Generation of Film

David Clarkson, March 30, 2016, Generation of Film

Is studying film as academically beneficial as studying writing? This is one question that has been on my mind during this course. Clearly, we live in a generation that is immersed in media and becoming increasingly immersed in media. This immersion has begun to spread to the classroom setting as well through classes, such as this Religion and the Movies Writing Intensive. A class of this nature seems perfectly reasonable and understandable in terms of the academic benefits that can be had for our generation. But, the question remains, are studying films and TV shows as insightful as the old school method of studying writings and books? I believe there are definitely insightful benefits to be learned through studying film, especially since it has become such an intrinsic part of everyday life. But, I do not think that we learn as much as we do when we are reading when we are watching film. The main reason I have for this though is that when you are reading, you have to stay more focused on what you are doing, because you focus is paramount to the understanding of the text. But, when you are watching any form of media outlet, I think there is a tendency to relax and enjoy, since it does not require as much focus as reading. That being said, I think studying film and media is becoming increasingly important, not because of its academic benefit compared to other outlets, but because it is becoming more and more relevant to our everyday life. In today's world you can go virtually nowhere without consuming media, therefore it is important that we understand how to analyze and understand the media we will inevitably consume.