Courses

FMS 100 Intro to Film (3 Hours)

The holistic intent of this course is to introduce students to film as an art form that goes beyond entertainment. This is an introduction to film through analyzing and thinking critically about film as a visual art medium. Students will analyze a film’s impact on society and the use of film as a medium of expression and will watch films in order to evaluate the strategies used by the filmmaker to create meaning for the viewer. Students will read and interpret basic signs, syntaxes and structures of cinematic language; locate film in historical, cultural, political and social contexts; and critique film using various methodologies. Students will also recognize and identify filmmaking as a business by defining stages of filmmaking, the various employed positions and the duties used in the making of a film. They also will evaluate the effect of the film industry on the society within which films are being made.

FMS 200 Intro to Filmmaking and Media Aesthetics (3 Hours)

This is an introduction to filmmaking and media aesthetics through practical application of cinematic language and techniques, theories and methodologies. The holistic intent of this course is for students to learn basic filmmaking techniques while also developing an understanding of film as a visual art medium that goes beyond entertainment. Students will be introduced to the concepts of time, space, composition, movement, editing, light, color and sound. Students will learn about the ethical considerations of the medium and the cultural importance of film as it reflects and shapes society. This course is a practical emphasis on learning how to creatively apply elements of design, camera lens and sound recording principles to create concept forward films. Examples of these aspects of film and associated media will be examined and discussed in depth.

FMS 275 Introduction to Film and Media Production* (3 Hours)

Prerequisites : FMS 200.

Prerequisites or corequisites: FMS 100.

This is an introduction to basic film and media production. In this course, you will become familiar with basic technical and aesthetic practices through hands-on production exercises and projects. You will finish the course with a solid understanding of single-camera technique, set operations, fiction and non-fiction filmmaking processes, and emerging trend in filmmaking as an art form. You will learn to how to articulate your experiences, ideas and images cinematically, and how to collaborate with your peers to produce good work. The holistic intent of the class is to create film and media that gives viewers an emotional, intellectual or visceral experience. The assignments in this course are geared toward learning to construct effective film and media experiences and learning the specific technologies and practices to translate concepts and artistic intentions to screen or projection.

FMS 292 Special Topics: (1-3 Hour)

This course periodically offers specialized or advanced discipline-specific content related to the study of Film and Media, not usually taught in the curriculum. Due to the breadth and depth of the discipline, this course may expand upon a topic introduced in a current course, synthesize topics that cross-cut existing courses, or explore a topic not addressed currently in the Film and Media Studies curriculum. Students may repeat Special Topics in Film and Media Studies for credit but only on different topics. This is a repeatable course and may be taken more than once for credit.

FMS 100

Title: Intro to Film
Number: FMS 100
Effective Term: 2025-26
Credit Hours: 3
Contact Hours: 3
Lecture Hours: 3

Description:

Textbooks:

http://bookstore.jccc.edu/

Supplies:

Refer to the instructor's course syllabus for details about any supplies that may be required.

Objectives

Recognize and identify the stages of making a film, employed positions within the film industry and the impact that making a film has on the surrounding community.
Evaluate technical strategies used by the filmmaker.
Analyze film as a medium of visual art, not only as a form of entertainment.
Identify, define and employ concepts and vocabulary critical to the understanding of film and media.
Analyze and interpret basic signs, syntaxes and structures of cinematic language.
Differentiate, compare and contrast various methodologies for critiquing film.
Create and construct arguments, evidence and conclusions about the methods used to give meaning to the film for the viewer.
Locate and distinguish a film within historical and diverse contexts, and evaluate the impact of historical and diverse contexts on the film, filmmaker and the viewer.

Content Outline and Competencies:

I. The Filmmaking Business

A. Identify the stages of making a film: development, production/post-production and distribution.

B. Recognize and list the various employed positions and crew assignments created and used during the making of a film.

C. Summarize and explain the impacts on the communities where films are created.

II. Film as Art

A. Identify, define and employ concepts and vocabulary critical to the understanding of film and media.

B. Demonstrate visual literacy by analyzing metaphor and symbology within film.

III. Technical Strategies

A. Analyze the compositional choices of movement, depth of field, color and light in films.

B. Critique and evaluate the use of cuts, transitions and other editing choices of films.

C. Critique the continuity editing of films.

D. Assess and critique the use of sound in films.

E. Interpret cinematic language used within films such as signs, syntaxes and structures.

IV. Methodologies and Historical Context

A. Identify and define methodologies of film criticism and theories, such as iconic analysis, semiotic analysis, psychoanalytical approach and shot-by-shot analysis.

B. Locate the various methodologies within a historical context such as Marxism and Second Wave Feminism.

C. Analyze and compare various methodologies to each other and describe how these can be applied to films being created in our current society.

D. Analyze and use these methodologies to critique international films within the context of globalization.

E. Critique and evaluate films orally and in writing.

F. Analyze films within the context of diversity, such as sexual orientations, gender identifications, cultures, religions, races and ethnicities.

Method of Evaluation and Competencies:

70-90%    Examinations and Papers
10-15%    Homework, Participation, Attendance
0-15%      Quizzes

Total: 100%

Grade Criteria:

90 - 100% = A
80 - 89% = B
70 - 79% = C
60 - 69% = D
0 - 59% = F

Caveats:

Student Responsibilities:

Disabilities:

JCCC provides a range of services to allow persons with disabilities to participate in educational programs and activities. If you are a student with a disability and if you are in need of accommodations or services, it is your responsibility to contact Access Services and make a formal request. To schedule an appointment with an Access Advisor or for additional information, you may send an email or call Access Services at (913)469-3521. Access Services is located on the 2nd floor of the Student Center (SC 202).

FMS 200

Title: Intro to Filmmaking and Media Aesthetics
Number: FMS 200
Effective Term: 2025-26
Credit Hours: 3
Contact Hours: 6
Lecture Hours:
Other Hours: 6

Description:

Textbooks:

http://bookstore.jccc.edu/

Supplies:

Refer to the instructor's course syllabus for details about any supplies that may be required.

Objectives

Identify and employ concepts and vocabulary of visual aesthetics to film and media.
Analyze film and its aethestic components through the contexts of visual cultures, media platforms, and historical movements.
Evaluate aesthetic components of media from diverse groups including a variety of geographic regions, various races and ethnicities, different sexual orientations and gender identities, and different historic periods.
Demonstrate the ability to use light effectively.
Compose/write scripts and create storyboards.
Demonstrate the ability to use a video camera and to accurately choose appropriate aperture, lens, ISO, shutter speed and meter reading for shooting effectively and accurately.
Use technical strategies for camera work/shooting, lighting and post-production editing.
Demonstrate the ability to record and edit sound.
Create films as visual art.
Critique and defend film verbally and in writing.

Content Outline and Competencies:

I. Vocabulary, Contextualization and Aesthetics

A. Identify and employ concepts and vocabulary of visual aesthetics to film and media such as shot, take, depth of field, cut, dissolve, montage, continuity, diegetic sounds and non-diegetic sounds.

B. Analyze film and its aesthetics within various visual cultures, media platforms, using critical theories, such as

1. Auteur

2. Feminist

3. Marxist

4. Linguistic

5. Psychological

6. Queer theory

C. Analyze film and its aesthetics within historical movements such as

1. German expressionism

2. Soviet montage

3. Avant-garde

4. Film noir

D. Evaluate aesthetic components of media from diverse geographic regions and diverse populations such as

1. International films

2. LGBTQ films

3. Feminist films

4. Films on the topic of race, ethnic and class relations and experiences

II. Camera Use

A. Use aperture creatively and correctly in order to construct and create appropriate depth of field.

B. Choose appropriate ISO to demonstrate understanding of film speed as it applies to video cameras.

C. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of shutter speed by employing shutter speed accurately and creatively to express movement within time-based media.

D. Produce properly exposed video footage through the manipulation of aperture, shutter speed and ISO.

E. Analyze the meter readings for production and recording of video.

III. Lighting

A. Analyze natural lighting scenarios and manipulate the composition using available and natural light in order to create interesting and appropriate compositions.

B. Employ studio lighting techniques to create aesthetically interesting lighting scenarios.

C. Demonstrate proper use of lighting equipment in the studio and on location.

IV. Technical Strategies

A. Practice and create various compositions.

B. Invent and arrange expressive uses of color and lighting scenarios.

C. Use cuts, transitions and edits to effectively express ideas and/or narratives.

D. Apply strategies of continuity editing effectively.

E. Create, reconstruct, reorganize and compose sound expressively and effectively for films/videos.

F. Operate computers and use post-production editing software to edit and develop finished video/films in the form of exported movies or video loops.

V. Scripts and Storyboards

A. Write, rewrite and create narrative scripts.

B. Sketch, develop and create storyboards.

C. Develop and produce documentary storylines and storyboards.

VI. Artist Statements

A, Analyze research of topics.

B. Communicate the relevant research through a written statement that connects a viewer to the art created.

VII. Critique and Professionally Presenting Art

A. Demonstrate the ability to professionally present work including:

1. Presenting the formal and technical qualities of the work

2. Presenting the conceptual content of the work

B. Analyze videos created in context of Art and Film History and movements.

C. Evaluate the work created.

Method of Evaluation and Competencies:

70-90%    Creative projects and assignments
10-15%    Attendance, homework, and class participation
0-15%      Written papers and exams

100% Total

Grade Criteria:

90 - 100% = A
80 - 89% = B
70 - 79% = C
60 - 69% = D
0 - 59% = F

Caveats:

Student Responsibilities:

Disabilities:

FMS 275

Title: Introduction to Film and Media Production*
Number: FMS 275
Effective Term: 2025-26
Credit Hours: 3
Contact Hours: 6
Lecture Hours:
Other Hours: 6

Requirements:

Prerequisites: FMS 200.
Prerequisites or corequisites: FMS 100.

Description:

Textbooks:

http://bookstore.jccc.edu/

Supplies:

Refer to the instructor's course syllabus for details about any supplies that may be required.

Objectives

Plan, create and evaluate content that applies principles of film aesthetics and storytelling.
Develop familiarity with the process of single-camera video production and the necessary skills to create video productions with the single-camera video process.
Demonstrate competency with the technology used in the film production process.
Employ a working vocabulary of film production and post-production terms and the procedures associated with them.
Demonstrate competency in visual literacy including use of metaphor and symbology.
Work collaboratively to fulfill multiple positions as part of a larger-scale production team.

Content Outline and Competencies:

I. Principles of Film Aesthetics

A. Plan shooting scenes and schedule by creating story boards, schedules and calendars.

B. Create content by inventing lighting scenarios, shooting clips and editing.

C. Evaluate and critique films and film content using principals of film aesthetics such as the arrangement of elements, color, tone and lighting.

D. Evaluate aesthetic components of media from diverse geographic regions and diverse populations.

E. Demonstrate an understanding of diversity and its impact on creating and evaluating films.

F. Evaluate films expressing a plethora of cultural, global and diverse perspectives, such as:

1. International films

2. LGBTQ films

II. Single-camera Video Production

A. Demonstrate proper use of camera.

B. Produce properly exposed video footage.

C. Analyze natural lighting scenarios and manipulate the composition using available and natural light in order to create interesting and appropriate compositions.

D. Employ studio lighting techniques to create aesthetically interesting lighting scenarios.

E. Demonstrate proper use of lighting equipment in the studio and on location.

F. Apply strategies of working collaboratively.

G. Demonstrate knowledge of various positions and job duties and employ this knowledge in fulfilling these roles, positions such as:

1. Camera operator

2. Gaffer

3. Best boy

III. Technology and Technical Strategies

A. Practice and create various compositions.

B. Invent and arrange expressive uses of color and lighting scenarios.

C. Use cuts, transitions, and edits to effectively express ideas and/or narratives.

D. Apply strategies of continuity editing effectively.

E. Create, reconstruct, reorganize and compose sound expressively and effectively for films/videos.

F. Operate cameras and computers and use post-production editing software to edit and develop finished video/films in the form of exported movies or video loops.

IV. Vocabulary and Visual Literacy

A. Identify and employ the vocabulary utilized within the profession such as:

1. Rough cuts

2. Continuity editing

3. Diegetic and non-diegetic sounds

B. Demonstrate visual literacy by analyzing metaphor and symbology within film.

Method of Evaluation and Competencies:

70-90% Creative projects and assignments
10-15% Attendance, homework, and class participation
0-15% Written papers and exams

Total: 100%

Grade Criteria:

90 - 100% = A
80 - 89% = B
70 - 79% = C
60 - 69% = D
0 - 59% = F

Caveats:

Required Course Supplies: External hard drive of a minimum of 1 TB, memory cards of at least 64 GB.

Student Responsibilities:

Disabilities:

FMS 292

Title: Special Topics:
Number: FMS 292
Effective Term: 2025-26
Credit Hours: 1 - 3
Contact Hours: 2 - 6
Lecture Hours: 1 - 3
Other Hours: 2 - 3

Description:

Textbooks:

http://bookstore.jccc.edu/

Supplies:

Refer to the instructor's course syllabus for details about any supplies that may be required.

Objectives

Be conversant with the relevant readings within the selected topic.
Define and explain key terms and concepts within the selected topic.
Demonstrate appropriate research methodology relevant to the selected topic.
Relate the special topic to essential issues and themes in film, filmmaking, media and/or society.
Articulate a critically informed perspective on the selected topic drawn from qualitative and/or quantitative evidence.

Content Outline and Competencies:

The content outline and competencies will vary because they are dependent upon the Special Topic being offered. The outline and competencies will follow the standard format for JCCC courses and will be written in outcomes-based language. The Special Topics course proposal will first be reviewed and approved by the Photography faculty. The Arts & Design, Humanities and Social Sciences Curriculum Committee and the division dean will review and approve each Special Topics course proposal. Scheduling of Special Topics courses will be the responsibility of the department chair.

Method of Evaluation and Competencies:

Methods of evaluation will vary depending on the Special Topic being offered. Standard methods of evaluation may be employed, such as readings, discussions, written assignments, creative projects, critiques, individual or group projects, presentations and service learning. Other methods may be utilized to assess student mastery of competencies based upon the needs of the Special Topic and the instructor.

Grade Criteria:

90 - 100% = A
80 - 89% = B
70 - 79% = C
60 - 69% = D
0 - 59% = F

Caveats:

A topic offered as a Special Topics course may not be offered more than once every two years.