As you begin to embark on your journey into Tufts, you may be wondering: What do I even do while here?
For those of you who are storytellers, dreamers and artists, one option is to look into the Film and Media Studies Program. Relatively new to Tufts, the FMS program was established in 2015. This fall, the program will expand to include new requirements for majors and several new courses, including the new core requirement: “A Cultural History of the Internet” (FMS 94).
The program offers students the chance to deepen their knowledge of the media that surrounds everyday life, using the medium to create a better society. The program combines looking at the history of film in a national and global perspective and filmmaking practice to give students skills of analyzing film and media, communicating complex ideas and stories in a variety of ways, expanding critical thinking skills and more.
Tasha Oren, director of the Film and Media Studies Program and associate professor in the Department of Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies, wrote in an email to the Daily: “FMS courses span critical analysis of cinema and media, screenwriting, emerging technologies (including AI and web content creation), filmmaking, media marketing, and PR.”
The program also hosts several different seminars and talks with successful filmmakers throughout the semester. Guest speakers have included film music scholar Giorgio Biancorosso, documentary filmmaker Jeremy Workman and film scholar Patrick Keating. Often paired with a special screening, these talks are a significant opportunity for new filmmakers to meet and learn from professionals in the field.
Additionally, the FMS community at Tufts is just that — a community. For those of you eager to jump right in, look into beginning with the first core requirement, “Art of the Moving Image” (FMS 01), to get started. For those interested in exploring more options, make an appointment with Denise Cummings, senior lecturer and director of undergraduate studies. Interested in film equipment and loaning information for production students? Stop by the Equipment Cage in Barnum Hall Room LL25 and ask for Kyle Petty. Simply interested to learn more about the film community and great opportunities? Drop into the office of Gina O’Connor, the program’s administrator.
Regardless of whether you have been a film lover since you were 6 years old or have just a small, peeking interest in media, the film community offers ample space and opportunity to explore the medium.
Furthermore, the Film and Media Studies Program goes beyond simply teaching the traditional film format. A mixture of television, radio, artificial intelligence and marketing courses are offered every semester in addition to theory courses on film history, films of different cultures, film auteurs, religion, philosophy and even a Disney and Studio Ghibli course. This variety of production and theory courses allows students to shape both their experience in the department as well as their own artistic voices. Whether it is to sharpen your writing, critical thinking and analytical skills or to explore a new era of media, this program offers several routes of discovery.
“We look forward to welcoming you to our program and helping you explore diverse approaches to screen arts, studies and industries,” Oren wrote.
A look into these unique voices can be seen through the nine students who will be presenting their thesis projects at the upcoming annual FMS Film Festival hosted by the program. A mix of narrative shorts, academic papers, feature screenplays and documentaries, these students are able to offer their own personal touch and values to the community through their work. Students are encouraged to collaborate and work on different student projects throughout their Tufts film careers, whether or not they pursue their own work. Introductory and upper-level courses in writing, documentary and production further allow for students to learn from each other and department professionals throughout their Tufts career.
In addition to the Film and Media Studies Program, Tufts hosts a slew of clubs based in film and storytelling, including Tufts University Television, Tufts Institute Sketch Comedy and, most recently, The Film Club at Tufts.
TUTV, the student-run production group, puts together projects such as HorrorFest every fall and shows by Jumbo Night Live — a “Saturday Night Live” parody — several times a semester, encouraging students to develop their production skills, collaborate with other student filmmakers and develop new projects and ideas. The Tufts Institute Sketch Comedy is a student-run group made up of actors, writers and filmmakers on campus, putting on live and video performances every semester. The Film Club at Tufts, officially organized this spring, brings together film lovers to make, learn and discuss films in addition to a variety of screenings of popular films held on campus.
Whether it’s only one class, an extracurricular activity or your main focus at Tufts, the film community is happy to have a new generation of storytellers, creatives, critics and scholars.
