Professor
Ina Rae Hark, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 1975
Associate Professors
Mark Garrett Cooper, Ph.D., Brown University, 1998
Susan Courtney, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 1997
Laura Kissel, M.F.A., Northwestern University, 1999
Assistant Professors
Heidi Ray Cooley, Ph.D., University of Southern California, 2007
Steven Marsh, Ph.D., University of London, 2002
Overview
The Film Studies Program is an interdisciplinary program in the College of Arts and Sciences devoted to the critical study of moving image culture--its history, theory, and criticism. The major offers crucial knowledge and analytical skills in our increasingly media-saturated culture, as well as the core strengths of a liberal arts education. Courses in the program may apply to the fine arts, humanities, cultural awareness, and cognate requirements, as well as to the film studies major and minor.
FILM 180 is an introductory course designed for nonmajors. Students who might want to major or minor in film studies, or who would like to develop film analysis skills, are encouraged to begin their course work with FILM 240. FILM 566, 597, and 598 are topics courses open to all undergraduate and graduate students.
In addition to our core faculty listed above, additional faculty offer film and media studies courses in departments throughout the college. For current topics and course descriptions of FILM courses, as well as the full menu of film and media studies courses being offered in a range of departments, students should consult the "Current Courses" link on the Fillm Studies Program Web site, www.cas.sc.edu/film.
Degree Requirements
(120 hours)
1. General Education Requirements (53-62)
For a general outline, see "College of Arts and Sciences."
2. Major Requirements
Prerequisite: FILM 240 Introduction to Film Studies (3 hours)
Major Courses (30 hours)
- FILM 365 {=ARTH 365, ENGL 474, and THEA 480} History of Cinema I (3 hours)
FILM 366 {=ARTH 366, ENGL 475, and THEA 481} History of Cinema II (3 hours)
FILLM 473 {=ENGL 473 and PHIL 473} Film Theory (3 hours)
THEA 581 Film as Performance (3 hours)
3 hours devoted to the study of film genres: FILM 566 {=ENGL 566} (the musical, the Western, crime films, science fiction films, etc.) or other appropriate special topics or Honors College course approved by the student's advisor
3 hours devoted to a course on national cinema outside the United States: FILM 597 {=CPLT 597}, FILM 598 {=FORL 598}, FREN 397, ITAL 412, JAPA 350, SPAN 380, ANTH 516, or other appropriate special topics or Honors College course approved by the student's advisor
3 hours additional devoted to film production or performance: THEA 370, THEA 587, ENGL 604, 605, MART 371, MART 490, or other appropriate special topics or Honors College course approved by the student's advisor
9 additional hours from the following list:
ANTH 300 Comparing Cultures Through Film
ANTH 516 Indonesian Culture Through Film
ANTH 517 Anthropological View of Blacks in Films
ANTH 570 Ethnographic Film
ARTH 569 Topics in Film History
ENGL 604, 605 Seminar in Composition for the Visual Media
FILM 555 {=ARTH 555} History of Documentary Film
FILM 566 {=ENGL 566} Topics in American Film
FILM 597 {=CPLT 597} Comparative Studies in Film
FILM 598 {=FORL 598} Topics in World Film
FREN 397 The French Film Experience
HIST 492F Film and History
ITAL 412 Post-World War II Italian Cinema
JAPA 350 Japanese Culture and Society through Film
MART 371 The Moving Image
MART 490, 590 Special Topics in Media Arts
PHIL 336 Philosophy and Film
POLI 357 Film, Politics, and Social Change
PORT 301 Cultural Manifestations of Modern Brazil
SPAN 380 Hispanic Film and Culture
THEA 370 Intermediate Acting
THEA 587 Film and Television Acting
Or other appropriate special topics or Honors College courses approved by the student’s advisor. Students should check with their advisor or with the director of the Film Studies Program for a complete list of film courses offered during a given semester.
3. Cognate or Minor (12-18 hours)
See "College of Arts and Sciences."
4. Electives (7-22 hours)
For additional information, contact the Film Studies Program office at 803-777-2339.
Course Descriptions (FILM)
- 180 -- Film Culture. (3) How the film industry developed and the impact the movies have had on global popular culture. Does not count toward the film studies major.
- 240 -- Introduction to Film Studies. (3) Basic concepts of how films convey meaning to viewers and viewers ascribe meaning to films.
- 365 -- History of Cinema I. {=ARTH 365, ENGL 474, and THEA 480} (3) Survey of the international cinema from its inception until 1945.
- 366 -- History of Cinema II. {=ARTH 366, ENGL 475, and THEA 481} (3) Survey of the international cinema from 1945 to the present.
- 399 -- Independent Study. (3-9) (Prereq: consent of instructor) Contract approved by instructor, advisor, and program director is required.
- 473 -- Film Theory. {=ENGL 473, PHIL 473} (3) (Prereq: FILLM 240 or ENGL 280 or PHIL at the 200 level or above or consent of instructor) Classical and contemporary fillm theory; early debates over film aesthetics and more recent studies of how cinema shapes perceptions of reality, ideology, gender, and race.
- 555 -- History of Documentary Film. {=ARTH 555} (3) History, theory, and practices of documentary film studied via screenings, readings, and lectures.
- 566 -- Topics in American Film. {=ENGL 566} (3) Intensive study of a specific topic concerning American film. Course content varies and will be announced in the schedule of courses by suffix and title.
- 597 -- Comparative Studies in Film. {=CPLT 597} (3) Topics in film from an international perspective. National cinematic traditions are compared and contrasted.
- 598 -- Topics in World Film. {=FORL 598} (3) Intensive study of a specific topic concerning films produced in a country other than the United States. Course content varies and will be announced in the schedule of courses by suffix and title.
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