The University of La Verne has its first Intro to Cinema course for the first time in a long while. The significant inclusion of a cinema class at the university shows the communications program’s diverse fields of academia regarding the field of media. Although being mostly a communication program mostly focused on television, journalism, and public relations, having an intro to cinema class helps student evolve their analytical skills and and also a history lesson is provided on the progressive movement of film on a technological and artistic scale. Don Pollock is the professor of the Cinema course and his obvious passion for film has shown through his lectures delving into the history of the entertainment business and how its evolution has inspired filmakers to make the films that we see as an audience today.
As a student of the Cinema course, it is suffice to say that this course on an academic level, is more than just about watching classic films. It’s about understanding why films were made a certain way and how they connect to the past and modern world, but most importantly, how it connects to us. The course challenges its students to study every detail in every film viewed, analyzing the technique of the cinematography and the production design, to the idiosyncrasies of performances given by the actors in the motion pictures.
Whether or not one is a commmunications major or not, this is a course worth looking into, especially if you love movies. If offered next semester or next year, consider looking into adding it to your curriculum. You won’t regret it.