The emergence of digital media in the late 20th century occasioned a massive shift in the way that media (including cinema, television, music, and more) are created, distributed, and consumed. This course centers cinema as a medium to explore the implications of that transition, seeking to understand the medium specificity of both analog and digital technologies, as well as their impacts on artistic practice—from celluloid to digital video to A.I. Throughout the course, we will undertake a comparative study of auteurs (including Agnès Varda, David Lynch, Michael Mann, Harun Farocki, Jia Zhangke, and Spike Lee) who have worked across both formats; investigate the histories and aesthetics of practical effects and CGI; assess “analog holdout” positions as either nostalgic fetishism or Neo-Luddite resistance; and examine how technological changes have shaped the landscape of cinematic exhibition and consumption today. Course activities will include hands-on workshops with analog film and other media, film and video screenings, and archival research. [Tracks C, M, S]