Cinema Studies
Priscilla Peña Ovalle, Department Head
541-346-8104
541-346-8144 fax
201 McKenzie Hall
6223 University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon 97403-6223
cinema@uoregon.edu
The UO’s Department of Cinema Studies offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore every facet of the world of moving images. Students become skilled producers of images as well as responsible consumers and thoughtful critics. While traditional film schools teach students how to make movies, UO cinema students approach film, television and new media from a variety of disciplinary angles and perspectives. Our interdisciplinary department teaches the creative and technical aspects of storytelling as well as the broader historical, philosophical, and geopolitical contexts of this industrial art form.
Because cinema is inherently multidisciplinary, students take a diverse array of courses in history, theory, criticism, and aesthetics as well as in digital production. Students take classes across campus from a variety of departments and programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Journalism and Communication, and the College of Design.
Faculty
Peter Alilunas, associate professor (cinema studies). BA, 2006, Oregon; MA, 2008, Texas, Austin; PhD, 2013, Michigan. (2014)
Michael G. Aronson, associate professor (cinema studies). BA, 1994, Pennsylvania; MA, 1997, PhD, 2002, Pittsburgh. (2003)
Michael Bray, instructor (digital arts, cinema). BA, 1997, Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; MFA, 2008, Oregon. (2008)
Sangita Gopal, associate professor (cinema studies). BA, 1990, Calcutta; MA, 1995, PhD, 2000, Rochester. (2004)
Erin Hanna, associate professor (cinema studies). BA, 2004, MA 2007 York (Toronto); PhD, 2014, Michigan. (2014)
Masami Kawai, assistant professor (cinema studies). BA, 2003, Hampshire College; MFA, 2013, California, Los Angeles. (2014)
Dong Hoon Kim, associate professor (cinema studies). BA, 1998, Yonsei; MA, 2002, PhD, 2008, Southern California. (2011)
Kevin May, instructor (cinema studies); multimedia assistant. BA, 2006, MEd, 2010, Oregon (2016)
HyeRyoung Ok, instructor (cinema studies). BA, 1996, MA, 2000, Seoul National; MA, 2002, New York; PhD, 2008, Southern California. (2011)
Priscilla Peña Ovalle, associate professor (cinema studies, ethnic studies). BS, 1998, Emerson College; MA, 2001, PhD, 2006, Southern California. (2006)
Ari Purnama, assistant professor (cinema studies). BA, 2007, Padjajaran; MA, 2011, PhD, 2019, Groningen. (2020)
Andre Sirois, senior instructor (cinema studies); multimedia supervisor. BA, 2002, Central Connecticut State; MA, 2005, Maine; PhD, 2011, Oregon. (2012)
Daniel Gómez Steinhart, associate professor (cinema studies). BA, 2000, Wesleyan; MA, 2006, PhD, 2013, California, Los Angeles. (2014)
The date in parentheses at the end of each entry is the first year on the University of Oregon faculty.
Appointed Faculty
Michael Allan, comparative literature
Gabriela Martinez, journalism and communication
Affiliated Faculty
Kenneth S. Calhoon, comparative literature
Daniel L. Miller, journalism and communication
Kate Mondloch, history of art and architecture
Elizabeth M. Peterson, library
Stephen Rust, English
Biswarup "Bish" Sen, journalism and communication
Rick Silva, art
Janet Wasko, journalism and communication
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Identify, define, and apply the vocabulary used to describe and analyze the aesthetics of media. This vocabulary anchors the analytical (ideological, historical, etc.) and artistic work of the Cinema Studies curriculum.
- Historically and contextually analyze a broad range of media from newspapers to newer media to think critically about its intersections, institutions, functions, and social impacts.
- Show a basic knowledge of cinema which includes film, television, and newer media by identifying and describing the technological, artistic, and cultural histories of media in various national contexts while building researching and writing skills.
- Create, present, and constructively critique narrative films, documentaries, or video art pieces. Students will learn the basics of pre-production, production, and post-production to gain an overview of the film and art making process. Using critical thinking skills, students will develop and refine their creative and technical choices while navigating workflow standards.
- Develop artistic skills in specific areas such as screenwriting, directing, lighting, sound recording, and editing to enhance their creative, theoretical, and technical understanding of moving image production. Students will specialize in a craft that enhances their personal creative voice and critical thinking skills.
- Identify and analyze important structures including economic, industrial, legal, political, or regulatory forces that shape the production, distribution, or exhibition of cinema. Students use critical and creative thinking, writing, and/or research skills to develop analytical projects about cinema.
- Perform critical, formal, and cultural analyses of cinematic texts. Using theories specific to cinema studies, students may identify change and continuities in discourses of the auteur, star, genre, etc., or situate texts within intersectional contexts. Students will use critical and creative thinking, writing, and/or research skills to develop analytical projects about cinema.
- Identify and analyze international/transnational/global modes of production, circulation, and aesthetics, then contextualize them broadly or more specifically according to the nation or region. Students will use critical and creative thinking, writing, and/or research skills to develop analytical projects about cinema.
- Exhibit specialized skills in writing, critical thinking, and/or creative practice through capstone seminars, workshops, and/or professionalization courses. Students may also apply the methods of other disciplines to complement cinematic analyses.
Undergraduate Studies
The department offers bachelor of arts (BA) and bachelor of science (BS) degree programs, consisting of 56 credits divided among four categories: fundamentals, production, core courses, and electives. The major includes the option of graduating with honors.
Courses in the major must be taken for a letter grade, and students must earn a grade of mid-C or better for credit toward the major. At least 28 credits must be taken in residence at the University of Oregon.
Cinema Studies Major Requirements
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Fundamentals Courses 1 | ||
J 201 | Media and Society | 4 |
CINE 260M | Media Aesthetics | 4 |
Select two of the following: | 8 | |
History of the Motion Picture I | ||
History of the Motion Picture II | ||
History of the Motion Picture III | ||
Production Courses 2 | ||
Select one of the following Production A courses: | 4 | |
Introduction to Documentary Production | ||
Introduction to Production | ||
Introduction to Narrative Cinema Production | ||
Select one of the following Production B courses: | 4 | |
Beginning Screenwriting | ||
Narrative Production II | ||
Advanced Screenwriting | ||
Cinema Production: [Topic] | ||
Art of Directing: [Topic] | ||
Time-Based Digital Arts | ||
Interactive Digital Arts | ||
Introduction to Animation | ||
Introduction to Video Art | ||
Video Art: Experimental Film | ||
Digital Video Production | ||
Documentary Pre-Production | ||
Documentary Production | ||
Documentary Post-Production | ||
Latino Roots II | ||
Core Courses 3 | 24 | |
Core A: Cinema Industries | ||
Exhibition and Audiences | ||
Production Studies | ||
US Film Industry | ||
Media Structures and Regulation: [Topic] | ||
Television Studies | ||
Core B: Theory and Criticism | ||
Stars | ||
Queer European Cinema | ||
Film Theory | ||
Digital Cinema | ||
Film, Media, and Culture | ||
Directors and Genres: [Topic] | ||
Feminist Film Criticism: [Topic] | ||
Survey of the Documentary | ||
Directors, Movements, and Manifestos | ||
Core C: National, Regional, and Transnational Cinema | ||
National and Regional Cinema: [Topic] | ||
Contemporary Korean Film | ||
Korean Popular Culture and Transnationalism | ||
German Cinema: History, Theory, Practice | ||
The Japanese Cinema | ||
Japanese Environmental Cinema | ||
Nordic Cinema | ||
Electives 4 | ||
For a list of courses that satisfy elective requirements, review the course lists at cinema.uoregon.edu/term-course-lists. Two electives are required and may include additional fundamentals, production, and/or core courses. | 8 | |
Total Credits | 56 |
1 | Fundamentals courses (16 credits) introduce majors to three central approaches to cinema studies: historical, social-institutional, and aesthetic. These must be completed before entry into production courses.
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2 | Production courses (8 credits: 4 from Production A and 4 from Production B) give majors a chance to learn the essentials of media production.
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3 | Core courses (24 credits) strengthen students’ understanding of cinema as a dynamic, multicultural, and transnational phenomenon. Please see term course list for offerings.
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4 | Electives (8 credits) allow students to broaden their exposure to cinema and media studies. These courses are not focused exclusively on cinema but instead study it in relation to other modes of inquiry, including (but not limited to) Asian studies, comparative literature, ethnic studies, folklore and public culture, philosophy, journalism, literary studies, music, Romance languages, and women's, gender, and sexuality studies. A wide variety of elective courses from a range of departments and programs are available. Additional fundamentals, production, and core courses may also count as elective courses. Elective credit for the major may also be derived from internship and/or independent study. |
Honors
The department provides qualified undergraduate majors with options for participating in the honors program. Students arriving in the 2018–19 academic year or earlier may receive program honors at graduation if they have a final cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.75 in cinema studies course work. Beginning in 2019–20, incoming students must meet this GPA and, in addition, complete a scholarly or screenwriting project that originates from a cinema studies course and is then expanded in a faculty-led project development seminar. An honors college thesis also fulfills program honors requirements.
For more information, contact cinema@uoregon.edu
Four-Year Degree Plan
The degree plan shown is only a sample of how students may complete their degrees in four years. There are alternative ways. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best path for them.
Bachelor of Arts in Cinema Studies
First Year | |||
---|---|---|---|
Fall | Milestones | Credits | |
First term of first-year second-language sequence | 4 | ||
WR 121Z | Composition I | 4 | |
Core Education Course in Science | Start of Science Area of Inquiry Courses | 4 | |
CINE 265 | History of the Motion Picture I | 4 | |
Credits | 16 | ||
Winter | |||
Second term of first-year second-language sequence | 4 | ||
WR 122Z or WR 123 |
Composition II or College Composition III |
4 | |
Core Education Science Area of Inquiry satisfying course | 4 | ||
CINE 266 | History of the Motion Picture II | 4 | |
Credits | 16 | ||
Spring | |||
Third term of first-year second-language sequence | 4 | ||
Core Education Social Science Area of Inquiry satisfying course | Start of Social Science Area of Inquiry courses | 4 | |
CINE 260M | Media Aesthetics | 4 | |
J 201 | Media and Society | 4 | |
Credits | 16 | ||
Total Credits | 48 |
Second Year | |||
---|---|---|---|
Fall | Milestones | Credits | |
First term of second-year second-language sequence | 4 | ||
Cultural Literacy Course in US: Difference, Inequality, and Agency or Global Perspectives | Start of Cultural Literacy requirement | 4 | |
Core Education Science Area of Inquiry satisfying course | 4 | ||
CINE Production A course | CINE Production A complete | 4 | |
Credits | 16 | ||
Winter | |||
Second term of second-year second-language sequence | 4 | ||
Core Education Social Science Area of Inquiry satisfying course | 4 | ||
Cultural Literacy Course in Global Perspectives or US: Difference, Inequality, and Agency | Cultural Literacy requirement complete | 4 | |
CINE Production B course | Production requirements completed | 4 | |
Credits | 16 | ||
Spring | |||
Third term of second-year second-language sequence | Second language requirement complete | 4 | |
Core Education Social Science Area of Inquiry satisfying course | Social science requirement complete | 4 | |
Core Education Science Area of Inquiry satisfying course | Science requirement complete | 4 | |
CINE Core course | 4 | ||
Credits | 16 | ||
Total Credits | 48 |
Third Year | |||
---|---|---|---|
Fall | Milestones | Credits | |
Upper-division elective course | 4 | ||
Core Education Arts and Letters Area of Inquiry satisfying courses | 8 | ||
CINE Core course | 4 | ||
Credits | 16 | ||
Winter | |||
Upper-division elective courses | 8 | ||
CINE Core courses | 8 | ||
Begin minor(s) or continue double major | |||
Credits | 16 | ||
Spring | |||
Upper-division elective courses | 8 | ||
CINE Production or CINE elective course | 4 | ||
CINE Core course | 4 | ||
CINE internship encouraged this term (or in summer) | |||
Credits | 16 | ||
Total Credits | 48 |
Fourth Year | |||
---|---|---|---|
Fall | Milestones | Credits | |
Upper-division courses | 8 | ||
CINE Production or CINE elective | CINE elective requirements complete | 4 | |
CINE Core course | 4 | ||
Credits | 16 | ||
Winter | |||
Upper-division courses | 16 | ||
Credits | 16 | ||
Spring | |||
Upper-division courses | 16 | ||
Complete minor(s) or double major. CINE internship encouraged this term | |||
Credits | 16 | ||
Total Credits | 48 |