CAMS 100. Directing Fiction Visiting independent feature film writer/director Eric Tretbar introduces students to essential skills for directing fiction cinema. In a series of workshop exercises, students will explore the director's process from initial script analysis through shooting and editing. Students will develop and complete sequences exploring contrasting stylistic approaches in acting, directing, shooting, editing, and narrataive construction. At the center of the course is the goal of effective storytelling, and understanding the options directors have for realizing their vision. The course will culminate in a short fiction project chosen by each student in consultation with Professor Tretbar. 6, S/CR/NC, AL, Fall—E. Tretbar

CAMS 110. Introduction to Cinema and Media Studies An introduction to film, television, and the internet from multiple perspectives: formal, cultural, and theoretical. How do films tell their stories? How do they reflect the political and cultural issues of their time, including gender and race? What are the formal and cultural meanings of television and the internet? How are we constructed differently as subjects in relation to various media? These questions will be addressed by studying a variety of popular and experimental films and media texts. Discussion will focus on applying critical concepts to screenings and clips. 6, AL, Fall,Winter—C. Donelan, S. VanCour

CAMS 111. Digital Foundations Introduces students to the full range of media production tools and forms, including still photography, audio, graphic design, and video. Students will produce a photo essay with audio track; complete a stand-alone audio narrative with music, EFX and telephone interviews; create a weblog and gain a better understanding of graphic design; and produce a short video project. Completed projects will be mounted on each student's weblog. Although participants are welcome to use their PCs and associated software, in CAMS you will learn Apple hardware and software. Students will work with Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, Soundtrack Pro, SoundSlides and WordPress. 6, AL, Fall,Winter—P. Hager, J. Schott

CAMS 210. Film History I A survey of international film history, 1895-1945, encompassing early cinema, the late silent period, and the development of sound cinema, focusing on developments in film form and style, major changes in film production, distribution and exhibition, and significant trends. Prerequisite: Cinema and Media Studies 110, 111 or permission of the instructor. Fulfills core requirement for the CAMS major. 6, AL, Spring—C. Donelan

CAMS 211. Film History II This course surveys international film history, 1945-present, encompassing post-war new wave and contemporary global cinemas, and focusing on developments in film form and style, major changes in film production, distribution and exhibition, and significant trends. Prerequisite: Cinema and Media Studies 110 and 111 or permission of the instructor. 6, AL, Winter—D. Nemec Ignashev

CAMS 213. Italian Neorealism and Global Cinema Neorealism is generally associated with a set of films produced by the Italian film industry during the post-World War II years, but filmmakers all over the world have been preoccupied with neorealism’s primary concern--representing social reality. In this course, we examine the traditional neorealist films of Rossellini, De Sica and Visconti in relation to relevant theories, the modernist films of Fellini, Pasolini and Antonioni that question or problematize neorealism, and the impact of neorealism on global cinema. Prerequisite: Cinema and Media Studies 110 and 111 or permission of the instructor. 6, AL, Not offered in 2008-2009.

CAMS 215. American Film History In this course, we investigate Hollywood cinema as a unique economic, industrial, aesthetic, and cultural institution. Topics addressed include the experience of movie-going, the nature of Hollywood storytelling, and the roles played by the studio system, the star system, and film genre in the creation of a body of work that functions both as entertainment and as an influential mediator of American experience, identity, and culture. 6, AL, Not offered in 2008-2009.

CAMS 217. Border Crossings: Postmodern Perspectives on French and German Cinema In this course, we will explore the responses of French and German filmmakers to the challenges facing Europe as it redefined itself throughout the twentieth century. Taking Foucault's and Derrida's theories about the center and the margin as a starting point, we will examine such issues as national identity, marginalization, shifting gender roles and technological change. Filmmakers to be discussed will be Jean-Luc Godard, Jean Renoir, Agnes Varda, Fritz Lang, Rainer W. Fassbinder and Helma Sanders-Brahms. 6, AL, Winter—S. Leonhard, S. Strand

CAMS 225. Film Noir: The Dark Side of the American Dream After Americans grasped the enormity of the Depression and World War II, the glossy fantasies of 30s cinema seemed hollow indeed. During the 40s, the movies, our true national pastime, took a nosedive into pessimism. The result? A collection of exceptional films chocked full of tough guys and bad women lurking in the shadows of nasty urban landscapes. This course applies the tools of formal criticism, intellectual history, and feminist theory to films like Double Indemnity, Out of the Past, and Kiss Me Deadly. 6, AL, Not offered in 2008-2009.

CAMS 226. The Melodramatic Imagination: Visual Storytelling in Popular Media and Fine Art

Melodrama is arguably the dominant visual storytelling mode in American popular culture, existing across popular media, manifesting in films, television shows, magazines, advertising, video games and comics. It is evident in "chick flicks" and action blockbusters, film stills and posters, soap operas, sports shows, commercials, celebrity profiles and newscasts. In addition to exploring the reception and meanings of melodrama in popular film and media, we will investigate the migration of "lowbrow" melodrama into "highbrow" media, including fine art photography, painting and sculpture. Students enrolled in the course will participate in researching and mounting an exhibit in the Carleton Art Gallery. 6, AL, Fall—C. Donelan

CAMS 227. Representing Reality: Nonfiction Film and Video Theorists suggest that as we increasingly become a "screen culture," visual forms of nonfiction-photography, film/TV, video and multimedia are dominant sources of cultural and political definitions. This class reviews the evolution of documentary film and video (with some attention to photography) from Nanook of the North (the first documentary) to Fox TV news. In the modern period we look at emerging forms and issues including Rodney King and the status of visual evidence, mocumentary and docudrama, 50s "mental hygiene" films, and the emerging genre of online documentary. 6, AL, Not offered in 2008-2009.

CAMS 228. Cinema at the Edge: The Idea of the Avant-Garde This class traces the development of avant-garde film, video and multi-media from Salvadore Dali's surrealist cinema in the 20s to contemporary virtual reality on the internet. Along with examining key paradigms of experimentalism (art cinema, video art, hypermedia, etc.), we will consider theoretically how the avant-garde defines itself at differing moments in history. The class will feature an extended "field trip" into Beat culture of the 1950s, where we will look at beat cinema in the context of poetry, music and the visual arts. 6, AL, Not offered in 2008-2009.

CAMS 229. Outsiders Cinema: Fiction Film This course considers fiction films produced in conscious (if not militant) opposition to Hollywood, films driven by esthetic, moral or expressive commitments rather than the bottom line. In addition to doing close readings of fifteen or so films, we will consider the cultural, esthetic, economic and biographical circumstances that inform each work. The course will emphasize films that have been considered landmarks in post-war independent cinema from both U.S. and world cinema. 6, AL, Not offered in 2008-2009.

CAMS 236. European Women Filmmakers This course examines European cinema history by way of major women directors through their most influential film(s). Directors include: Notari, Dulac, Preobrazhenskaya, Riefenstahl, Box, Audry, Varda, Holland, Wertmuller, Balasko, Chytilova, Duras, Ackerman, Gorris, Muratova, Potter, Treut, Ottinger, Torres. Readings will parallel film chronology, introducing basic critical concepts and tracing approaches to gender in continental film criticism. 6, AL, Not offered in 2008-2009.

CAMS 241. History of American Broadcasting: From Wireless to the Web What forces shaped broadcasting’s development in the United States? How have our broadcast media changed throughout history, and what does the future hold? Undertake a comprehensive survey of over 100 years of American broadcasting, from nineteenth-century wireless telegraphy, to early twentieth-century radio broadcasting, the television boom and rise of the Classic Network System, subsequent competition from cable and satellite, and development of new media forms like podcasting and webisodes. Changing styles and genres are linked to shifting technologies, regulations, industry economics, and broader changes in social context Cinema and Media Studies 110 strongly recommended. 6, ND, Winter—S. VanCuor

CAMS 242. Sound and Music in Televison and New Media Sound and Music in Televison and New Media This course is an investigation of the theories and practice of music and sound in the electronic media of radio, television, music video, the internet, and video art. The course will trace the development of technology in the electronic media from the microphone to the iPod, and then assess how sound and music is used to structure texts in various media. Additional topics include the theory and practice of sound and music in narrative TV, TV commercials, music videos, video art, video game music and cellular phone ring tones. Music reading is helpful but not required for this course. 6, AL, Not offered in 2008-2009.

CAMS 248. Creativity and Innovation in Mass Media What is the nature of creativity and innovation? What are their conditions and possibilities within industrialized mass media systems? Beginning with early critiques of mass media as obstacles to creativity and innovation, we will examine countervailing efforts to position mass media producers as inventive "auteurs," and explore several new approaches developed recently by leading industry scholars. We will analyze the institutional logics of mass media industries and consider the role that medium, genre, control of production, professional training, profit margins, and access to technology, capital, and human resources play in enabling or limiting particular forms of creative expression. 6, ND, Fall—S. VanCour

CAMS 252. Open the Box: Critical Approaches to Television Studies How do we define "television" as an object of critical inquiry, and what is the task of television criticism? As television technologies, industries, programming, and audiences have changed in recent decades, so too have approaches pursued by television scholars. This class provides an overview of critical methods in contemporary television studies, including formal analysis of television style and narrative; ideological analysis from psychoanalytic, Marxist, feminist, and cultural studies perspectives; industry analysis of institutional pressures shaping program production; and studies of audiences and fan communities. Students will apply the methods studied in a series of short papers on programs of their choosing. 6, AL, Spring—S. VanCour

CAMS 253. Sound in the Era of Mechanical Reproduction: From Edison to the iPod In this class we study the history of sound reproduction, tracing the rise of the phonograph, radio, and sound cinema, the hi-fi revolution, cassette culture, transformations of television sound, video game sound, and new digital audio devices. Emphasis is on the relationships between different audio media and the various technological, economic, aesthetic, and social exigencies that have shaped their historical development. Students will complete semi-regular listening assignments and pursue close analyses of course readings, with critical attention to questions of historiographic method. Students will also participate in a collaborative research project and multimedia presentation. 6, ND, Winter—S. VanCour

CAMS 260. Digital Culture Digital technologies are transforming the ways we visualize the world. The first half of this course offers a critical overview of the cultural impact and creative possibilities of these new tools by reviewing exemplary projects and associated theory. The second half of the course focuses specifically on digital seeing as surveillance. We will examine projects that implement and critique visual surveillance, and discuss key debates about living in a surveillance society. Students will have the option of doing a creative project based on their emerging critical understanding. 6, AL, Not offered in 2008-2009.

CAMS 269. New York and Europe Program: Understanding New Media Most broadly, new media may be thought of as the intersection of the arts and the emerging universe of digital tools and distribution strategies. The class explores the history of new media, with particular emphasis on key concepts, genres and critical issues. We explore a wide variety of new media projects available online, and typically visit practicing new media artists in the area. No special computing skills are required, but students wishing to may undertake a creative project as part of the class. 6, AL, Spring—J. Schott

CAMS 270. Nonfiction Video Production In this required mid-level CAMS studio course, students develop a command of turning a nonfiction subject into a convincing, well-told media project. In addition to learning the essential techniques of nonfiction production, we will focus on documentary structure and story-forms. Increasingly, students are gathering, shaping and producing knowledge in media formats. Whether you are interested in producing a social documentary or documenting and presenting research topics, this class will give you the tools you will need. The class culminates in the production of a ten to fifteen minute project. Prerequisite: Cinema and Media Studies 110 and 111 or permission of the instructor. 6, AL, Spring—P. Hager

CAMS 271. Directing Fiction Visiting independent feature film writer/director Eric Tretbar will introduce students to essential skills for directing fiction cinema. In a series of workshop exercises, students will explore the director's process from initial script analysis through shooting and editing. Students will develop and complete sequences exploring contrasting stylistic approaches in acting, directing, shooting, editing, and narrataive construction. At the center of the course is the goal of effective storytelling, and understanding the options directors have for realizing their vision. The course will culminate in a short fiction project chosen by each student in consultation with Professor Tretbar. Prerequisites: Cinema and Media Studies 111 or any upper-level video production class. 6, AL, Fall—E. Tretbar

CAMS 272. Advanced Editing Techniques New digital media are changing the way we produce and distribute art and information. We'll combine critical perspectives with hands-on production with particular focus on multi-media for the web and DVD authoring. Prerequisite: Cinema and Media Studies 111. 6, AL, Winter—C. Dissmore

CAMS 274. Special Projects Workshop Students with their instructor produce a long-form broadcast-quality nonfiction project. Roughly ten mid- to advanced-level students will work to conceive, research, shoot and edit the film. This is an exceptional opportunity for committed student video producers. Permission of the instructor is required for enrollment. 6, AL, Not offered in 2008-2009.

CAMS 275. Audio Workshop The Audio Workshop introduces students to essential skills in audio storytelling and drama. Students will produce projects in three essential genres: reportorial projects [suitable for news or research reporting], personal narratives (along the lines of This American Life), and new audio drama (fiction recorded in our sound booth with actors). Along with essential technical skills, students will engage critical historical and esthetic issues in audio, along with directorial skills like interviewing and directing voice talent. 6, AL, Winter—J. Schott

CAMS 277. Studio Production In this class we will explore the full resources of studio production by producing and distributing to the campus a weekly video show. Students will shoot and edit field segments and the studio program which we will publish as a web-based video subscription. The class will construct a permanent set with green-screen graphics background, and explore the logic of studio production including live, three-camera switching. Additionally, we will review the historical evolution of studio broadcasting as a key contemporary media form. Prerequisite: Cinema and Media Studies 111 or permission of the instructor. 6, AL, Not offered in 2008-2009.

CAMS 278. Studio Production In this class we will explore the full resources of studio production by producing and distributing to the campus a weekly video show. Students will shoot and edit field segments and the studio program which we will publish as a web-based video subscription. The class will construct a permanent set with green-screen graphics background, and explore the logic of studio production including live, three-camera switching. Additionally, we will review the historical evolution of studio broadcasting as a key contemporary media form. Prerequisite: Cinema and Media Studies 111 or permission of the instructor. 3, AL, Not offered in 2008-2009.

CAMS 279. Screenwriting In this introduction to writing for the screen, students will work on both full-length motion picture scripts and short 10-20 minute projects suitable for production in the Fiction Production class. All projects will be critiqued by the class and judged on professional standards, with analysis that is exacting, rigorous and encouraging. Guest screenwriter Thomas Pope is the author of The Lords of Discipline, Bad Boys and F/X. Prerequisite: Cinema and Media Studies 110 and 111 or permission of the instructor. 6, AL, Spring—T. Pope

CAMS 280. We Media: Theories and Practices of Writing Lives, Documenting Community, and Framing Change

Storytelling is a tool for preserving memory, writing history, learning, entertaining, organizing, and healing. It is in the telling of stories that communities build identities, construct meaning, and make connections with others and the world. In this course we will examine modes and power dimensions of digital storytelling, investigate the role of digitized media used for community organizing and development, and discuss the gendered and racialized digital divide. Students will gain tools to tell their own stories using digital media (video, still images, sound and artwork) and learn Mac-based editing. Students will produce photographic and video work that will be shared on the course blog. 6, AL, Spring—R. Raimist

CAMS 281. Photography As New Media: This Ain't Your Father's Kodak The first half of this digital photography studio class explores photo journalism, editorial photography and photography as communication. The second half examines the changing nature of photography as it enters the era of the network and social media, where we will learn about and create selected projects with GPS photo-mapping, camphones, VR images, "life caching," and the like. There is no darkroom processing in this class. We use Photoshop extensively. Students must have a digital camera. 6, AL, Fall—J. Schott

CAMS 282. Graphic Design: Type + Image + Message Provides students with essential skills for producing and publishing forceful, effective visual communication. We focus on the combination of typography and image in formats such as graphic-intensive print-style publications, posters, still and motion-based typography. Production tools are primarily digital, including Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Apple iWorks, LiveType and OmniGraffle. Unlike traditional pre-professional graphic design classes that teach a "design vocabulary," this class is predicated on the notion that the best design evolves from one's own specific, real-world design problems. Students read widely in the emerging literature of visual communication and the visualization of information. Prerequisite: Cinema and Media Studies 110 and 111 or permission of the instructor. 6, AL, Winter—J. Schott

CAMS 283. Site-Specific Media: Out and About Video and photography are coming off the screen, out of the gallery, finding their way into the world through site-specific, installation-style projects. We will take visual projects out of the studio using projection and print techniques that speak and respond to particular locations. Imagine a multi-track movie playing on ten laptops in the Arb; or a film projected on the side of a mobile home with viewers in folding chairs. We will explore VJ software and produce live multi-track visuals to accompany a band performance at the end of the class. This class should be attractive to videographers, musicians, photographers, dancers and others with a speculative, experimental bent. Prerequisite: Cinema and Media Studies 110 and 111 or permission of the instructor. 6, AL, Not offered in 2008-2009.

CAMS 289. New York and Europe Program: Digital Workshop

This is a "special projects" workshop exploring digital video, photography, audio, camera phones, GPS and the like. Projects change in each edition of the workshop, but in all cases we typically explore core theoretical issues that inform production, visit reference projects typically available online, and then develop a working plan for executing projects. The Workshop is always designed to accommodate students with minimal or baseline production as well as those with more extensive experience. Prerequisities: Cinema and Media Studies 111 or permission of the instructor. 6, AL, Spring—J. Schott

CAMS 291. New York and Europe Program: Directed Reading For students participating in the 2009 CAMS Off-Campus Study Program. The topic is "Genius Loci: Cultural and Technological Perspectives on Place and Location. 4, ND, Spring—J. Schott

CAMS 310. Moviegoing and Film Exhibition in America How have the sites where movies are screened, the sorts of entertainment programs offered, and the experience of movie going varied over time and in different locations and communities? In this course, we will familiarize ourselves with the various methodologies for doing film history while researching and writing (or producing in media form) the history of movie culture at the local level, making use of primary sources such as newspapers, interviews, and photographs. 6, AL, Not offered in 2008-2009.

CAMS 330. Film Theory and Analysis An advanced overview of film theory and criticism, emphasizing the realist and formalist traditions in classical film theory, the ontology of the photography, cinematic, and digital image, issues of authorship and genre, and trends in contemporary film theory, including screen theory, narrative theory, modernity studies, cultural studies, and post-theory. Class time will be spent chiefly in the discussion and debate of a body of common readings and screenings. Prerequisite: Cinema and Media Studies 210 or 211 or permission of the instructor. 6, AL, Fall—C. Donelan

CAMS 340. Media Theory: Objects and Methods

Media form an important and pervasive part of our everyday lives, affecting how we think, act, and communicate with one another, and offering vital resources for understanding world and self. This class surveys approaches used by scholars of print, radio, television, film, and new digital technologies to understand our modern media environment, including narrative theory, ideological analysis, technology studies, production studies, public sphere theory, cultural geography, political economy, globalization theory, convergence theory, and audience studies. Assignments include short written analyses of readings and a self-designed practicum project. No prerequisites. 6, ND, Spring—S. VanCour

CAMS 398. Cinema and Media Studies Colloquium The planning and preparation of a paper of project as a part of a seminar group. 3, ND, Spring—Staff

CAMS 400. Integrative Exercise 6, ND, Spring—Staff