Meet JHU_Josh - Park Ridge, NJ, Film & Media Major, Psychology Minor

Hey there. I'm Josh and I'm a junior Film and Media Studies major from just outside of New York City.

In terms of extracurriculars, I've done everything from the HOP (Hopkins Organization for Programming) to admissions groups like this one. I'm also currently the Co-Director of the Johns Hopkins Film Society, which hosts fall film series and the Johns Hopkins Film Festival in the spring.

I've taken all sorts of different classes over my 5 semesters here so far. Here's a list of 'em:

Fall 07

Intro to the Study of Film
Mathematics and Politics
Intro to Psychology
Intro to Fiction and Poetry I
Freshman Seminar: Conversations with the Earth

Spring 08
Intro to Film Production
Intro to Social Psychology
Film Theory
Freshman Seminar: The Natural and the Artificial - The Concept of the Man-Made Human
Intro to Fiction and Poetry II

Fall 08
Intermediate Film Production
Sketching the Scene: Image as Narrative Tool
Back to the Future (an anthro class, not like the movie)
French Elements I
Intro to Sociology
Film and Media: Independent Study - Hopkins CinemAddicts blog

Intersession 09
Popular Music, Culture, and Politics in the United States

Spring 09
Advanced Film Production
Writing With Light
French Elements II
From Civil Rights to Multiculturalism: Student Movements for Social Change

Fall 09
Modernism and Postmodernism in Architecture
Media Workshop: Theory and Practice
Documentary Film Production: Cities and Fields
Documentary Film Theory: Documentary Work in the Age of Reality Reproduction
Visual Economies in the Americas
Class Stratification and Personality

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My freshman year, I lived in AMR II Lazear House. After that, I moved over to Charles Commons for my sophomore year. Now, I'm living in an apartment building just to the north of campus which is a nice change from on campus living.

I chose to come to Hopkins for a few reasons. I never really considered it in my college search and just happened, by chance, to end up on a college trip that took me to see the campus. It was gorgeous and they had talked about their great creative writing program, which at the time, was a huge desire of mine. They also had a film major which was another interest of mine. But I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to study. I knew Hopkins had a great array of paths for me to take academically, whether it be in one of those more creative fields or another big interest of mine which is psychology. It also was just far enough away from home that it wasn't a hassle if I wanted to go home, but it wasn't local either so there was some distance from where I grew up. The fact that it was in a city, but still had a campus was a big pull for me. And so far, I haven't been disappointed by my choice.

This post has been edited by JHU_Josh on Nov 9 2009, 04:54 PM

here are some quick facts you could share to let her know the kind of film program we have.

1) The program is very small. (Under 30 people in the major currently) - this is great because it gives you tons of hands on experience with the equipment and lets you interact with the professors and have them know who you are. In terms of equipment use, I got to work with 16mm cameras second semester of freshman year.

2) The professors are incredible. The ones who teach more academic film courses know a lot about their topic and are eager to share with students. The production teachers all have made films and are currently making them. Matt Porterfield had a feature film run in festivals worldwide and it was highly acclaimed by the New York Times and New Yorker Magazine. John Mann has done shorts, experimental films, and has had work on PBS films.

3) The program stresses technical use in production classes (use of 16mm cameras with real celluloid film and some digital, lighting, staging, etc.), as well as historical/academic looks at film in other classes. There are some screenwriting classes in the program, but there are also many in the Writing Seminars program here which is one of the best writing programs in the country.

4) The Digital Media Center at Hopkins is a great resource for students. Free use of computers with Final Cut Pro, plus professional HD Cameras and lighting/sound equipment to rent as well.

5) When Gilman Hall renovations are completed in 2010, the program will have a screening room.

6) With the program growing, there is a greater alumni network building.

7) For more information check out the website: Film and Media Studies or ask other questions here.Film and Media Studies

Lab fees are mainly used to maintain equipment that JHU owns such as our 16mm cameras, lighting equipment, camera accessories, sound equipment, editing equipment, etc. The money is used to service these items.

It is also used for theory classes to provide for supplemental material that may be associated with the class such as DVDs or reading materials although some of the money does go back to the equipment fees.

For production classes the fees are usually $100 a course. For theory classes, it is typically $40. If you for some reason find yourself strapped financially there are ways to get the fees waived if necessary.

Here are my classes for this semester:

Modernism and Postmodernism in Architecture:

A look into architecture since the period of the Industrial Revolution. Focuses on prominent figures like Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Antoni Gaudi, Frank Gehry, and many others. It also looks at major architectural theories and styles as they evolved over the past 100 or so years. The class is a fun look at architecture from an aesthetic point of view, as it's an Art History class. The assignments include lots of reading, looking at architectural drawing, and even some creative assignments.

Media Workshop: Theory and Practice

A great class that takes on readings of different filmmakers/theorists (Eisenstein, Tarkovsky, Brakhage, Marker, etc.). The theories are discussed and analyzed culminating in short projects throughout the semester based on the individual theories (Sound, Lyrical/Experimental Films, Montage, PhotoRoman) that are workshopped by classmates and the 2 professors.

Documentary Film Production: Cities and Fields

Students create documentaries as a way of expression, finding art from the real world. The first half of the class is about finding new ways of making nature documentaries, different from the Planet Earths or National Geographic films of the past. The second half focuses on the city as a place to explore, a rife environment for artistic documentation.

Documentary Film Theory: Documentary Work in the Age of Reality Reproduction

This class explores the history and evolution of the documentary as well as the different styles. Major filmmakers are examined - Marlon Riggs, Su Freidrich, the Maysles Brothers, Ross McElwee, Ken Burns, etc. The professor has had his documentary works shown on PBS and talks about the issues of funding and distributing documentaries.

Visual Economies in the Americas

A look at the photograph and visual objects as means of anthropology and ethnography to tell us more about a culture (specifically for this class North, Latin, and South American).

Class Stratification and Personality

Prof. Mel Kohn describes his 50 years worth of research on social class/stratification and its effect on the personalities of people. An in depth look at his studies in the US, Poland, Japan, and the Ukraine. He goes through all his methods, problems, and statistical analyzes throughout the studies. A firsthand account at how job conditions and class position play a major factor in how a person behaves and their values for their children.