The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all credits”. The premier prize in the movie industry, the Academy Awards (Oscars), features three categories of short film - live action short, documentary short, and animated short film. This course will highlight film (from the three categories above) as a basis to access a lens to critical issues of the world.
Filmmakers engaged in the production of short film are often intimately involved with and experts on the subject matter. Many are on a “mission” to enlighten the viewer to issues they’ve dedicated their life to. With running time limited to 40 minutes, every frame counts. Consequently, the art form serves as a potential powerhouse for the moment. A moment that we will seize.
We will talk. Listen. Share. Since insight on such things is more effective when immediate, we will watch each of the films together in class. We’ll explore the film, our own thoughts, and those of one another. We will use film (and study) to enrich discussion on societal, personal, political, and cultural challenges around the globe, and to make comparisons between “our world” and “the one” featured in each particular film. Critical thinking will drive class discourse, written analysis, and journal writing.
Our semester-long filmography list consists of a total of 22 films. Eight live-action shorts. Two short documentaries. Twelve animated shorts. All were Oscar-nominated. The films feature the talents of directors, actors, and film crews from nineteen countries worldwide.
- Викладач: Вуд Боб