Traces the genealogy of the nature film from scientific 'animal locomotion studies' of the 19th-century to the proliferation of viewing options today. Film and television have emerged as the primary story-telling media of this past century. So too, for many viewers, have they become the main source of encounters with the natural world. Through hands-on exercises, screenings, readings and production assignments, students will explore the established narrative conventions and cinematographic techniques that have been employed in films about nature.