Lights, Camera, Action!

David R.

February 3, 2010 - 8:48 PM

One of the requirements for journalism students is that we must take four English classes before we graduate. Two of them are supposed to be film-based, and the other two are supposed to be novel-based. I hadn't taken an English class yet, so this term I decided to take English 260, a class that explores the different aspects of media aesthetics. The class is structured as follows: We meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays for two hours. On Tuesday we watch a movie for the full period and on Thursday we have a discussion and analyze the different components of movie-making that are present in the film. The class is highly interactive and allows students to engage in real-life film productions. Before taking the class I didn't have a clue about media aesthetics. I had no idea what to expect, and I certainly didn't think that half of the class would be dedicated to watching movies. Doing so is a great way to keep students interested in the material. Surely we could sit in class and hear a lecture for four hours a week, but it is much more beneficial for us to be able to visually observe different elements of media aesthetics within the films that we view.

When I think of English classes I think of long essays that no one likes to write. It would be easy for our professor to enforce such an assignment, but instead, she came up with a more creative idea to test our knowledge of the materials. We have an upcoming assignment that is due in a couple of weeks that involves the viewing of any movie of our choice. While watching this movie we are required to observe a two minute clip of the film and analyze every different shot that is taken within that time frame. We analyze each shot based upon the camera angle, the view point and other significant filming aspects. I decided to do my project on the movie "Love and Basketball." I have seen this movie a few times and I think it will be fun to analyze a film that I like and am familiar with. I enjoy this class because our professor has created fun and interactive assignments that test our knowledge in more creative ways.

As I am currently taking a class that falls into the cinema studies category, the cinema studies aspect of the English department is quickly gaining widespread popularity. Recently there was an informational meeting held for those students who might be interested in this focus. The English professors who were conducting the meeting expected 20 to 30 students to show up, and they were presented with over 100. This field of study allows students to gain exposure to the history of film making and all of the different components that are associated with the making of a movie. I always figured movies to be nothing more than filming and acting. After being in a media aesthetics class for only five weeks I understand that it involves much more significant aspects, like sound, editing, mise en scene (objects on scene), and cinematography. To those who are intrigued, I invite you to take a chance and explore the world of cinema. No matter what is you are passionate about, there is something for everyone at the University of Oregon.