Students don’t necessarily have to be Electronic Media majors or minors to want to study film. For those interested in learning more about film, the Department of Communication, Media and Theatre Arts here at Eastern Michigan University, offers a plethora of classes for just that.
The first class as an art elective and is one of the most well known film courses, “Introduction to Film Appreciation” or CTAT 145. This course is the beginner’s course in cinema studies, and it’s purpose is to introduce the basic components of film, such as mise en scene, cinematography and editing.
CTAT 145 is a prerequisite class for entering any 200-level class such as “International Cinema” (CTAT 235), which is a course centered on learning how films from other countries have shaped cinema throughout history. Also in the 200-level courses is “A Survey of American Cinema” (CTAT 245), which chronicles the development of American cinema throughout history and how technological advances and corporate development have formed it.
After completing CTAT 145, you may also decide to take classes in the 300-level, such as “Studies in Film” (CTAT 335). According to the class catalog, “Students will examine non-Hollywood films including European, Asian and Third World theatrical film or documentary, animated and experimental films or film music.” In addition to that course, another 300-level class is “American Film Genres” (CTAT 345) which identifies qualities of the American genres, like horror, westerns and musicals, for instance.
For those students who are interested in even more challenging courses in film, EMU also offers a class, CTAT 445 or “Film Theory and Criticism”, which also has the prerequisite of CTAT 145. The catalog describes the course as, “An intensive study of the key theories of film structure, historical development and sociological function.” It also explains that the course has emphasis on items like textual analysis and auteur criticism.
If students are interested in experiencing the film culture up close and personal, they may also consider being a part of the Study Abroad Program, “Film and Italian Culture” (CTAT 379). Students may apply for this inexpensive eight-day trip to Italy, to view several Italian films and discover the connection between motion pictures and the Italian culture. The trip is offered at a low price of $999, and there are scholarships available for those who are eligible for financial aid. However it does not include the price of round-trip airfare or tuition and fees. Applications to be a part of this special program were due by March 15, and the venture will take place from July 7-July 14, 2012.
EMU also gives options for students who are interested in learning how to work on a production without being involved in an Electronic Media major or minor. CTAT 141, or “Audio and Video Production for Non-Majors, is a course where students will study and apply the skills needed to be a part of pre-production, production and post-production.
The Department of Communications, Media and Theatre offers an expansive list of courses to students interested in film taught by over 35 different professors. For more information on classes concerning film studies or electronic media, please visit the course catalog on Emich.edu, or visit the department in room 124 in the Quirk Building located on the Eastern Michigan University campus.
