Experimental Cinema

300 Level -In Experimental Cinema, students will be introduced to the long tradition of non-narrative filmmaking-from Fernand Leger's surreal "Ballet Mechanique," to the lo-fi Pixelvision diaries of Sadie Benning, to the sumptuous Kodachrome light poems of Nathaniel Dorsky. When possible and appropriate, we will screen films on 16mm film prints. This will be a combination seminar/production course in which students will not only learn to analyze and appreciate the experimental cinema canon, but will also produce non-narrative work of their own. Students will learn how to work with 8mm and 16mm film, as well as a variety of digital video formats, exploring the different creative affordances of each medium. This course will broaden students' perspectives on the formal and aesthetic possibilities of cinema, and build a foundation for poetic experimentation in their own filmmaking. Fulfills ARTS Distribution.