EUGENE, Ore. -- (Oct. 21, 2009) - The University of Oregon will soon offer a new Cinema Studies undergraduate degree, aimed at meeting student demand and the needs of an expanding, multimillion-dollar Oregon film and video industry.
The major focuses on the study of moving image media, including film, television, video and other emerging digital forms, from the perspective of history, theory, aesthetics and production. The new program will include classes on media from around the world, including Japan, China, Russia, France, Italy and Latin America.
The interdisciplinary major will be the first on the UO campus to span the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), the School of Architecture and Allied Arts (AAA) and the School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC).
"It's been the perfect storm of people collaborating on the major," said Michael Aronson, UO associate professor of English, who has been instrumental in the development of the major.
The emphasis on international cinema, film and video production distinguishes the program from similar majors at other institutions in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California at a time when the Oregon film industry is growing fast, accounting for nearly 4,000 jobs and an output of half a billion dollars in 2005.
"There's nothing like this between the Bay Area and Vancouver, British Columbia," said Kathleen Karlyn, a UO associate professor of English who has been involved with the creation of the major since 2006. Karlyn also has been nominated as the program's director.
UO Philip H. Knight Dean of Libraries Deborah Carver has been active in and supportive of the major's development. UO's Knight Library has provided space, IT support and funding for the new 22-workstation production lab and screening area. Specialized equipment, such as cameras, will be available specifically to majors through the library's Media Services department.
Additional start-up funding was provided by the College of Arts and Sciences. The intent is for the program to become self-sustaining as the base of declared majors grows. Student demand is already high. Aronson currently is advising 30 students who are interested in the major.
The major officially begins during the Winter 2010 term. Many of the courses students will take already are in place, including documentary production from the SOJC, narrative analysis and development from CAS and time-based digital arts from AAA.
About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of the 62 leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.
Contact: Julie Brown, UO media relations, 541-346-3185, julbrown@uoregon.edu
Source: Kathleen Karlyn, associate professor of English, 541-346-3962, karlyn@uoregon.edu
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