This is a critical studies course exploring the aesthetics and psycho-acoustics of sound: how sound works in art and life; how it affects emotions and stimulates the imagination; and how it is used in film, radio, television and other creative or artistic contexts, particularly its application as a key element in storytelling. This course examines the meaning and character of the soundscape (the acoustic environment) and the ways it has technically and aesthetically evolved throughout film history from the Kinetophone to the iPhone. The course includes reading in the theory of sound, and listening to examples of sound work by composers and sound designers. In previous semesters we have looked at the soundtrack in such films as: Playtime; Apocalypse Now, The Conversation, Aliens, The Evil Dead II, Saving Private Ryan, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Class meetings will be devoted to: 1) lecture and discussion based on assigned readings and listening and viewing assignments; and 2) screening of selected audio and video works. Students are graded on class participation, journals, a paper, and exams. This course allocates as History & Criticism for Film & TV majors.
Category Archives: Liberal Arts & Sciences – Electives
All Liberal Arts Elective Courses: Quantitative Reasoning, Physical Science OR Life Science, Societies & the Social Sciences, Expressive Culture, General Liberal Arts Electives
The Art of Sound (FMTV-UT 1007)
The Black Image in Cinema (FMTV-UT 1216)
This is a critical analysis of the Black image in cinema through film screenings, discussions, and selected readings. Film is an art form whose influence dictates how we see others and ourselves. It shapes our worldview and, yet, it is one of the youngest and most misunderstood art forms. On the surface, film viewing might seem like a passive form of learning, but effective films engage us on emotional, intellectual, spiritual, cultural, and political levels. Film is one of the most powerful mediums ever invented and since it’s invention, the Black image and experience has been distorted, demonized, romanticized, erased, appropriated as well as exalted and reified. So, it is our duty and responsibility to know its history, understand its present effects, so we can dictate its future and participate in how the Black image evolves and is treated over time. This course will survey and critically explore an historical range of the Black image on screen and Black films in relation to inspiration, narrative, a scene, set, and site of production. Screening will include a sampling of important Black independently made, and/or Black cast and narrative feature films. We will discuss and analyze specific technical elements (direction, editing, framing and composition, mise-en-scene, music, etc.) that reinforce and demonstrate these larger themes. Accordingly, our discussions and readings will cover the full range of current issues and debates in Black cinema studies, from independence vs. mainstream filmmaking; gender and sexuality; class and color caste; the ghettoization and upwardly mobile integration of urban zones; cooptation and the rise of the bourgeois story as genre, and so on.
American Cinema: 1960 to Present (FMTV-UT 324)
Offered in the spring semester only. Course level: Intermediate. 4 points. No prerequisite. Over the last 50 years the American Cinema has produced a remarkably rich abundance of entertaining, exciting, and challenging films. This course is designed to provide a survey of the wealth of styles, forms, purposes, and approaches to filmmaking that developed and emerged in this era. While Hollywood has obviously served as the dominant mode of filmmaking in this country, a significant of other filmmaking practices have continued to operate and sometimes thrive outside of it. Beyond the attention paid to Hollywood narrative cinema as it has changed and evolved over this half-century, we will also consider documentaries, avant-garde and experimental works, independent narraive cinema, and “cult” films. Consequently, we will be screening a variety of films, including works by such notable American filmmakers as Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Quentin Tarantino, George Romero, John Singleton, and Michael Moore.
Feminist Filmmakers (FMTV-UT 1156)
Feminist Filmmakers examines gender constructs in narrative film and episodic work. We will explore how gender constructs in film and television influence societal views of gender roles, as well as contextualize gender in the era and cultures specific films were made. The vehicle through which this course will examine gender will be the history and work of female directors around the world. Screenings, critical reading in film and gender studies, articles and interviews on current debates regarding gender and diversity inclusion in the film industry, make this class valuable for everyone.
Traditions in Narrative: Comedy in America (FMTV-UT 1231)
The history of comedy in 20th century America is the history of America itself. Comedians from all walks of life have provided a funhouse mirror as well as a perceptive lens for American society and culture. This course will examine significant periods and players of the 20th century comedic genre and analyze them against their historic context and legacy. Humor will be used as a platform to discuss how comedy was governed by and ultimately responded to the influence of American society. This course will observe how comedians in turn shaped American life, running the gamut from silent movies to Vaudeville; screwball comedies of the 1930s and ‘40s to the Golden Age of Television; from the sitcom to the political comedies of present day. Equally important, this course will analyze the genesis and evolution of the comedic persona in performance: what worked, what did not work, and why. Comprehensive analysis of performances will help this course determine how performers did what they did and why they made the choices they made. This course will assess how the work of the comedian has evolved and grown over the course of a career, what methods have withstood the test of time, and why.
Hollywood Auteurs (FMTV-UT 1154)
This course will analyze the possibility of pursuing the ideals of an “author cinema” – a personal way of expressing ideas that can deal with Hollywood mainstream and also with the independents, but will never be considered an integral part of either one. The “author cinema” would be a cinema of personal expression that refuses the mainstream’s prison of “three acts, happy ending, stars, etc.”; and at the same time, refuses the trends and the limited scope of most of the independents: a cinema that shows not only how to make a film, but why. Films from all over the world will be analyzed, focusing in particular on the authors that are able to keep alive their personal vision while dealing with the studios (i.e. Stone, Lee, Scorsese, Kubrick), the ones that dared to fight Hollywood (i.e. Welles, Peckinpah, Cimino, von Stroheim) and the loose cannons independent at heart (Altman, P.T. Anderson, Coen brothers). A series of guests to the class will be comprised of critics, curators and cultural organizers, filmmakers and producers. This course allocates as History & Criticism for Film & TV majors. COURSE SUBJECT TO DEPARTMENTAL FEES. Non-majors must process a “Permission Notice for Non-Majors” form to register for the course (subject to availability).
Traditions in Narrative (FMTV-UT 1031)
This course surveys narrative forms and representative works from literature that employ them, contributing to a familiarity with the literary tradition inherited by film, television, and radio. It examines the various strategies of narrative structure and its principal components (e.g., plot, theme, character, imagery, symbolism, point of view) with an attempt to connect these with contemporary forms of media expression. The course includes extensive readings, which are examined in discussions, and selected from English, American, and world literature. This course may be allocated to either History & Criticism or Gen Ed Humanities for Film & TV majors.
Film Analysis (FMTV-UT 1204)
A rival reportedly asked Walt Disney why Disney’s films were so much better. Disney replied, “I analyze.” His rival said, “So do I.” Disney answered, “I analyze better.” Film Analysis is an advanced course in film criticism taught by practitioners. We build upon the analytical skills developed in Language of Film, Storytelling Strategies and the various production courses in order to strengthen the students’ ability to critically assess the weave of narrative content, mise-en-scene, cinematic technique and structures. Through this in-depth examination of a wide range of films, students deepen their understanding of how filmmakers over the years and in various cultures have created meaningful experiences for their audiences.This course counts as History & Criticism for Film Majors.
Consumer Behavior (MKTG-UB 2)
This course presents a comprehensive, systematic, and practical conceptual framework for understanding people as consumers—the basic subject matter of all marketing. It draws on the social sciences to evaluate the influence of both individual and ecological factors on market actions. Students discuss relevant psychological and sociological theories and study how they can be used to predict consumers’ reactions to strategic marketing decisions. Basic methodologies for research in consumer behavior are developed and applied. Course emphasis is on developing applications of behavioral concepts and methods for marketing actions.
Marketing (Undergraduate)
3 credits – 15 Weeks
Sections (Spring 2023)
MKTG-UB 2-000 (18452)01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Mon,Wed9:00 AM – 10:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Watson, Jared
MKTG-UB 2-000 (18466)01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Mon,Wed11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Watson, Jared
MKTG-UB 2-000 (18486)01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Mon,Wed3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Late afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Pham, Ngoc
Arts & War Seminar: (ASPP-UT 1046)
Art and War: Battle Lines of the Graphic Novel This course explores storytelling about war through the use of the graphic novel. Students will be introduced to both recent and historically significant comics about war. Our goal is to gain a deeper understanding of the interplay between image and text in sequential art, and the ability to critically analyze graphic novels that deal with challenging subject matter. What are the methodological and ethical issues that arise when constructing sequential narratives of war? What are the varying strengths between war narratives that are autobiographical, documentary or fictional? Is there something unique about the format of graphic novels that enables artists to tell a different kind of war story than filmmakers, musicians or performers? How do comic books circulate culturally, and how might this expand or limit their ability to inform our understandings of war? We will explore these questions through close readings, robust discussions and careful written analysis of well-known works by Art Spiegelman, Marjane Satrapi and Joe Sacco, as well as graphic novels by Keiji Nakazawa, Jason Lutes, Gipi, Emmanuel Guibert and others.
Ctr for Art, Society & Pub Pol (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks
Sections (Spring 2023)
ASPP-UT 1046-000 (22204)01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Mon12:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)at Washington SquareInstructed by Hebert, Patrick
Film: A Transformative Process, a Vision Beyond Technology (OART-UT 140)
This course emphasizes the content, the aesthetics, and the purpose of cinema as a truly distinctive and dynamic art form uncovering the inner vision of the filmmaker, and the organic and transformative process where filmmakers projects their original truth, not compromising or borrowing ideas and themes from other films. Students explore the use of technology as a valuable tool that enhances the vision of the filmmaker without diminishing the organic texture of the work by its overwhelming presence. The course brings to light the stagnant and repetitious formulae of commercial cinema, resulting in diluted mainstream films. The works of iconic filmmakers who embrace and use film as an original, vibrant and reflective art form are reviewed throughout the course. Extracts and readings from relevant filmmakers are given throughout the course.
International Cinema: 1960 to Present (CINE-UT 56)
This course surveys key historical movements and production moments in international cinema since 1960. Through close readings of exemplary films, the course will familiarize students with significant aesthetic, industrial, and technological developments that have occurred internationally over the past half-century. Emphasis will be placed on how social, political, economic, and cultural factors impact modes of production as well as film form and style in various contexts. Studies of historically innovative movements in particular national cinemas will be complemented with transnational perspectives that seek to trace lines of influence across borders. Students will encounter works from a diverse spectrum of filmmakers, including Agnès Varda, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Andrey Tarkovsky, Stephen Frears, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Jane Campion, and Alejandro González Iñárritu.
Transgender Youth (CAMS-UA 154)
Transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) youth are quickly becoming more visible in society. Parents of gender non-conforming children are coming to mental health providers in increasing numbers and are often met with stigma and bias and a lack of education on TGNC health. TGNC youth are turned out of their homes at disproportionate rates and harassed and bullied in school at higher rates than their gender conforming peers. They have higher rates of suicide, depression and substance abuse and face unique medical, legal and social barriers. They also have produced their own cultures and communities to face these challenges. This course will examine the scientific research on TGNC youth in the context of the practical challenges faced by these individuals and their families. Students will hear from experts in the field, receive personal accounts from TGNC teens and transgender adults, and take field trips to social services agencies and events produced by TGNC teens themselves.
Child/Adoles Mental Hlth Stds (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks
Sections (Spring 2023)
CAMS-UA 154-000 (8893)01/23/2023 – 05/08/2023 Tue,Thu8:00 AM – 9:00 AM (Morning)at Washington SquareInstructed by Glaeser, Elizabeth
Reading in French Lit: The Modern Era (In French) (FREN-UA 9121)
In this course students read masterpieces of French literature from the French Revolution to the end of the twentieth century. Works are considered from various historical, aesthetic and theoretical perspectives. Texts include: Le Père Goriot (Balzac); Madame Bovary (Flaubert); Les Faux-Monnayeurs (Gide); La Nausée (Sartre); Le Ravissement de Lol V. Stein (Duras), and Du côté de chez Swan I (Proust), which will be the subject of a final essay. Conducted in French.
French (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks
Sections (Spring 2019)
FREN-UA 9121-000 (10584)02/04/2019 – 05/16/2019 Tue,Thu1:00 PM – 2:00 PM (Early afternoon)at NYU Paris (Global)Instructed by
Studies in Prose Genres: Postcolonial Readings of Classic Texts (FREN-UA 9833)
Credits: 4
Duration: 14 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu
Duration: 14 Weeks
Dates: Tue,Thu
French (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks
Poverty and Inequality Around the Globe (SOCS-SHU 326)
This seminar examines the causes and consequences of poverty and rising inequality around the globe. Students will study the ways in which poverty and inequality are shaped by multifaceted contexts; understand the theories underlying strategies and programs which address key poverty and inequality issues faced by many developed, developing and least developed countries; and learn about different countries’ experiences addressing their own poverty and inequality issues. We consider philosophies of global justice and the ethics of global citizenship, and students are expected to critically reflect upon their own engagements with poverty relief activities and aspirations for social changes. Students should be prepared to tackle advanced social science readings, analysis, and writing. Open to seniors, and to other students with instructor’s permission. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or above. Fulfillment: Social Science Focus Political Economy/Sociology 300 level.
Social Science (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks
Sections (Spring 2023)
SOCS-SHU 326-000 (20242)01/30/2023 – 05/12/2023 Wed8:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Evening)at ShanghaiInstructed by Zelleke, Almaz
Contemporary Art and Theory in North America and Europe (HUMN-SHU 231)
Contemporary art can seem perplexing, yet when viewed as a progression of ideas and aesthetic strategies that respond to societal shifts, a certain logic emerges. This course traces movements in North American and European art from 1945 to the present through a study of primary and secondary texts, artwork examples, and historic context. In lectures, discussion and activities, we will investigate how artists went beyond primarily object-based works to explore expanded notions of what art can be and the interaction between the artwork and the viewer. The ways institutional frameworks, media and technology, politics, and social relations, informed contemporary art practice will also be examined. At the end of this course, students should be able to identify contemporary art movements, key artists, and relevant artworks and create compelling arguments around these works. They will also be able to articulate the conceptual and visual strategies employed in these pieces, recognize connections and differences across movements and have a basic knowledge of the milieu in which they were produced. Prerequisite: None. Fulfillment: Humanities Introductory course (18-19: survey).
Humanities (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks
Sections (Spring 2023)
HUMN-SHU 231-000 (20180)01/30/2023 – 05/12/2023 Fri1:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Early afternoon)at ShanghaiInstructed by Kramer, Maya
Gender and Sexuality in Modern Visual Culture (HUMN-SHU 181)
This course examines how ideas of gender and sexuality have shaped the production and consumption of visual culture from the late nineteenth century. We will examine a variety of visual and material texts that shape, criticize, and/or negotiate with contemporaneous gender and sexual norms. Focusing on these expressions’ cultural and historical specificities, the students will assess gender and sexuality—and as an extension, the notions of normality, healthfulness, and self—as ideas that continuously evolve in response to social discourses. The course proceeds roughly chronologically. It starts with the nineteenth-century Euro-American context, in which modern ideas of gender and sexuality began to circulate authoritatively in medical and legal terms. It then moves onto more globalized contemporary perspectives that critique and/or expand the pronouncedly “Western” conceptions of identity and identity categories. Prerequisite: None.
Humanities (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks
Sections (Spring 2023)
HUMN-SHU 181-000 (23103)01/30/2023 – 05/12/2023 Mon,Wed11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)at ShanghaiInstructed by Kong, Hyoungee
Human Genetics: Genes in Human Health & Disease (CCEX-SHU 136)
The goal of the first half of the course is to build a basic understanding of how information about traits is encoded in our genes, how this “blueprint” is interpreted by cellular machinery to build a complex human being, and how our heredity has resulted in our evolution. In the senond half of the course, we will continue the exploration of how environment, experience and random errors affect the process of building our traits, what happens when these processes fail, and the promise and possible peril of genetic technologies for human life. Fulfillment: CORE ED (with CCEX-SHU 137)
Exper Discovery in Nat World (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 15 Weeks
Sections (Spring 2023)
CCEX-SHU 136-000 (21479)01/30/2023 – 05/12/2023 Tue,Thu11:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Morning)at ShanghaiInstructed by Yu, Danyang
CCEX-SHU 136-000 (21480)01/30/2023 – 05/12/2023 Tue2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (Early afternoon)at ShanghaiInstructed by Yu, Danyang
Youth and Consumer Culture in China (GCHN-SHU 246)
How can a hamburger symbolize progress, an animated character provide comfort, and rock music define one’s identity? In this course we will study the role of consumer culture in the lives of Chinese youth, both today and in the past. By examining popular commodities including sneakers, coffee, backpacking, and celebrity idols, we will think about how young people use these things to find friendship and love, to seek success and happiness, and to define who they are. As we consider why people like particular commodities, we will learn about class, gender, ethnicity, and modernity in China. Reading about the history of commodities in China, we will consider what is new about consumer culture, and why people’s tastes change over time. Alongside studies of specific commodities, we will read key theoretical texts about shopping, advertising, media, identity, and fantasy: these texts will help us understand how commodities can be imbued with tremendous power to shape our desires and create our identities. During the semester, each student will conduct qualitative research about a commodity, including online research and offline interviews with people who buy and sell this commodity. At the end of the semester, we will gather your research together to produce a handbook of Chinese youth and consumer culture. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. Fulfillment: CORE SSPC/IPC; GCS Elective: The Politics, Economy, and Environment of China; Social Science focus Anthropology 200 level.
Global China Studies (Undergraduate)
4 credits – 14 Weeks