Mass Communication: Film (MCFL)

This is an archived copy of the 2023-2024 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.shsu.edu.

MCFL 3351. Moving Image Aesthetics. 3 Hours.

This course is an in-depth look into pre-production process as it directly pertains to storyboard creation, character development and design, pre-visualization techniques and principles of concept design. Students will script, shoot and edit short films, identifying challenges to the form and discussing the success of these challenges.
Prerequisite: MCOM 1332, MCOM 1371, MCOM 2371, and a score of 80 or higher on the Grammar Module.

MCFL 3352. Cinematography. 3 Hours.

This course is designed to study emotional and visual qualities of light, and the application of varying strategies in lighting for characters, film composition, lenses, filtration, and manipulation of images in mood creation, and practical techniques, product and narrative style of lightning. Students will utilize their critical thinking skills in producing various original images.
Prerequisite: MCOM 1332, MCOM 1371, MCOM 2371, and a score of 80 or higher on the Grammar Module.

MCFL 3353. Advanced Editing for Film & TV. 3 Hours.

This course is a continuation of film editing with concentration on standards expected by industry professionals. Students will learn various editing software applications and techniques of fine tuning film and TV projects.
Prerequisite: MCOM 1332, MCOM 1371, MCOM 2371, and a score of 80 or higher on the Grammar Module.

MCFL 3354. Film History I. 3 Hours.

Students in this course trace the history of film as a mass medium, art form, and industry from 1895-1945. Film's 19th century origins in photographic technologies and popular theater situate understanding of its emergence as a new medium; it progresses to cover the global film history in the silent era, the transition to sound, and the golden age of sound cinema. Specific film concepts, critical historical contexts, and canonical works are analyzed in a discursive setting.
Prerequisite: MCOM 2366 and a score of 80 or higher on the Grammar Module.

MCFL 3355. Film History II. 3 Hours.

Students in this course trace the history of film as a mass media, art form, and industry from 1945 to the present day. World War II and the advent of electronic media fundamentally changed the societal and technological nature of cinema. Students analyze the global film history in the postwar era and the age of new and emerging media; they also explore specific film concepts, historical contexts and canonical works in a discursive setting.
Prerequisite: MCOM 2366 and a score of 80 or higher on the Grammar Module.

MCFL 3356. Select Film Genre. 3 Hours.

Students in this course examine the history, nature, and major works of a selected film genre. Emphasis is placed on story design, production techniques, and cultural meanings specific to the particular genre. Topics and instructors rotate every semester, and may include sports, horror, melodrama, science fiction, or western films.
Prerequisite: MCOM 2366 and a score of 80 or higher on the Grammar Module.

MCFL 3357. Seminar in Hispanic Cinemas. 3 Hours.

Students in this bilingual course explore the art of Spanish-language film and television. Emphasis is placed on appreciation and critical analysis of film as art. Topics vary each semester may vary from national cinemas (Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Spain, and so on) to ethnic groups (Mexican-American cinema) to transnational Hispanic directors (Luis Buñuel, Alfonso Cuarón). Students should have a conversational understanding of Spanish but can participate in English.
Prerequisite: MCOM 2366.

MCFL 3358. Screenwriting I: Narrative Writing for Film & Television. 3 Hours.

Students study the theory and techniques of screenwriting and become familiar with the principles and techniques used in writing fiction for film and television. Students develop original scripts and acquire an understanding of how to write a screenplay. Credit: 3
Prerequisite: MCOM 1332, MCOM 3375.

MCFL 3359. Directing for Film and TV. 3 Hours.

In this course students explore directorial techniques and methods of narrative films and narrative TV drama. Emphasis will be placed on directing a shoot, scene construction, coverage, staging, blocking, camera perspectives and directing actors.
Prerequisite: MCOM 1332, MCOM 1371, MCOM 2371, and a score of 80 or higher on the Grammar Module.

MCFL 3372. Single Cam & Non-Linear Edit I. 3 Hours.

This course teaches pre-production, field production, and post-production techniques. Elements include field camera setup and operation, remote lighting, remote sound, and basic continuity editing with an emphasis on underlying principles of video technology. Students are expected to produce original content for broadcast on Cable Channel 7.
Prerequisite: MCOM 1332, MCOM 1371, MCOM 2371, and a score of 80 or higher on the Grammar Module.

MCFL 3376. Field & Studio Audio Recording. 3 Hours.

Students in this course negotiate technical, aesthetic, production and recording differences between field and studio environments. Recording high-quality audio in diverse field settings is emphasized. Proper techniques for recording and reinforcing sound in live studio environments is also prioritized. Pre-production planning, equipment selection, and post-production editing will be studied.
Prerequisite: MCOM 1332 and either (MCOM 1371, and MCOM 2371 or MCOM 2374 and a score of 80 or higher on the Grammar Module) or (9 additional hours of MCOM).

MCFL 4350. Film Theory. 3 Hours.

Students in this course confront interrelated philosophical and social questions of film's nature as an art form, instrument, and mass medium. Major thinkers from different eras will be studied in a humanistic, critical, and discursive fashion through writing and discussion. Comparison of different critical approaches empowers a comprehensive understanding of film's cultural roles and potential.
Prerequisite: Either (9 hours of MCFL) or (MCOM 2366 and 6 additional hours of MCOM).

MCFL 4375. Advanced Screenwriting. 3 Hours.

The student develops original ideas from initial concept through completion of a full-length screenplay in a workshop environment. Screenplay structure for feature-length screenplays will be analyzed for character development and plot points.
Prerequisite: Either (MCPD 3375 and 9 additional hours of MCPD, or MCFL, or MCJR) or(MCOM 1332 and 12 additional hours of MCOM).