Syllabus

Welcome to our course, The Introduction to Film where I know we will learn much about this developing medium to the extent that it is likely that you will never watch movies in the same way again! I love film and I look forward to sharing my love with you! Hold on tight, my friends!


Course Description

The study of film requires a keen, complex process of observation that takes into account the many sites of meaning within the medium – everything from staging to soundtracks, directors to deleted scenes. This course will look at film from a number of angles, and in the process will equip students with both a technical understanding of filmmaking and an introduction to the cultural analysis of films. We will view films across several eras, through which we will explore both the historical contexts and the technical advancements that shape our appreciation for cinema today.

The critical analysis of films presents a unique challenge because we apprehend and understand movies both visually and verbally. In order to more engage more closely with these complex texts, we will adapt strategies from a broad variety of disciplines within the humanities.

Objectives

1. To develop a heightened critical understanding of the language of film. (1,3,5,6,7,8, FR)

2. To reconsider the place of film within literary and popular cultures. (2,3,4,6,8, FR)

3. To read, interpret, and analyze film more carefully and adeptly.(1,2,3,4,7,8, FR)

4. To appreciate and utilize different approaches to understanding film and other literatures.(2,3,4,7,8)

5. To understand the role of the film director in auteur studies. (1,2,3,5,6,7)

6. To determine the ways film adaptations enhance our appreciation of their literary counterparts.(2,3,4,7, FR)

7. To grapple with film theory and its role in understanding film's evolution.(1,3,4,5,6,7)

8. To appreciate and to understand the genres and development of film. (1,2,3,4,6,7)

9. To speak and write about film with comfort, sophistication, and aplomb.(2,3,4,6,7,8, FR)

Required Text

Anatomy of Film by Bernard Dick

Assessing our Understanding

1. Quizzes: Each week you will likely have a short (5 - 10 question) quiz on your reading. These questions will help you prepare for your midterm and final.

2. Twitter: We will tweet both in class and out of class at least twice a week. Your tweets should be thoughtful and should consider the broader audience of social media. Please use our class hashtag: #muintrofilm

3. Blog: Each week there will be at least two prompts on our D2L Discussion Board; one on our reading, and one on our film for that week. Each person in the class will take turns facilitating this conversation.

4. Class Discussions: Please come prepared each Wednesday to discuss either in a large group or a small group your questions that arise from your reading. I expect full participation each week.

5. Film Notebook: Please keep detailed notes from your reading and film viewings either in a paper notebook or a digital format. We will check these twice a semester for quantity (at least 2 pages/week) and quality (evidence of thought and questioning as well as connecting them to other texts).

6. Film Pecha Kucha: Pecha Kucha means "Chit Chat" in Japanese and was invented by architects as a way to capture the essence of an idea in just under 7 minutes in 20 slides that are mostly visual in nature. You will work with a group of your peers to create 4 slides to contribute to one Pecha Kucha on one of our films that will be shown before each film is shown. After the film is shown, you will pose a question and post it to our D2L Discussion of that film.

7. Midterm : We will showcase our learning through both a midterm and a final. These artifacts will include comprehension of key terms, film viewing analysis, and in-class essays.

8. Final Assessment: You will choose one of the following options for your final project:
a. Three essays based on the material we have read and discussed as a class.
b. An interactive, scholarly, visual project that demonstrates a solid understanding of the material we discussed in class (e.g. wiki, prezi, Tumblr, etc).
c. A 6 - 8 minute film that demonstrates some of the key projects we discussed in class in a creative and thoughtful way. Film should show evidence of cinematographic understanding and course content. You may work with up to two other folks from this class on this project.

ALL EXEMPLARS WILL BE POSTED ON OUR CLASS WIKI AND CAN BE USED FOR FUTURE CLASSES OR RESEARCH.

Film Viewing

You will need to watch 1-2 films outside of class and review them in the following formats:

a. Film Review for either www.imdb.com or www.amazon.com

b. Create a glog or prezi and submit to our class wiki. www.glogster.com www.prezi.com