Communication and Cinema

Professor Slade, Associate Professors Brett (Department Chair), Lemieux, and Trader; Assistant Professor Watley.

Areas of particular teaching interest: Professor Brett: scriptwriting, production, film theory and history; Professor Lemieux: interpersonal communication, relational communication, health communication, organizational culture, and quantitative research; Professor Slade: media literacy, production, American independent cinema; Professor Trader: computer mediated communication, message design, instructional communication; Professor Watley: media literacy, pop culture, media analysis, gender, intercultural communication, and qualitative research.

Communication Major:

Whether face-to-face or mediated, communication is interaction between individuals that shapes their personal as well as public worlds. The communication paradigm places communication at the nexus of all human endeavor and perceives all other disciplines as dependent upon it. In the field of communication we look at how individuals interact in creating symbolic meanings in their verbal, nonverbal, or visual. Because communication is closely tied to culture, we consider the nature of the message source, the context in which the message exists, and all that goes into creating, sending, and receiving the message. Our social scientific approach introduces students to theory and research methods used to examine communication, whether face-to-face or mediated – and by mediated, we mean not only traditional forms of broadcasting, but emerging forms of communication as well. Theories in the communication field help put the so-called “new media” into context.

Along with public speaking and rhetoric, television, radio and cinema emerge from oral traditions.

However, our courses also place a strong emphasis on writing. Not only will students be expected to write analyses, they will also write term papers in our research sequence and capstone courses. The research sequence is designed to train students to think critically by putting aside preconceived notions and following social scientific procedures to help them observe the world for themselves.

The Communication major at McDaniel College is a flexible degree that promises wide applications as you develop strong verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills, strong written communication skills, and strong research skills. Communication majors pursue careers in media (publishing, television, radio, internet sites, the film industry, advertising, public relations and event planning), business (sales, customer service, human resources, marketing, lobbying, public relations), law (mediation), government (public information, conflict negotiation, campaigning), and education (recruitment, alumni affairs, student advising, teaching).

Other Educational Options in Communication: Please see the dual majors option in Art .

Please see the Education section under Curriculum in this catalog for teacher certification requirements in Communication.

Cinema Major:

In the field of Cinema, technology is transitory. Every year brings new high-tech systems and software, new video formats and distribution platforms. The only cinematic tools that don’t become obsolete: The human brain and the human heart.

Audiences are inundated by Hollywood films with awesome stunts and visual effects, great costumes, and mega-star talent, all wrapped around weak, forgettable stories and characters devoid of passion, ingenuity, and humanity.

Our goal at McDaniel Cinema: Solid stories, smartly told.

We don’t embrace the typical button-pushing, widget-obsessed method to producing media. Instead, we take a holistic approach that emphasizes mastery of three key liberal arts-based areas that have always lain at the core of great cinema:

Writing: A mastery of the process and formatting of strong cinematic stories.

Critical Analysis: Understanding the broader context of cinema in terms of history and theory by studying iconic filmmakers, key thinkers, genres, and movements.

Production: The ability to complete a cinematic project – regardless of medium or venue – from casting through effective and dramatic shooting and editing.

All supplemented by values at the core of the liberal arts: teamwork, critical thinking, and creative problem solving.

At McDaniel Cinema, we want to prepare the next wave of creative thinkers and storytellers, people who communicate powerful ideas using images and sound – graduating talented and well-rounded citizens of the world who have something exciting and meaningful to say, and who can use their mastery of cinematic storytelling to work in all facets of the media industry.

Other Educational Options in Cinema: Please see the dual majors option in Theatre.

Programs

Undergraduate Major

Undergraduate Minor

Communication and Cinema

Programs

Courses