RTF 03.275. Introduction to Media Aesthetics. This course offers students an introduction to the aesthetic concepts as applied directly to radio, television, and film media. Using examples from these media, students will study, discuss, and analyze design and composition elements as they apply to the production process. A basic vocabulary of aesthetic terminology will be assembled and students will be responsible for understanding and applying those terms through various written and visual assignments.

Students must take at least two of the following media history courses. Focus on just film, just TV, the origins of each, or mix and match as your interests or schedule allow:

1. RTF 03.205. TV History & Appreciation. TV History and Appreciation explores 50 years of the art and impact of one of the most persuasive, pervasive information delivery systems ever invented. By viewing and discussing a wide array of clips and full episodes of programming (many from the earliest days of the medium), students will develop an appreciation of the foundation of all entertainment and informational programming. As well, students examine how television has affected American society and how American society has affected television.
2. RTF 03.206. TV History & Appreciation, 1960s-70s. Students will explore televisions formative years. The course is a sequel of sorts to the earlier course, but can be taken independently or concurrently. Students will learn about and discuss the cultural, economic and regulatory decisions that shaped the medium and analyze TV’s changing portrayal of the American family, gender roles, minority representation and other key concepts. The history of breaking news coverage, the emergence of cable, and the rise and fall of various programming genres - from live TV drama and the variety show to newsmagazines and reality TV - will be examined.
3. RTF 03.270. Film History I. Students trace the development of motion pictures as an art form from the 1890s to 1941. Representative selections from the various genres are screened, then discussed in terms of art, technique, content and historical perspective, as well as directorial style. Part I is not a prerequisite for Part II; these courses may be taken in any order; students may opt for one or both courses.
4. RTF 03.271. Film History II. This course is a continuation of RTF 03.270 with emphasis on contemporary genres and implications. Students trace the modern cinema from 1941 to the present. Students may take Part II prior to Part I; although the content is chronological, Part I is not a prerequisite for Part II.

Students must take at least one of the following courses that address the role of media in society.

1. RTF 03.274. Queer Film. This is an introductory course in film analysis where students explore the landscape of queer film through an historical, cultural, and political lens. Discussion will focus on queer filmmakers, characters, and themes. Through a combination of both mainstream and independent films, students will view and discuss queer films from various decades. Students will learn methods used in film analysis and will be required write a series of analysis papers.
2. RTF 03.280. African American Film History. This course offers students an introduction to the little-known yet important area of African American Film History, beginning with the development of Race Movies by such directors as Oscar Micheaux, and continuing to the present day. Through lectures, screenings and reports students will study, discuss and analyze the historical and cultural significance of these films and their influence on society.
3. RTF 03.294. Contemporary International Cinema. Contemporary International Cinema is designed as a basic introduction to world cinema, defined as the film output of other nations, regions and non-Hollywood cinema. Students will examine the major filmmakers, production and distribution practices of the global filmmaking community. Students will explore definitions of national and transnational cinema, issues of representation and post-colonialism, and concepts of authorship and genre from a global perspective. Students will gain a critical awareness of the ways in which cinema shapes our attitudes or perceptions of other cultures, and an appreciation of cinematic representations that originate from within other cultures. Through readings, discussion, screenings and research, students will gain a broader perspective of the current state of film as an art form, a globalized industry and cultural products.
4. RTF 03.474. Film Censorship. The censorship of art and media is an enduring feature of our culture. This advanced film history seminar course in Film Censorship explores the history of Hollywood motion picture censorship and efforts to regulate American films. The class historically spans U.S. cinema censorship from the early silent film period, the ‘pre-Code’ years and classic studio system ‘Golden Age’-in which film censorship thrived-to postclassical late 1960s challenges and contemporary New Hollywood efforts to regulate screen content in an era of Netflix. This course will examine film censorship in relation to motion picture studio and filmmaker efforts to produce cinema as an art form, as an industrial business strategy, as powerful cinematic mythology, and as a cultural product. While focused on a specific medium, Film Censorship will enrich students’ understanding of efforts to censor and control popular culture across all forms of media and cultural contexts.
5. RTF 03.485. Deconstructing Disney. This course examines the cultural and historical significance of The Walt Disney Company, and its media products. Students will analyze, discuss, and write about Disney using a variety of methods including historiography, industry studies, gender and sexuality studies, critical race studies, and reception studies.

With the permission of the program coordinator or department chair, some RTF Special Topics courses may fulfill this bank requirement. 

Students may round out their study by taking courses on genres, modes, aspects of style, or narrower topics that interest them. 

1. RTF 03/210. Evolution of Quality TV. This course presents and examines programs from television’s past and present, as well as programs that have yet to be televised-to make connections about the evolution of quality TV. Students will be required to provide detailed reactions to what is screened in class, and both define and defend what qualifies a work as “Quality TV” in the first place.
2. RTF 03.278. Film/TV Theory & Criticism. This course introduces students to major critical approaches to film and television. Students will survey key readings in genre, representation and identification, and authorship. Students will learn to use these analytical tools as we examine a range of contemporary films and shows. Students will view, discuss, and write critically, demonstrating an understanding of key frameworks for the analysis of film and television as a cultural form. 
3. CMS 04.215. Fiction to Film. This course provides comparative study of film and literature. Students learn the critical vocabulary of literature and film and enhance their understanding of both art forms. The course covers American and foreign works.
4. RTF 03.290. The Media Industries. Designed to provide an understanding of the contemporary American commercial media industries, this course affords students the opportunity to explore media production careers and contemporary production practices within the contexts of conglomeration, deregulation, globalization, and digitization. Students will analyze and discuss recent trends in the movie and television industries.
5. RTF 03.372. American Film Directors. Through historical perspective and criticism, this course provides an in-depth study of films by American directors. This course may not be offered annually.
6. RTF 03.377. Animation History. This course offers a critical and historical survey of animation from its pre-cinematic origins to contemporary digital media forms. Looking at key practitioners, styles, movements, and studios from around the world, the course traces the evolution of a wide range of animated media from major commercial productions to experimental shorts. The course introduces students to a variety of methods for studying animated media with an emphasis on the technological, cultural, and aesthetic histories of animation as both an art form and an industry.
7. RTF 03.378. The Hollywood Studio System. This course examines the history and practices of the Hollywood studio system, from its emergence and consolidation until its collapse in 1960. Topics include the rise of the star system; the emergence of genres; self-regulation and censorship; technological innovations; major directors and producers; social and cultural impact; and changes in audience. Hollywood is examined in its broader contexts, enabling students to appreciate the forces that shape media production, distribution, exhibition, and reception. While focused on a specific historical period and medium, The Hollywood Studio System will enrich students’ understanding of all popular media forms in US culture.

With the permission of the program coordinator or department chair, some RTF Special Topics and FTMS MA (500-level) courses may fulfill this bank requirement.