African Screen Media

Open to undergraduate and graduate students

Matthew H. Brown
matthew.h.brown@wisc.edu

MWF 2:25-3:15pm
Van Hise 587

 

A used electronics market near Lagos, Nigeria. Photo from Colors Magazine.

Course Description

Screens have been the sources of news and narrative, as well as the venues for pedagogy and revolution in Africa since the invention of the motion picture. Today, Africa is the home of major innovations in the use of screen media, not the least of which is the “video film” phenomenon typified by Nollywood in Nigeria. What content has appeared in African screen media over the last 100 years? What purposes has it served? How do audiences react to African screen media? What are the politics of motion picture production and consumption in Africa? These and other questions will motivate our study of specific examples and theoretical studies of various screen media.

Course Objectives

This course will introduce students to examples of African screen media from colonial cinema to postcolonial film and television, as well as content circulated via computers and mobile devices. Students will also be introduced to the scholarly analysis of film and media industries. A variety of analytical approaches will be fostered, including narrative and visual analysis, media industry analysis, genre analysis, historical and political analysis, and much more. A combination of readings, film screenings, lectures, student presentations, and small and large projects will offer students the opportunity develops skills for critically thinking about the relationship between motion pictures and society.

Coursework

Students will screen films, television programs, and social media sites at home and discuss them in class. Readings will focus on analyses of media, film theory, and historical and political contexts relevant to African screen media production. Major assessments will consist short papers. Students will also practice analyzing motion pictures by presenting “Shot Analyses.”

Undergraduate and Graduate Students Welcome