English-111 ONLINE Entertainment Arts: Film, Television and the Internet
2nd Summer 4 week session: 6/23-7/19/2008
3rd Summer 4 week session: 7/21-8/16/2008

From cinema to cell phones, the multimedia context of contemporary life is rapidly changing; this course will examine some of those shifting and ubiquitous technologies and images. Entertainment Arts offers a general introduction to the critical study of film, television, and new media. While examining each technology individually we will also work in a state of persistent comparison, endeavoring to comprehend media culture as a larger phenomenon. Through readings, screenings, and discussions, students will develop sophisticated understandings of media culture in terms of technical properties, industrial practices, representation, cultural theories, social responses and more.

There are no prerequisites for this course and you are therefore not expected to have any prior knowledge of media studies. You are, however, expected to treat the material as a legitimate object of study. We will begin with the premise that film, television, and new media offer much more than "entertainment" and, accordingly, studying these forms is a serious undertaking requiring rigor and diligence. Additionally, as this is an online section, you will be required to conduct your own screenings (rent one film and watch a few television programs).