Course Offerings 2024-25

****Note: FILM 110 is being replaced by FILM 111 and 112. Both must be taken to replace 110 as core requirements for your Major/Joint/MAPP/COCA degrees.

FILM 111/3.0     FILM, MEDIA, AND SCREEN CULTURES: History and Aesthetics     Fall 2024

This course offers an introduction to global time-based media starting with the emergence of film in 1895, through the development of television, video, digital and online technologies, accounting for the historical, political, and technological contexts in which each medium emerged. In doing so, students will learn to recognize the aesthetics associated with each medium. From large visual landscapes in 70mm film to small interiors in TV sitcoms, to artificial worlds in video games -- each medium developed an arsenal of forms and aesthetic norms capable of capturing the imagination.

EXCLUSION  FILM 110/6.0

LEARNING HOURS 112 (34L;12Lb;12T;10Pc;42P) 

Instructors: E. Chalfant / G. Kibbins 

FILM 112/3.0   FILM, MEDIA, AND SCREEN CULTURES: Theory and Practice     Winter 2025

This course offers an introduction to theoretical and critical approaches to global time-based media, focusing on the theories of film and media. Students will learn to identify an array of interpretive approaches (auteurism, structuralism, psychoanalysis, affect, postcolonialism, reception, algorithmic theory, material cultures) and apply such theories to the analysis of global time-based media. Students will pair these conversations with the process of creation, learning the production and circulation of time based-media in order to strengthen their own creative visual storytelling skills.

EXCLUSION  FILM 110/6.0

LEARNING HOURS 112 (34L;12Lb;12T;10Pc;42P) 

Instructors:  D. Naaman / S. MacKenzie

ANIM 200/3.0        Introduction to Animation               Winter 2025

This course offers a historical overview of animation practices and an introduction to animation 
theory. The course covers key developments in independent and commercial animation since the birth 
of the form, and offers critical engagement with emerging voices in the field of animation studies.

LEARNING HOURS: 108 (36L;24Lb;48P).
PREREQUISITE  Level 2 or above

Instructor: G. Gear

FILM 200/3.0       Introduction to Video Game Studies          Winter 2025

This course aims to provide students with a broad understanding of video games and video game studies through an examination of topics such as the video game industry, the aesthetics of video game, the ontology of video games, video game and genre, storytelling and representation in video games, video game's production of meaning and video game's role in culture. Students will play and analyze videogames while reading current research and theory from a variety of sources in the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and industry. It is open to students from all disciplines and levels of experience in video games. NOTE Priority will be given to students in a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan.

LEARNING HOURS   108 (36L;24O;48P)
PREREQUISITE   Registration in a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan or (FILM 110 and permission of the department) or registration in a CISC plan.

Instructor: P. Gauthier

FILM 206/3.0  Academic Research and Writing Methods for Film and Media  Fall 2024 

How to be a Film Student: Avoiding Disaster by Learning from It

This course is designed to help students develop the necessary skills to be successful in film and media studies. A combination of lecture and workshop formats will be used to cultivate professional and academic skills, including time management, research, visual analysis, and essay writing. Through the lens of disaster films, students will apply concepts from the course to engage with genre theory and examine broader sociocultural issues raised in the films.

LEARNING HOURS  108 (36 Lecture, 72 Private Study)
PREREQUISITE  Registration in a FILM, MAPP, or COFI plan or (FILM 110 and permission of the Department). Exclusion FILM 207.  

Instructor: H. Roberts

FILM 210/3.0           The Horror Film          Winter 2025

We Are the Weirdos, Mister: A Cultural Study of the American Horror Film

This year’s iteration of FILM 210 will examine the formal and ideological evolutions in American horror cinema, as well as key theoretical conversations on the genre. Even though horror is often considered one of the lowest forms of cinema, this course will argue that these films offer important reflections on society, responding to previous and contemporary ‘culture wars.’ Students will be expected to complete academic readings on horror and must be in attendance for lectures and screenings. Students will learn how to engage with horror beyond emotional responses like fear or anxiousness and how to use theory to excavate the genre’s important cultural messages.

LEARNING HOURS:108 (36 L;24 Lb;48 Ps)  
PREREQUISITE:  Level 2 or above.  

Instructor: D. Vena

FILM 214/3.0              Mobile Communications                                 Fall 2024

This course emphasizes DIY filmmaking using mobile phones, encouraging students to find creative solutions within the affordances and limitations of these devices. Students will explore various forms of visual storytelling through a series of film projects, culminating in a portfolio that showcases their unique voice as a visual storyteller. NOTE Priority will be given to students registered in a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan.

LEARNING HOURS   108 (36L;36O;36P) 

Instructor: J. Kim

FILM 217/3.0             Film Theory and History                            Fall 2024         

This course offers an overview of key aesthetic and theoretical movements that constructed and expanded the canon of film scholarship. Beginning with some of the earliest responses to filmmaking as an emergent artform, this course surveys foundational ideas that helped artists and scholars make sense of film as an artistic, cultural, and political product.  NOTE Priority will be given to FILM Major and Medial students.

LEARNING HOURS   108 (36L;24Lb;48P)
PREREQUISITE   Registration in a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan or (FILM 110 and permission of the department).

Instructor: D. Vena

FILM 218/3.0           Media Theory and History              Winter 2025   

This course explores foundational theories, texts, and aesthetic movements that conceptualize and articulate the changing relationship between media and culture. The course also offers an overview of the history of print, broadcast, electronic, and digital media technologies and their social contexts. NOTE  Priority will be given to FILM Major and Medial students.

LEARNING HOURS   108 (36L;24Lb;48P)
PREREQUISITE   Registration in a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan or (FILM 110 and permission of the department).

Instructor: E. Chalfant

FILM 220/3.0      Animated Feature Films from Disney to Ghibli                       Winter 2025

This course offers a historical, sociological, and theoretical framing and analysis of animated feature films produced by animation studios. The course will examine these beloved childhood classics as texts that are rich with ideological and political concerns. NOTE Priority will be given to students registered in a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan.  

PREREQUISITE   Level 2 or above.
LEARNING HOURS   108 (36L;24Lb;48P)

Instructor: E. Pelstring

FILM 224/3.0   Korean Media and Pop Culture    Fall 2024

This course explores Korea's diverse media and popular culture, including cinema, dramas, and K-Pop. It delves into Korea's socio-historical influence on media. Diverse, critical perspectives are presented through topics including cinema history, global dramas, K-Pop success (e.g., BTS), and the global impact of Hallyu (Korean wave).

PREREQUISITE   Level 2 or above.
LEARNING HOURS   108 (36L;24LB;48P)

Instructor: S. Bahng

FILM 226/3.0      Critical Inquiry            Fall 2024

Textual analysis of narrative and other films, including examination of formal, aesthetic, and narrative techniques and conventions, and their production of meaning in social and political contexts. We pay special attention to film reviews, using the road movie genre as a way to investigate the ways in which we write, critique and analyze film.

LEARNING HOURS  108 (36 Lecture, 24 Laboratory, 48 Private Study)  
PREREQUISITE Registration in a FILM, MAPP, or COFI Plan or (FILM 111/112 and permission of the Department).  

Instructor: K. Bertrand

FILM 236/3.0               Media and Cultural Studies                       Fall 2024 Online or In Person                    

FILM 236 introduces students to the field of contemporary cultural studies through the study of popular forms such as film, TV, media, and live performance. Students will analyze the significance of these popular forms and focus their attention on the media technologies (digital and analogue), online spaces, and networked environments in which they operate. Students will learn to conceptualize “media” through wide-ranging analysis: from readings that invoke a self-reflexive orientation to our social media use; to media texts that analyze what counts as “real” in our technological environments; to works that critique who has algorithmic and aesthetic control to shape discourses and the stories we tell. NOTE Also offered online, consult Arts and Science Online (Learning Hours may vary). Priority will be given to students registered in the MDIA Certificate or a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan. A limited number of seats in online sections of this course will be reserved for DIST students.

LEARNING HOURS   120 (36L;24Lb;24O;36P)

Instructor(s): I. Robinson / S. Lord

FILM 240/3.0               Media and Popular Culture                                  Fall 2024 In Person or Winter 2025 Online

This course on the dynamics between media and popular culture takes an interrogative approach. It is organized around a series of questions that will introduce students to a range of key concepts in media and mass communication studies, with the goal of providing a theoretical structure to support critical analysis of contemporary cultural trends. NOTE Also offered online, consult Arts and Science Online (Learning Hours may vary). Priority will be given to students registered in the MDIA Certificate or a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan. A limited number of seats in online sections of this course will be reserved for DIST students.

LEARNING HOURS   108(36L;36PS;36O)

Instructor: P. Gauthier

FILM 250/3.0            Fundamentals of Media Production                        Fall 2024 or Winter 2025

An introductory course to media production.  Topics will cover basic camera operations, visual composition, editing, sound, and lighting techniques. Students will work in teams to accomplish a series of short film productions. NOTE Production supplies $325. This course is not available to students registered in a FILM Minor or FILM General BA plan.

LEARNING HOURS   120 (48S;72P)
PREREQUISITE   Registration in a FILM Major, FILM Medial, MAPP or COFI plan. 

Instructors:  A. Guerrero Cortés / R. Randall / D. Elon 

FILM 257/3.0          Concept Development                                   Fall 2024 or Winter 2025  (3 sections)

This course explores various methods to conceive and develop film/media-related work, including elaboration of primary concepts, embarking on relevant research, and engaging with the script development process. Various formal strategies, storytelling techniques and aesthetic approaches are covered across different media and genres in this critical stage of pre-production. Students learn to identify which original ideas are worth developing, evolving initial concepts into workable scripts or project designs. NOTE This course is not available to students registered in a FILM Minor or FILM General BA plan.

LEARNING HOURS   108 (36L;36PS;36O)
PREREQUISITE   Registration in a FILM Major, FILM Medial, MAPP or COFI plan. 

Instructors: D. Elon

FILM 260/3.0               Digital Media Theory                       Summer 2025 - Online only

Survey of digital media theories and online mass communication practices, with emphasis on social and mobile technologies. Course considers the impact of digitalization on the creative and culture industries. NOTE Only offered online. Consult Arts and Science Online. Priority will be given to students registered in the MDIA Certificate or a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan. A limited number of seats in this course will be reserved for DIST students.

LEARNING HOURS   120 (72O;48P) 

Instructor:  P. Gauthier

FILM 275/3.0             The Frame    Fall 2024

This is a production course focused intensely on the frame, thinking through aesthetic choices, formal elements, and eventually storytelling. This course will allow students to focus their attention on the elements of the frame, mise-en-scene, lighting, exposure, composition as they build content (mood, power dynamics, stories).

LEARNING HOURS  108 (36L;18Lb;54P)
PREREQUISITE Registration in a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan or (FILM 110 or 111/112 and permission of the
department).

Instructor: J. Norton

FILM 300/3.0         Hollywood: The Dream Factory          Fall 2024                                     

This course examines Classical Hollywood Cinema from the 1930s until its demise at the end of the 1950s. Students will learn about topics such as the studio system, the star system, and important genres of the period including the musical, the western, and film noir.

NOTE Priority will be given to students at level 3 or above.

LEARNING HOURS     108 (36L;24Lb;48P)
PREREQUISITE   Registration in a FILM, MAPP, or COFI plan or (FILM 236 or FILM 240 or FILM 260) or permission of the department.

Instructor: A. Cook

FILM 303/3.0                  World Cinemas       Fall 2024

This course offers an overview of recent filmmaking practices from various continents. Transnational cinemas explore how intimate, personal styles of filmmaking converge with theories of globalization, hybridity and remediation.
NOTE Also offered online. Consult Arts and Science Online. Learning Hours may vary.

LEARNING HOURS   108 (36L;24Lb;48P)
PREREQUISITE (Registration in a FILM, MAPP, or COFI Plan) or (DEVS 240 or FILM 236 or FILM 240 or FILM 260 or LLCU 209).  

Instructor: K. Bertrand

FILM 307/3.0  Classics of European Cinema    Fall 2024

In this iteration of Film 307, I will focus on Italian film classics. Through much of the latter half of the 20th century, Italian cinema was considered the second most important cinema in the world, after Hollywood. For a brief period, Italy even out-produced Hollywood. Italian Neorealism (1943-1952 roughly) has been, globally, the most influential cinematic phenomenon in the history of the medium. Italian cinema was also groundbreaking for its silent cinema; its art cinema; and its genre cinema, including horror and the spaghetti western. I am a specialist in Italian cinema and have published six books on the subject, including the Companion to Italian Cinema (2017, 648 pp.). Students will discover how much their non-Italian film experience has in some ways been shaped by this national cinema.

LEARNING HOURS 108 (36 Lecture, 24 Laboratory, 48 Private Study)  
PREREQUISITE Registration in a FILM, MAPP, or COFI Plan.  

Instructor: F. Burke

FILM 308/3.0     Popular Cultures: Sway and Swerve  Fall 2024

The course will examine contemporary popular cultures within a cultural context around ideas of sway and swerve. We will take up the questions: How do popular cultures sway? And, in what ways do popular cultures swerve? Sway in our course will refer to control and influence as well as rhythmical movement in relation to time and geographies. Swerve will refer to abrupt breaks away from these rhythms. Some of the topics we will cover will include capitalist critique, queer & feminist politics, and sensation & affect. We will examine a variety of media types including Netflix series, TikTok trends, ASMR, music cultures, and contemporary film. 

LEARNING HOURS 108 (36 Lecture, 24 Seminar, 48 Private Study)
PREREQUISITE (Registration in a FILM, MAPP, or COFI Plan) or (FILM 236 or FILM 240 or FILM 260).  

Instructor: A. Na

FILM 309/3.0  Environmental Media  Fall 2024

This course examines contemporary media works which address the climate crisis. We examine a range of activist media, documentaries, experimental media, Indigenous media, and fiction films to consider both how the climate crisis is portrayed, and the successes and failures of the representational strategies deployed.

LEARNING HOURS 108 (36 Lecture, 24 Laboratory, 48 Practicum)
PREREQUISITE Registration in a FILM, MAPP, or COFI Plan.  

Instructor: M. Hogan

FILM 310/3.0   Archival Remediation and Restoration of Time-based Media Winter 2025

This advanced-level course trains students and examines cutting-edge restoration processes in time-based media, particularly as it pertains to film and video. Using scanning and software technologies within the Vulnerable Media Lab, students will learn to restore and package archival media for archival, theatrical, and broadcast standards.

LEARNING HOURS 120 (36 L, 24 Lb, 30 P, 30 GL)  
PREREQUISITE Registration in a FILM Major, FILM Joint Honours, MAPP, or COFI Plan and FILM 250.  

Instructor: R. Randall

FILM 311/3.0              Mediating Misinformation       Winter 2025

This course critically evaluates narratives foregrounding the role of social media in the spread of disinformation. In contrast to claims that “fake news” is a product of new media, this course historicizes problematic information in the West as a perennial tool for maintaining existing power hierarchies. Priority will be given to students at level 3 or above. 

LEARNING HOURS   108 (36L;24Lb;48P)
PREREQUISITE   Registration in a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan. 

Instructor: E. Chalfant

FILM 312/3.0               Screenwriting                                         Fall 2024 or Winter 2025

Approaches to dramatic storytelling for the screen. The course covers facets of writing fictional screenplays, including story structure, plotting, and creating memorable characters. By studying the “language of screenwriting” and dramatic storytelling principles vis-a-vis imperatives of cinematic storytelling, students learn to effectively translate their own stories into produceable scripts. Coursework includes: analyzing films and scripts, learning standard screenplay format, practical exercises and assignments from first draft to final draft, and engaging in the rewriting and feedback process. Students emerge with a polished original screenplay. NOTE This course is not available to students registered in a FILM Minor or FILM General BA plan. Priority will be given to students at level 3 or above.

LEARNING HOURS   108 (36S;72P)
PREREQUISITE   FILM 257 and registration in a FILM Major, FILM Medial, MAPP or COFI plan. 

Instructor: B. Babic / A. Valine

FILM 314/3.0   Media and the Global South     Winter 2025

This course examines media from one or more of the following geographic areas: Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Oceania. The course deploys transcultural approaches that open representational practices, histories, and theoretical frameworks to unsettle rigid hemispheric binaries from a media studies approach.

LEARNING HOURS 108 (36 Lecture, 24 Laboratory, 48 Practicum)  
PREREQUISITE Registration in a FILM, MAPP, or COFI Plan or (FILM 110 and Permission of the Department).  

Instructor: W. Pan

FILM 326/3.0  Canadian Cinemas: History, Programming, Filmmakers        Winter 2025

This course shall explore the history of Canadian filmmaking through the lenses of a) understanding Canadian cinema history, b) programming screenings of Canadian films and media, c) interacting with visiting filmmakers to give context to the current state of filmmaking in Canada, including fiction, documentary, experimental and animated works, and d) foregrounding the diversity of works made by Anglo-Canadian, Québécois, and Indigenous film and media makers.

LEARNING HOURS   120 (36L;24Lb;20GL;40P).
PREREQUISITE Level 3 or above.

Instructor: S. MacKenzie

FILM 331/3.0        Women and Film    Fall 2024

This course explores the convergence of and connection between feminist thought and activism and moving-image art since the 1960s. Focused on video works and experimental films by women artists, it examines their histories, practices, and politics, and connects them to critical, intersectional, and transnational feminist literature.

Learning outcomes:

1. Describe and analyze the concurrent development of feminism and moving-image art 
2. Identify and discuss themes, theories and methods mobilized in feminist video art and experimental film
3. Demonstrate critical reading and visual analysis skills through your engagement with feminist material (filmic and textual)

LEARNING HOURS   108 (36L;24Lb;48P).
PREREQUISITE (Registration in a FILM, MAPP, or COFI Plan) or (registration in a GNDS Plan and GNDS 120 and GNDS 125).

Instructor: B. Cloutier-Trépanier

FILM 332/3.0         Queer Cinemas                                                        Winter 2025                                     

This course will examine the development of queer representation and filmmaking practices in the Western context. We will explore the history of queer artists and the ways in which they have manipulated, subverted, and altogether rejected traditional cinematic codes in order to express queer desires, pleasures, and traumas. Additionally, this course will introduce students to the field of queer cinema studies. Together, students will be exposed to a diverse array of artistic and academic content in order to think through broader considerations of gender, sexuality, and race within the context of Film and Media studies. NOTE Priority will be given to students at level 3 or above.

LEARNING HOURS   108 (36L;24Lb;48P)
PREREQUISITE   Registration in a FILM, MAPP, or COFI plan or (registration in a GNDS plan and GNDS 120 and GNDS 125).

Instructor: T. de Szegheo Lang

FILM 336/3.0         Film and Politics: Religion on Screen                        Fall 2024

This course analyzes current debates in the politics of film and the film industry, focusing on films that have been flashpoints for controversies including, for example : #MeToo and the male gaze; elision of black contributions to the history of film; diversity in front of versus behind the camera; questions of authenticity in relationships between actor identity and character representation vis-a-vis sexuality, race, gender, and disability; funding and propagandistic catering to specific national/international values; historical revisionism; and others. 

 NOTE Priority will be given to students at level 3 or above.

LEARNING HOURS   108 (36L;24Lb;48P)
PREREQUISITE   Registration in a FILM, MAPP, or COFI plan.

Instructor: E. Chalfant

FILM 337/3.0  Cinema and the City  Winter 2025

An intermediate study of representations of the city in cinema and visual culture, the social histories from which these representations emerge, and the changing environments in which cinema is viewed.

LEARNING HOURS 108 (36 Lecture, 24 Laboratory, 48 Private Study)
PREREQUISITE  (Registration in a FILM, MAPP, or COFI Plan) or (registration in a GPHY Plan and GPHY 101 and GPHY 227 and GPHY 229). 

Instructor: W. Pan

FILM 339/3.0      The 90s: Media and Culture at the End of the 20th Century      Fall 2024                                  

This course will focus on the rapid technological and social changes in the 1990s and their effects on film and media. Topics may include: technology in science fiction and disaster films; the teen movie; racial diversity and the family sitcom; New Queer Cinema; and globalization and transnational media. NOTE Priority will be given to students at level 3 or above.

LEARNING HOURS   108 (36L;36O;36P)
PREREQUISITE   Registration in a FILM, MAPP, or COFI plan or (FILM 236 or FILM 240 or FILM 260).

Instructor: T. de Szegheo Lang

FILM 340/3.0               Advertising and Consumer Culture *ONLINE ONLY*                       Fall 2024   

This course examines advertising strategies across a range of different media to understand the construction and functions of consumerism and promotional culture in politics, art, material culture, and everyday life. Throughout the course, we consider a range of theoretical approaches and case studies to study the ways consumer culture intersects with identity, citizenship, and aesthetics. Assignments include online and/or on-campus exams, online discussion forum participation requirement, short reflective essays, and some creative design work. Assignments include online and/or on-campus exams, online discussion forum participation requirement, short reflective essays, and some creative design work.  NOTE Offered online (consult Arts and Science Online) and at Bader College, Herstmonceux. Learning Hours may vary. Priority will be given to students at level 3 or above. A limited number of seats in online sections of this course will be reserved for DIST students.

LEARNING HOURS 108 (36L; 36O; 36PS)
PREREQUISITE  Registration in a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan or (FILM 236 or FILM 240 or FILM 260) or (COMM 131 or COMM 231 or PSYC 342).

Instructor: I. Robinson

FILM 342/3.0                Studies in Alternative Media: Activist Media Making    Fall 2024                                                   

Marginalized peoples have always spoken back to mainstream representations. Studies in Alternative Media will address the history of media-making by queer, feminist, and racialized communities. It shows how marginalized people have used diverse representational tools that range from analog technologies to digital worlds to define and represent themselves, advocate for change, and create community. The course is structured around technologies such as the xerox machine, the camcorder, and the smart phone since advancements in technology have often lowered financial barriers, thereby allowing broader groups of people to seize the means of production and dissemination in order to create activist media. NOTE Priority will be given to students at level 3 or above.

LEARNING HOURS   108 (36L;24Lb;48P)
PREREQUISITE   Registration in a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan or (FILM 236 or FILM 240 or FILM 260).

Instructor: T. de Szegheo Lang

FILM 346/3.0          Television and Seriality        Fall 2024  

This course examines various forms of television seriality, from historical and theoretical perspectives. The course shall examine its emergence as the dominant form of the soap opera, to contemporary web television platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Crave.

LEARNING HOURS  108 (36 Lecture, 24 Laboratory, 48 Private Study)  
PREREQUISITE Registration in a FILM, MAPP, or COFI Plan.  

Instructor: P. Gauthier

FILM 351/3.0  Documentary Production  Winter 2025

Advanced motion picture production course. Each student produces a short documentary using video and/or 16mm film. Emphasis will be placed on unconventional approaches and techniques.

LEARNING HOURS  120 (36 Lecture, 24 Laboratory, 30 Group Learning, 30 Private Study)  
PREREQUISITE Registration in a FILM Major, FILM Joint Honours, MAPP, or COFI Plan and FILM 250.  

Instructor: D. Naaman

FILM 352/3.0  Production: Issues of Form and Structure  Winter 2025

This course concentrates on the artist and filmmaker’s process of creating the formal properties of their projects. While the primary goal of the course is the completion of a visual/audio work, we will explore the various means of arriving at innovative solutions to formal problems by seeing what other successful methods have been developed. These include, for example, working with “constraints,” which are designed to provide focus for the project; developing techniques that encourage “lateral thinking,” like musician Brian Eno’s “Oblique Strategies;” and so on.

LEARNING HOURS 120 (36 Lecture, 24 Laboratory, 60 Private Study)
PREREQUISITE Registration in a FILM Major, FILM Joint Honours, MAPP, or COFI Plan and FILM 250.  

Instructor: G. Kibbins

FILM 356/3.0               Animation Production                                     Winter 2025                                                        

A combined study of the theory of film animation with animation production techniques. Requirements will include the production of short animation exercises.  Note Priority will be given to students at level 3 or above.

LEARNING HOURS  120 (36L;24Lb;60P)
PREREQUISITE   ANIM 200 or Registration in a FILM Major, FILM Medial, MAPP or COFI plan. 

Instructor: E. Pelstring

FILM 360/3.0  The Documentary Tradition  Fall 2024

In 2024, will be exploring the rockumentary as social history, examining historical and contemporary works from 1958 to the present. Drawing on works that document the history of rock, blues, jazz, pop, heavy metal, reggae, punk, hip hop, K-pop, blue grass and country, we will explore key concepts and moments in documentary film and media history, including realist documentaries, cinéma direct, self-reflexive documentaries, political documentaries, post-modernist documentaries, collage and archival documentaries, and mockumentaries. Through these lenses we shall examine questions of countercultures, gender, decolonization, civil rights, activism and class, alongside concepts such as play, euphoria, performance, embodiment and fun.

LEARNING HOURS  108 (36 Lecture, 24 Laboratory, 48 Private Study)  
PREREQUISITE  Registration in a FILM, MAPP, or COFI Plan.  

Instructor: S. MacKenzie

FILM 368/3.0     Animation Theory and Criticism  Winter 2025

A course on the history, theory, and practice of animated films. Requirements include a series of screenings, writings, and a practice based critical project.

LEARNING HOURS 108 (36 Lecture, 24 Laboratory, 48 Private Study)
PREREQUISITE  ANIM 200/3.0 or (registration in a FILM, MAPP, or COFI Plan).  

Instructor: G. Gear

FILM 377/3.0           3D Animation                Fall 2024                                 

This course covers the creation and animation of simple 3D objects. Students will have an overview of modelling, rigging, texturing, animating characters, and creating virtual 3D environments.
NOTE Animation Software: estimated cost $100.

LEARNING HOURS   120 (36L;24Lb;30G;30P)
PREREQUISITE   ANIM 200 or registration in a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan.

Instructor: J. Norton

FILM 378/3.0  Computational Cinema   Winter 2025

This course explores new forms of filmmaking reliant on computer vision and information processing, from early computer-generated imagery to more recent uses of depth cameras and game engines in commercial and experimental productions.

LEARNING HOURS 120 (36 Lecture, 24 Laboratory, 30 Online Activity, 30 Private Study)  
PREREQUISITE   ANIM 200/3.0 or (registration in a FILM, MAPP, or COFI Plan). 

Instructor:  G. Menotti

FILM 379/3.0    Virtual and Augmented Reality APP Development    Winter 2025

This course covers the development of augmented reality apps, filters, and virtual reality environments, using accessible software to generate, import, and rig characters. Students will have an overview of different applications to build and share interactive, 3D content on mobile devices.

LEARNING HOURS   120 (36L;24Lb;30G;30P)
PREREQUISITE   FILM 356, FILM 377, or FILM 394
Notes: This course is not available to students registered in a FILM Minor or FILM General BA plan.
Priority will be given to students at level 3 or above.

Instructor: J. Norton

FILM 387/3.0    Cinematography and Visual Aesthetics     Fall 2024 or Winter 2025              

This course is an advanced practical course in cinematography and visual aesthetics. Through a series of lectures, hands-on practical shooting exercises, screenings, written responses, and open discussions students will explore visual aesthetics and the techniques used to author images with intent and consistency. Students will be individually evaluated through exercises and quizzes while shooting assignments can be completed independently or in small groups.  NOTE This course is not available to students registered in a FILM Minor or FILM General BA plan. Priority will be given to students at level 3 or above.

LEARNING HOURS   120 (36L;24Lb;30G;30P)
PREREQUISITE  FILM 250 and registration in a FILM Major, FILM Medial, MAPP or COFI plan. 

Instructor: R. Randall

FILM 388/3.0  Indigenous Film and Media  Winter 2025

This course offers a journey into Indigenous and Inuit film, produced by Indigenous filmmakers from the Americas, Northern Europe, and Australia. Topics such as Indigenous methodologies and aesthetics, Indigenous feminism, decolonization, self-recognition, language revitalization, and cultural reappropriation will be explored.

LEARNING HOURS 108 (36 Lecture, 24 Laboratory, 48 Private Study)
PREREQUISITE  Level 3 or above. 

Instructor: K. Bertrand

FILM 390/3.0   Open Media Production  Fall 2024

In this course, students create projects around research topics using a variety of media, which may include video, sound, graphics, performance, and interactive media. Students might produce podcasts, print media, games, etc.

LEARNING HOURS 120 (36 Lecture, 24 Laboratory, 30 Group Learning, 30 Private Study)  
PREREQUISITE Registration in a FILM Major, FILM Joint Honours, MAPP, or COFI Plan.  

Instructor:  G. Menotti

FILM 392/3.0                     Video Production                      Fall 2024 (two sections)

This course covers production techniques, including planning, production, and postproduction topics. Students can explore a variety of genres and forms, and will undertake a series of short exercises aimed at building technical skills. Specific themes covered will depend on the instructor. NOTE This course is not available to students registered in a FILM Minor or FILM General BA plan. Priority will be given to students at level 3 or above.

LEARNING HOURS   120 (36L;24Lb;30G;30P)
PREREQUISITE   FILM 250 and registration in a FILM Major, FILM Medial, MAPP or COFI plan. 

Instructor:  A. Guerrero Cortés

FILM 393/3.0  Advanced Video Production  Winter 2025

This course builds on material covered in Video Production and introduces advanced techniques for conceptualizing, planning, producing, and editing short film/video projects. Student projects will be exhibited/screened publicly at the end of the semester.

LEARNING HOURS  120 (36 Lecture, 24 Laboratory, 30 Group Learning, 30 Private Study)
PREREQUISITE  Registration in a FILM Major, FILM Joint Honours, MAPP, or COFI Plan and (FILM 387/3.0 or FILM 392/3.0 or FILM 394/3.0).  

Instructor:  A. Guerrero Cortés

FILM 394/3.0                  Post-Production                                             Winter 2025                        

This intermediate-level course explores technical, aesthetic, and conceptual aspects of moving-image post-production. Students will complete exercises in order to gain a practical understanding of the creative challenges involved in creating a film out of raw footage, and will learn to employ established editing techniques. Technical training will cover best-practices for post-production workflows. Topics will include: post-production workflows; media management; editing techniques and creative strategies; theories of montage; scene coverage and continuity; working with effects: compositing, working with keyframes; sound design, editing and mixing; and colour correction and grading. NOTE This course is not available to students registered in a FILM Minor or FILM General BA plan. Priority will be given to students at level 3 or above.

LEARNING HOURS   120 (36L;24Lb;30G;30P)
PREREQUISITE   ANIM 200 or registration in a FILM Major, FILM Medial, MAPP or COFI plan. 

Instructor: J. Norton

FILM 395/3.0               Internship                                                                Fall 2023 or Winter 2024

Students can apply to undertake a practical internship in media production, criticism or curatorship. All internships must be approved in advance by application to the Undergraduate Coordinator. Approval will depend on the quality of the proposal and the academic record of the applicant. Students are required to write a report about their experience and are evaluated jointly by their employer and a faculty member from Film and Media. It is the responsibility of students, not the Department of Film and Media, to arrange internships. NOTE Students will be awarded a Pass/Fail upon completion. Priority will be given to students at level 3 or above.

LEARNING HOURS   120 (120I)
PREREQUISITE   Permission of the department and registration in a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan.

Coordinator: D. Vena

FILM 396/3.0                 16MM Film Production                                 Winter 2025

The 16mm Film Production course investigates the format's history and integrates it into practical applications within modern motion imaging creation. In this practical course, students will learn how to handle a variety of 16mm production and post-production equipment as well as understanding photographic exposure and laboratory processes. We’ll explore ways of utilizing motion picture film beyond the camera and screen through alternate creation techniques. The course culminates in a colour 16mm film shoot using sync sound and prepares it for use in a modern digital post-production workflow.

LEARNING HOURS   120 (36L;24Lb;30G;30P)
PREREQUISITE  FILM 250 and registration in a FILM Major, FILM Medial, MAPP or COFI plan. 

Instructor: R. Randall

FILM 397/3.0              Sound Techniques for Video and Film                     Winter 2025

Sound Techniques for Film & Video Productions is an advanced-level course that focuses on approaches used in the production and post-production of a film and video project. Beginning with location audio recordings and synchronizing with camera footage, managing multiple performers, microphone placement and multi-tracking and on to editing, ADR, and mixing. This course will take students through the entire production workflow from set to exhibition. This is hands-on course where students will get the opportunity to practice location and dialogue recording, sound design, foley, scoring, and mixing.

LEARNING HOURS   120 (36L;24Lb;30G;30P)
PREREQUISITE  FILM 250 and registration in a FILM Major, FILM Medial, MAPP or COFI plan. 

Instructor: B. Hocura

FILM 500/6.0               Honours Thesis                                          Fall/Winter 2024/25

Open to students completing an honours concentration in Film and Media, or Stage and Screen Studies. May be an essay or a film or video project. Apply for FILM 500/6.0 or FILM 501/3.0, but not both, to the Undergraduate Coordinator by end of Level 3. NOTE: To use Film and Media video equipment the student must have completed FILM 250.

PREREQUISITE   Permission of the department and registration in a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan.

FILM 501/3.0               Honours Thesis                                           Fall 2024 or Winter 2025

Open to students completing an honours concentration in Film and Media, or MAPP. May be an essay or a film or video project. Apply for FILM 500 or FILM 501, but not both, to the Undergraduate Coordinator by end of Level 3. NOTE: To use Film and Media video equipment the student must have completed FILM 250.

PREREQUISITE   Permission of the department and registration in a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan.

FILM 510/6.0               Directed Studies                                          Fall/Winter 2024/25

Open to students completing an honours concentration in Film and Media, or Stage and Screen Studies. Enables a student to pursue an area of study not covered in regularly offered courses. Applicants must obtain approval of the Undergraduate Coordinator and supervising instructor. NOTE: To use Film and Media video equipment the student must have completed FILM 250.

PREREQUISITE   Permission of the department and registration in a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan.

FILM 511/3.0               Directed Studies                                       Fall 2024 or Winter 2025

Open to students completing an honours concentration in Film and Media, or Stage and Screen Studies. Enables a student to pursue an area of study not covered in regularly offered courses. Applicants must obtain approval of the Undergrad Coordinator and supervising instructor. NOTE: To use Film and Media video equipment the student must have completed FILM 250.

PREREQUISITE   Permission of the department and registration in a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan.

The Stage and Screen (STSC) Specialization has been redesigned as Media and Performance Production (MAPP) Specialization.  Students currently enrolled in the Stage and Screen Specialization will still be able to complete this degree but some of the required courses have been renamed as MAPP courses.

MAPP 200/3.0              Media and Performance I                             Fall 2024

This introductory course explores the integration of media and performance across a variety of contexts beyond traditional theatre and film. Students will be introduced to key theoretical concepts through which media and performance intersect, and will mobilize these concepts through their own original intermedial performance projects. NOTE    Priority will be given to students in the MAPP plan. Administered by the Department of Film and Media. 

LEARNING HOURS   120 (24S;36G;60P)
PREREQUISITE   Registration in a MAPP, FILM, DRAM, MUSC, or MUTH plan.

Instructor: E. Pelstring

MAPP 300/3.0              Media and Performance II                                 Winter 2025          

This course explores media and performance practices that break with formal structures of traditional forms. We will survey scholarship in performance studies and arts critical discourse with an emphasis on media and technology. Alongside scholarly writing, we will survey media and performance works that have embodied experimental technique and critical concepts,including Adrian Piper, Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Marina Abramović, Nam June Paik, and Skawennati. During the course, students will perform, devise, collaborate, curate, and remake media and performance works.  NOTE: Priority will be given to students in the MAPP plan at level 3 or above.  Administered by the Department of Film and Media.  

LEARNING HOURS   120 (24S;36G;60P)
PREREQUISITE    Registration in a MAPP, FILM, DRAM, MUSC, or MUTH plan.

Instructor: A. Na

Note: MAPP 311 won’t be offered this year but MAPP 493 can be substituted to complete core MAPP requirements.

MAPP 493/3.0  Visual Music   Fall 2024

An introduction to the history, theory, aesthetics and applications of Visual Music, a term broadly categorizing experiments in art and science which closely mesh visual and sonic media. Through workshops, practical production exercises and research assignments this course examines relationships between music and image from the 1600s to present.
NOTE Administered by the Department of Film and Media.

LEARNING HOURS  120 (36 Lecture, 24 Laboratory, 60 Private Study)
PREREQUISITE  Registration in a MAPP, FILM, DRAM, MUSC, or MUTH plan.  

Instructor: M. Rogalsky

MAPP 395/3.0               Internship                                                                Fall 2024 or Winter 2025

MAPP concentrators entering their third year many apply to undertake a practical internship in media production, criticism or curatorship.  All internships must be approved in advance by application to the Undergraduate Coordinator. Approval will depend on the quality of the proposal and the academic record of the applicant. Students are required to write a report about their experience and are evaluated jointly by their employer and a faculty member from Film and Media or the Dan School. It is the responsibility of students, not the Departments, to arrange internships. NOTE Students will be awarded a Pass/Fail upon completion. Priority will be given to students at level 3 or above.

LEARNING HOURS   120 (120I)
PREREQUISITE   Permission of the department and registration in a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan.

Coordinator: D. Vena

MAPP 400/6.0              Media and Performance Major Project                        Fall/Winter 2024/25

This practice-based course allows students to explore and produce various digital media projects by intersecting audiovisual productions and live arts through interactive, augmented, and immersive media. Students will learn practical theories and strategies for digital media production and performance to transform conceptual research into creative projects. They will create projects that use digital tools to demonstrate experimentation and the expansion of their creative knowledge and skills. The second half of the course will focus on producing final major projects for the showcase, based on the material and investigations from the first half of the course. Students are not expected to produce creative outcomes limited to specific genres; they are encouraged to translate and expand their own artistic expertise and strengths by incorporating various digital media. By collaborating with students from various backgrounds (e.g., film, media, drama, and music), they can push the boundaries of their creativity and intensify their expertise as digital media collaborators. NOTE: Priority will be given to students in the MAPP plan at level 4 or above. Administered by the Department of Film and Media.  There is a $100 fee for this course.

LEARNING HOURS   228(36L;36G;36O;120P)
PREREQUISITE    MAPP 300 and registration in a MAPP, FILM, DRAM, MUSC, or MUTH plan.

Instructor: S. Bahng

MAPP 401/3.0                    Special Topic in Media and Performance: Immersive Storytelling            Winter 2025

This practice-based course provides students with an opportunity to learn and explore new storytelling methods through immersive media such as 360-degree video and 3D VR technologies. Students will draw upon practical theories of immersive storytelling to transform conceptual research into media and performance productions. The course will introduce theories, concepts, and strategies in immersive storytelling, then focus on media and performance production, especially in VR storytelling. Students will devise a 360-degree video research project that examines concepts and story designs; they will write a synopsis and outline for a 360-degree fact-based VR project. Students will also have the opportunity to learn the immersive and interactive functions of a 3D VR system and build a 3D immersive story world in Unity using existing assets. NOTE: Priority will be given to MAPP students at level 4 or above.

LEARNING HOURS   120 (24S;36G;60P)
PREREQUISITE   Registration in a MAPP, FILM, DRAM, MUSC or MUTH plan. 

Instructor: S. Bahng

FILM 236/3.0               Media and Cultural Studies   *ONLINE*                        Fall 2024                          

Introduction to cultural and social theory of film and other media as it relates to the tension between citizenship and consumerism. Examines roles, functions, and impact of mass media technologies, institutions, and practices in both scholarly and practical forms. NOTE Also offered online, consult Arts and Science Online (Learning Hours may vary). Priority will be given to students registered in the MDIA Certificate or a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan. A limited number of seats in online sections of this course will be reserved for DIST students.

LEARNING HOURS   Consult Arts & Science Online. Learning Hours may vary from in-person.

Instructor: I. Robinson

FILM 240/3.0               Media and Popular Culture *ONLINE*                            Winter 2025                      

This course on the dynamics between media and popular culture takes an interrogative approach. It is organized around a series of questions that will introduce students to a range of key concepts in media and mass communication studies, with the goal of providing a theoretical structure to support critical analysis of contemporary cultural trends. NOTE Also offered online, consult Arts and Science Online (Learning Hours may vary). Priority will be given to students registered in the MDIA Certificate or a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan. A limited number of seats in online sections of this course will be reserved for DIST students

LEARNING HOURS   Consult Arts and Science Online. Learning Hours may vary.

Instructor: P. Gauthier

FILM 260/3.0    Digital Media Theory  *ONLINE ONLY*                      Summer 2025

Survey of digital media theories and online mass communication practices, with emphasis on social and mobile technologies. Course considers the impact of digitalization on the creative and culture industries. NOTE   Only offered online. Consult Arts and Science Online. Priority will be given to students registered in the MDIA Certificate or a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan. A limited number of seats in this course will be reserved for DIST students.

LEARNING HOURS   120 (72O;48P) Consult Arts and Science Online. Learning Hours may vary.

Instructor:  P. Gauthier

FILM 340/3.0               Advertising and Consumer Culture *ONLINE ONLY*                       Fall 2024   

This course examines advertising strategies across a range of different media to understand the construction and functions of consumerism and promotional culture in politics, art, material culture, and everyday life. Throughout the course, we consider a range of theoretical approaches and case studies to study the ways consumer culture intersects with identity, citizenship, and aesthetics. Assignments include online and/or on-campus exams, online discussion forum participation requirement, short reflective essays, and some creative design work. Assignments include online and/or on-campus exams, online discussion forum participation requirement, short reflective essays, and some creative design work. NOTE Offered online (consult Arts and Science Online) and at Bader College, Herstmonceux. Learning Hours may vary. Priority will be given to students at level 3 or above. A limited number of seats in online sections of this course will be reserved for DIST students.

LEARNING HOURS   Consult Arts and Science Online. Learning hours may vary.
PREREQUISITE   Registration in a FILM, MAPP or COFI plan or (FILM 236 or FILM 240 or FILM 260) or (COMM 131 or COMM 231 or PSYC 342). 

Instructor: I. Robinson

ANIM 200/3.0  Introduction to Animation                Winter 2025

This course offers a historical overview of animation practices and an introduction to animation theory. The course covers key developments in independent and commercial animation since the birth of the form, and offers critical engagement with emerging voices in the field of animation
studies.

LEARNING HOURS: 108 (36L;24Lb;48P).
PREREQUISITE Level 2 or above

Instructor: G. Gear

ANIM 400/3.0  Special Topics in Animation             Fall 2024

An advanced course in developing expertise through research and/or praxis in specialized areas of animation production and studies.

LEARNING HOURS120 (36 Lecture, 24 Laboratory, 30 Group Learning, 30 Private Study)  
PREREQUISITE   ANIM 200 or (Level 4 or above and registration in a FILM, MAPP, or COFI Plan).  

Instructor: G. Gear