Film and Media Studies Program

The interdisciplinary minor in Film and Media Studies requires a total of 6 courses:

• FMST-100: Gateway to Film and Media Studies

• In our Gateway to the program, students encounter film theory and media history, but within the context of learning how to use the tools of contemporary media. The combination of hands-on production training with structured reflection on the nature of recorded and manipulated sounds and images, as well as the history of media practices, sets the tone for a program in which students are simultaneously becoming self-conscious media makers and media scholars.

• 4 Minor Electives (selected from a pool of cross-listed courses or as approved by the Director)

• One elective must emphasize Media Creation (Filmmaking Studio or equivalent course)
• One elective must emphasize Media and Social Justice (students are encouraged to choose a Community Based Learning course to fulfill this requirement)
• One elective must emphasize Film/Media History or Theory
• One free elective (students may choose to take another course in media creation - such as screenwriting - or an additional course on media history or theory)
• Students are encouraged to choose at least one course emphasizing non-U.S. film and media

• FMST-400: Capstone in Film and Media Studies

• In the Capstone course, required for all minors, students will meet weekly in a seminar atmosphere to plan, develop, produce and present their progress on senior capstone projects. Minors will propose projects and be paired with capstone advisors during the fall term so that students may prepare for their spring capstone work. Students' projects, whether written, digital video, web-based or some other format, benefit from a seminar curriculum emphasizing methodological concerns, the resulting self-reflection about their projects, and a collaborative workshop atmosphere in which students comment on each other's works-in-progress. The Capstone course culminates with a public event in late April during which all seniors present excerpts of their work.

Upon approval by the Director of the Film and Media Studies, students may count up to two courses taken outside of Georgetown (via study abroad, the DC Constortium, or summer study) toward the requirements of the minor.

Courses for Spring 2011

FMST-100-01: Gateway to Film & Media Studies

• This course will introduce students to the major elements of the Film & Media Studies Minor; the fundamentals of film composition and theory; media histories; practical experience of producing visual images and sound; and awareness of issues of social justice. We will also discuss spectatorship, audiences, and industrial structures of film, in addition to examining newer media and distribution platforms, ranging from radio and television to videotape and the internet. A portfolio of assignments will give students an opportunity to demonstrate their proficiency in analysis and technology as well as to reflect on aspects of production, post-production, and reception.

Prerequisites: Admission to the Film & Media Studies Minor