Computational Media (CM) and Science, Technology, and Culture (STaC) majors are gaining professional film research experience by participating in a project to expand the catalog of the American Film Institute (AFI).

The students are participating through the AFI Academic Network, an initiative to provide full descriptions for the 60,000 basic film listings in the AFI catalog section from 1975 to the present. Work by Michelle Bjornas, Stuart Collier, Fitrah Hamid, Candis Pham, Christopher Graham Rhodes, Mae Tidman, and JoAnn Yao has been published.

School of Literature, Communication, and Culture Film Studies professor Vinicius Navarro has supervised the project since Fall 2010 with LCC Brittain Fellow Melanie Kohnen joining him this Spring. Students worked on two films each semester. Using AFI guidelines and materials, each student selected films for viewing and research, wrote plot summaries, and composed research reports on the pre-production, production, and history of how the films were received by critics and public.

“The project provides training in film history for students in a way that is not available for them in the classroom,” said Navarro. “And further, this is a worthy professional experience. The AFI is a very prestigious institution, and it is impressive for students to have that association.”

Georgia Tech is one of a handful of higher education institutions that are contributing to the project at this point. It is expected that LCC will offer students the opportunity again next fall under Kohnen’s supervision.

About the AFI project

AFI catalog