SFPcourses - College of Arts and Architecture

In addition to the catalogue of regularly offered courses, the School of Film & Photography also has a rotating selection of variable courses. Courses are divided by the semester in which they are being offered. An additional list of courses that may be available during future semesters can be found at the bottom of this page.

SPRING 2023 Variable Courses

FILM 381-001: Italian Cinema

At least three times in its history, Italy achieved a dominant position at the forefront of the art of film and as one of the strongest commercial film industries. Italian Cinema has long been and continues to be an important influence and inspiration for filmmakers all over the world. In this course we will explore the history of Italian Cinema from its inception to the near present, with special focus on Neo-realism and its enduring legacy. We will look at Italian films in relation to their unique cultural, historical, and political context and their influences on world cinema. We will examine Italian Cinema through film viewings and historical and analytical readings.

FILM 381-002: Wildlife Film

This course reviews a random selection of wildlife films over forty years, studying arc, narrative and modes of exposition. While we may conclude that pacing, editing and technology have evolved, we may ask: has the essential story changed? Is structure really different?

FILM 494: 16mm Film Workshop

The theme for the workshop is “Placed Based Filmmaking”- The goal is to develop ideas around immersing ourselves in a place and responding to it with a camera and the physical material of film itself. We will explore the concept of filmmaking as a process, and get our hands on film as a way of making art.

Students will learn to shoot with a Bolex 16mm camera and to hand-process 16mm black and white negative. Light meters, exposure, splicing, film loading and the film scanner will be covered to set up participants for an analog to digital HD Scan basic workflow.

The DIY aesthetic, hand made filmmaking and the materiality of film will be concepts we will explore. Process over perfection is the ethos. Hand processed 16mm film has a specific textured look—not the pristine quality that comes from a commercial lab. Imperfection is to be embraced and used as inspiration.

FILM 481: International Cinema and Culture

This course will explore cinema and its interaction with culture. The focus will be on different aspects of cinema as a cultural experience, for example: film as cultural critique, film as cultural propaganda and film as cultural expression. The course will primarily focus on significant works from filmmakers from Asia, The Middle East and Africa, as well as other locations whose artists gain less exposure in the Western World. We will dissect their cinematic language to both analyze how different cinematic traditions explore the intersection of culture and film, as well as reflect on how these traditions may differ from predominately Western forms and norms.