October 16 and 23

Do you hope to reflect on movies at deeper and more meaningful levels? Try giving more consideration to these five aspects of filmmaking: the fundamentals (a more sophisticated vocabulary); the artistic (a better understanding of the creative process); the emotional (decipher how the audience is being manipulated, in a good way); the thematic (recognize how screen writers, directors, actors and editors orchestrate the narrative); and the hypothetical (consider the future of entertainment). Explore  the art (and craft) of filmmaking by peeling back each of these layers to better understand the art of the silver screen.

Eric R. Williams, an Emmy Award-winning screenwriter, who during his career sold Peter Falk the last Columbo  episode; and subsequently received the Writers Guild of America Best New Screenplay award. He has been writing and directing ever since his studies at Columbia University. Over the last thirty years, Eric has written 24 screenplays; and has directed films, documentaries and television; and has written 4 books, 3 podcast series and 2 television series, including those about the creative process of digital storytelling.  Now he applies his filmmaking expertise to a new medium called cinematic virtual reality at Ohio University’s Game Research and Immersive Design Lab.  

“The Ohio Country: Memory, Removal, and Revitalization”  A Seminar for O.W.L.S.

Learn more about Ohio’s indigenous history and its resurgence.  Led by moderator Chris Welter, guest speakers will confront pre-statehood sovereignty and the narratives erasing the Miami, Shawnee and Wyandotte peoples. They will analyze myths versus facts and historical interpretations. Review historic maps with Chief Glenna Wallace. Learn about Three Sisters farming and other revitalized Shawnee cultural practices from Talon Silverhorn. Explore the 1700s as Dr. StephenWarren and Dr. Cam Shriver review the Fort Ancient culture and the European-Indigenous interactions. Hear oral history by Shawnee poet, Laura Da, that explains the impact of the Indian Removal Act. Examine the tribal dilemmas and removal routes with Dr. John Bowes.  Learn what important issues face indigenous people today and join others in a closing reflection circle.

There is an extensive syllabus for this class available for this class upon registration.

Chris Welter bio:

Chris Welter is the Managing Editor of the Eichelberger Center for Community Voices at WYSO. His work has been featured in USA Today, the GroundTruth Project, Yellow Springs News, Dayton Daily News, and on ESPN, CNN, MSNBC, PBS NewsHour, NPR, and This American Life. He co-produced the award-winning podcast The Ohio Country with Neenah Ellis. A lifelong Ohioan, Welter was born and raised in Columbus and now lives in Yellow Springs with his partner, two dogs, and four cats.

Examine the U.S. trade and tariff policies with both a historical overview and an analysis of these policies on Ohio and the nation.  Learn about the U.S. trends in the reduction of tariffs since World War II; the history of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade; and what happened in China as it joined the World Trade Organization and the subsequent employment shock experienced by the U.S. Discussions will include the recent changes to protectionist policies by the Trump Administration. Hear from the head of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce on the effects of U.S. trade policy on Ohio's businesses of all sizes. Equally important to Ohio, find out how sensitive Ohio's agricultural sector is to international trade policy.  

Professor Stephen Hills (Emeritus Faculty, OSU Fisher College of Business) has taught import and export courses and has completed comparative studies of labor markets. He also co-authored and authored several books and studies on topics such as emerging markets in international business; employment and social sciences; and education and regional economic development in Shanghai. His past affiliations include: former president, International Division, Industrial Relations Research Association; and the Peace Corps (past volunteer to Venezuela; coordinator, Fisher College Peace Corps MBA program). He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin.

Steve Stivers, CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce since 2021. He holds a degree in economics and international

relations and an MBA, both from The Ohio State University. He served as a senator in Ohio's General Assembly and represented Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 - 2021. Prior to his career in politics, he had significant business experience in Ohio. He was born and raised in Ripley, Ohio.

Dr. Ian Sheldon holds the Andersons Chair in Agricultural Marketing, Trade and Policy at The Ohio State University, being a member of the OSU faculty since 1990. He is an international scholar, having served as lecturer in economics at the University of Exeter and having earned his PhD in Economics from the University of Salford in the U.K. He has published widely in the fields of economics and agricultural economics with a focus on trade and policy issues.