Approved Electives
DOC 150: Introduction to Documentary Storymaking (Lafayette)
Instructor: Andy Smith
Monday 7:00-10:00 PM (248 North Third Street, Williams Art Campus). This course is an introduction to digital documentary storymaking. It merges the critical study of documentary media with the hands-on construction of documentary stories waiting to be found in local communities. Working with tools of the documentary arts—video, still images, audio, writing—students will acquire the foundational skills of media production and effective storytelling while absorbing and analyzing rich examples of documentary storytelling over time and place. Students will encounter a variety of notable documentary examples and forms, grapple with the ethics of documentary practice, practice documentary activities and produce documentary media.
FAMS 101: Introduction to Film and Media Studies (Lafayette)
Instructor: Andy Smith
Tuesday/Thursday 9:30 am -12:15 pm (248 N,3rd St-Williams Art Campus MEDIA 1). This is a foundational course that introduces students to basic concepts, theories, and methods that are central to film and media studies. We will study some of the histories, genres of cinema, and formal techniques such as lighting, editing, and sound to develop a critical understanding of film as a dominant mode of representation. We will also study television and new media to gain a better understanding of the perspectives and practices of emerging technologies and forms of distribution. Through required weekly screenings, readings, writing, and regular discussion, we will analyze these various kinds of screen media as they influence our world.
Open to first and second-year students only
FAMS 201: Making Media I (Lafayette)
Instructor: Andy Smith
Tuesday/Thursday 1:10 pm – 4:00 pm (248 N. 3rd St-Williams Art Campus MEDIA I).
This course introduces students to the creative and technical aspects of media production, and is designed to provide a basic understanding of framing, composition, audio, and storytelling through the use of sound and image. Students will learn the fundamentals of lighting, audio recording, and digital video cameras. We will also study aspects of pre-production and production through hands-on assignments, readings, screenings, discussion of assigned exercises, and in-class workshops with camera and lighting equipment. No prior production experience necessary.
Prerequisite: FAMS 101 or permission of instructor
COM 231-01: Documentary Research (Muhlenberg)
Instructor: Kate Ranieri
Monday/Wednesday, 9:30 am – 10:45 am (Walson Hall 115). Explores the American tradition of social documentary, focusing on milestone projects, including the work of James Agee and Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, William Carlos Williams, and Robert Coles. Oral, visual, and textual modes of production are examined. Special focus is given to new digital forms of representation and their impact on production, distribution, and consumption. Framing this investigation are the ethical issues that emerge when rendering and representing individuals’ lives. Students are introduced to the fundamental skills of investigative research, interviewing, gathering and interpreting information, and using print and electronic archives. Students research and produce their own multi-media documentary projects.
Prerequisite: COM 201 or permission of instructor. Students must also register a lab section.
COM 231-02: Documentary Research (Muhlenberg)
Instructor: Kate Ranieri
Monday/Wednesday 11 am – 12:15 pm (Walson Hall 115). Explores the American tradition of social documentary, focusing on milestone projects, including the work of James Agee and Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, William Carlos Williams, and Robert Coles. Oral, visual, and textual modes of production are examined. Special focus is given to new digital forms of representation and their impact on production, distribution, and consumption. Framing this investigation are the ethical issues that emerge when rendering and representing individuals’ lives. Students are introduced to the fundamental skills of investigative research, interviewing, gathering and interpreting information, and using print and electronic archives. Students research and produce their own multi-media documentary projects.
Prerequisite: COM 201 or permission of instructor. Students must also register a lab section.
