The Department of Food Communication and Publishing features specialized, food-related topics. Courses on writing, photography, and styling aim to explore food as an important element of published media. The rich backdrop of Italian cuisine serves as both the stepping-stone and tool to apply learned concepts during coursework.
3 semester credits. The course will help students to understand food presentation on an aesthetic and technical level. Topics feature the basics of food presentation for professional and media use, and how to select the right objects/props/tableware/accessories to make an appealing food presentation. Students will work in a fully equipped facility with occasional opportunities of collaboration with the culinary arts and photography departments for an interdisciplinary application of the course discipline.
3 semester credits. In this course, students will write a variety of pieces tailored to diverse publication standards such as professional food and beverage publications and general interest magazines. They will develop research skills with an emphasis on examining trends in the foodservice and hospitality industry, as well as analyzing publications for reader profile, voice, content, structure, and style. Students will create a portfolio of works, including feature and news articles, personality profiles, book and restaurant reviews, recipes, and food narratives. The topic of food writing in community platforms such as blogs and social media will also be addressed. Prerequisites: At least one college writing course or equivalent.
3 semester credits. Food is a global necessity to sustain life, and it is no surprise that for the majority of world populations there are many reasons for why we eat beyond the basic importance of daily sustenance. The concept of food includes not only what we eat but also how food is perceived, chosen, procured, produced, and consumed according to the complex interactions between individuals, cultures, and environments. Food depictions in media offer a perspective of the changing politics revolving around the food experience. This course analyzes food culture through representations including print, film, and traditional and new media. Food and food culture are evaluated as a consequence of social and political issues such as tradition/local rituals vs. globalization, the role of food in society, nutritional awareness, and food trends. Lectures, readings, class discussions, field learning activities, and food labs offer diverse points of reflection on food as well as the analysis of food through journalism, media, and communication studies. The food labs provide the hands-on component of this course in order to emphasize that while analyzing food representation in media, the most natural way to familiarize with food is to directly experience its preparation.
3 semester credits. This course is designed to give students a comprehensive overview of the techniques used to enhance packaging strategies. The course content includes: history and principles of packaging and labeling, functions of packaging, trends in packaging, planning and designing product packaging. The application of semiotics in the commercial world and in the area of packaging design as a way to communicate a brand’s value and personality will also be discussed. Renowned Italian and international product packaging case studies will be examined. Students will work on individual projects and will create their own packaging solutions for a selected product or brand. Prerequisites: Introduction to Computer Graphics, Visual Communication, or equivalent.