Hi,
I will be an exchange student during fall/winter session 2008-2009. I want to ask few questions.First, as an exchange student, can I take Cinema Studies Courses? I heard that they are limited courses, so I cannot enroll in them through ISXO.(Exchange students enroll in all courses though ISXO)
Second, most Cinema Studies Courses consist of lectures, tutorials and practical work. Can you tell me what exactly practical work is? Do students actually make a movie during that time or watch movies?? Also, do I have to enroll in practical work classes like turitorials?
Lastly, which class is easy for a beginner?? I love movies but actually I don’t want to MAKE a movie myself. I just want to study movies.
Thanks! ?
Not all cinema courses are listed under Innis in the Cinema Studies Program.? If you look under culture courses (e.g. Italian Studies, East Asian Studies, Finnish Studies?), you?ll be able to find that there are cinema courses offered within each program.? The majority of these also don?t require INI 115, which is the Introduction to Film course.? Since these courses don?t require the 100-level intro course, the content is more on how the culture is depicted within the film, rather than how the movie was shot, itself.? There?s a certain level of history that you?ll have to read about, and also noticing subtleties within the plot itself.? One course that I would recommend would be FIN250H1 ? Finnish Cinema.? There?ll be a lot of focus on the Kaurism?ki brothers and on what?Finland is like on film. ??Plus, you?ll get everything done in one 4hr session ? which includes time to watch the week?s film.? It?s pretty easy and the Prof really loves his subject (
Finland).? One of his quirky things is saying “Oh, I haven’t drawn Finland in a long time!”? Followed by drawing it on the black board and looking very proud afterward.? You’ll like it.As for how the course is laid out, anything practical is all done on your own time and mostly involves watching movies and analyzing it.? There?s no hands-on ?make your own? within this program ? so to be short, you don?t need to sign up for a practical course.? If you need to sign up for a tutorial, it should be available to you on the ISXO, or you?ll be enrolled once you get to Canada.??
But, being someone who?s about to embark on an exchange, can I please pressure you to take some Canadian courses ? there are cross over courses in Canadian content that you can enrol in as well!? I want you to do this so that you can get a look at us from an academic view, as well as a social one, so that you don?t just think that we?re NICE.? And also so that you don’t?end up telling your friends: “yeah, so?learned about _________ country while I was in Canada.”? No.? Don’t just do that.? You can study about _______ country while you’re here, but I feel like it?s your responsibility to really experience? Canada in its fullest.?? !!!?