Upcoming Courses

Spring 2027

For guidance about upcoming courses, please reach out to Monika Siebert, Film Studies Program Coordinator or other FMST faculty.

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  • FMST 201 Introduction to Film Studies

    TR 10:30-11:45 am + Lab: M  5-7:30 pm,  Cheever

    Alternatively called “pictures,” “movies,” and “films,” the feature film is a vibrant and influential cultural practice that first emerged in early 20th century and has continued to evolve into the 21st. Introduction to Film Studies examines feature filmmaking as simultaneously an art form and a culture industry, considering 1) the formal components that make up feature films (such as the narration, mise en scène, composition, editing, etc.) and 2) the industrial practices that shape its production and exhibition. We begin by exploring early examples of narrative film from the US and Europe to discover how stylistic innovations—such as the use of close ups to communicate a character’s emotion or the deployment of cross-cutting to allow for greater narrative complexity—became filmic conventions that still structure contemporary filmmaking.
    We then consider how filmmakers use movies to comment upon important cultural concepts by examining two major methodologies in film analysis: genre studies and director studies. We will ask: what unites a group of films under the category of a genre? Or as the product of a director’s cinematic imagination? How does the gangster film invite us to think about American ethnic and racial subcultures, the twinned concepts of justice and criminality, and ideologies of the American dream? And in what way do Alfred Hitchcock’s films question midcentury American ideas about gender and class, and love and obsession? By the end of the course, students will have learned important concepts and methodologies of film studies, developed their skills in visual analysis and argumentative writing, and will be prepared to take upper-level courses in Film Studies and the English Department.  AI-Literary and Textual Analysis (AILT)

  • FMST 202 Introduction to Film Production

    TR Noon-2 pm, Bertucci

    This class introduces filmmaking to students, offering hands-on experience in the production of short fiction films. It will establish a unique space to acquaint students with cinematic language and filmmaking tools, concepts and practices, including camera techniques, cinematography, mise-en-scène, sound design, screenwriting and editing. The course will thus help students integrate film aesthetics and the mechanics and craft of filmmaking into cinematic storytelling; activate and develop their interpretive and technical skills while exploring their creative interests; and teach them how to critique work constructively. Each week will be devoted to a key element of film production: for example, cinematic composition, mise-en-scène, editing aesthetics, acting basics, screenwriting fundamentals, etc.
    In addition, students will investigate the expressive, narrative, aesthetic and critical potential of the cinematic medium through a combination of critical and technical readings, screenings, class discussions, technical workshops, personal and collaborative projects, group critiques and presentations. No prior experience with cameras, sound equipment or editing software is expected. This course prepares students interested in cinema for the minor and major in Film Studies. AI-Visual & Performing Arts (AIVP), IF-Embodied Communication (IFEB)

  • FMST 221 Music in Film

    TR 10:30-11:45 am, Riehl

    Group B elective. Most of us regularly are exposed to Hollywood film yet seldom are cognizant of the complex and subtle ways its musical score interacts with the narrative form and visual imagery. As a compound genre, film is a complex of systems that affect one another on back- and foreground levels. If we are to experience the full range of a film’s dramatic power, we should be sensitive to as many of these systems as possible.
    Through the study of twelve Hollywood films, this course unpacks the role of music in film by considering general aesthetic questions like (1) what is the nature of musical meaning? (2) how is music used to create associations? (3) how is music used as a cultural code? (4) how does film music relate to wider compositional trends? (5) how is music used as a means of communication beyond language? and more specific ones related to the individual features of each film. By sensitizing students to the fore- and background levels of music in film and working in small groups to create an 8-10 minute short with music, students engage with the creative process and ideally develop a deeper emotional and intellectual engagement with this complex art form. AIVP, AMER, FLMB, FSVP

  • FMST 265 German Cinema

    MW 4:30-5:45 pm, Bower

    Group A elective. Examines films as verbal and visual texts in cultural and historical context. Central to the course is the acquisition of a critical vocabulary for “reading” film, both for form and content. With its focus on German film from the 1930s to the present, this course also addresses questions of language and meaning for the non-native speaker of German: How do non-German speaking audiences interpret these films? How do the meaning and impact of the films shift over time and across cultures? What nuances in the visual and textual allegories of the films can be uncovered with additional cultural background from the films’ original German context?
    To answer these questions, analysis and discussion of each film are prefaced by overviews of the historical period, the political and social climate, and public attitudes at the time in which the film was produced. Students will also engage with critical readings on the films in context and explore selected components of film form. By the end of the course, the student should possess the critical apparatus to analyze elements of film narrative, compare film productions from different time periods, and demonstrate awareness of the conditions of film production and spectatorship. Cross-listed with LLC 265. Al-Literary and Textual Analysis (AILT).

  • FMST 303 Film Editing: Theory & Practice

    TR 9-10:15 am + T Lab 6-8 pm, Bertucci

    Group C elective.  This intermediate film production course examines the invention and evolution of the cinematic “cut” from both theoretical and creative perspectives. When and why do we cut? How do editing choices shape meaning, rhythm, emotion, and the viewer’s experience? How do different cinematic traditions inform editing styles and strategies? Throughout the semester, we will explore the multiple ways editing has been discussed and theorized since the early days of cinema: from Soviet theories of montage and the development of continuity editing to alternative approaches in experimental, non-narrative, and contemporary filmmaking. By investigating the narrative, aesthetic, and ideological power of editing, students will develop a deeper understanding of how images and sounds interact to produce meaning and shape perception.

    Students will put this knowledge into practice by editing a range of projects for both narrative and non-narrative purposes, experimenting with different strategies, and making informed artistic decisions. The course combines readings, screenings, class discussions, close analyses of film excerpts, hands-on exercises, peer critiques, and individual and collaborative projects. Through this interplay of theory and practice, students will expand their creative possibilities, refine their technical skills, and develop their own editing style. AI-Visual & Performing Arts (AIVP), IF-Embodied Communication (IFEB)

  • FMST 397.1 Italian Women Filmmakers

     MW 1:30-2:45 pm, Antenuncci

    Group A elective. Italian cinema is renowned for its compelling storytelling, elegant styles, charismatic screen stars, and authorial virtuosity-- but where are the women behind the camera in this male-dominated industry and history? How do female Italian film directors tell about the people, histories, images, and ideas that shape Italian lives and imaginaries in the 20th and 21st centuries? This course examines the aesthetics and politics of well- and lesser-known female Italian filmmakers and asks how they negotiate issues of gender and genre in their creative output. Films screened may include There’s still tomorrow, La chimera, We Want Roses Too, and work by pioneering documentarists like Cecilia Mangini and Elvira Notari. Taught in English and cross-listed with LLC.

  • FMST 397.2 Lights, Camera, Virginia! Curating Film History at Virginia Museum of History & Culture

    T 3-5:40 pm, Cheever

    Group C elective.  “Lights, Camera, Virginia! Curating Virginia’s Film History” will provide students with first-hand experience helping to curate a museum exhibit at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, a key cultural institution in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In collaboration with the exhibit’s curators, students will learn how to conceptualize, research, and develop a museum exhibit exploring Virginia’s multifaceted interactions with American cinema cultures. Through research at the Library of Virginia and in other key archives, students will uncover Virginia’s exhibition history—from the movie palaces and main street theaters of the 1920s and 1930s to the suburban multiplexes of the 1980s and 1990s and the IMAX and 3-D experiences of today.
    They will analyze screened representation of Virginia’s history, selecting among noteworthy films and programs for inclusion in the exhibit, such as Griffith’s America (1924), Disney’s Pocahontas (1995), Affleck’s Argo (2012), Spielberg’s Lincoln (2015), and Strong’s Dopesick (2021). And students will document Virginia’s developing expertise in film production, examining films produced in the state and interviewing the location scouts, lighting experts, costume designers, and script analysts whose work shapes audience experiences far beyond the Commonwealth. Coursework will be project-based and develop students’ skills in archival research, historical analysis, and project design. The course will introduce students to work in the public humanities, provide opportunities to share Virginia’s film history with a broader audience, foster connections with a larger community, and contribute to a shared understanding of how movies and moviemaking shape our world. In addition, students will have the opportunity to apply for summer research funding to continue working on the exhibit. 
    Prerequisites: FMST 201/ENGL 220 or FMST 202 or permission of the instructor.

  • FMST Electives

     

    LLC 355

    Chinese Cinema, TR 10:30-11:45, Chan

    Group A Elective. Study of Chinese cinema through the lens of class, gender, and ethnicity in semicolonial, socialist, post-socialist, and international contexts. Fulfills Literary & Textual Analysis (AILT) and Power, Equity, Identity and Culture (PEIC).
    THTR 324

    Writing for Stage and Screen, MW Noon-1:15, White

    Group C Elective.  A workshop-based introduction to dramatic writing for theatre, film, and television. Students learn core principles of structure, character, dialogue, and visual storytelling while developing original short works. Emphasis on craft, revision, and collaboration with actors and directors. Intended for students with an interest in writing, directing, or performance.