Cinema Studies

http://cinema.uoregon.edu

Philip W. Scher, Department Head
541-346-5104
331 McKenzie Hall
asu5@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)

Colin Williamson, assistant professor (cinema studies). BA, 2006, UC Santa Barbara, PhD, 2013, Chicago. (2023)

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 58 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

Fundamentals Courses 1
JCOM 201Making Sense of Media4
CINE 260MMedia Aesthetics4
Select two of the following:8
CINE 265
History of the Motion Picture I
CINE 266
History of the Motion Picture II
CINE 267
History of the Motion Picture III
Production Courses 2
Take the following Production A course:6
CINE 270
Narrative Production I
Select one of the following Production B courses:4
JCOM 220
Introduction to Documentary Production
ARTD 256
Introduction to Production
CINE 320
Beginning Screenwriting
CINE 370
Narrative Production II
CINE 420
Advanced Screenwriting
CINE 425
Cinema Production: [Topic]
CINE 426
Art of Directing: [Topic]
ARTD 251
Time-Based Digital Arts
ARTD 252
Interactive Digital Arts
ARTD 361
Introduction to Animation
ARTD 379
Introduction to Video Art
ARTD 415
Video Art: Experimental Film
JCOM 420
Documentary Pre-Production
JCOM 421
Documentary Production
JCOM 422
Documentary Post-Production
JCOM 428M
Latino Roots II
Core Courses 324
Core A: Cinema Industries
CINE 335
Exhibition and Audiences
CINE 340
Production Studies
CINE/JCOM 411M
US Film Industry
JCOM 314
Understanding Disney
ENG 485
Television Studies
Core B: Theory and Criticism
CINE 345
Stars
CINE 350
Queer European Cinema
CINE 360
Film Theory
CINE 365
Digital Cinema
CINE/ENG 381M
Film, Media, and Culture
CINE 490
Directors and Genres: [Topic]
ENG 496
Feminist Film Criticism: [Topic]
J 416
Survey of the Documentary
SCAN 317
Directors, Movements, and Manifestos
Core C: National, Regional, and Transnational Cinema
CINE 440
National and Regional Cinema: [Topic]
CINE/KRN 362M
Contemporary Korean Film
KRN 361
Korean Popular Culture and Transnationalism
GER 355
German Cinema: History, Theory, Practice
JPN 471
JPN 473
Japanese Environmental Cinema
SCAN 315
Nordic Cinema
SCAN 316
History of 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 Credits58
 
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.

  • Students must complete Making Sense of Media (JCOM 201), Media Aesthetics (CINE 260M), and two of the three courses in the history sequence, History of the Motion Picture I (CINE 265), History of the Motion Picture II (CINE 266), and History of the Motion Picture III (CINE 267)], which may be taken in any order. Completion of all fundamentals courses is required before taking any production courses.
2

Production courses (8 credits: 6 from Production A and 4 from Production B) give majors a chance to learn the essentials of media production.

  • After completing the fundamentals requirements, students may enroll in a Production A course [Narrative Production I (CINE 270).
  • After successful completion of a Production A course, students are eligible to register for Production B courses [various topics in production; please see term course list (http://cinema.uoregon.edu/term-course-lists) for offerings].
3

Core courses (24 credits) strengthen students’ understanding of cinema as a dynamic, multicultural, and transnational phenomenon. Please see term course list for offerings.

  • Students must complete six core courses, with at least one from each subcategory: Core A (cinema industries); Core B (theory and criticism); and Core C (national, regional, and transnational cinema).
  • Two courses in the core with the CINE subject code (8 credits out of the required 24) are required.
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

Degree Map
First Year
FallMilestonesCredits
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
JCOM 201 Making Sense of Media 4
 Credits 16
Second Year
Fall
First term of second-year second-langauge sequence 4
Cultural Literacy Course in US: Difference, Inequality, and Agency or Global Perspecitves Start of Cultural Literacy requirement4
Core Educatoin Science Area of Inquiry satisfying course 4
CINE Production A course CINE Production A complete4
 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 requriement complete4
CINE Production B course Production requirements completed4
 Credits 16
Spring
Third term of second-year second-language sequence Second language requirement complete4
Core Education Social Science Area of Inquiry satisfying course Social science requirement complete4
Core Education Science Area of Inquiry satisfying course Science requirement complete4
CINE Core course 4
 Credits 16
Third Year
Fall
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
Fourth Year
Fall
Upper-division courses 8
CINE Production or CINE elective CINE elective requirements complete4
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 192

Bachelor of Science in Cinema Studies 

Degree Map
First Year
FallMilestonesCredits
BS MATH/CS course 4
WR 121Z Composition I 4
Science Area course Start of Science Area courses4
CINE 265 History of the Motion Picture I 4
 Credits 16
Winter
BS MATH/CS course 4
WR 122Z
or WR 123
 Composition II
or College Composition III
 4
Science Area course 4
CINE 266 History of the Motion Picture II 4
 Credits 16
Spring
BS MATH/CS course 4
Social Science Area course Start of Social Science Area courses4
CINE 260M Media Aesthetics 4
JCOM 201 Making Sense of Media 4
 Credits 16
Second Year
Fall
Global Perspecitve or US: DIA course Start of Cultural Literacy requirement4
Science Area course 4
CINE Production A course CINE Production A complete4
Elective course 4
 Credits 16
Winter
Global Perspecitve or US: DIA course Cultural Literacy requirement complete4
Social Science Area course 4
CINE Production B course 4
Elective course 4
 Credits 16
Spring
Social Science Area course 4
Science Area course 4
CINE Prefix Core A, B, or C 4
Elective course 4
 Credits 16
Third Year
Fall
Upper-division elective course 4
Two Arts and Letters Area courses 8
CINE Core course 4
 Credits 16
Winter
Two Upper-division Elective courses 8
CINE Core course 4
CINE Prefix Core A, B, or C 4
 Credits 16
Spring
Arts and Letters Area course 4
Upper-division elective course 4
CINE Production or CINE elective course 4
CINE Core course 4
CINE internship encouraged this term (or in summer)  
 Credits 16
Fourth Year
Fall
Two Upper-division courses 8
CINE Production or CINE elective CINE elective requirements complete4
CINE Core course 4
 Credits 16
Winter
Upper-division courses 16
 Credits 16
Spring
Upper-division courses 16
 Credits 16
 Total Credits 192