Course Offerings 2013-2014

See the Faculty of Arts and Science Calendar for required courses, prerequisites and enrolment priorities.

For further information on course timetable, marks and deadlines, see the University Registrar.

See Registration Steps for upper-year students.

Note: IDIS 210, STSC 300, STSC 309, DEVS 305, INTS 326, IDIS 311, and IDIS 410 may be used as Optional Film units.

Note regarding production courses: Students are permitted to register in only one production course per year: FILM 351; FILM 352; FILM 355; FILM 365; FILM 375; FILM 385; FILM 410; FILM 451.

Legend: 110/6.0/FW = Film Course Number / Credits / (F)all (W)inter Session.
 
 
 

FILM 110/6.0/ FW: Film, Culture and Communication Introduction to analysis of film, television, new media and other related forms of contemporary culture. Includes classical and contemporary Hollywood cinema, Canadian film and television, alternatives in international cinema, as well as recent developments on the internet, in gaming, and in social media. Course is in blended model and includes lectures, online learning materials and weekly tutorials. Course requirements include online tests, written work and a digital storytelling project. LEARNING HOURS 240 (24L;36Lb;36T;48G;48O;48P) Instructors: Clarke Mackey, Susan Lord
 
 
 

FILM 206/3.0/F: Research, Writing and Presentation Methods An introduction for students to film research methods, argumentative writing and the design of effective audio-visual presentations. We shall consider the differences between writing academic film essays, film criticism and film reviews through a series of written assignments designed to strengthen writing skills, critical voice, and analytic capabilities. LEARNING HOURS 108 (36L;24Lb;48P) PREREQUISITE (A grade of B- in FILM 110/6.0) or (a GPA of 2.60 in FILM 104/3.0 and FILM 106/3.0) and (registration in a FILM Major or Medial Plan, STSC Specialization or COCA Specialization Plan). Instructor: Scott MacKenzie

IDIS 210/3.0/W: Arts in Society A broad-ranging introduction to the role arts play in human society with a focus on contemporary production and research. Through a series of guest speakers, students will engage with the arts' living practices embedded in social interaction addressing topics as wide-ranging as aesthetics, politics, race, representation, critical theory, and identities. NOTE Students will be required to attend a variety of arts events outside class time which may include concerts, gallery exhibitions, performances, film screenings. NOTE Administered by the Department of Film and Media. NOTE Field trips: estimated cost $75. LEARNING HOURS 108 (36L;24O;48P) PREREQUISITE Level 2. Instructor: Matt Rogalsky

FILM 216/3.0/F: Historical Inquiry Introduction to historical research and analysis of narrative and other films. Examines works, from a range of periods and settings, and the conditions that shaped their production, distribution and reception. In 2012, the course will focus on films of the silent era. LEARNING HOURS 108 (36L;24Lb;48P) PREREQUISITE (A grade of B- in FILM 110/6.0) or (a GPA of 2.60 in FILM 104/3.0 and FILM 106/3.0) and (registration in a FILM Plan, STSC Specialization or COCA Specialization Plan). Instructor: Peter Baxter

FILM 226/3.0 /W: Critical Inquiry Theoretical and textual analysis of narrative, experimental, documentary and art cinemas, including the examination of formal, aesthetic, and narrative techniques and conventions, and their production of meaning in social and political contexts. LEARNING HOURS 108 (36L;24Lb;48P) PREREQUISITE (A grade of B- in FILM 110/6.0) or (a GPA of 2.60 in FILM 104/3.0 and FILM 106/3.0) and (registration in a FILM Plan, STSC Specialization or COCA Specialization Plan). Instructor: Scott MacKenzie

FILM 236/3.0/W: Media Studies Introduction to cultural and social theory of film and other media as it relates to the tensions between citizenship and consumerism. Examines roles, functions, and impact of mass media technologies, institutions, and practices in both scholarly and practical forms. LEARNING HOURS 108 (36L;24Lb;48P) PREREQUISITE (A grade of B- in FILM 110/6.0) or (a GPA of 2.60 in FILM 104/3.0 and FILM 106/3.0) and (registration in a FILM Plan, STSC Specialization or COCA Specialization Plan). Instructor: Frances Leeming

FILM 240/3.0/F: Media and Popular Culture Also offered in online sections. Includes lessons on a variety of media and genres (including film, TV, radio, gaming, music, books, magazines, advertising, public relations, broadcast and print news media, social and mobile digital media). Students will study popular culture productions, consumptions, and representations in order to better understand the importance of mass media in shaping our identities, relationships, choices, imaginations, politics, cultural dynamics and futures. PREREQUISITE None. Instructor: Sidneyeve Matrix

FILM 250/6.0/ FW: Fundamentals of Production This course provides a grounding in basic filmmaking concepts and techniques, including directing, lighting, sound recording, and editing. It is structured around a series of short narrative and documentary video exercises, done by small groups of students. Each student also writes a script for a short film in the Fall Term, and produces or directs a film in the Winter Term. LEARNING HOURS 216 (48L;24Lb;24O;120P) PREREQUISITE (A grade of B- in FILM 110/6.0) or (a GPA of 2.60 in FILM 104/3.0 and FILM 106/3.0) and (registration in a FILM Plan, STSC Specialization or COCA Specialization Plan). Instructor: Derek Redmond

FILM 260/3.0/S: Digital Media Theory and Practice Film 260 is a survey of selected topics in digital media theory and digital culture trends. We'll consider subjects including digital literacy and mobile technologies, viral videos to eReading, Facebook to Foursquare, online footprints and digital reputations to privacy concerns in the age of Google. We'll cover issues and ideas related to eCommerce, geosocial networking, online friendship, educational technology, the app revolution, word-of-mouth social media marketing, and emergent forms of digital creativity. The key themes for this course are: media convergence, virtual identity, digital mobilities, wikinomics, and socialnomics. Course website: http://FILM260.com NOTE Only offered as a distance course. Consult Continuing and Distance Studies. PREREQUISITE None. Instructor: Sidneyeve Matrix
 
 
 

Film 300/3.0/F: Hollywood: The Dream Factory This course examines Classical Hollywood Cinema from the early 1940s until its demise at the end of the 1950s. We will consider the role played by the Studio System, the effects of the Great Depression, World War II and the Communist Witch Hunt. Along with critical, theoretical and historical readings, we will examine such key documents as the Motion Picture Production Code, which shaped to a great degree what we know think of as Classical Hollywood Cinema. LEARNING HOURS 108 (36L;24Lb;48P) PREREQUISITE A GPA of 2.6 in FILM and (a grade of B- in each of FILM 110/6.0 and FILM 250/6.0) and 6.0 units in FILM. Instructor: Scott MacKenzie

STSC 300/3.0/F: Stage and Screen Practical course for Stage and Screen students which compares the production process of live theatre with that of film and television. Through a series of exercises, students will learn the fundamentals for writing, directing, acting and editing dramatic works for stage and screen. Enrolment is limited. NOTE Production supplies $50. PREREQUISITE FILM 250/6.0 and (DRAM 237/3.0 or DRAM 238/3.0) and DRAM 251/3.0. Instructor: Clarke Mackey & John Lazarus

DEVS 305/6.0/W: Cuban Culture and Society This course is designed to introduce students to Cuban society and culture. The course will focus especially on the period from the Cuban revolution (1959) to the present. Students will examine some of the main events and highlights of Cuban history, politics and culture in this era. Two weeks of this course will take place in Cuba at the University of Havana. Session dates: QueenÕs portion: regular Winter Term, beginning Jan 2014, 3 hrs weekly, Thursday 6:30 -9:30 Havana portion: Saturday, May 3 Š Sunday May 18, 2014. Registration will be open after successful applicants are accepted in the course, 4 October 2013. Deadlines: Fri 27: September application due Fri 4 : October successful applicants notified Fri 11 :October $200 deposit due NOTES 1 Students are expected to pay an ancillary fee for travel, site visits and two weeks accommodation while in Havana Š approximately $2300.00. 2 Students must apply to take the course. Applications are available in the DEVS office. 3 Students are expected to complete the pre-departure and safety orientation online. 4 Costs and application deadlines will be posted on the DEVS website. PREREQUISITE Level 3 or above and registration in any Arts and Science Plan. Instructors: Susan Lord and Karen Dubinsky

FILM 310/3.0/W: Reviewing World Cinema and Media Arts A course in developing expertise in writing reviews of contemporary world cinema and media arts. The class will meet weekly in the winter term. Students' reviews will be posted on a web site. Students will be asked to view material and visit exhibitions outside of class time. LEARNING HOURS 108 (36S;72P) PREREQUISITE A GPA of 2.6 in FILM and (a grade of B- in each of FILM 110/6.0 and FILM 250/6.0) and 6.0 units in FILM. Instructor: Jessica Barr / Mansoor Behnam

FILM 312/3.0/F: Screenwriting Students will analyze examples from existing works and prepare a ten-minute original screenplay. Assignments include proposal, outline, treatment, dialogue scene, first draft and final manuscript. Each assignment in the screenwriting process will be presented and workshopped by the class. PREREQUISITE A GPA of 2.6 in FILM and (a grade of B- in each of FILM 110/6.0 and FILM 250/6.0) and 6.0 units in FILM. Instructor: Frances Leeming

FILM 320/0.5/W: Media and the Arts This course will explore contemporary digital culture, including the various ways it has transformed the manner in which art and other cultural forms of expression are made, distributed and received. We will address storytelling, interactivity, the impact on politics, digital aesthetics, and other associated topics. There will be a limited and optional opportunity for students to produce an artwork to fulfill class requirements. PREREQUISITE A GPA of 2.6 in FILM and (a grade of B- in each of FILM 110/6.0 and FILM 250/6.0) and 6.0 units in FILM. Instructor: Gary Kibbins

INTS 326/3.0/F: Labours of Film in the New Europe This course will investigate how the new Europe and film shaped each other. European film is our starting point for investigating the connections between work and art. Topics will include: urban space; (post- and para-); socialist societies; border crossings, especially gendered labour and cultural flows. NOTE Taught in English with GRMN 426/3.0. Written work and examinations are in English. Readings are in translation. NOTE Administered by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. LEARNING HOURS 120 (36L;84P) PREREQUISITE Level 2 or permission of the Department. EXCLUSION No more than 3.0 units from INTS 326/3.0; GRMN 426/3.0. Instructor: Dr. Jennifer Hosek

FILM 322/3.0/W: Canadian Film and Television to 1980 Intermediate study in history and critical analysis, from early cinema to the tax-shelter boom and the institution of Telefilm Canada. Areas to be considered include the National Film Board of Canada during and after World War II; First Nations peoples on film; CBC drama and current affairs broadcasts; the rise of feature filmmaking in QuŽbec and English Canada; and such filmmakers as Nell Shipman, Norman McLaren, Alanis Obomsawin, and Jean Pierre Lefebvre. LEARNING HOURS 108 (36L;24Lb;48P) PREREQUISITE A GPA of 2.6 in FILM and (a grade of B- in each of FILM 110/6.0 and FILM 250/6.0) and 6.0 units in FILM. Instructor: Blaine Allan

FILM 331/3.0 /F: Women and Film Intermediate study in feminist approaches to the cinema and to films produced by women. Critical examination of critical and theoretical literature, and examples of narrative, documentary, and experimental cinemas. LEARNING HOURS 108 (36L;24Lb;48P) PREREQUISITE A GPA of 2.6 in FILM and (a grade of B- in each of FILM 110/6.0 and FILM 250/6.0) and 6.0 units in FILM or (GNDS 120/3.0 and GNDS 211/3.0 and [GNDS 125/3.0 or WMNS 225/3.0] and Level 3 in a GNDS Plan). Instructor: Frances Leeming

FILM 335/3.0 /W: Culture and Technology Research and studies in relations of media, technology, and culture. Critical examination of cultural and communication technologies and the employment of technology within selected examples from film, television, and other media. LEARNING HOURS 108 (36L;24Lb;48P) PREREQUISITE A GPA of 2.6 in FILM and (a grade of B- in each of FILM 110/6.0 and FILM 250/6.0) and 6.0 units in FILM. Instructor: May Chew

FILM 336/0.5/W: Film and Politics This course will look at the art and politics of filmmaking through the framing of stories concerning the migration of people, commodities and ideas across real and imaginary borders. The universal theme of 'the journey' finds many genre forms in storytelling traditions, and in the cinematic form may include science fiction, travelogues, and road movies. The films screened in this class are a reference point for our examination of how fictional and documentary representations create hybrid class identities -- which include gender and race constructs -- in the media today. Further, we will examine how narrative archetypes and story structure position the viewer in relation to power and desire, pleasure and danger, and how the 'magic of film' involves crossing borders into different worlds. PREREQUISITE A GPA of 2.6 in FILM and (a grade of B- in each of FILM 110/6.0 and FILM 250/6.0) and 6.0 units in FILM. Instructor: Craig Berggold

FILM 340/3.0/W: Advertising and Consumer Culture Historical and critical examination of advertising and its cultural, economic, social, ideological and political role within a continuously changing consumer society. While theories and critiques of advertising will be strongly emphasized, so will the nature and consequences of consumer society. We will consider the role played by advertising in our society's understanding of gender, in the belief in consumption as a way of life, in its role in selling ideas as much as products and the way in which activism has been corporatized through advertising. Assignments will include a group presentation; a final essay; and a group media project. LEARNING HOURS 108 (36L;24Lb;48P) PREREQUISITE A GPA of 2.6 in FILM and (a grade of B- in each of FILM 110/6.0 and FILM 250/6.0) and 6.0 units in FILM. Instructor: Scott MacKenzie

FILM 355/6.0 /FW: Documentary Theory and Practice A course which combines study of the history and theory of documentary film with the production of documentary videos. Requirements will include both research essays as well as the conceptualization and production of a documentary video or film. NOTE Students may enroll in no more than one production course per academic year: FILM 351/3.0; FILM 352/3.0; FILM 355/6.0; FILM 365/6.0; FILM 375/6.0; FILM 385/6.0; FILM 410/3.0; FILM 451/3.0. LEARNING HOURS 120 (36L;24Lb;60P) PREREQUISITE A GPA of 2.6 in FILM and (a grade of B- in each of FILM 110/6.0 and FILM 250/6.0) and 6.0 units in FILM and registration in a FILM Major or Medial Plan, or COCA Specialization or STSC Specialization Plan. NOTE Students may enroll in no more than one production course per academic year: FILM 351/3.0; FILM 352/3.0; FILM 355/6.0; FILM 365/6.0; FILM 375/6.0; FILM 385/6.0; FILM 410/3.0; FILM 451/3.0. Instructor: Reena Kukreja

FILM 365/6.0/FW: Narrative Theory and Practice In this advanced course in narrative film and television we will combine contemporary critical and theoretical approaches with practical experiences. Students will have the opportunity to explore, discuss and write about modern narrative media while producing a short narrative work that incorporates their understandings. The major assignments will be an essay in first term and a group presentation in second term. In addition, working in groups of three or four, students will produce short, professional quality videos (maximum length 8 minutes) for a public screening. Commercial production methods will be explored, including proposal pitches, creative collaboration and meeting strict deadlines. Each student will have significant creative responsibility for their production as one or more of the following: writer, producer, director, videographer, sound designer, or editor. A series of advanced skills workshops and analysis of many existing movies and televisions programs will be featured. This course is particularly well suited to students in the Stage and Screen Program. NOTE Students may enroll in no more than one production course per academic year: FILM 351/3.0; FILM 352/3.0; FILM 355/6.0; FILM 365/6.0; FILM 375/6.0; FILM 385/6.0; FILM 410/3.0; FILM 451/3.0. LEARNING HOURS 240 (36L;36S;48Lb;48G;72P) PREREQUISITE A GPA of 2.6 in FILM and (a grade of B- in each of FILM 110/6.0 and FILM 250/6.0) and 6.0 units in FILM. Instructor: Clarke Mackey

FILM 375/6.0 /FW: Experimental Theory and Practice A course which combines study of the history and theory of experimental film with the production of experimental works. Requirements will include both research essays as well as the conceptualization and production of an experimental video or film. NOTE Students may enroll in no more than one production course per academic year: FILM 351/3.0; FILM 352/3.0; FILM 355/6.0; FILM 365/6.0; FILM 375/6.0; FILM 385/6.0; FILM 410/3.0; FILM 451/3.0. LEARNING HOURS 120 (36L;24Lb;60P) PREREQUISITE A GPA of 2.6 in FILM and (a grade of B- in each of FILM 110/6.0 and FILM 250/6.0) and 6.0 units in FILM and registration in a FILM Major or Medial Plan, or COCA Specialization or STSC Specialization Plan. EXCLUSION No more than 1 course from FILM 370/3.0; FILM 375/6.0. Instructor: Gary Kibbins

FILM 395/3.0 : Internship 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 given a grade of Pass/Fail for work done. LEARNING HOURS 120 (120I) PREREQUISITE A GPA of 2.6 in FILM and (a grade of B- in each of FILM 110/6.0 and FILM 250/6.0) and 6.0 units in FILM and permission of the Department of Film and Media.
 
 
 

FILM 410/3.0 /W: Video Production for Digital Media Advanced work in video and computer media. Assignments include the production of digital video projects, undertaken individually and in groups. NOTE Students may enroll in no more than one production course per academic year: FILM 351/3.0; FILM 352/3.0; FILM 355/6.0; FILM 365/6.0; FILM 375/6.0; FILM 385/6.0; FILM 410/3.0; FILM 451/3.0. LEARNING HOURS 120 (36L;24Lb;60P) PREREQUISITE A GPA of 2.6 in FILM and (a grade of B- in each of FILM 110/6.0 and FILM 250/6.0) and 18.0 units in FILM and registration in a FILM Major or Medial Plan, or COCA Specialization or STSC Specialization Plan. Instructor: Sunny Kerr

IDIS 410/3.0/F: Contemporary Cultural Performance in Practice Students in film, visual art, drama, and music explore new modes of interdisciplinary performance practice through the creation of a collective work performed in public. Enrolment is limited. NOTE Administered by the Department of Film and Media. PREREQUISITE Level 4 in a FILM, ARTF, DRAM or MUSC Plan. Instructors: Frances Leeming, Matt Rogalsky, Kim Renders, Rebecca Anweiler

FILM 430/3.0 /W: Authorship: Special Topic I Advanced seminar on film authorship and analysis. Orson Welles, with the legendary Citizen Kane, and Nicholas Ray, with the highly acclaimed They Live By Night, both started their careers as film directors in the Hollywood studio system, and both ended as maverick independents, shut out of the mainstream. Examining them through their lives and careers, this comparative discussion draws on the work that each undertook over four decades. LEARNING HOURS 108 (36L;24Lb;48P) PREREQUISITE A GPA of 2.6 in FILM and (a grade of B- in each of FILM 110/6.0 and FILM 250/6.0) and 18.0 units in FILM. Instructor: Blaine Allan

FILM 435/3.0/W: Culture and Representation: Special Topic 1 Future Visions: Science Fiction and Alternative Social Models. How do we imagine that "another world is possible"? This course will investigate "visions of the future" in culture and films at the intersection of science fiction movies and social movement documentaries. Our "sense of place and sense of planet" are expressed in both these narrative forms which articulate the here and now and connect us to the potential future. Science fiction allows us to rethink latent emerging possibilities through posing "what if" scenarios. The genre has influenced cultural discourse, as seen in films across the last century from Metropolis to Brazil. At the same time many Hollywood movies present a xenophobic, fear of 'the other.' However, feminist, queer and post-colonial science fiction writers have embraced the genre as a space to propose hybrid identities and alternative dreams. PREREQUISITE FILM 250/6.0 and 18.0 units in FILM at the 200-level or above and a GPA of 2.70 in 30.0 units from Film. Instructor: Craig Berggold

FILM 440/3.0 /W: Non-narrative Film: Special Topic I Advanced seminar on selected areas of documentary or experimental cinemas. Subjects have included politically committed documentary in Canada; the anti-documentary. LEARNING HOURS 108 (36L;24Lb;48P) PREREQUISITE A GPA of 2.6 in FILM and (a grade of B- in each of FILM 110/6.0 and FILM 250/6.0) and 18.0 units in FILM. Instructor: Frances Leeming

FILM 445/3.0/W: Narrative Special Topic I: Terrorism and European Cinema Since 9/11, the notion of terrorism is often understood to begin with the attacks on the Twin Towers. This American-centric view is quite misleading. Indeed, terrorist organizations were quite present in Europe from the end of World War II until the late 1980s. There were many reasons for this, from the effects of the crumbling of the British Empire, to the sense of loss of momentum after the events in France in May '68 on the part of the New Left, on through to the legacy of World War II and its effects on the next generation of citizens in countries like West Germany and Italy. This course will focus on how the issue of European terrorism was examined in films both at the time of these acts, and retrospectively. We will consider films such as Battle of Algiers (La battaglia di Algeri/Gillo Pontecorvo/France-Algiers/1966); La chinoise (Jean-Luc Godard/France/1967); Tell Me Lies (A Film about London) (Peter Brooks/UK/1968); Germany in Autumn (Deutschland im Herbst/Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Alexander Kluge, Edgar Reitz, Volker Schlšndorff et al./West Germany/1978) The Third Generation (Die Dritte Generation/Rainer Werner Fassbinder/ W. Germany/1979); Marianne and Juliane (Die Bleierne Zeit/Margarette von Trotta/ W. Germany/1981); The Crying Game (Neil Jordan/UK/1992); Good Morning, Night (Buongiorno, notte/Marco Bellocchio/Italy/2003); The Edukators (Die Fetten Jahre sind vorbei/Hans Weingartner/Germany/2004); The Baader Meinhof Complex (Der Baader Meinhof Komplex/Uli Edel/Germany/2008) and Hunger (Steve McQueen/UK/2008). We will consider films about terrorism and films told from the terrorist's point of view. In so doing, we will examine not only the role played by terrorism in Europe in this period of time, but also see the highly contested role it played in the popular imagination and how the representation of terrorism also sheds light on the question of national identity. LEARNING HOURS 108 (36L;24Lb;48P) PREREQUISITE A GPA of 2.6 in FILM and (a grade of B- in each of FILM 110/6.0 and FILM 250/6.0) and 18.0 units in FILM. Instructor: Scott MacKenzie

FILM 450/3.0/F: Production: Special Topic: The Business of Media Covers the major financial aspects of media production: budgeting, raising money - private and public, production management, distribution and marketing. Course also looks at how emerging technologies are rapidly changing how things are done, and how media producers will be working in the future. LEARNING HOURS 120 (36L;24Lb;60P) PREREQUISITE A GPA of 2.6 in FILM and (a grade of B- in each of FILM 110/6.0 and FILM 250/6.0) and 18.0 units in FILM and registration in a FILM Plan, or COCA Specialization or STSC Specialization Plan. Instructor: Alex Jansen
 
 
 

FILM 500/ 6.0, 501/3.0 Honours Thesis Open to students completing an honours concentration in Film Studies or Stage and Screen Studies. May be an essay or a film or video project. Apply for FILM 500 or 501, but not both, to the Undergraduate Chair by May 1 of your third year. PREREQUISITE Level 4 and a GPA of 2.90 in FILM courses.

FILM 510/6.0, 511/3.0, 512/3.0 Directed Studies Open to students completing an honours concentration in film Studies 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. PREREQUISITE Level 4 and registration in a FILM or STSC Plan and a minimum GPA of 2.90 in FILM.
 
 
 

For further information on preregistration, course timetable, marks and deadlines, see the University Registrar.

See the Faculty of Arts and Science Calendar for a full listing of courses, regulations and requirements.

Students with questions or problems regarding courses, registration or timetables should contact the Coordinator of Undergraduate Studies, at (613) 533-2178.