film. Students will screen and analyze films over seven decades, beginning with the 1930s. Students will also read, discuss, and write about women's roles in these films. The focus is to analyze the representation of women in each film screened, to discuss how character roles have changed over time, and to examine occupation, dress, and rules of behavior.

This course surveys American motion pictures that have been made by filmmakers representing three United States ethnic groups, including African Americans, Latino Americans, and Asian Americans. Students will also analyze Hollywood's treatment of those ethnic cultures throughout film history.

This introductory course surveys the development and artistic, social, and entertainment ingredients of basic film genres. Emphasis on such types as the science-fiction film, western, gangster film, crime and detective thriller ("film noir"), musical, comedy, or horror film.

This course covers a limited number of film directors, writers, producers, and/or actors, examining their work in artistic, social, and historical terms. The course content and emphasis changes each term.

Using in-depth studies of a limited number of films and writings about films, this discussion and workshop course explores the various approaches to developing sound criticism and interpretation of motion pictures. It also introduces the student to the basic theories of film art and criticism.

In this course students will explore literary classics on screen, comparing the narrative dynamics of cinema and literature by comparing the text with the film. In so doing students will gain an understanding of the text to film adaptation process, the expressive powers of each, and each medium's unique potentialities and deficiencies. Selected novels, short stories, plays, and nonfiction works will be examined as each evolves into film.

This course is designed to teach the student the basic tools of scriptwriting for film, television, or theater, focusing on the aesthetic and commercial demands of each medium.

This course is designed to provide intermediate level training in skills required to create scripts for film, television, or theatre. Techniques of writing and marketing scripts are explored.

This course is designed for students who are interested in transforming a creative concept into a practical production plan. By viewing, discussing, and analyzing scripts, television, and film, students will learn skills necessary to start production of a film or video.

This is an introductory course covering both the basic techniques of digital filmmaking and of critical appreciation, while emphasizing students' personal and creative expression. Topics will include the theory and practice of visualization, the grammar of cinematic storytelling, the aesthetics of various film movements, camera technique, lighting, sound recording, directing, and other fundamentals related to learning the craft of digital filmmaking. Students will engage in critical appreciation and individual and group analysis of movies, as well as in filming exercises under the direct and continuous supervision of their instructor.

In this hands-on course, students will delve into the art and craft of cinematography:the methods and techniques by which motion picture photography and lighting help give a film meaning and aesthetic purpose. Through lectures, demonstrations and exercises in a supervised classroom environment, students will learn to operate state-of-the-art digital and electronic equipment while applying the fundamental principles of lighting, composition, exposure, focus, lens selection, and camera dynamics into purposeful visual storytelling.