Instructor: Chris Goldsmith
Description: Movies: how do they work? In this course, we will pay attention to the grammar and syntax of movies-things like cuts, camera movement, lighting, scene structure, and sound design-and examine how they interact with the acting, dialogue, and plot to create a movie. We’ll think about what it means for a movie or its parts to “work” or “not work,” through discussion and through reading the work of professional film critics. The first week will be a mixture of lecture, video essays, and films chosen by the instructor to illustrate various aspects of how movies work. Students will then vote, bracket-style, on four genres (loosely defined) to explore for the remainder of the course. In addition to in-class screenings, students will read criticism of the films we watch and write their own reviews via the social network Letterboxd.
Meeting Dates: 01/02/2024 – 01/24/2024
Meeting Times: M-F 12:30PM – 05:00PM
Meeting Location: IDEA Center 127
Section Requisites: N/A
Course Fee: N/A
Out-of-Pocket Expenses: N/A