COBF - Broadcasting and Film (COBF)

This course is an introduction to different theories of analysis in the field of media studies. The readings and lectures trace the development of humanities-based media theory from the 1950s through today. The course introduces students to theories about authorship, genre, audiences, media institutions, identity, race, class, gender, and digital cultures. Students apply these theories to films, television programs, and web-based media.

Lectures, discussions and screenings focus on the development of visual expression in film, video, and computer graphics, with emphasis on the narrative form. There is an opportunity for practical exercises; a photo assignment and an optional digital video final project.

This course is designed to introduce students to the foundational knowledge and skills essential for creating quality film and video content. Through lecture and hands-on workshops this course explores the basic elements of both on-location and in the studio production. The course will cover the use and operation of cameras, lenses, lighting, and audio equipment. Students will work together in groups to create camera tests, lighting setups, and audio recordings. They will then learn how to import this material into a non-linear editing program to perform basic edits. These shoots will be conducted in class and critiqued throughout the semester. Please see website for lab/supply fees.

This is an advanced journalism course that will look at the advantages and drawbacks of eyewitness reports, one of the principal resources of all non-fiction. The course will examine some of the finest first-person reporting and eyewitness accounts of the last century, as well as studying some of the most notorious and misleading dispatches. Such reporting has had the power to change history, and to distort it. By focusing on the counter-intuitive¿that is, on the weaknesses of eyewitnesses¿the course will help students develop more sophisticated and discerning reading and writing skills.

This course is an introduction to different theories of analysis in the field of media studies. The readings and lectures trace the development of humanities-based media theory from the 1950s through today. The course introduces students to theories about authorship, genre, audiences, media institutions, identity, race, class, gender, and digital cultures. Students apply these theories to films, television programs, and web-based media.

Survey of the history and critical aspects of the nonfiction film (including newsreel and experimental film) from the Lumieres (1895-97) through the cinema verite documentaries of today. Lecture, discussion and screenings.

Principles and practices of screenplay writing with emphasis on cinematic values. Each student creates a long step outline for a feature length film screenplay, teleplay, or a completed short script.

Instruction in and practice regarding the TV production team, operation of studio, or field and control room equipment, the television script, program formats, production elements and process. Lecture, discussion and program exercises in the studio. Please see website for lab/supply fees.

This course offers an institutional and cultural history of broadcasting in the twentieth century. Careful attention is paid to the structures of production in the radio and television industry, how they have changed over time, and how they have structured the creative process. The course simultaneously investigates how genres in radio and television as well as representations of specific social groups have changed over time and resonated with American society and culture.

Survey of major contributions to the development of motion pictures. Lectures, screenings and critiques of cinematic works demonstrating the creative impetus given to filmmaking from the early narratives of Melies to the present day.

A study of the film director as primary creator of the motion picture. The course also investigates the concept of authorship in film and the role of the director in a collaborative art form usually controlled by economic interests. Each semester director(s) will be closely examined for their aesthetics, outlook, and technical accomplishment.

This course introduces students to scholarly literature in the humanities-based field of media studies on the way the digital revolution and mobile technologies are changing the nature of television and film production, distribution, and consumption and changing the way people construct their identities and their social relations through social media.

This course examines why reality television became a popular television genre in the twenty-first century and how reality television serves as a site for cultural struggles in contemporary society. Special attention is paid to the ways that changes to media culture in the late twentieth century primed viewers to consume reality television; how contemporary battles over race, class, gender, national identity, regional identity, urban identity, and rural identity take place on reality television; and how reality television promotes key aspects of twenty-first century life such as neoliberalism, self branding, and the commodification of the self.

Writing is a critical element of successful radio broadcasting. All radio formats rely on well-written copy to communicate with listeners. Yet, few individuals enter the field with the skills necessary to create top-flight broadcast copy. Writing for Radio is designed to help students learn the basics of broadcast writing. Students will engage in the main forms of broadcast writing – news copy, promo copy, advertising copy, station imaging, feature writing, sports copy, radio drama and interview introductions and questions. The course will also review successful broadcast copy to examine in detail the traits that ensure words, phrases and ideas stick with the listener.

Exploration of how music interacts with images, dialogue, and other elements to create meaning in films. Readings introduce students to the field of film studies and to the analysis of film music. Assigned films, to be viewed before each class, cover a spectrum of genres. Independent research leading to a culminating paper. The ability to read music is not required.

A hands-on workshop in the creation and production of sound and music with an introduction to acoustics, analog and digital recording, mixing consoles and signal flow, microphone design and placement, digital editing, processing and mixing, MIDI sequencing and sound synthesis. Please see website for lab/supply fees.

Media is changing by the minute and sports is at the forefront of this transformation. From the reporting to the written word, television, social media, viral video, documentaries, marketing, business, even law, to be in sports media today you have to be proficient in all specialties. This hands-on course will explore all areas of the shifting sports media landscape and provide students with the skills needed to navigate and excel in the field. There will be a variety of case studies, group projects and guest speakers throughout the semester as well as opportunities to have your work published.

This course introduces students to the ways that sports media serve as a site for larger cultural struggles. Rather than see sports as mere entertainment, recreation, or escapism, this course examines sports media as an emotional guide to understanding “place” in the U.S., a field that can be constitutive of social identities based on race, class, gender, etc., an imagined realm where athletes can challenge social oppression by competing on a level playing field, a terrain that re-inscribes social power, an opportunity for athletes to protest larger structures of oppression in society and culture, and a way of marking oneself in the world. Moreover, sports media is not just a macro-political field of corporate profit; it is also a micro-political realm of everyday investments that have broader social and political relevance

A general historical survey of the cultural and technological developments in sound recording, music and sound for the cinema, radio and television. Avant-garde composition, electronic, digital and interactive music, and the recent influence of the internet on sound and culture will also be discussed. Please see website for lab/supply fees.

This course is designed to provide students with an in-depth look at all aspects of sports broadcasting, from its earliest forms, up to and including how things work in the 21st century. It will also provide the student with the opportunity to learn the “craft” of broadcasting games on the radio, with a specific emphasis on Basketball and Baseball/Softball. Thru in-class exercises and critiques, the students will be trained in the basic aspects of play-by-play; color commentary and sports reporting, anchoring and producing for radio and online communications and hosting a sports talk radio program.

Survey of international cinema in the post-World War II period. Specific works by individual directors practicing in Europe, Japan, India and the United States studied in-depth to ascertain their contribution to evolving patterns of cinematic expression.

Screenings of a wide variety of films from 1930 to the present serve as the basis for criticism written by students. Writings of various popular contemporary critics are evaluated in class discussions that examine questions of aesthetic criteria and the development of a style appropriate to the film critic’s audience.

Individual film forms, such as the western, the horror film, science fiction, the musical, and others. The narrative conventions and grammar of genres are examined, along with each genre film’s historical, political, economic and social context.

This course examines the intersection of sports and film, specifically focusing on films in which sports are either prominently featured or taken as the subject ("sports films"). So as to cover the full spectrum of sports films, the course is split into two parts, the first highlighting narrative/fiction filmmaking and the second documentary filmmaking. In both parts of the course, students will examine the history of sports films, their industrial origins, their formal features, their ideological workings, and their place within the broader cultural landscape.

A study of the aesthetic, social, and cultural importance of television genres. The course will survey various theories about television genres and then use those theories to examine one or two specific television genre(s) in detail.

This course examines new technologies and industrial developments that are shaping the future trajectories of sports media. Potential subjects include changes in sports media distribution and production processes, changes in sports media programming, and changes in the way audiences consume sports media. In addressing such topics, the course will not just explore significant new technologies (e.g. wearable biometric sensors, virtual television studios) and important new industrial trends (e.g. the vertical integration of sports television), but also the broader cultural and societal implications of these developments, whether that might mean touching on cultural hierarchies, industrial and labor relations, or issues of privacy and surveillance.

Principles and techniques of motion picture production, including scripting, cinematography, budgeting, nonsynchronous sound, and non-linear digital film editing. Students work in groups to create original film projects. Please see website for lab/supply fees.

Broadening and deepening of students’ knowledge of studio and field techniques and processes, followed by production of an original television program by student groups, from concept to videotape recording. Please see website for lab/supply fees.

Studio and field digital video production equipment, shooting technique and non-linear digital video editing. Each student, working in a group, progresses through a series of introductory camera and editing exercises related to electronic field production and advanced studio production to create an original television program. Lectures and demonstrations. Please see website for lab/supply fees.

Students use HD production techniques and form production groups to produce original 5-10 minute HD productions. Please see website for lab/supply fees.

In this class students will be immersed in the art and craft of creating compelling stories for the screen in both fiction and non-fiction genres. As it has been said many times about media making, the story is the heart of media production. Students will develop screenwriting abilities through gaining knowledge of and experience with story conception and development, character development, story structure, dramatic action, dialogue, scene/sequence construction and writing for emotional impact.

An intermediate workshop in audio editing, mixing and mastering on the Pro Tools digital audio workstation using a range of professional effects plug-ins. Student projects in the lab will be tailored to area of concentration: music production, sound for film, television or radio. Please see website for lab/supply fees.

An intermediate to advanced investigation of concepts first introduced in MUAP 2146 including acoustics, psychoacoustics, digital audio, signal flow, sound mixing, signal processing, speaker and microphone design, synchronization, MIDI, digital sampling and sound synthesis. Please see website for lab/supply fees.

Students, working in groups, prepare and produce and original long form video production taped on location and/or in the studio. Prerequisite: COBF 3224.

Students build on the skills from COBF 4222 to write, produce and direct a short HD project. Students will get the project “in the can”. Students will become SAG AFTRA signatories and learn the professional procedures and practices. Please see website for lab/supply fees.

Students continue with their projects from COBF 4500 to complete postproduction. Students learn professional postproduction techniques, distribution models and film festival planning. Please see website for lab/supply fees.

The major visual fields of today -- film, television, web series and new media -- require quality producers with a firm knowledge of many areas: a discerning eye for material, a strong sense of storytelling, an ability to raise funds, an understanding of how modern media is distributed… all this, plus a keen grasp on how to manage these many diverse areas. This course provides students with an essential framework for doing just in order to produce a creative product in the entertainment and media industries. Students are introduced to the concepts, terms, and principles that apply to the role of producer, along with the specific job functions required to effectively and efficiently complete a production, both by studying case examples and actually creating their own producers workbook for such a project.

This is an interdisciplinary course covering the principles and techniques essential to success as a director, specifically in terms of blocking, shooting and working with actors. Since directors need actors to bring their visions to life, this course teaches the concepts and language unique to communicating with actors so as to be able to collaboratively and creatively create with them. Areas covered will include breaking down scripts, auditioning actors, blocking for camera, on-set communications, the proper use of improv, etc. This class will be held in conjunction with COTR 3629, whose acting students will perform in the directors' projects so that each discipline may learn how to work with the other's. The course will utilize the TV studio so students can work with live cameras in-class and also feature in-depth out-of-class film projects. Please see website for lab/supply fees.

In this course, students use skills learned in other Visual and Sound Media courses – the ability to read critically, write persuasively, and research effectively – to pursue a larger research project. As such, Senior Seminar-Radio/TV is both a synthesis (in that it asks students to draw on knowledge from other classes) and introduction (in that it introduces students to ways that scholars craft compelling, original essays). Students will write a major research paper on social, cultural, or institutional aspects of television or radio.