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Film & TV · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

History & Theory of Film & New Media

To shape the future, one must understand the past. This course traces the evolution of visual storytelling from the Lumière Brothers’ silent films to the algorithmic feeds of TikTok. Students will analyze key cinematic movements (German Expressionism, French New Wave) and critical theories (Montage, Auteur Theory, The Male Gaze) to understand how media reflects and shapes society.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Analyze major film movements: Soviet Montage, Italian Neorealism, New Hollywood
  2. Apply critical theory: Semiotics, Psychoanalysis, and Feminist Film Theory
  3. Understand the transition from Celluloid to Digital and its aesthetic impact
  4. Critique the "New Media" landscape: Interactivity, Virality, and Democratization
  5. Write critical film essays that go beyond "reviewing" to deep analysis
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01The Birth of Cinema: Silent Era & Attractions
  2. 02Soviet Montage: The Kuleshov Effect
  3. 03German Expressionism: Shadows & Psychology
  4. 04Classic Hollywood: The Studio System
  5. 05Italian Neorealism: Shooting on the Streets
  6. 06The French New Wave: Breaking the Rules
  7. 07Auteur Theory: The Director as Author
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09New Hollywood: The 70s Auteurs
  10. 10Third Cinema & Global Perspectives
  11. 11The Digital Revolution: CGI & DV
  12. 12New Media Theory: Lev Manovich
  13. 13The Internet Age: YouTube & Streaming
  14. 14Algorithmic Culture: Social Media Theory
  15. 15Video Games as Narrative Media
  16. 16Final Project: Critical Video Essay

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: Critical Video Essay

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. Film Art: An Introduction by David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson
  2. What is Cinema? by André Bazin
  3. The Language of New Media by Lev Manovich
  4. Film Theory and Criticism by Leo Braudy
  5. Story (Contextual History) by Robert McKee
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