Cinematic World Building

Catalog description

In this course will consider the ways in which films and television shows construct distinct worlds through visual techniques and storytelling. By turning a critical eye to the concept of world building, we will seek to understand how this technique works, as well as how this aesthetic inquiry helps to shed light upon, and gain greater understanding of, our own world and how we move through it. In addition to the relevant examples of world building found in the science fiction and fantasy genres, we will also consider films that more closely resemble this world. We will also crowd source supplemental examples from the expertise of our class. We might even examine a video game or two. Those with an interest in sci-fi, fantasy, RPGs, video games, game design, and aesthetics are encouraged to enroll! Potential media to include: 8 ¿ (Fellini), Adventure Time (Ward), Atlantics (Diop), The Big Lebowski (Joel & Ethan Cohen), Blade Runner (Scott), Brick (Johnson), The Conversation (Coppola), The Empire Strikes Back (Lucas/Kershner), Everything Everywhere All at Once (Daniels), The Holy Mountain (Jodoroswky), Ikiru (Kurosawa), Lovecraft Country (Green), Nomadland (Zhao), Nope (Peele), The Shining (Kubrick), Spirited Away (Miyazaki), Stalker (Tarkovsky), Super Mario World (Miyamoto), Tigers Are Not Afriad (L¿pez), Twin Peaks (Lynch), Under the Cherry Moon (Prince)