The Department of Film and Media Studies focuses on visual literacy, film theory, film language, analysis, and film history, basic filmmaking strategies, as well as the influence of cinema on society and culture. Courses include: Media Theories, Film History, East Asian Cinema, Hispanic Cinema, Digital Cinema Production, Editing, History of Video Games, The Hollywood Musical, On-Camera Acting, Writing About Film, Screenwriting, as well as several courses on national and area cinemas, notable filmmakers (Guillermo del Toro, Martin Scorsese, the Coen Brothers), and film movements (neorealism, film noir, etc.). In addition to courses offered by FMS, there are also courses offered by various, relevant departments on campus, such as journalism, art, modern languages, English, and history.
The Film and Media Studies Department’s comprehensive curriculum provides students with the knowledge and skills required for careers in academics, media production, media-related fields, or other jobs in the humanities. Students interested in the production side of film can join the Student Film Production Club, which regularly hosts a local student film festival and has sponsored various filmmaking workshops. In the spring, FMS sponsors the Native Crossroads Film Festival and Symposium, a three-day event focusing on American Indian and Indigenous films, which offers several opportunities for students to meet visiting filmmakers and scholars.
Students may also earn credit by participating in internships at film companies in New York, Los Angeles, and London or locally at the Oklahoma Film and Music Office or local television stations, including OETA.
