Film and Media Program

Kirsten Moana Thompson, PhD, Director

Objectives

One of the most important and popular new art forms developed in the 20th century, cinema and the moving image in the digital age has had an even more profound effect on modern culture in the 21^st century, through all its evolving modes and distribution channels, and encompasses a broad field of studies in visual culture, including film, television, radio, sound studies, the internet and streaming media. The Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media examines the history, aesthetics, craft, technologies and theories of the moving image in all its different media forms and distribution channels- situating media in its many national, global, disaporic and transnational contexts. The BA in Film and Media has a commitment to both film and media production and film and media studies, and many classes involve a close attention to both creative production and historical and theoretical studies. Students especially interested in creative production can study screenwriting, editing, cinematography, sound and producing, and complete off-campus film projects and internships in the regional film community and through study abroad, while also having the opportunity to attend Sundance Film Festival as a culminating student experience.

The Film and Media program works interdepartmentally with other programs in the humanities, social sciences and sciences to think about the ways in which media pervades every aspect of contemporary society. Students can coordinate a major or minor in Film and Media with a second major or minor in another discipline. Film and Media also addresses transdisciplinary questions respecting visual literacy, our image-saturated culture, the history of race, gender and sexuality in film and media, the relationship of film and media to other art forms, the history of Hollywood and independent film industries and practices and film and media’s role in promoting social justice and global citizenship. Finally, in the larger learning environment of screenings, internships, film workshops, film festivals, and a vibrant regional film and media and technology hub in Seattle, students will discover additional resources that will help prepare them for graduate film and media study and careers in a diverse and challenging industry.

Programs

Undergraduate Major

Undergraduate Minor

Film and Media Minor