Essential Cinema

Jon Lewis is a professor in the English Department at Oregon State University where he has taught film and cultural studies since 1983. He has published eight books: THE ROAD TO ROMANCE AND RUIN: TEEN FILMS AND YOUTH CULTURE, which won a CHOICE MAGAZINE Academic Book of the Year Award; WHOM GOD WISHES TO DESTROY … FRANCIS COPPOLA AND THE NEW HOLLYWOOD; THE NEW AMERICAN CINEMA; HOLLYWOOD V. HARD CORE: HOW THE STRUGGLE OVER CENSORSHIP SAVED THE MODERN FILM INDUSTRY, a NEW YORK TIMES New and Noteworthy paperback; THE END OF CINEMA AS WE KNOW IT: AMERICAN FILM IN THE NINETIES; AMERICAN FILM: A HISTORY; LOOKING PAST THE SCREEN: CASE STUDIES IN AMERICAN FILM HISTORY; and for the British Film Institute's Film Classics series, THE GODFATHER. Professor Lewis has appeared in two theatrically released documentaries on film censorship: INSIDE DEEP THROAT (Fenton Bailey, 2005) and THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED (Kirby Dick, 2006). Between 2002 and 2007, he served as editor of CINEMA JOURNAL and had a seat on the Executive Council of the Society for Cinema and Media Studies.

• 1. ANALYZING MOVIES. The Magic of Movies. Movies as Entertainment and Art. How to "Read" a Film.2. NARRATIVE AND GENRE.Narrative Structure. Characters. Genre.3. MISE-EN-SCÈNE.The Set. Costumes, Make-Up, and Hair. Blocking and Performance. The Lights.4. CAMERAWORK.Camera Placement. Camera Movement. Focus and Depth. The Plastic Material: Stock, Exposure, and Effects.5. EDITING.Elements of Editing. Continuity Editing. Alternative Editing Styles.6. SOUND.Sound and Image. The Voice Track. Music. Sound Effects. Sound Editing and Mixing. 7. THE COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL CONTEXTS. The Business of Film.Distribution and Marketing. Exhibition.8. DOCUMENTARY, ANIMATED, AND EXPERIMENTAL FILMS.Documentary. Animation. Experimental Film.9. FILM HISTORY.Hollywood. American Independents. Europe. Non-Western Film.10. WRITING ABOUT FILM. Essay Writing Strategies. Research and Citation.