CMS 240 B: Writing in Cinema and Media Studies

“Methods, Media, Movies: A Survey of Writerly Frameworks”

Why—and how—do we write about what entertains us?  This course is survey of key
methodological frameworks across media, film, and digital cultures. Topics may include the video
essay, sound studies, multisensorial intake, exhibition, critical design studies, and social media forms.
We will read several models of the essay, incorporating its visual, experimental, and popular
versions alongside its more traditional modalities. Students will be required to engage in in-class free-
writes, complete analytical, creative, and speculative writing assignments, and participate in small
group discussions.