If there's anything the internet is made for, besides cat memes and rule 34, it's unlimited free information that is literally at your fingertips. MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Courses, are perfect for this. The problem is that there are loads of different websites and sifting through them can take hours.
This is where I come in, bee-tee-dubs (as the kids say). Below are more than a dozen different classes, some offered for a limited time and some for an unlimited time.
For A Limited Time Only!
TCM Presents Into the Darkness: Investigating Film Noir
This dark and moody course runs from June 1 to August 4, 2015. "Summer is cooler in the shadows," proclaims TCM on its course page, which is why they put together this free class to run with their "Summer of Darkness" TV event. This class covers topics such as "What Is Film Noir?" "Film Noir and Its Influences," "Film Noir in the Studio System," Film Noir Themes and Characters," and "Film Noir in the Postwar Period."
Fight Or Die: The Science Behind FX's The Strain
It's not your average biology class: this course "will explore the real-world science behind virus and parasite biology, cyber security, and epidemiological modeling." It draws, of course, from The Strain, which portrays a city suffering from both an epidemic and cyber-virus attack. Fittingly, the course is divided into three "strains" of learning: Parasitic Invasion, Disease Dynamics, and Cyber Attacks. It runs from June 22 to October 1, 2015.
Explore Filmmaking: From Script to Screen
Interested in what goes on behind the scenes? In this course from the NFTS and BFI Film Academy, you "learn from award-winning filmmakers about how films get from script to screen." It covers various aspects of film production, including storytelling, budget, schedule, location, scene, editing, and sound. It runs from June 29 to August 10,2015.
The Rise of Superheroes and Their Impact On Pop Culture
This course, offered by the Smithsonian Institution, covers the history of comics, the evolution of American society through the lens of the comic book genre, how globalization and diversity impacts storytelling, and how to apply historical examples to create superheroes for the present day. It runs from August 12 to September 16, 2015.
Unlimited
American Cinema
This video series is 11 and 1/2 hours total, and uses clips from 300+ of the greatest movies ever made to explore film history and American culture.
Understanding VIdeo Games
This 11-lesson course covers gameplay, mechanics, story, culture, and more.
American Pro Wrestling
This course explores "the cultural history and media industry surrounding the masculine drama of professional wrestling," including its roots and evolution.
Pop Culture and Narrative: Literature, Comics, and Culture
In this class, you can "investigate popular culture and narrative by focusing on the relationship between literary texts and comics." Origins and culture, the influence of comics on literary fiction, the blurring of highbrow and lowbrow elements, and more come together in this course.
American Soap Operas
This class examines the history of soap operas and their audiences "by focusing on the production, consumption, and media texts of soaps."
Understanding Television
This class focuses on "prime-time commercial broadcasting, the medium's tecnological and economic history, and theoretical perspectives." Consider it a "mini-history of prime time TV."
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