Jason Lariviere

There are only two papers, one is an incredibly short shot analysis and the other is a somewhat lengthy research paper. These can be a little difficult if you didn't set time for them/didn't watch the films, but otherwise, as long as you watched at least one of the movies before/after the midterm you'll be fine. As mentioned, the exams were really light and often don't take even close to the allotted time to complete. Just make sure you pay attention during the lecture portion of the class as half of the exam quizzes you on your knowledge of film terms and the other half is an essay portion structured around a key topic covered in the readings/lectures. The readings themselves are quite long but for the most part, the lecture covers what you need to know so you can skim them.

I learned a ton about film and media theory--emphasis on media. It's really one of the main classes that has academized my study of film and it's a continuation of Intro Film from a very advanced perspective.

Very solid course for an introduction to film; a great start for those who have a genuine interest in the field as the course delivers on important topics such as film production, cinematography, the anatomy of a camera, important eras/filmmakers, narrative styles, etc. and does a good job of balancing modern film theories with classic principles. Professor LaRiviere is also an interesting lecturer and does a good job of keeping the course content engaging and encouraging participation from the students. He also is just a genuinely nice guy and if you enjoy film, it's definitely worth it to take the time to strike up a conversation with him. On the flipside, if you're just taking it to fulfill a gen-ed (me), it's a pretty light class. The midterm/final were not difficult in the slightest and, as long as you spend at least an hour studying the terms on the cheat sheet and are at least somewhat familiar with the readings, you'll be fine. The worst part is by far the runtime of the class; it's difficult to stay engaged for the entirety of the 3 hour block, especially when it gets to the actual showing of the movie (which are primarily older films).

I got an overview of the critical works and theories in film from its origin to now

I learned about various theoretical dimensions of film (regarding the stylistic, political and cultural connotations of film).

Various film theories and how they apply to modern filmmaking landscape

I got an overview of media theory since the invention of film to the present day, covering themes of temporality, ideology, visibility, etc.

That film and cinema is so much more than the themes and symbolism we view on the screen, that there is a science and viewing with respect to the audience.

In this class, we were supposed to learn about the development of film and media theory from its origins in the early 20th Century to the current day. As explained in my other comments, I think this class was very poorly taught, which made it very hard to actually learn the material or engage with the concepts. I really love theory and philosophy and was excited to apply that to film, but the poor instruction for this class completely hindered that.

Different frameworks to understand the cinematic medium - in terms of spatiality, temporality, ideology, medium specificity etc.