Nice guy, gives detailed feedback and takes students seriously. Can go on tangents, but they're interesting and relevant. He appreciates hard work, takes things like formatting seriously. Do the readings, come prepared to talk.

Lots of material to watch and read, with close analysis of not only films but screenplays as well. He's a great lecturer and probably one of my favorite film professors at UCSB. Most of the grading weight is on two essays, so be sure you are prepared for that.

Professor McNamara is so excellent! He gave us great inside knowledge of the film industry with his recent show on Disney+. He knows exactly what he is talking about and is very helpful with any questions. I attended all of the lectures because I learned something new every time. I truly recommend this class and this professor!

An extraordinary lecturer and a knowledgeable showrunner who's always willing to share his industry insights. His film selections can be meh, but the quality, digestibility, and practicality of his presentations make up for them. Most assignments rely on close reading of films rather than research, which was really refreshing in this department.

mcnamara is one of the best profs i have had so far. very interesting lectures and great film choices. he cares a lot about his students and making the industry less daunting. the course itself was very easy and i enjoyed showing up, graded only on attendance, midterm paper, and final paper. both papers are straightforward and easy to write.

Mr. McNamara is a great professor; I love his teaching style and lectures. He makes the course interesting, but he is giving out a massive amount of information. His lectures are dense, and the papers are graded strictly, pretty unfair I would say.