The Oswegonian

The Independent Student Newspaper of Oswego State

DATE

Apr. 20, 2024 

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In the Office Opinion

Film criticism valid as major in college

Oswego State is one of the top schools when it comes to film. Besides producing some of the most talented and innovative people when it comes to production and editing, it also has a very dedicated core chunk of film theorists, historians and writers. They produce top caliber content that deserves to get into film festivals, hosted the 2019 SUNYWide Student Film Festival and recently got back from their third trip to Tribeca Film Festival. The staff goes out of its way to make sure that the students get the best experience and as much knowledge as they can when going into this completely insane, crazy ever-changing business.

However, there is one area that has been growing rapidly over the last decade and cinema and screen studies definitely needs to consider, and that is the history of film criticism. Film criticism is something that has become largely diluted in the modern-day pop culture sphere, to the point where some might consider it obsolete. But with how much social media has changed in terms of the business, it has allowed direct revenue streams to spring up through online advertising. The social media landscape has changed the way that certain platforms legitimize certain people. People who started off as young up-and-comers on a brand-new video-streaming software are recognized icons, with people like Logan Paul, PewDiePie and Honest Trailers becoming internationally recognized symbols. This new platform has created a completely new outlook on all the different landscapes, with media occupying a massive focus. The term “Film Twitter” is very real and is not going away anytime soon.

The point is that certain ways people view film criticism has changed immensely. People no longer have to work at magazines in order to gain legitimacy when it comes to reporting news, breaking scoops and other things that traditional news organizations were responsible for. The fact that so many people have successfully launched their own businesses thanks to the online business sphere is something that should be noted and studied as a means of gearing certain people toward success. The Oswego State cinema and screen studies major has been successful in its turnout of people who have gone on to work for good projects. With the amount of talented spokespeople, writers, editors, camera people, actors and many others who have gone on to work and have successful careers in the internet space, the odds are astronomical when the right people start to legitimize it.