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29 courses · Santa Barbara City College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Fall 2026 · Spring 2027
FS 101 Introduction to Film Studies
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC (with unit limitation)
Introduction to one of the most powerful cultural and artistic mediums of our time: cinema. Focuses on the aesthetics, history, literature and creative techniques, as well as the depiction of social cultures, history and values in film. Lectures, discussions and reading are supplemented by the screening of representative films.
FS 101H Introduction to Film Studies, Honors
- Units
- 4
- Hours
- 90 (63 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC (with unit limitation)
Focuses on film aesthetics, history, literature and creative techniques, as well as a depiction of social cultures, history and values in film. Includes an in-depth examination of major directors and important film movements. Lectures, discussions and readings are supplemented by the screening of representative films.
FS 103 Film Noir
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Introduction to the stylized aesthetics, intricate narratives, and ambivalent themes of films that constitute the classic film noir era, as well as the contemporary American and international neo-noir period. The diverse literary and cinematic influences are assessed, and the films are examined within the context of film history, politics, popular culture, gender, sexuality, class, and race. Covers significant directors, producers, writers, actors, and studios. Lectures, discussions, and readings are supplemented by the screening and critical analysis of representative films.
FS 104 American Film to 1960's
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Study of the development, history and aesthetics of the Hollywood studio system, as well as its impact on our culture. Study of classic films as forms of popular entertainment and cinematic art, including various Hollywood genres and their independent counterparts. Lectures, discussions and readings are supplemented by the screening and critical analysis of representative films.
FS 105 Introduction to Television Studies
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Introduction to the basic concepts, forms, practices and policies that have guided the evolution and operation of television in the United States. Examines developments in programming, industrial and institutional structure, regulation, audiences, technological innovation and cultural significance of television. Lectures, discussions and readings are supplemented by the screening and critical analysis of representative programs.
FS 107 Contemporary American Film
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Study of the changes to the Hollywood studio system, alternative productions, and independent film since the 1960s. Covers such topics as the decline of the studio system, the rise of American New Wave cinema, the history of the blockbuster, the parallel histories of independent and underground film, and the presence of media conglomerates.
FS 108A Film Festival Studies
- Units
- 2
- Hours
- 54 (27 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Introduction to film festivals through U.S. and international fiction, experimental and documentary films. Focuses on the role of festivals in the film marketplace, emergence of new filmmakers, national cinemas and the practice of writing film criticism. Film screenings supplemented by lectures, discussions, readings and panel discussions. Contact department for information.
FS 108B Film Festival Studies
- Units
- 1.5
- Hours
- 45 (18 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Short course that introduces students to film festivals through U.S. and international fiction, experimental, and documentary films. Focuses on the role of festivals in representing diverse voices and emerging new filmmakers and national cinemas. Emphasis on representation of class, race, gender, sexuality, differently abled. Film screenings are supplemented by lectures, discussions, readings and panel discussions. Contact department for information.
FS 109 Film and Cultural Criticism
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
A study of the basic formal dimensions of cinema through the close analyses of individual films and the representation of culture focusing on gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, class, and disability. The course focuses on close readings of films and on developing a strong film writing approach. Lectures, discussions, and readings will be supplemented by the screening and critical analysis of representative films.
FS 110 World Cinema to 1960's
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Study of international film history, theory and aesthetics, from the invention of cinema in the 1890s through the 1950s. Includes fictional narrative film, documentary and avant-garde film of the period. Organized around the history and development of formal devices such as the shot, montage, mise-en-scene, sound design, color technology, and classical narrative form.
FS 111 Contemporary World Cinema
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Study of international film history, theory and aesthetics, from 1960 to the present. The film medium is addressed as a technology, a business, an art form and as a medium that both reflects and creates popular culture.
FS 112A French Film
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Study of French film history, from the invention of cinema in the 1890s to the present, focusing on changes in narrative and documentary films, as well as experimental movements. Covers significant movements, periods, genres, influences, as well as major directors. Lectures, discussions and readings are supplemented by the screening and critical analysis of representative films.
FS 112B Art Cinema
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Study of Art Cinema, beginning in the 1940s, continuing into its heyday in the 1960s, and developing into the contemporary era. Focuses on changes in narrative and cinematic styles, film auteurs, and cultural influences as well as film industries. Lectures, discussions and readings are supplemented by the screening and critical analysis of representative films.
FS 112C Spanish and Latin American Film
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Study of Spanish and Latin American film histories from the invention of cinema in the 1890s to the present, focusing on changes in narrative and documentary films, as well as experimental movements. Covers significant movements, periods, genres, influences, as well as major directors. Lectures, discussions and readings are supplemented by the screening and critical analysis of representative films.
FS 112D East Asian Cinema
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Study of cinematic traditions in East Asia through an analysis of films from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea. Students learn about each of these film industries including the extent to which they intersect with Hollywood and other international films. Course presentations, discussions, and readings will correspond to a diverse selection of representative films.
FS 113 Experimental Film
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Introduction to the development, history, theory and aesthetics of avant-garde, experimental and non-narrative cinema. Study of significant works, figures and movements related to these non-traditional cinematic forms. Examines representative examples of non-narrative films and explores their function as a counterweight to the more dominant forms of narrative and documentary.
FS 114 History of Animation
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Overview and study of the history of animation films, from its prehistory in the late nineteenth century to current and emerging digital animation technologies. Lectures, discussions and readings are supplemented by the screening and critical analysis of representative films.
FS 115 The Vietnam War in Film
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Study of how America's longest and most controversial military conflict has been portrayed cinematically, and how films about the Vietnam War fit within the context of American cinema. Focuses on the diverse perspectives filmmakers have brought to cinematic explorations of the war, as well as on the technical, narrative and aesthetic techniques they have employed.
FS 116 Gender and Sexuality in Film
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Survey of gender and sexuality in film, including formation of stereotypes and social messages as reflections of the ages in which they were conceived. Film theory introduced, as well as examination of female directors, their work and contributions to the canon. Covers cinematic representations of masculinity, femininity and alternative sexuality, from early cinema to present.
FS 118 Film Genres
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Genre study of the components of film as art and social expression. Investigates the origins, evolution and transformations of various film genres, including film noir, the Western, science-fiction, musical, horror, war, or crime film. Covers the thematic conventions of each genre and the genre as a reflection of the social environments that produced them.
FS 119 Film Comedy
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Survey of significant American and international comedic films and how they have helped to advance and define the art of cinema. Landmark comedies, featuring major directors and comic actors, analyzed in terms of theme, structure and cinematic technique. Cultural relevance of comedies in mirroring and satirizing historical and social trends are explored in depth.
FS 120 Visionary Filmmakers
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Study of diverse filmmakers and how their work has advanced and defined the art of cinema. Landmark films by celebrated filmmakers of all genders and races, both international and domestic, are analyzed in terms of theme, structure, and cinematic technique. Emphasis is placed on the role of the auteur and to directorial contributions specific to film genres.
FS 121 Documentary Film
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Introduction to the history and theory of documentary film. Traces the changing conceptions of "reality" by various international filmmakers and writers. Through the stylistic study of classical and less conventional films, the aim is to problematize notions of objectivity, truth, and knowledge and to place the films within a historical, cultural, and political context.
FS 122 Gaming and Visual Culture
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC
Comprehensive critical study of the impact of game design and game aesthetics on popular culture focusing on the history and evolution of game technologies, formats, and genres through theoretical readings. Students will learn how games circulate in our wider visual culture and interact with other art forms, most notably cinema. Consideration will be given to analyzing the fundamentals of game aesthetics, production, design, promotion, and distribution and how the elements of the production process produce certain types of game audiences with analysis of how video games reflect the beliefs, aspirations, and values of the cultures where they flourish. Lectures, discussions and readings are supplemented by the screening and critical and theoretical analysis of representative games. For each historical era studied, the influence of video games on popular culture will be demonstrated through film, television, print, and music.
FS 173 Screenwriting I
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Prerequisite
- English 070 and English 098 or by placement exam.
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC (with unit limitation)
Study of the elements of dramatic writing for the cinema: the three-act structure, character delineation and motivation, conflict development and pacing, dialogue and subtext, and unifying the message. Analysis of feature film screenplays for their structure, pacing and characterization; writes scenes in correct format; and completes a treatment for a feature film or television.
FS 174 Screenwriting II
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Prerequisite
- FS 173 or ENG 173.
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC (with unit limitation)
Study of the structure, development, pacing and revising of a completed screenplay. In addition to analyzing feature film and television screenplays, the student completes a screenplay, learns how to research a story, how to pitch a story, and how to market a script.
FS 179 Screenwriting III
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 72 (45 lecture, 27 lab)
- Prerequisite
- FS 174.
- Transfers to
- CSU, UC (with unit limitation)
Advanced study of the structure, development, pacing, and revision of a completed screenplay. In addition to analyzing feature film and television screenplays, the student completes a final draft of a screenplay in a workshop setting, learns how to edit and revise it, how to pitch it and how to market it.
FS 295 Internship in Film and Media Studies
- Units
- 2-4
- Hours
- 210 (210 lab)
- Advisory
- FS 101.
- Transfers to
- CSU
Structured internship program in which students gain experience with community organizations related to the discipline.
FS 299 Independent Study-Film and Media Studies
- Units
- 1-4
- Hours
- 192 (192 lab)
- Advisory
- FS 101.
- Transfers to
- CSU
Advanced study of film and related fields under the direction and supervision of the Film Studies Department faculty.