If you have a serious interest in motion pictures, and if you are considering a film-related career (cinematography, film critic, film teacher), then you should consider the Cinema minor. The primary requirement is the completion of 12 credit hours of film-related courses. This minor may be part of your studies in several Onondaga curricula including Humanities and Electronic Media Communications.
Cinema courses are found in a variety of disciplines. They may be listed as English courses, social science/history courses or given a cinema designation. Since all curricula which allow a Cinema minor require English and social science courses, these credits may fulfill both requirements. All Cinema students are required to take at least one CIN course, in addition to whatever English and history cinema-related courses are completed. CIN courses deal with specific topics (animated films, comedy films, etc.), whereas the English and history courses are primarily of a broader nature.
All of the courses—whether they are officially listed as English, history, or cinema—deal with the history and appreciation of film, and are designed to give you a historical perspective on motion pictures while also stimulating an aesthetic appreciation of film and an ability to view film critically and analytically. Filmmaking is NOT taught in any of these courses; if you are interested in learning the basics of production, you are advised to enroll in the Electronic Media Communications program and take cinema courses as well. This will give you a more suitable background in both production and appreciation. On the other hand, if your primary interest is in the artistic aspects of film as it relates to society and the arts, you are advised to enter the Humanities program and take an assortment of cinema courses.
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