Academic Calendar 2013 Search Office of the Registrar Western Homepage
Academic Calendar 2015 UNDERGRADUATE COURSE INFORMATION Film Studies (A)
INTRODUCTION
UNDERGRADUATE SESSIONAL DATES
STUDENT SERVICES
ACADEMIC INFORMATION
STUDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES
FACULTIES
UNDERGRADUATE COURSE INFORMATION
FACULTY MEMBERS
AFFILIATED UNIVERSITY COLLEGES
GLOSSARY
NEW MODULES/PROGRAMS
FIRST YEAR UPDATES
TABLE OF CONTENTS




Film Studies (A)
Film Studies 1020E - An Introduction to Film
A broad introduction to the study of films that will teach the basic vocabulary of film studies, provide an overview of the types of film and videos being made, and examine various critical approaches. By considering a variety of texts, students will learn to analyze and discuss film and video.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s):
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 5 hours including screening, 1.0 course.
back to top
Film Studies 1022 - Introduction to Film Studies
What is a blockbuster? What is a cult film? What is digital cinema? Discover the answers to these questions and others in a broad introduction to the study of cinema. Students will learn the basic vocabulary of film studies and gain an informed understanding of the different critical approaches to film analysis.
Antirequisite(s): Film Studies 1020E.
Prerequisite(s):
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 5 hours including screening, 1.0 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2152F/G - Contemporary American Cinema
This course examines contemporary American film, including Hollywood, independent narrative, documentary, and experimental practice. Topics include the rise of entertainment conglomerates, independent festivals, and digital production and distribution.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s):
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/seminar hours, 1 3-hour lecture/screening, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2153A/B - American Television and Culture
This course examines the history, technology, and forms of television in the U.S. The course analyzes distinctive elements of  televisual form (flow, liveness, seriality, advertising); TV’s key genres (soap, sitcom, drama, news, reality); modes of reception (fandom, distraction, surfing); as well as television’s construction of social difference in America.
Antirequisite(s): The former Film Studies 2194A/B if taken in 2009-10.
Prerequisite(s):
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 3 lecture hours, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2158F/G - Contemporary Canadian Cinema
In this course contemporary documentary, fictional and short Canadian films are studied. Topics include industrial factors; historical influences; the aesthetics of new narratives; the innovations of Canadian documentarians; experimental work in new media; the short film; internationalist, nationalist, regionalist and multicultural debates.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s):
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/seminar hours, 1 3-hour lecture/screening, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2190E - Special Topics in Film Studies
Please consult Department for current offerings.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s):
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/tutorial hours, 1 3-hour screening, 1.0 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2191F/G-2192F/G - Special Topics in Film Studies
Please consult Department for current offerings.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s):
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/tutorial hours, 1 3-hour screening, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2193 - Special Topics in Film Studies
Please consult Department for current offerings.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s):
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/tutorial hours, 1 3-hour screening, 1.0 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2194A/B-2198A/B - Special Topics in Film Studies
Please consult Department for current offerings.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s):
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/tutorial hours, 1 3-hour screening, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2200F/G - Film Theories, Criticisms, Histories
This course will provide an overview of major trends and methods in the history of film studies across the twentieth century up to the present. In addition to tracing these trends and methods, the course will be a writing-intensive one that explores the process and aims of writing on film.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 5 hours, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2220F/G-2229F/G - Special Topics in Film
Please consult the Department for current offerings.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture /seminar hours, 1 3-hour lecture/screening, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2230F/G - Critical Reading and Writing in Film Studies
This course will build on skills and knowledge acquired in Film 1022 to engage students in the critical practices involved in reading various genres of writing in Film Studies. In addition to writing their own film reviews, students will learn research skills that prepare them for writing critical essays on cinema.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or Film Studies 1022 or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/seminar hours, 3 screening hours, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2242F/G - National Cinemas: Special Topics
This course offers an in-depth examination of a specific national film culture or related group of cultures. The course may address the entire cinematic history of a specific nation-state, be narrowed by a historical period, mode or region within a national cinema, or extended across national borders.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/seminar hours, 1 3-hour lecture/screening, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2243F/G - National Cinemas: Special Topics
This course offers an in-depth examination of a specific national film culture or related group of cultures. The course may address the entire cinematic history of a specific nation-state, be narrowed by a historical period, mode or region within a national cinema, or extended across national borders.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/seminar hours, 1 3-hour lecture/screening, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2244E - National Cinemas: Special Topics
This course offers an in-depth examination of a specific national film culture or related group of cultures. The course may address the entire cinematic history of a specific nation-state, be narrowed by a historical period, mode or region within a national cinema, or extended across national borders.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 1 3- hour lecture/screening, 2 lecture/seminar hours, 1.0 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2245F/G -2247F/G - National Cinemas: Special Topics
This course offers an in-depth examination of a specific national film culture or related group of cultures. The course may address the entire cinematic history of a specific nation-state, be narrowed by a historical period, mode or region within a national cinema, or extended across national borders.

Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/seminar hours, 1 3-hour lecture/screening, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2250F/G - Movements in European Film
This course offers an introduction to issues of aesthetics, culture, and history relevant to important movements in European film such as German Expressionism, Soviet Montage, Poetic Realism, Italian Neorealism, the French New Wave, New German Cinema and the Dogma movement.
Antirequisite(s): The former Film Studies 2252E.
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/seminar hours, 1 3-hour lecture/screening, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2251E - World Cinema
This course provides an introduction to important topics of global film history with a focus on film cultures in Africa; Latin America; Asia; the Middle East, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Students will examine the social, economic, and cultural contexts and broader patterns of influence in the global cultural economy.
Antirequisite(s): The former Film Studies 151E.
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 5 hours, 1.0 course
back to top
Film Studies 2253E - American Cinema
This course traces a history of American film from the silent period to the present. Topics include the development of the Hollywood style and major film genres and directors, and industrial, technical, political, and cultural social forces.
Antirequisite(s): The former Film Studies 153E.
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/tutorial hours, 1 3-hour screening, 1.0 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2255E - Representation of Gender and Sexuality
This course explores the representation of gender and sexuality in mainstream Hollywood and European art cinema. The course introduces a number of theoretical frameworks which are used to probe issues such as gender stereotypes, the relationship between gender and genre, feminist counter cinema, queer studies, identification, pleasure and spectatorship.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department, or Women's Studies 1020E.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture hours, 1 3-hour screening, 1.0 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2256F/G - Avant-Garde Cinema
An exploration of a variety of marginal film practices and modes of production through an historical consideration of the major trends and developments in European, American, and Canadian avant-garde. Films will be analyzed in relation to the theoretical issues they raise, specifically, feminist theory and practice, film formalism, and spectatorship.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department, or Women's Studies 1020E.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 1 3-hour lecture/screening, 2 lecture/seminar hours, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2258F/G - Canadian Cinema: Documents, Storytelling, Experiments
This course looks at Canadian cinema in relation to the category label, national cinema. What is the value of a national cinema? What is the popular imagination? How do the films speak to us about Canada, its history, its people and its politics?
Antirequisite(s): The former Film Studies 244E (as offered in 2001-2002).
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/seminar hours, 1 3-hour lecture/screening, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2260F/G - Film Genres
This course examines a specific film genre or cycle, focusing on its historical contexts and development and its aesthetic, cultural and political significance.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/seminar hours, 1 3-hour lecture/screening, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2261F/G - Stardom
This course examines stardom in its cultural, historical, industrial, and national contexts. The course may examine the development of the star system in a specific national context, focus on a particular star or stars, a historical period or movement, or a specific theoretical aspect of the star phenomenon.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/seminar hours, 1 3-hour lecture/screening, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2270F/G - Film Aesthetics
This course will explore the stylistic functions of basic film elements, e.g., camera movement, editing, sound, and colour, through analysis of films.
Antirequisite(s): The former Film Studies 170F/G.
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 1 3-hour lecture/screening, 2 lecture/seminar hours, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2275F/G - Documentary Film
This course will examine the development of film documentary, from Lumière in the 1890's to the modern docudrama.
Antirequisite(s): The former Film Studies 175F/G.
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 1 3-hour lecture/screening, 2 lecture/seminar hours, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 2295F/G - Film Directors/Auteurs: Special Topics
This course is rooted in an auteurist approach to the works of a few major directors, and will consider both the manner in which these directors' personalities are thematically and stylistically expressed in their films, and how their films represent major developments or movements in film aesthetics and history.
Antirequisite(s): The former Film Studies 259E, 159E.
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 1 3-hour lecture/screening, 2 lecture/seminar hours, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 3310E - Special Topics in Film Studies
Please consult the Department for current offerings.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/seminar hours and a 3-hour lecture/screening, 1.0 course.
back to top
Film Studies 3311F/G-3312F/G - Special Topics in Film Studies
Please consult the Department for current offerings.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/seminar hours and a 3-hour lecture/screening, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 3315F/G-3316F/G - Special Topics in Film Studies
Please consult the Department for current offerings.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/seminar hours and a 3-hour lecture/screening, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 3317 - Special Topics in Film Studies
Please consult the Department for current offerings.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/seminar hours and a 3-hour lecture/screening, 1.0 course.
back to top
Film Studies 3318A/B-3319A/B - Special Topics in Film Studies
Please consult the Department for current offerings.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/seminar hours and a 3-hour lecture/screening, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 3330F/G - National Cinemas: Special Topics
This course offers an in-depth examination of a specific national film culture or related group of cultures. The course may address the entire cinematic history of a specific nation-state, be narrowed by a historical period, mode or region within a national cinema, or extended across national borders.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/seminar hours, 1 3-hour lecture/screening, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 3355F/G - Advanced Studies in Gender and Sexuality
This course offers an in-depth examination of a specific topic or topics in the audio-visual representation of gender and sexuality. The course may be narrowed by a focus on a specific national or regional cinema, a historical period or genre, or a particular theme or issue in audio-visual representation.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department, or Film Studies 2255E.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/seminar hours, 1 3-hour lecture/screening, 0.5 course
back to top
Film Studies 3360F/G - Film Genres
This course examines a specific film genre or cycle, focusing on its historical contexts and development and its aesthetic, cultural and political significance.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/seminar hours, 1 3-hour lecture/screening, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 3365F/G - Quality Television in the U.S
This course investigates key periods, forms, and figures in American quality television. Topics include how television has been framed in relation to literature, theater, and cinema; how quality television engages with cultural hierarchies; the role of cable TV; and quality television's attention to social conflicts and debates in postwar American culture.
Antirequisite(s): The former Film Studies 3360F/G if taken in 2010-11.
Prerequisite(s): Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 3 lecture hours, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 3370F/G - Advanced Film Aesthetics
This course provides an opportunity for advanced formal investigation of film, including historical and conceptual debates on style, and technological developments like digital processes. Students may complete course requirements with a short video.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 2 lecture/seminar hours, 1 3-hour lecture/screening, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 3371F/G - Film Theory
This course will investigate major writings in two areas of classical film theory: the realism-formalism debate and the auteur theory. Additional topics in film poetics and semiotics will also be discussed.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): Film Studies 2200F/G or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 1-3 hour lecture/screening, 2 lecture/seminar hours, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 3373F/G - Theories of National Cinemas
This course will introduce students to theories of nationalism and national identity, to determine how they influence our understanding of national cinemas. Issues such as colonialism, postcolonialism, imperialism, multiculturalism, regionalism, and globalization will be explored through reading political and cultural essays. The course will examine one or two national cinemas.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): At least 60% in Film Studies 1020E or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 1-3 hour lecture/screening, 2 lecture/seminar hours, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 4409E - Undergraduate Thesis
Individual instruction in the selection of a topic, the preparation of materials, and the writing of a thesis. Students who wish to take this course must apply to the Chair of the Department. The course is restricted to students in fourth year of an Honors Specialization in Film Studies.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): Registration in fourth year of an Honors Specialization in Film Studies and permission of the Department. Permission is normally granted only to students having at least a high "B" average.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 1.0 course.
back to top
Film Studies 4470F/G - Seminar in Film Aesthetics
The third course in the Film Department's Aesthetics progression, the seminar provides students with the opportunity to further develop their skills in film and video production.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): Film Studies 3370F/G.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 5 hours, 0.5 course
Note: Enrolment is limited to ten students and based on the submission of a portfolio of creative work and a statement of purpose.
back to top
Film Studies 4472F/G - Seminar in Film Theory
The course provides an intensive and advanced examination of a particular significant film-theoretical issue or body of theoretical work.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): Film Studies 3371F/G.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 5 hours, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 4474F/G - Seminar in Film Studies
The topics will vary from year to year. Topics will come from specific areas of film studies (theory, criticism, history).
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): Film Studies 3371F/G or the former 271F/G, or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 5 hours, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 4490F/G - Seminar in Film Studies
The topics will vary from year to year. Topics will come from specific areas of film studies (theory, criticism, history).
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): Film Studies 3371F/G or the former 271F/G, or permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 5 hours, 0.5 course.
back to top
Film Studies 4495F/G - Film Academic Internship
Third or fourth year students enrolled in a honors, major or specialization in Film Studies, who have a modular average of 75% are eligible for an internship within an approved media-related organization. The student must find a faculty supervisor willing to oversee and grade his/her final paper.
Antirequisite(s):
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the Department.
Corequisite(s):
Pre-or Corequisite(s):
Extra Information: 0.5 course
back to top
Academic Calendar 2015 UNDERGRADUATE COURSE INFORMATION Film Studies (A)
Decision Academic