FMST 1412 - CINEMA AND VIDEO GAMES

Minimum Credits: 3
Maximum Credits: 3
This course introduces a comparative study of cinema and video games, exploring the historical, cultural, aesthetic, technological and industrial intersections between these two media forms. Combining film screenings with game plays, we will try to understand how cinema and video games inform, influence and converge with each other, as well as how the interrelations between these two media may have affected visual cultures at large. We will focus on race, gender, and ethical issues of visual representations in both cinema and video games, discussing the political questions of identity, power and representation in popular culture. The class also intends to provide students with analytical frameworks in film and media studies to guide their critical interpretations of the technology, history, and forms of video games. Through writings of game designers, film scholars and media theorists, we will consider the foundational role of the discipline of film studies in the formation of critical game studies. Students will be introduced to some key theoretical questions and concepts, such as realism, affect, hypertext, interactivity, post-humanism, media convergence and participatory culture, which are crucial for understanding the technological, cultural and social conditions of both cinema and video games in the digital age.
Academic Career: Undergraduate
Course Component: Lecture
Grade Component: LG/SNC Elective Basis

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