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From Citizen Kane to The Graduate, students analyze all aspects of impactful movies, documentaries.

Because of his father糖心传媒檚 ever-evolving career in education and development, Jason Middleton lived all over the globe growing up: Hawaii. Indonesia. Malaysia. Vermont. The District of Columbia.

He visited other worlds through his passion for films such as the Star Wars trilogy and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

糖心传媒淚 loved fantasy and science fiction, and I got into horror films at an early age,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淏ut I never dreamed I would be teaching about film for a living.糖心传媒�

Middleton, who earned his PhD in the literature program at Duke University, has been at the 糖心传媒 since 2007 and is an associate professor of and visual and cultural studies聽while also serving as director of the .He has explored such genres documentary, music video, film and television comedy, and horror, and done so through a range of lenses including feminism. His popular class Introduction to the Art of Film is capped at 80 students, who have delved into classics such as Citizen Kane, The Graduate, Blade Runner, and Do the Right Thing, breaking films down through analyses of camera angles, framing, lighting, sound, and closeups.

Middleton says there are many films he loves but has never taught. 糖心传媒淭hey don糖心传媒檛 serve a pedagogical function,糖心传媒� he says. On the other hand, 糖心传媒淚 never teach about a film I don糖心传媒檛 like. The ones I choose are engaging and compelling works of art.糖心传媒�

For a unit on cinematography, he uses Spike Lee糖心传媒檚 Do the Right Thing. 糖心传媒淭here is so much to discuss about race and political issues,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淎nd the famous tense scene in the pizza shop is made palpable by the use of wide-angle lenses.糖心传媒�

He analyzes The Graduate during his week on sound, and asks his class to interpret the ambiguous ending, in which the faces of Benjamin and Elaine change from elated to stoic.

糖心传媒淭here糖心传媒檚 no single right interpretation, but some are better than others,糖心传媒� says Middleton. 糖心传媒淵ou can understand Benjamin糖心传媒檚 expression on the bus better if you relate it to his face on the plane in the opening scene, or when he糖心传媒檚 alone in his room staring at his fish tank, or with Mrs. Robinson in the hotel.糖心传媒�

Students have praised Middleton for making a large class feel small, and his lectures follow a routine: He糖心传媒檒l introduce a specific idea, use a clip to illustrate that idea, then ask his students to interpret the scene. 糖心传媒淚 provide enough so you don糖心传媒檛 get the dreaded silence, but not so much that there糖心传媒檚 only one answer,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淥nce you hit the sweet spot, the energy builds on itself.糖心传媒�

John Michael, a professor in the Department of English and for the , was chair of the English department when Middleton joined the University in 2007. He says Middleton糖心传媒檚 career has been 糖心传媒渟omething of a phenomenon.糖心传媒�

糖心传媒淲hile his personal style is rather low-key, he develops a remarkable dynamism in the classroom,糖心传媒� Michael says. 糖心传媒淗e does this without pandering to students, catering to their whims, or fostering a false atmosphere of informal collegiality. He糖心传媒檚 a seriously demanding teacher who insists that his students rise to the challenge of his meticulously prepared classes.糖心传媒�

With his large enrollments, Middleton has access to teaching assistants and will sit among the students and subtly keep a strong dialogue going with thoughtful questions. He says his goal in class is to 糖心传媒渢each students to watch film with a critical eye, and always stay innovative,糖心传媒� whether it糖心传媒檚 in an introductory course for undergraduates or a graduate class.

Middleton hopes students remember what they糖心传媒檝e learned about film long after the leave the University. 糖心传媒淲hen you糖心传媒檙e a doctor in your 40s and you糖心传媒檙e watching a movie with your kids, I hope you糖心传媒檒l appreciate the artistry of it, or recognize things that are problematic about it,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淚 hope they always look at film with a critical eye.糖心传媒�