Jonathan Tazewell

The work of this course involves the realization in the theater of the efforts of an important playwright, as expressed in the text for a particular play. Problems in textual analysis, historical research and the creation of a production lead, by way of independent and cooperative activity involving acting, design and special problems, to public performance before an audience. Note: students who, in the judgment of the instructional and directorial staff, have made significant creative contributions to the effectiveness of the production will have an audit indicated on their academic record.

In this course we will consider the collaborative nature of filmmaking and how its various crafts combine to tell stories with perhaps the greatest mass appeal of any artistic medium. We will explore dramatic narrative structure, mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing and film genres as they have been used and advanced in the history of cinema. In addition to regular class meetings, attendance at weekly film showings is required. This course includes an introduction to film production where students are expected to write, direct and film short projects in collaboration with their classmates. This course is ideal for first-year students and is required for the major. No prerequisite. Generally offered once a year.

This course will consider how we use dramatic narrative theory based on the ideas presented in "The Poetics" by Aristotle and Joseph Campbell's explanation of the Monomyth theory in film. The course is designed for students to learn to write short screenplays and present staged versions of them with their classmates as actors. These screenplays will not be filmed. The focus of the course is on pre-production in film and on understanding structure and cinematic writing. Students will develop strategies on how to work with actors to develop a performance. Eliminating the challenges of learning the use of film cameras or sound equipment will allow students to develop the skills of planning shots and staging action and crafting a performance. Students will read selected screenplays to analyze how structural models work. This course can substitute the requirement of DRAM 111 for film majors. No prerequisite.

This course explores cinematography as an art of visual storytelling. The cinematographer plays a critical role in shaping the light and composition of an image and capturing that image for the screen. Students will investigate the theory and practice of this unique visual language and its power as a narrative element in cinema. Students will study films by accomplished cinematographers and engage in the work of the cinematographer through a series of projects. This course will be taught at the Wright Center in Mt. Vernon. This satisfies one of the three required production classes for the major. Prerequisite: FILM 111. Generally offered every year.

Because the director has, perhaps, the most comprehensive impact on a film, this course considers films directed by African-American people. The representation of African Americans throughout history has been perverted using visual imagery, and modern images in film and television are not exempt. However, African Americans have been contributing since the beginning of film history to the imaging or re-imaging of the culture and its people. This course will look at these contributions and the images of African Americans they help to create, as well as how these representations have changed over time. This counts toward the film genre course requirement for the major. No prerequisite. Generally offered every third year.

This course will focus on the understanding of cinema through the practical application of pre-production and post-production techniques. Students will learn the art of telling a story on screen by taking on the roles of the major positions in a film production, including producer, director, actor, cinematographer and editor. This course will be taught at the Wright Center in Mt. Vernon. This counts toward the production course requirement for the major. Prerequisite: DRAM 111 or FILM 111. Generally offered every year.

This is a course in screen acting. Students will explore the unique and peculiar nature of acting in front of a camera. What demands does screen acting have that are different from performances on stage? How do screen actors tell a coherent story given the disruptive process of filming a narrative? Students will explore the nature and technique of acting on camera by performing scenes from existing screenplays with classmates, and the scenes will be recorded. We will watch these recordings in class and critique students' work. Students will be graded on their preparation and performance. Students will engage with several visiting artists who work in the film and television industry. This counts toward the production course requirement for the major. Prerequisite: DRAM 111. Generally offered every third year.

This course is designed primarily for students majoring in film, though it is not limited to senior majors. It is also open to non-majors with a significant interest in film directing who have taken many film courses offered in the department. Students will make a series of very short films and develop a film project of approximately 10–15 minutes in length. This process will involve a deeper understanding of writing, budgeting, producing, cinematography and editing of short films through class exercises. This course will be taught at the Wright Center in Mt. Vernon. This counts toward the production course requirement for the major. Prerequisite: FILM 261 or permission of instructor. Generally offered every year.

This seminar is for senior majors in film. Through this course, senior majors will prepare for the completion of their Senior Capstone. Students will present their project proposals, develop these projects through collaboration with peers, critique each other's work and utilize feedback to improve their individual projects. Students will be expected to provide project schedules and weekly status updates and to meet regular guideposts for project completion. This course will culminate in public presentations of the senior projects and oral examinations by faculty in the department. One semester of this course is required for the major but it may be taken twice for credit.

Individual study in film is reserved for students exploring a topic not regularly offered in the department's curriculum. Typically, the course will carry 0.5 units of credit. To enroll in an individual study, a student must identify a member of the department willing to direct the project and, in consultation with him or her, write a proposal. The department chair must approve the proposal. The one- to two-page proposal should include a preliminary bibliography and/or set of specific problems, goals and tasks for the course, outline a schedule of reading and/or writing assignments or creative undertakings, and describe the methods of assessment (e.g., a journal to be submitted for evaluation weekly, a feature length screenplay due at semester's end, with drafts due at given intervals, etc). The student also should briefly describe prior course work, which qualifies him or her for this independent project. At a minimum, the department expects the student to meet regularly with the instructor one hour per week and to submit an amount of work equivalent to that required in 300-level film courses. Students are urged to begin discussion of their proposed individual study the semester before they hope to enroll so that they can devise a proposal and seek departmental approval before the deadline.

Individual study in film is reserved for students exploring a topic not regularly offered in the department's curriculum. Typically, the course will carry 0.5 units of credit. To enroll in an individual study, a student must identify a member of the department willing to direct the project and, in consultation with him or her, write a proposal. The department chair must approve the proposal. The one- to two-page proposal should include a preliminary bibliography and/or set of specific problems, goals and tasks for the course, outline a schedule of reading and/or writing assignments or creative undertakings, and describe the methods of assessment (e.g., a journal to be submitted for evaluation weekly, a feature length screenplay due at semester's end, with drafts due at given intervals, etc). The student also should briefly describe prior course work, which qualifies him or her for this independent project. At a minimum, the department expects the student to meet regularly with the instructor one hour per week and to submit an amount of work equivalent to that required in 300-level film courses. Students are urged to begin discussion of their proposed individual study the semester before they hope to enroll so that they can devise a proposal and seek departmental approval before the deadline.

Individual study in film is reserved for students exploring a topic not regularly offered in the department's curriculum. Typically, the course will carry 0.5 units of credit. To enroll in an individual study, a student must identify a member of the department willing to direct the project and, in consultation with him or her, write a proposal. The department chair must approve the proposal. The one- to two-page proposal should include a preliminary bibliography and/or set of specific problems, goals and tasks for the course, outline a schedule of reading and/or writing assignments or creative undertakings, and describe the methods of assessment (e.g., a journal to be submitted for evaluation weekly, a feature length screenplay due at semester's end, with drafts due at given intervals, etc). The student also should briefly describe prior course work, which qualifies him or her for this independent project. At a minimum, the department expects the student to meet regularly with the instructor one hour per week and to submit an amount of work equivalent to that required in 300-level film courses. Students are urged to begin discussion of their proposed individual study the semester before they hope to enroll so that they can devise a proposal and seek departmental approval before the deadline.

Individual study in film is reserved for students exploring a topic not regularly offered in the department's curriculum. Typically, the course will carry 0.5 units of credit. To enroll in an individual study, a student must identify a member of the department willing to direct the project and, in consultation with him or her, write a proposal. The department chair must approve the proposal. The one- to two-page proposal should include a preliminary bibliography and/or set of specific problems, goals and tasks for the course, outline a schedule of reading and/or writing assignments or creative undertakings, and describe the methods of assessment (e.g., a journal to be submitted for evaluation weekly, a feature length screenplay due at semester's end, with drafts due at given intervals, etc). The student also should briefly describe prior course work, which qualifies him or her for this independent project. At a minimum, the department expects the student to meet regularly with the instructor one hour per week and to submit an amount of work equivalent to that required in 300-level film courses. Students are urged to begin discussion of their proposed individual study the semester before they hope to enroll so that they can devise a proposal and seek departmental approval before the deadline.

Individual study in film is reserved for students exploring a topic not regularly offered in the department's curriculum. Typically, the course will carry 0.5 units of credit. To enroll in an individual study, a student must identify a member of the department willing to direct the project and, in consultation with him or her, write a proposal. The department chair must approve the proposal. The one- to two-page proposal should include a preliminary bibliography and/or set of specific problems, goals and tasks for the course, outline a schedule of reading and/or writing assignments or creative undertakings, and describe the methods of assessment (e.g., a journal to be submitted for evaluation weekly, a feature length screenplay due at semester's end, with drafts due at given intervals, etc). The student also should briefly describe prior course work, which qualifies him or her for this independent project. At a minimum, the department expects the student to meet regularly with the instructor one hour per week and to submit an amount of work equivalent to that required in 300-level film courses. Students are urged to begin discussion of their proposed individual study the semester before they hope to enroll so that they can devise a proposal and seek departmental approval before the deadline.