Film as Art

Film as Art I

Film as Art I (Grade XX) 1/2 Credit

Prerequisite: None

Cinema is one of the most important communication mediums in modern culture. Students enrolled in Film as Art will learn how to critically analyze films and develop a greater sense of visual literacy for life. We will examine how all the elements in a movie create for the viewer the desired emotional and psychological responses. For a historical perspective, we will trace the medium from its roots in the early 1900’s through silent films, to the Golden Age of Hollywood and all the way up to the Blockbuster films of the late 1970’s. We will examine how cinematography, acting, script, art direction, editing and other techniques combine to make film the most powerful and far reaching art form in the world today.

Film as Art II

Film as Art II (Grade XX) 1/2 Credit

Prerequisite: Film as Art 1

This course will examine the American Cinema from the early 1980’s to the present. A greater emphasis will be placed on a student’s ability to discern various elements that comprise the whole of a film. Students will study the work of many prominent directors plying their craft in the film industry today. In addition to viewing films, students will learn the basic concepts of filming and editing techniques to create original film shorts which may be aired on OrangeVision, Orange School District’s cable channel. Students enrolled in the course may also attend the FilmSlam portion of the Cleveland International Film Festival.