Film Studies: Introduction to Film Studies
2019-20 Class Syllabus
Mr. McCoy
Email: [email protected]
Website:
www.bertmccoy.com
“Film as dream, film as music. No art passes our conscience in the way film does, and goes directly to our feelings, deep down into the dark rooms of our souls.”
~ Ingmar Bergman
"If a teacher is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.
~ Kahlil Gibran
Welcome to Film Studies...I am glad you are here!
The purpose of this course is to introduce you to some of the major American films, directors, cinematographers, and of course story. This course will help you to develop a genuine appreciation for some of the most time-tested films. I’m hoping we can have some fun.
I believe the more deeply we understand ourselves, the more deeply we will understand great films, great literature, and the creative spirit. Exploring a great film, literature, or piece of art is really exploring a great part of our self. That being said, Let's begin our self-realization journey...I will be your guide.
This Film Studies course examines the relationship between literature and film by considering a question that precedes them both: what does it mean to be a human being? This question is a persistent question, and film adaptation allows us to consider how our culture answers this question in different ways and at different times. Film adaptation of story drives a significant proportion of the artistic, industrial production and marketing of films, and thus, offers an important window into cultural influences.
Student Learning Objectives:
- Introduction to significant films, film figures, and specific film movements.
- Introduction of cinematic styles outside the confines of our contemporary films of today.
- Basic understanding of generic film forms and specific historical movements.
- Broader understanding of film language, its construction, and history.
- Ability to construct cogent analysis of a film.
- Ability to construct an analytical film review.
Class Attendance: Please be on time. Attending the entire class and film screening is crucial to your success. You must be present and awake for the entire class in order to receive participation credit.
If you receive three (3) or more unexcused absences during any semester, I reserve the right to deduct participation points from your grade.
It is the student's responsibility to make sure they are marked present…If you are not sure please ask me.
Daily Attendance Grades
Present/Excused…...100 %
Tardy……………......25 %
Absent………………...0%
*Anyone using an electronic device such as a smart phone, tablet or laptop during class for any purpose that I deem as being unrelated to the course itself will lose all participation points for that day.
Class Time:
If I see your head is down or even if it appears to me that you are sleeping during the screening or class discussion you will receive zero screening points for the day.
Screening Rules: No laptops/cell-phones/tablets/electronic devices/ ear buds/ headphones are ever be used during any portion of the film screening. Not only are they a distraction to you, but to those around you. Anyone discovered to be using an electronic device during a film screening or group analysis will lose all participation points for the day.
You are required to be present and awake for both the screening, lecture, and group work even if you have previously seen the film we are screening. Please note: Watching the films at home is a different experience than seeing them in a class setting.
Films chosen for the course are selected for their artistic merit, historical significance, relation to current events, and/or relevance to the lecture material for the week. Oftentimes art is like a rock in your shoe, it can be discomforting, but that discomfort can lead to a greater self-awareness, understanding, and learning opportunity.
**If for any reason you find yourself unable to watch any of the films screened during class please see me as soon as possible.
Misuse of the above policy: Please keep in mind the above is for legitimate personal concerns not as a means of simply getting out of class. Any attempts to misuse the above rule will result in marks against your participation points and you will still be responsible for knowing the material.
Expectations:
All students are expected to complete all reading and writing assignments. These assignments are imperative to your understanding of the ideas we will discuss in class. The readings will be necessary for your analytical work for your paper, film reviews, as well as questions on your pop quizzes and tests.
There are certain things that I will expect from you, and, likewise, there are a number of things that you can expect from me. First is respect. As a community of young writers and thinkers, we must be able to trust one another. Writing (and thinking) is a process that most often involves missteps and risk-taking. We need to create an environment where it is okay to express half-developed ideas, where we will not feel ridiculous if the thought we started consider turns out to be silly or unsupportable, and where we challenge each other to expand our thinking beyond the safe and expected. To that end, it is vital that we approach our class – and each other – with a high level of respect. We will learn a lot from each other – this class is not necessarily about me imparting learning on you, but rather is a collaborative effort on all our parts – and we’ve got to be able to trust that we’ll support one another in the process of learning. Everything else that we do as a community of young writers and thinkers will expand from that sense of trust and respect; without it, we will get nowhere.
There are certain day-to-day expectations that need to be clear. You can expect me to be in class every day on time and prepared. You can expect me to take you seriously and to be supportive of your own learning process. You can expect me to be clear about what I want from you in terms of work, both in class an out of it, and you can expect me to assess your work according to those standards. You can expect me to respond to your questions and concerns (whether they be class related or not) in a timely and respectful way. In short, you can expect me to be present, mindful, and wholly engaged.
I expect you to be in class every day on time and prepared; that includes having completed any assigned reading and having all necessary materials with you in class. I expect you to be present and engaged in class and to take the time we have together seriously. I expect you to complete all the assignments, to participate in group activities, and to be a conscientious and collaborative participant with your classmates. I expect you to ask questions, to stretch beyond what you think are the “safe” answers, and to take full responsibility for your own learning. I expect you to come to me with any questions, problems, or concerns you have and, if your concerns are about an assignment, and, I expect you to come to me well before that assignment is due. I expect you to behave in a mature and respectful way toward the material, yourself, your classmates, and me. In short, I expect you to be present, mindful, and wholly engaged in class.
Participation: please be aware that my definition of participation does not include hiding behind another student, computer screen, or a cell phone. Unless we are actively working on a writing or research project, computers are to be completely closed and put away altogether. There will never be a time during class discussion that it’s okay to have earphones in your ears or hanging off your ears. Finally, while I understand that some people are able to focus better on what they’re hearing if they’re drawing or doodling, if I feel that your participation while you do such things is suffering, I will ask you to put them away.
Exams: There will be pop (surprise) quizzes, a midterm exam, and a final exam. They may cover material from the lectures, assigned readings, and screenings. Quizzes will be multiple-choice, short answer, journal, or a combination thereof.
Missed pop quizzes can be made-up under certain circumstances. If you miss a pop quiz for any reason, you will receive a zero in PowerSchool for that quiz. If you find yourself having missed an exam in this class, come see me in person or send me an email ASAP. Failure to do so will mean a zero in PowerSchool for that assignment.
Assignments: As a practice, I do not map out an entire course on a syllabus; I feel that limits the class too much and stifles our ability to follow fruitful tangents that may come up as a result of our discussions as well as current events. That does not mean, however, that you will not know about the assignments ahead of time. For day-to-day work, I will write the assignment on the board as well as explain what we are doing for the class. For major projects, I will print out an assignment sheet with detailed instructions and the assessment standards I will use to grade the work. It is your responsibility to understand the assignment completely before you begin; telling me that you “didn’t get it” is not an acceptable excuse for not having completed an assignment or for doing it poorly.
Unless you are absent from school, assigned work not handed in on the due date will result in a deduction of points. If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to find out what, if any, homework was assigned for that day: please have your work ready to turn in when you return to school. If you think you are going to run into trouble getting something in when it’s due, let me know and we will come to an agreement that meets both of our needs. I will make every effort to have your work graded and returned to you in a timely fashion. Please keep in mind, however, that you only had to write one paper; I will have to read and assess everyone’s work.
Paper: You will be required to write one analytical paper per semester. You are also required to complete an acceptable essay outline two weeks prior to turning in your paper. Typed assignments without a typed name, date, assignment name, and title may receive a zero due to a lack of distinguishing information.
Essay and Essay Outlines which are turned in late, will have one full letter grade deducted and continue to do so for every calendar day for which it is late. After those deductions lead to an F, the next deduction will lead to an absolute zero. If there are extenuating circumstances for a late outline or final paper please come see me and we can talk.
Handwritten essays and papers will not be accepted.
A note about Plagiarism: Any student caught using another person's work and representing that work as their own--will receive a zero on that assignment. This includes cutting and pasting any portion of work found online and presenting it as your own. There are simple procedures for research-based writing. Please come see me and I will help you!
Course Grading Breakdown
Final Exam……….............................................................10 pts
Mid-term Exam……………………………………...................10 pts
Essay.…………….……………………………. ….........................20pts
Attendance/Participation and film reviews…………45 pts
Pop Quizzes………………….…………………….....................10 pts
Essay Outline……………………………..… ……......................5 pts Total…………………………………………………......................100 pts
90-100 pts.........A
80-89 pts...........B
70-79 pts...........C
60-69 pts...........D
0-59 pts.............F
Units to Cover
Semester 1 Specific Notes:
1. Narrative Design
2. Mise en Scene
3. Cinematography 1
4. Shot Selection
5. Cinematography 2
6. Lighting Terms
7. Film Editing
8. Sound and music choice and editing
9. Actor Performance
Semester 2 Specific Notes
10. Sound Analysis
11. Italian Neo-Realism
12. French New Wave
13. New Hollywood
14. World Cinema
15. American Independent
16. Documentary
17. Experimental
18. Disney and Pixar Animations
2019-20 Class Syllabus
Mr. McCoy
Email: [email protected]
Website:
www.bertmccoy.com
“Film as dream, film as music. No art passes our conscience in the way film does, and goes directly to our feelings, deep down into the dark rooms of our souls.”
~ Ingmar Bergman
"If a teacher is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.
~ Kahlil Gibran
Welcome to Film Studies...I am glad you are here!
The purpose of this course is to introduce you to some of the major American films, directors, cinematographers, and of course story. This course will help you to develop a genuine appreciation for some of the most time-tested films. I’m hoping we can have some fun.
I believe the more deeply we understand ourselves, the more deeply we will understand great films, great literature, and the creative spirit. Exploring a great film, literature, or piece of art is really exploring a great part of our self. That being said, Let's begin our self-realization journey...I will be your guide.
This Film Studies course examines the relationship between literature and film by considering a question that precedes them both: what does it mean to be a human being? This question is a persistent question, and film adaptation allows us to consider how our culture answers this question in different ways and at different times. Film adaptation of story drives a significant proportion of the artistic, industrial production and marketing of films, and thus, offers an important window into cultural influences.
Student Learning Objectives:
- Introduction to significant films, film figures, and specific film movements.
- Introduction of cinematic styles outside the confines of our contemporary films of today.
- Basic understanding of generic film forms and specific historical movements.
- Broader understanding of film language, its construction, and history.
- Ability to construct cogent analysis of a film.
- Ability to construct an analytical film review.
Class Attendance: Please be on time. Attending the entire class and film screening is crucial to your success. You must be present and awake for the entire class in order to receive participation credit.
If you receive three (3) or more unexcused absences during any semester, I reserve the right to deduct participation points from your grade.
It is the student's responsibility to make sure they are marked present…If you are not sure please ask me.
Daily Attendance Grades
Present/Excused…...100 %
Tardy……………......25 %
Absent………………...0%
*Anyone using an electronic device such as a smart phone, tablet or laptop during class for any purpose that I deem as being unrelated to the course itself will lose all participation points for that day.
Class Time:
If I see your head is down or even if it appears to me that you are sleeping during the screening or class discussion you will receive zero screening points for the day.
Screening Rules: No laptops/cell-phones/tablets/electronic devices/ ear buds/ headphones are ever be used during any portion of the film screening. Not only are they a distraction to you, but to those around you. Anyone discovered to be using an electronic device during a film screening or group analysis will lose all participation points for the day.
You are required to be present and awake for both the screening, lecture, and group work even if you have previously seen the film we are screening. Please note: Watching the films at home is a different experience than seeing them in a class setting.
Films chosen for the course are selected for their artistic merit, historical significance, relation to current events, and/or relevance to the lecture material for the week. Oftentimes art is like a rock in your shoe, it can be discomforting, but that discomfort can lead to a greater self-awareness, understanding, and learning opportunity.
**If for any reason you find yourself unable to watch any of the films screened during class please see me as soon as possible.
Misuse of the above policy: Please keep in mind the above is for legitimate personal concerns not as a means of simply getting out of class. Any attempts to misuse the above rule will result in marks against your participation points and you will still be responsible for knowing the material.
Expectations:
All students are expected to complete all reading and writing assignments. These assignments are imperative to your understanding of the ideas we will discuss in class. The readings will be necessary for your analytical work for your paper, film reviews, as well as questions on your pop quizzes and tests.
There are certain things that I will expect from you, and, likewise, there are a number of things that you can expect from me. First is respect. As a community of young writers and thinkers, we must be able to trust one another. Writing (and thinking) is a process that most often involves missteps and risk-taking. We need to create an environment where it is okay to express half-developed ideas, where we will not feel ridiculous if the thought we started consider turns out to be silly or unsupportable, and where we challenge each other to expand our thinking beyond the safe and expected. To that end, it is vital that we approach our class – and each other – with a high level of respect. We will learn a lot from each other – this class is not necessarily about me imparting learning on you, but rather is a collaborative effort on all our parts – and we’ve got to be able to trust that we’ll support one another in the process of learning. Everything else that we do as a community of young writers and thinkers will expand from that sense of trust and respect; without it, we will get nowhere.
There are certain day-to-day expectations that need to be clear. You can expect me to be in class every day on time and prepared. You can expect me to take you seriously and to be supportive of your own learning process. You can expect me to be clear about what I want from you in terms of work, both in class an out of it, and you can expect me to assess your work according to those standards. You can expect me to respond to your questions and concerns (whether they be class related or not) in a timely and respectful way. In short, you can expect me to be present, mindful, and wholly engaged.
I expect you to be in class every day on time and prepared; that includes having completed any assigned reading and having all necessary materials with you in class. I expect you to be present and engaged in class and to take the time we have together seriously. I expect you to complete all the assignments, to participate in group activities, and to be a conscientious and collaborative participant with your classmates. I expect you to ask questions, to stretch beyond what you think are the “safe” answers, and to take full responsibility for your own learning. I expect you to come to me with any questions, problems, or concerns you have and, if your concerns are about an assignment, and, I expect you to come to me well before that assignment is due. I expect you to behave in a mature and respectful way toward the material, yourself, your classmates, and me. In short, I expect you to be present, mindful, and wholly engaged in class.
Participation: please be aware that my definition of participation does not include hiding behind another student, computer screen, or a cell phone. Unless we are actively working on a writing or research project, computers are to be completely closed and put away altogether. There will never be a time during class discussion that it’s okay to have earphones in your ears or hanging off your ears. Finally, while I understand that some people are able to focus better on what they’re hearing if they’re drawing or doodling, if I feel that your participation while you do such things is suffering, I will ask you to put them away.
Exams: There will be pop (surprise) quizzes, a midterm exam, and a final exam. They may cover material from the lectures, assigned readings, and screenings. Quizzes will be multiple-choice, short answer, journal, or a combination thereof.
Missed pop quizzes can be made-up under certain circumstances. If you miss a pop quiz for any reason, you will receive a zero in PowerSchool for that quiz. If you find yourself having missed an exam in this class, come see me in person or send me an email ASAP. Failure to do so will mean a zero in PowerSchool for that assignment.
Assignments: As a practice, I do not map out an entire course on a syllabus; I feel that limits the class too much and stifles our ability to follow fruitful tangents that may come up as a result of our discussions as well as current events. That does not mean, however, that you will not know about the assignments ahead of time. For day-to-day work, I will write the assignment on the board as well as explain what we are doing for the class. For major projects, I will print out an assignment sheet with detailed instructions and the assessment standards I will use to grade the work. It is your responsibility to understand the assignment completely before you begin; telling me that you “didn’t get it” is not an acceptable excuse for not having completed an assignment or for doing it poorly.
Unless you are absent from school, assigned work not handed in on the due date will result in a deduction of points. If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to find out what, if any, homework was assigned for that day: please have your work ready to turn in when you return to school. If you think you are going to run into trouble getting something in when it’s due, let me know and we will come to an agreement that meets both of our needs. I will make every effort to have your work graded and returned to you in a timely fashion. Please keep in mind, however, that you only had to write one paper; I will have to read and assess everyone’s work.
Paper: You will be required to write one analytical paper per semester. You are also required to complete an acceptable essay outline two weeks prior to turning in your paper. Typed assignments without a typed name, date, assignment name, and title may receive a zero due to a lack of distinguishing information.
Essay and Essay Outlines which are turned in late, will have one full letter grade deducted and continue to do so for every calendar day for which it is late. After those deductions lead to an F, the next deduction will lead to an absolute zero. If there are extenuating circumstances for a late outline or final paper please come see me and we can talk.
Handwritten essays and papers will not be accepted.
A note about Plagiarism: Any student caught using another person's work and representing that work as their own--will receive a zero on that assignment. This includes cutting and pasting any portion of work found online and presenting it as your own. There are simple procedures for research-based writing. Please come see me and I will help you!
Course Grading Breakdown
Final Exam……….............................................................10 pts
Mid-term Exam……………………………………...................10 pts
Essay.…………….……………………………. ….........................20pts
Attendance/Participation and film reviews…………45 pts
Pop Quizzes………………….…………………….....................10 pts
Essay Outline……………………………..… ……......................5 pts Total…………………………………………………......................100 pts
90-100 pts.........A
80-89 pts...........B
70-79 pts...........C
60-69 pts...........D
0-59 pts.............F
Units to Cover
Semester 1 Specific Notes:
1. Narrative Design
2. Mise en Scene
3. Cinematography 1
4. Shot Selection
5. Cinematography 2
6. Lighting Terms
7. Film Editing
8. Sound and music choice and editing
9. Actor Performance
Semester 2 Specific Notes
10. Sound Analysis
11. Italian Neo-Realism
12. French New Wave
13. New Hollywood
14. World Cinema
15. American Independent
16. Documentary
17. Experimental
18. Disney and Pixar Animations