An introduction to analyzing and thinking critically about film and other media. Students will learn to read and interpret the basic signs, syntaxes, and structures of cinematic language. Through direct analysis of selected films, television, and new media, students will evaluate and construct evidentiary arguments about the aesthetic strategies creators use to make meaning for audiences. In addition, this course will familiarize students with the historical and industrial dimensions of film and media, as well as the influence technology has on their development into the twenty-first century.