Importance of Cinema History

        When I registered to take this class, I was not sure what to expect. I enjoy watching movies, enjoy learning about how they are made, and enjoy discussing different genres. On the other hand, I did not know why or how this course would relate to my major in advertising and minor in marketing. But being the student I am, I trusted my advisor and came into the class with an open mind.

        Ideally when I finish school, I would like to be in sales for a major corporation. I am willing to travel wherever that company needs to send me, and I want to see the world. I feel that experiencing the different types of movies and different cultures within the movies gives me more depth. It shows me different cultures and makes me a well-rounded person.

        D. W. Griffith's 1915 The Birth of a Nation showed me how our country has come along and how cultures have changed. The movie to me was about life at the time of the Civil War and how families, friends, and relatives dealt with what was going on at that time. It showed relationships from many different views and aspects, as well as how everyone was affected./P>

        Many times after college, students will be confronted with matters that they have never seen before. They could be confronted with a problem, asked unfamiliar questions, or simply asked to give an opinion. If students have not broadened their horizons or experienced the unknown, they may seem inadequate. Making oneself more experienced is something every person should try to accomplish.

        The varieties of movies that are covered in the study of the history of cinema are movies that have some kind of lesson or significance to making a person well rounded. They give one little life lessons, like in Erich von Stroheim's 1924 Greed; do not get money hungry because it can hurt you in the long run. Or like in Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack's 1933 King Kong, do not be surprised at who may love whom, one you do not know who is going to fall in love. These lessons are not all that small and far between, but the movies are relatable to everyday life no matter what country they came from, whether there are speaking actors or subtitles, or what time period they were made in.

        The studying of these movies is going to make persons rounded, knowledgeable of different subjects, and maybe simply help them carry a conversation with a future co-worker, impress a boss, or win over a client.

        The Birth of a Nation, Greed, King Kong, etc. are not going to teach me how to create an advertisement for a major corporation; they are not going to teach me how to make a sale. The movies themselves are not going to teach me anything that is directly related to my major in advertising or minor in marketing. Nevertheless, studying the movies, their directors, when, where and how they were put together will help me in the future by giving me vital background information. Studying the history of cinema will help me become well-rounded, more knowledgeable of different subjects and maybe even help me carry on a conversation in my future work place with a co-worker, boss, or client.

        So I think that even though I thought I was getting led astray by my advisor. I have learned even in just the few weeks of class that there are many things to be learned and that if they are not directly related to my major or minor, the things learned will go just as far.

Kelli Fitzpatrick

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