FILM STUDIES

MEDIA STUDIES

FILM 101

FILM 397.54

MED 327

MEDIA 332

MEDP 150

MEDP 293

FILM 101

MED 327

MEDIA 371

MEDP 275

MEDP 294

MED 332

MEDIA 375

MEDP 275

MEDP 299.15

FILM 201

MED 373

MEDIA 383

MEDP 278

MEDP 299.47

FILM 201

FILMP 251

MEDIA 384

MEDP 281

MEDP 311

FILM 201

FILMP 276

MEDIA 180

MEDIA 384

MEDP 281

MEDP 312

FILM 212

MEDIA 180

MEDIA 385

MEDP 281

MEDP 316

FILM 213

FILMP 276

MEDIA 280

MEDIA 392

MEDP 283

MEDP 331

FILM 214.01

FILMP 341

MEDIA 299.5

MEDIA 394

MEDP 285

MEDP 341

FILM 286

FILMP 341

MEDIA 299.51

MEDIA 399.27

MEDP 285

MEDP 377

FILM 297

FILMP 352

MEDIA 313

MEDIA 399.28

MEDP 285

MEDP 399.09

FILM 299.52

FILMP 352

MEDIA 314

MEDIA399.37

MEDP 290

MEDP 399.15

FILM 315

FILMP 371

MEDIA 315

MEDIA 399.47

MEDP 292

MEDP 399.75

FILM 327

FILMP 377

MEDIA 327

MEDIA 401.75

MEDP 292

MEDP 399.77

FILM 327

FILMP 377

MEDIA 328

MEDP 292

MEDP399.15

FILM 328

FILMP 382

MEDP 292

FILM 332

FILMP 451

Prefix

Title

Course Description

FILM 101

Introduction to Cinema

This introductory course, is concerned with movies as an art form, an industry, and a system of communication and representation with enormous power and reach. Careful consideration is given to such factors as movie history and tradition, technical advances, shooting and editing techniques, narrative structures, genre conventions, acting approaches, stereotypical representations, censorship concerns, industrial developments, and the collaborative aspects of production. The principal focus is on American cinema but influential foreign films are analyzed as well. The course combines lecture and discussion.
Film 101 offers a general introduction to the techniques, the vocabulary, and the history of film art. The stylistic properties of each film are determined at the level of the film itself, but also through a grid of cultural, thematic, and artistic values. Although documentaries and avant-garde {experimental films} are discussed, the emphasis is on narrative cinema. Three required texts, exams and shot by shot studies.
Each Monday and Wednesday, we will meet for a common lecture session, where general themes will be introduced and developed. Once a week you will also meet in the discussion sections for which you have registered. (The times and locations of the discussion sections are listed in the Schedule of Classes.)

FILM 101

Same course description as above. (see eSims open sections for days and hours)

FILM 151

FILM 201

This course, required of all film majors, is devoted to the close analysis of a single film for an entire semester. The chosen film will be analyzed in relation to a variety of technical, formal, historical, economic, and social factors. All of these factors will be situated in relation to the film from its moment of inception, through its production and post-production history and finally through its history of reception over the years. Additional films that help to illuminate the primary film being studied will also be screened. While the given film varies depending on the instructor, some of the films chosen in the past have been 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, APOCALYPSE NOW, REAR WINDOW, BLOW-UP, CITIZEN KANE, MARNIE, PSYCHO, RAGING BULL, TAXI DRIVER, and VERTIGO. Written requirements for the course vary, depending on instructor.

FILM 201

Practical Film Analysis

Same course description as above.

FILM 212

Film History (II)

A survey of the cinema from the end of World War II to the present day, this course will address a number of crucial issues. Among the topics for discussion: the emergence of fundamental film movements such as Italian Neo-Realism, the French New Wave, and New German Cinema; the decline of Hollywood and the emergence of art cinema and independent filmmaking; the loosening of censorship restrictions; and the appearance on the international film scene of important new national cinemas from Asia, South America, Europe, and Africa. Written requirements for the course vary, depending on instructor.

Instructor: Zuker

Monday, Wednesday – 5:00 PM – 7:00PM

Study of the cultural background, theoretical underpinnings, and artistic practices of a selected national cinema.

FILM 214.01

Multicltural Perspectives in Musical

The American film musical has had a long and rich history. Two broad methods for approaching the genre will be applied in this course. On the one hand, we will address matters of cinematic form as they specifically pertain to the musical: the use of music and sound, camera movement, editing, and staging of action, and in such a way that the musical may be seen as, in the words of Jean-Luc Godard, “the idealization of cinema.”
On the other, we will examine the musical as a social form. The musical has often been derided for its trafficking in racial and sexual stereotyping. But more than any other genre, it has repeatedly attempted to address the myth of the American melting pot, raising important issues in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality through song and dance.
Two short close analysis papers required.

FILM 286

FILM 297

FILM 299.52

FILM 315

Study of the history and theory of the nonfiction film and video, with screenings of examples of documentary, propaganda, and direct cinema and video.

FILM 327

A historical look at changes and continuities in the social construction of a selected race or ethnicity in movies; advertising, including political campaigns; journalism, and other forms of American popular culture.

Same course description as above.

Focuses on challenges by developing world films and filmmakers to Western media stereotypes.

Study of film and media as decisive vehicles of myth, imagery, and aesthetics in an advanced industrial society.

Same course description as above.

FILM 397.54

Special Topics: The 80’s

This course will examine American and European cinema during a decade in which a number of significant social, historical, economic and technical changes took place, many of these changes still impacting the cinema today. We will study American cinema in the age of Reagan, as the “return of the blockbuster” dominates Hollywood’s mode of production even while we see the simultaneous emergence of “indie” filmmaking. European cinema also undergoes some important shifts. The death of Fassbinder, on the one hand, and the emergence of Almódvar, on the other, will serve as convenient marking points for understanding the ways in which such major developments of the sixties and seventies as New German Cinema and the French New Wave begin to undergo transformations. For their written work, students may choose between taking two in-class exams, two research papers, or taking one exam and writing one paper.

FILM 499

Film

FILMP 150

Media In Digital Age

3-credit foundations course in still- and time-based media presented in the integrated fashion in which today's media practitioners work. Featuring a large lecture and smaller lab sections each week, it is the primary introduction course for students studying video production, film production and digital / interactive media. It is Part 1 of a 2-semester sequence that also includes MEDP/FILMP 160. In MEDP/FILMP 150 students will gain foundational knowledge in a range of media concepts, production equipment and techniques, including: the history of film, video and new media technologies; image composition, framing and lens characteristics; typography and text/image relationships; blogging; the use of digital still cameras and video cameras; lighting equipment and the principles of light; basic imaging software (Photoshop) and principles of graphic design; basic web site construction and coding (html & Cascading Style Sheets); audio recording equipment and the principles of sound; basic podcasting; sound design and audio editing.
Students will each have their own blog and will design an individual portfolio website that will showcase the work they do in MEDP/FILMP 150 and 160.

FILMP 251

Film Production I

Film Production 1 is an intensive hands-on film production course designed to familiarize students with the fundamental cinematic language of narrative films through the production of three short movies - from concept to screen. Students write, produce, shoot and edit original films utilizing the basic principles for organizing cinematic space, time and movement. In these projects students employ a range of cinematic techniques to tell stories, convey character state of mind, create emotional moods and communicate information and meaning. Given that the technical and the creative dimensions of film production are inextricably linked, students are given a solid foundation in essential filmmaking techniques, technology and procedures. Also central to the course is an appreciation of filmmaking as a collaborative art form, so students are required work in a variety of crew roles and to work as a creative team.
Over the course of the semester, every student completes one short film as a director; but will also serve as cinematographer, production manager and editor on other projects. All projects are shot on 16mm film without sync sound, placing the storytelling emphasis on visual elements: image, actions, shot selections, art direction and editing. In addition to the film projects, there is a mid-term and a final exam.

FILMP 276

Screen Writing I – The Short (W)

Screenwriting I is an intensive writing workshop were students learn the fundamentals of dramatic writing for film. The first half of the course is built around lectures, screenings and exercises where students explore the essential material for all screenwriting, regardless of scale: dramatic structure, visual writing, characterization and proper script formatting and language. The second half of the semester focuses on the specific conceptual and creative challenges involved in writing in the short form. Throughout the semester, students practice these concepts in their own original screenplays which are subsequently brought before the class for extensive peer critiques. Students write several dramatic exercises and complete at least two drafts of an original short film script up (approx. 25 pages).
Screenwriting I was also designed to be preparatory for subsequent writing and production classes, namely: Screenwriting II, Film Production II and Production Seminar.
This course counts toward the general education writing requirement.

FILMP 276

Screen Writing I – The Short (W)

Same course description as above.

FILMP 276

Screen Writing I – The Short (W)

Same course description as above.

FILMP 341

Producing the Film

Contracts, financing, distribution, copyright law, options, acquisition of rights, securities law requirements.

FILMP 341

Film Production

FILMP 352

Film Production II

This class builds upon what students have learned in Film Production I.
Taking film production to a higher level, this course is designed for dedicated students ready to work at a rigorous level. The objective of this class is to create a sync sound film; learning the steps taken in pre-production, production and post-production. Through hands-on workshops and theory, students will learn how to use the ARRI-BL 16mm film cameras, lighting and audio equipment. Students will work in teams of four, learning the roles and responsibilities of the different crew members. All film dailies shot in class will be transferred to video. Students can then edit their footage in Narrative Film Editing (FP 382).

FILMP 352

Film Production II

Same course description as above.

FILMP 371

Screen Directing I

Theory and practice of the film director's role as guiding force in creation of visual and aural images.

FILMP 377

Screen Writing II – The Feature

Continuation of workshop experience with emphasis on full-length screenplay.

FILMP 377

Screen Writing II – The Feature

Same course description as above.

FILMP 382

Narrative Editing Techniques

This class is the second semester of a year-long process during which you will plan, write, shoot and edit a sync-sound film. In this semester, students will concentrate on post-production, working with material that was shot in a previous semester. All post-production work will be done digitally, using Final Cut Pro (FCP). The final product for this semester will be a fine cut of the student’s project, output to DVD. This class is primarily structured for students who have sourced their project on film and then transferred to video for post-production. Some of the technical information to be covered is specifically relevant to material shot on film, including film-to-tape transfers, dealing with double-system sound material, and syncing video dailies. However, much of the course, including editing theory and technical information about using FCP, will be relevant either for material shot on film or shot on video.
The objective of the class is, of course, for students to become proficient in the use of Final Cut Pro, and more generally, to gain a good understanding of the digital editing process. Once you learn one digital editing system, much of that knowledge can be applied when working on other systems; most editing programs are somewhat alike, with different names for similar functions. The goal of the course, however, is not simply to learn a software program or to understand the technical steps involved in the digital editing process, but to give students a better understanding of what editing actually is, of the range of possible editing strategies, to examine and discuss theories of editing and to put those theories into practice in a workshop environment.

FILMP 451

Film & Video Production Seminar

Individual student films produced under faculty supervision.

MED 327

Representations of Race and Ethnicity in U.S. Media

A historical look at changes and continuities in the social construction of a selected race or ethnicity in movies; advertising, including political campaigns; journalism; and other forms of American popular culture.

MED 327

Representations of Race and Ethnicity in U.S. Media

Same course description as above.

MED 332

Myths & Images: Media

Study of film and media as decisive vehicles of myth, imagery, and aesthetics in an advanced industrial society.

MED 332

Myths & Images: Media

Same course description as above.

MED 373

Journalism & Lit (W)

In this class we will survey the kind of journalistic writing that emphasizes creative story-telling and compelling narrative drama. With such a class, we will be doing a lot of reading and I mean a lot. We will study journalists who have applied techniques more common to fiction to their story-telling (although, originally, these techniques may have originated with non-fiction), and who strove to be artists as well as journalists. In the process, we will consider questions of truth and reality, and the relevance of so-called literary non-fiction today.

MEDIA 180

Intro. To Media Studies

Social, political, and economic factors that determine and shape products of media organizations.

MEDIA 180

Intro. To Media Studies

The media of mass communication are pervasive and ubiquitous and their influence is obviously profound. The development of books, newspapers, magazines, broadcasting and movies, and the growth of the World Wide Web and instantaneous global communication by means of orbiting satellites, have left few spheres of human existence untouched. This course provides an introductory understanding of the nature and functions of the communications media and the influences that they have on us as individuals and as a society. Particular attention is given to the social and political factors that shape mass communication.

MEDIA 280

Understand New Media

This course focuses on the convergence of media, communications technologies, art, design, and culture. We will study the important elements of today’s new media technologies, such as interactivity, connectedness, and decentralization.
Many approach the study of new media with an eye toward examining how new technologies have shaped history; fewer ask how historic forces have shaped the use, development, and meaning of new technologies. This course will examine today’s new media on both counts. Together, we will answer the following central questions:
1. How have new media technologies shaped society in matters cultural, political, and economic?
2. What forces have shaped the development of new media technologies in the United States and the world?
This course will focus on those media that are considered “new” today, such as: the Internet, mobile telephones and computers, digital still and video cameras, and media production software. Your goal is to achieve a critical understanding of these media as both tools for creating and disseminating culture, and as loci of conflict in a broad struggle over the future of our media environment. You will also be expected to develop informed opinions on this conflict.

MEDIA 299.5

Journalism & Society

MEDIA 299.51

Truth & Consequences

This introductory journalism course examines the role of journalism in our media saturated world. It addresses the legal and ethical dilemmas, stories that made a difference, the effects of internet media, and the physical dangers that some journalists confront daily as they report the stories critical to citizens’ understanding of national and international events. Guest speakers, including professional reporters, editors, and producers screen their work and provide first hand accounts of their experiences and insights into the challenges of reporting the news.
Using current events as case studies, the course examines the relationship of journalism to government, politics and public opinion. Students learn how technology affects the news gathering process, and the aesthetics of
uired of journalists working in all media platforms, with an emphasis on television reporting. Students will work together to create their own class website as a final project.

MEDIA 313

Culture of Publicity

This course provides students with an in-depth historical understanding of public relations, social image-management, and opinion engineering in the U.S.

MEDIA 314

Public Relations

An examination of principal techniques and strategies in public relations, including analysis of its social uses.

MEDIA 315

Nonfiction Film and Video

Study of the history and theory of the nonfiction film and video, with screenings and examples of documentary, propaganda and direct cinema and video.

MEDIA 327

Representations of Race and Ethinicity in U.S. Media

A historical look at changes and continuities in the social construction of a selected race or ethnicity in movies; advertising, including political campaigns; journalism; and other forms of American popular culture.

MEDIA 328

Image of Resistance in the Developing World

This course examines the politics of representation in “the West” of other cultures and how ideas of alterity and difference are shaped through the cinema. The politics of cinema representation ultimately concerns the authenticity of the celluloid experience and the problematic of authorship, i.e. who can really speak, for whom and of whom. We will begin the course with discussions on the role of the western imagination in constructing the ideas and images of “the East.” Through an exploration of the critical writings of Edward Said and Frantz Fanon and our observations on the cinematic expressions of select filmmakers from the West, we will identify the challenges of filmmakers from the developing world to counter these images with narratives and self-representations of their more authentic cinematic expressions.
In a semester-long series of film screenings and classroom discussions we will analyze the filming techniques used in their cinema and the formal elements of image, music and montage, and how they contribute to the viewing experience. We will compare and contrast the specific strategies used by independent filmmakers in presenting their own cultures and perspectives. We will examine what techniques are most effective, politically and aesthetically, in constructing the themes of racism, sexism, ethnicity, gender, nationalism, etc. We will examine how their cinema impacts the politics of difference of immigrant populations in western countries. A selection of related readings will provide students a theoretical background to political filmmaking and the larger stakes underlying the choices made by filmmakers from the developing world.

MEDIA 332

Myths & Images:Media

Study of film and media as decisive vehicles of myth, imagery, and aesthetics in an advanced industrial society.

MEDIA 371

Television Culture

This course will explore the role of commercial television within American Culture, from television’s first appearance in the post-war family to its recent move into cable networks, cell phones, ipods, and the Internet. We will examine the economy of television production, commercialization of TV, programming content, and how audiences make meaning of it. We will also explore the ideological effects of it and our love-hate relationship with it. The make-up of this course will be split between lecture and student generated discussion.

MEDIA 375

Media & Politics in the Electronic Age

In this course we will examine the impact of the electronic and digital media on American politics and investigate the variety of ways in which the media and politics are interactive and interdependent. We will spend a good deal of time considering the traditional aspect of that relationship press coverage of politicians and the political process „„ as it is the primary means through which most us experience politics. In doing so, we will focus upon how the concept of framing employed by both the media and politicians! As well as the media as use of sources, affect public perception of candidates and issues.

MEDIA 383

Popular Music and the Music Industry

Exploration of social and cultural significance of popular music; history, structure, and economics of music industry. Particular emphasis on popular music from fifties to present.

MEDIA 384

Women and the Media

The course explores the representation of women across television, film, magazines and advertising, looking at how media creates and challenges stereotypes, and creates ideas of difference, including exclusionary representations of minority and queer women.
In addition to lecture, show screenings, and discussions, this course will introduce a survey of theoretical texts which will form the foundation for critical analysis of women in the media, not only through representation, but as active producers and consumers of media.

MEDIA 384

Women and the Media

Same course description as above.

MEDIA 385

Media & Society

Analysis and assessment of communications and information in the context of a changing industrial environment.

MEDIA 392

Comm: Tech & Change

Over the past 150 years, the world has seen an explosion in the development and widespread adoption of countless new communication technologies. Today, digital technologies such as the internet and world wide web are hotly contested new media, giving us the chance to ask particularly relevant questions about what happens when society copes with the adoption of new media technologies.
While each new medium has affected society, no technology was the inevitable result of technological progress; quite the contrary, many of the specific characteristics of each technology are the result of powerful cultural, political, and economic forces.
At nearly every step, those with established interests in the status quo have greeted new media as threats. In particular, changes in media technology often pit amateurs, start-ups, and other outsiders against well-paid, well-entrenched media heavyweights.
This course addresses three questions:
1. What are the social and technological forces behind the push toward technological change, and what are the forces pushing back against this change?
2. How has this conflict played out historically, and how is it playing out in today’s media environment?
3. What have been the social, cultural, and economic effects of the changes that have come to pass, and what are the likely effects of possible future developments?
Your goal in this course is to achieve a critical understanding of media technology and social change, including both how these technologies change society and how society shapes the development and adoption of these technologies. This is no small task. You will be expected to learn the most important historical facts and theories, but more importantly, you will be rewarded for integrating these into a well-informed set of convictions about which you are passionate.

MEDIA 394

Mass Communications and the Law

Relationship of mass media to significant constitutional problems.

MEDIA 399.27

TV Sitcoms, History & Development

MEDIA 399.28

Media Production

MEDIA 399.37

Concepts In Gaming

This class surveys historical and current practices in game design. Part one is a survey of play theories. Part two covers essential concepts of interaction including cybernetics, game theory, flow, progression, and emergence. Part three of the class looks at computer games specifically and examines the relationship between game engines and level design. Part four examines the rise of casual games and the impact of so

MEDIA 399.47

Internet & Society

The Internet is the fastest adopted new medium in history. Its impact is obvious when considering how differently people conduct their lives today – both personally and professionally – compared to 10 years ago when the internet was still in its infancy. This course will try to assess the impact of the Internet on various aspects of American society as well as its global impact. Although this impact has been rapid, many of these effects are still unclear.
The impact of the internet on a number of different social, cultural and political aspects of society and its effect on various industries will be considered. These will include the impact on pre-existing media industries such as the music, television, film, print and news industries. We will also speculate about the internet’s effect on education and American politics. The course will also examine the impact of the internet on the personal and social sphere and issues of privacy and the dangers posed by the internet. Although the global reach and transnational nature of the internet will be an underlying factor throughout the course, we will consider case studies of the internet in different parts of the world. We will also discuss policy issue such as the Digital Divide, Net Neutrality and Intellectual Property.

MEDIA 401.75

Film & Video Prod. Seminar

MEDP 150

Media in Digital Age

A a 3-credit foundations course in still- and time-based media presented in the integrated fashion in which today's media practitioners work. Featuring a large lecture and smaller lab sections each week, it is the primary introduction course for students studying video production, film production and digital / interactive media. It is Part 1 of a 2-semester sequence that also includes MEDP/FILMP 160. In MEDP/FILMP 150 students will gain foundational knowledge in a range of media concepts, production equipment and techniques, including: the history of film, video and new media technologies; image composition, framing and lens characteristics; typography and text/image relationships; blogging; the use of digital still cameras and video cameras; lighting equipment and the principles of light; basic imaging software (Photoshop) and principles of graphic design; basic web site construction and coding (html & Cascading Style Sheets); audio recording equipment and the principles of sound; basic podcasting; sound design and audio editing. Students will each have their own blog and will design an individual portfolio website that will showcase the work they do in MEDP/FILMP 150 and 160.

MEDP 275

Desktop Publishing

Students in this course will learn basic image manipulation, illustration, typography, scanning, page-layout and design on the Macintosh microcomputer platform, using computer facilities at Hunter provided by the Film and Media Department and the Office of Instructional Computing and software site-licensed through Hunter College or made available by the instructor. The goal of the course is to give students experience with and knowledge of basic microcomputer uses for print-production (and, increasingly, electronic new media), an introduction to graphic design, and increased skills with and exposure to a variety of aspects of new media.

MEDP 275

Desktop Publishing

Same course description as above.

MEDP 278

Interactive Media Prod.

This hands-on course will focus on the current state of interactive media in a collaborative environment. Students will create projects integrating video, sound and text. The course will explore various technologies and equipment such as using sensors for real-time interactivity. Lectures and exercises focus on applying interactivity, interface, and usability design concepts to projects. Students will gain skills in coding concepts, hacking existing technology, and the process for interactive media projects.
We will cover the process from project idea conception, research, designing, building, testing, planning, and use of space (real and virtual) for presentation. Visits to museums and galleries will help students look at interactive media with a critical eye and acquire ideas to build their projects. The course will culminate in a public show - an exhibition of installation work and an electronic portfolio.

MEDP 281

Portable Video Prod.

This course should enable students to: Develop an operational knowledge of electronic field production techniques using portable camera, audio and lighting equipment. Operate digital editing equipment, utilize post-production techniques, and compress the projects for distribution on the web and DVD. Write, produce, direct and edit a 6min location video interview with Broll, and a final production that will be discussed in class. Prepare a detailed Production Book outlining the process of preproduction planning, production reports and postproduction logs.

MEDP 281

Portable Video Prod.

Same course description as above.

MEDP 281

Portable Video Prod.

Same course description as above.

MEDP 283

Electronic News Gathering

Development of practical, theoretical, and editorial skills for field production of television news.

MEDP 285

Web Production

An exploration of the production of Internet-distributed media, primarily words and images distributed as Web pages, using HTML and the image-manipulation software.

MEDP 285

Web Production I

Same course description as above.

MEDP 285

Media Production

Same course description as above.

MEDP 290

Developing the Video Documentary(W)

This workshop guides students through the research, writing and production planning essential for creating a video or film documentary.

MEDP 292

Basic Reporting (W)

Workshop and discussion to provide basic skills of newspaper writing.

MEDP 292

Basic Reporting (W)

Same course description as above.

MEDP 292

Basic Reporting (W)

Same course description as above.

MEDP 292

Basic Reporting (W)

Same course description as above.

MEDP 293

Advanced Reporting (W)

This is an advanced news writing and reporting class, and students are required to submit articles for publication in the WORD, hunterword.com. If you took MEDP 292 with this instructor you will recognize similarities, such as field interviewing. If this is your first time with this instructor but had a good instructor for your basic reporting class, regardless of campus or college, then field interviewing should not be new to you.
However, this class will require off-campus interviewing, and students, for example, will be required to attend meetings of the New York City Council and neighborhood Community Boards. Students will also be introduced to the use of public records. This will be done through readings and field trips. This class has features of an urban news bureau.
There may be times students will be required to fan out across the Hunter campus to gather information for assignments. These are real-world assignments; the stories are to be published, and students will be graded according to the guidelines provided.
Students considering journalism as a career need published portfolios of their stories in order to compete for the best internships, scholarships and part-time and full-time journalism positions. This principle of the published portfolio also applies to students interested in public relations, publishing newsletters and other media communication positions as well as internships and other jobs in communications.

MEDP 294

Magazine Writing (W)

This course prepares students for publishing articles in magazines, feature sections of newspapers, and online Internet publications by developing writing portfolios and studying the workings of the publishing industry.

MEDP 299.15

Digtal Design Usability

This is an intermediate design class that builds upon design concepts and skills. The study and practice of the language of design is an important step in any form of digital media.
During the first part of the class, the focus will be on graphic design. Students will focus on visual design elements and principles in order to learn how to make design choices that most effectively communicate their message for their intended audience. Class work will center on typography, composition, and layout, as well as introduce the role of story and perception in design.
The second part of the class will expand upon design as a discipline, by moving beyond graphic design to examine the usability and user-experience of everyday products, interactive experiences and technology. Good design is an act of communication between the designer and the user. By focusing on the various ways that users interact with design, students will learn to develop design ideas that are easy to use and enjoyable.
Students will examine design in their everyday life, as well as complete practical projects and presentations that build upon the concepts and readings from class.
Students should have a basic understanding of basic design programs such as Photoshop and Illustrator before entering the class.

MEDP 299.47

Feature Writing

MEDP 311

Directing Documentary Video Production

Exploration of the aesthetics of documentary form that provides students with an in-depth and hands-on understanding of preproduction and production of documentary video.

MEDP 312

Advanced Documentary Digital Editing

The aesthetic and technical considerations in editing the documentary video using digital equipment.

MEDP 316

Experimental Modes

MEDP 331

Web Production (II)

An exploration of the production of Internet-distributed media, with an emphasis on the creation, preparation and delivery of Rich Media web content: Animation, Video, Audio. Students will develop interactive web media using authoring tools such as Flash and Dreamweaver. These roject will also advance the understanding of coding methods such as XML, JavaScript and ActionScript.

MEDP 341

Web Programming

This course explores the concepts and principles behind dynamic content on the web.
It is a hands-on introduction to server-side web programming, using PHP and mySQL. Lectures and exercises focus on creating the framework for storing, managing and retrieving data. Throughout the class we will focus on creating cohesive web applications with effective information architecture, user interface design and usability.
The goal is to enable students to create work related to their long-term goals and interests. Along with weekly instruction in class, students will leave with a larger understanding of, and ability to research, test and develop new ideas as they move forward into the future.
The ability to hand-code HTML and write clean CSS is recommended for this course.

MEDP 377

Neighborhood News

An advanced reporting and writing class that will produce a community newspaper and on-line news outlet serving underserved neighborhoods. Students will interview residents, city, state, and federal officials, and community leaders. They will attend public meetings, examine public records, and spend time in underserved neighborhoods in search of a compelling story. Reading assignments will be designed to give students the tools to understand the history of and current issues facing such neighborhoods and the skills required to report on them. Each month, a different team of students will attend the local community board meeting and report back to the class. In class, discussions of the students? work will follow discussions of assigned readings and/or reports on meetings and/or guest speakers.

MEDP 399.09

Game Programming

This class is an introduction to object oriented programming and beginning game architecture for media students. The goal is to learn to 'think in code' and to be able to write small applications that manipulate graphics, sound, video, text, and animation.
It assumes no prior programming experience. Concepts covered include: objects, classes, event architecture, inheritance, encapsulation, polymorphism, expressions, variables, methods, functions, arrays, data types, conditionals, loops, case statements, timers, , mouse and keyboard events, audio programming, video streaming, basic kinematic animation, collision detection, use of debuggers, profiles, testing tools, and rapid prototyping. The class is taught in Actionscript 3.0.

MEDP 399.15

Neighborhood Oral History

MEDP 399.75

Critical Perspective

This seminar is about reading and writing with an edge, a critical perspective that sharpens opinions and conclusions and stimulates the writer and reader with more interesting, evocative and persuasive expression. The aim is convincing, readable prose that informs and maybe even entertains. It also means reading such material with a blend of sympathy and skepticism: does a flashy style enhance the substance or disguise its weakness? Does a spare, clear style make the argument more powerful simply by focusing on carefully chosen words and ideas, rather than on the manner of expression? Critical writing means writing with a point of view; the opinion itself doesn't matter but in this class having an opinion does. Trashing the actor or a book is usually easier and more fun than showering praise. We'll try both ways.
Students will write one write article each week (about 700 words) in a variety of modes: opinion pieces, personality sketches or profiles, casual essays, editorials, obituaries, reviews of the performing arts, music, even architecture. Practitioners of the trade at the New York Times and elsewhere will make guest appearance to discuss their work and answer questions. Students should be prepared to edit the assignments of their colleagues on hard copy, which has been distributed to them the previous week, and discuss their editing in class. Each member of the seminar should also be ready to comment each week on a particular example of critical writing encountered while browsing in newspapers or magazines or in books being read on assignment in other courses.

MEDP 399.77

Graphic Novel

This course will introduce students to a number of basic graphic novel production techniques. Students will also gain a basic understanding of visual composition, the vocabulary of narrative images, as well as story telling through a sequence of static images. While this class is primarily a production course, students will also examine a number of tendencies infusing much of the subject matter expressed through this medium today: Journalism, autobiography, social concerns and the present state of discourse about high and low cultural forms as it relates to the graphic novel. Depending on funding, this course will culminate in the printing of an anthology of student generated graphic narratives, which will be distributed for free on the Hunter Campus. At least 2 published graphic novelists will be invited to speak about their work to the class.
While the main intention of this course is to give students a basic understanding of Graphic Novels as a serious medium, much of the knowledge and skills developed in this class will benefit a number of courses in the department. E.g., Story boarding, composition design, and visual narrative literacy are skills that will be applicable to other areas of the Film and Media Dept.
The main “text book” for the course will be Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics.

Instructor: Levy

Thursdays 11:10 to 2:00

Combining methods in documentary, oral history, and urban studies, this course explores the concept of “neighborhood” and seeks to understand how it operates in Harlem today. Using digital audio recorders, students will record and transcribe one-on-one interviews with community members to help capture and preserve a small portion of Harlem’s collective memory and to identify issues of local importance as defined by Harlem residents. Working collaboratively with community-based organizations, students will seek to identify some of Harlem’s most pressing needs, the challenges it currently faces, and the degree to which a collective neighborhood vision for the future exists. In the final weeks of the course, students will transform their raw audio testimonies into short documentary pieces in one of a wide variety of mediums, including (but not limited to): video, photography, radio, journalistic writing, theatrical performance, and graphic illustration.