Film 1010:030, Spring 2011, CRN: 10565, TH: 2:30-3:45p, GCB 317
Course Prerequisites: none.

Course Description/Objectives:

Film 1010 is designed to compliment and expand your knowledge about film from other classes like Film 2700. We will gain knowledge about various film concepts and cinematic techniques in film which will allow us to put cinematic terms to analytical work. Above all, this course requires that we analyze film through critical thinking and writing. To this end, we will focus on the critical thinking and writing skills that are necessary for academic film criticism. Film 1010 is a prerequisite to upper-level film courses.

By course end, students should be able to: define terms/concepts fundamental to film studies; employ these terms/concepts in class discussion, class presentations and academic writing; conduct research specific to film studies; and, write analytical/critical essays that show understanding of, engagement with, and thoughtful use of film studies vocabulary. The critical, argumentative, and written skills gained in this course are those required for upper-level film studies courses as well as in other critical engagements with the world.

Texts:

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• Corrigan, Timothy and Patricia White. The Film Experience: An Introduction (2nd Edition). New York: Bedford, 2009. (Available at the GSU bookstores)
• Readings posted on ULearn.
• Films, viewed outside of class. (All available on Netflix)
  • Do The Right Thing (Lee, 1989). Video DVD PN1997 .D625 2001
  • Peeping Tom (Powell, 1960). Video DVD PN1997 .P384 1999
  • Being John Malkovich (Jonze, 1999). Video DVD PN1997 .B435 2000
  • The Piano (Campion, 1993). Video DVD PN1997 .P53 1999
  • All About Eve (Mankiewicz, 1950). Video DVD PN1997 .A543 2002
  • The Hours (Daldry, 2002). Video DVD PN1997.2 H686 2003

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Printable Syllabus, original version without web updates.

[styledbox type=”information” align=”center”]NOTE: This syllabus functions very much like a living document and the course website will reflect updates or changes to the syllabus, assignments, etc. The course syllabus provides a general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary. Thus, check the website regularly.[/styledbox]

 

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Attendance and Participation:

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• Your attendance and participation impact your final grade. Missing more than three classes will negatively impact your grade. I will not differentiate between excused and unexcused absences outside of extreme circumstances. Thus, you do not need to offer any explanations for the classes you miss, but you will certainly want to consider saving your three absences for those that are out of your control.
• I expect you to be on time. Period. Latecomers distract me and other students; thus, if you are more than 10 minutes late consider yourself absent and do not come to class. Under no circumstances may you be late on the days of or enter during student presentations. No exceptions.
• Discussion and participation are necessary for your success in this course. To assure communal learning, I will employ devious methods for enabling your discussion about readings and films. Let the unprepared be warned: If I notice that the course readings are not being completed I will give additional, pop quizzes.
• Remember that you are responsible for obtaining the information that I discuss in class for any days that you are absent.  Acquaint yourself with people in the class so you can acquire the information that you need.

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Assignments:

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• Readings must be completed on the day that they are listed in the syllabus.
• Films for this class should be viewed outside of class unless otherwise noted.
  • Throughout the semester, you will be required to view the seven films listed on the syllabus.  Since we do not have a reserved screening time for the class, you will need to watch these films on your own. The films are a fundamental part of the course and will comprise a large part of our discussions.  Viewing these films is mandatory, and even if you have already seen the films, you should plan to view them again before the class in which we are discussing them.
  • Most of the films are available via instant streaming on Netflix, which is why you should subscribe to Netflix for the duration of the semester, either individually or in small groups (The unlimited instant plan is $7.99/month and plans with DVD delivery start at $9.99/month). The films are also available through the library media center reserves (1st Floor Circulation Desk, Library North).  If you choose not to subscribe to Netflix or view them in the library, then you can also seek them out through local video stores (such asMovies Worth Seeing or Videodrome).
• Assignments must be submitted on ULearn before class begins on the day that they are due. I do not accept the excuse that you were “unable to submit to ULearn” right before class if other classmates were able to successfully submit. To alleviate this risk, submit early and double-check your submission for accuracy and proper upload. And, just in case:
  • Assume that your computer will crash, get a virus, or explode; assume that your USB key drive will be erased or eaten by the dog; assume that your e-mail is inaccessible or that Google has decided to cease providing free G-Mail; assume that uLearn will not load or that you have been unable to figure out how to dial a phone and call the university Help Desk for assistance with uLearn; assume that your printer will run out of ink, that the university printers will shut down or run out of ink; assume that your car will break down, the bus will break down, that MARTA derails, or that your eco-friendly car-pool group decides to drive their own cars; assume that any number of people meet their tragic, untimely death(s); and assume that you may be hung-over or sleep in or may otherwise miss class. No matter which excuse you can offer—real or imaginative, you must still meet the assignment deadline. So, be prepared to finish the assignment early, upload or print it early, have duplicate and triplicate copies, or something of these sorts. This way you need not waste the creativity that you could put into an assignment on an excuse for a paper that was unable to meet its deadline—for whatever reason.
  • No matter the explanation or excuse you provide, all assignments will be lowered 10% (one letter grade) for each day they are late, beginning at the start of class after the assignment is due. Quizzes and short writing assignments cannot be completed late, no exceptions.
  • And, yo!, be sure to follow these format guidelines: put your last name in the title of the file you upload on ULearn, and your paper should be typed (unless I specify differently), double-spaced, formatted with one-inch margins on all sides, in 12-pt font, (if printed: single-sided, and stapled), and include a cover sheet on the first page with pertinent information like your name, my name, the course name, assignment title, etc.

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Other Information:

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• This course will contain materials that some students may find offensive (e.g. language, nudity, sexual scenes, etc.). Review the syllabus carefully to determine your commitment to the course and the films/readings that will be required.
• Turn off ALL personal communication devices before class begins.  And, yes, this includes WiFi or other media-connections without permission!
• Your constructive assessment of this course plays an indispensable role in shaping education at Georgia State University. Upon completing the course, please take the time to fill out the online course evaluation.
• The University offers a range of support services for students.  Among the resources available are:
  • The Writing Studio provides advice and tutoring in composition.
  • Student Support Services offers a variety of services, including tutoring, career counseling, and support groups.
• Students who wish to request accommodation for a disability may do so by registering with theOffice of Disability Services. Students may only be accommodated upon issuance by the Office of Disability Services of a signed Accommodation Plan and are responsible for providing a copy of that plan to instructors of all classes in which accommodations are sought.

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University Policy on Academic Honesty:

Plagiarism, academic misconduct, or cheating of any kind will not be tolerated. Taking part in any one of these forms of academic dishonesty can result in a zero for the assignment, course failure, and/or expulsion from the university. While the internet makes it easier to plagiarize, it is also easy for me to track down plagiarism. So, DON’T PLAGARIZE—cite all of your sources, put all direct quotations in quotation marks, clearly note when you are paraphrasing work by other authors, don’t try to resubmit work that you have written in another course, etc.

The university’s policy on academic honesty is published in “On Campus: The Undergraduate Co-Curricular Affairs Handbook” and the “GSU Faculty Handbook,” available online.

REPRINTED FROM THE FACULTY HANDBOOK | July 2010

Introduction

As members of the academic community, students are expected to recognize and uphold standards of intellectual and academic integrity. The university assumes as a basic and minimum standard of conduct in academic matters that students be honest and that they submit for credit only the products of their own efforts. Both the ideals of scholarship and the need for fairness require that all dishonest work be rejected as a basis for academic credit. They also require that students refrain from any and all forms of dishonorable or unethical conduct related to their academic work.

The university’s policy on academic honesty is published in the Faculty Affairs Handbook and the On Campus: The Undergraduate Co-Curricular Affairs Handbook and is available to all members of the university community. The policy represents a core value of the university and all members of the university community are responsible for abiding by its tenets. Lack of knowledge of this policy is not an acceptable defense to any charge of academic dishonesty. All members of the academic community — students, faculty, and staff — are expected to report violations of these standards of academic conduct to the appropriate authorities. The procedures for such reporting are on file in the offices of the deans of each college, the office of the dean of students, and the office of the provost.

In an effort to foster an environment of academic integrity and to prevent academic dishonesty, students are expected to discuss with faculty the expectations regarding course assignments and standards of conduct. Students are encouraged to discuss freely with faculty, academic advisors, and other members of the university community any questions pertaining to the provisions of this policy. In addition, students are encouraged to avail themselves of programs in establishing personal standards and ethics offered through the university’s Counseling Center.

Definitions and Examples
The examples and definitions given below are intended to clarify the standards by which academic honesty and academically honorable conduct are to be judged. The list is merely illustrative of the kinds of infractions that may occur, and it is not intended to be exhaustive. Moreover, the definitions and examples suggest conditions under which unacceptable behavior of the indicated types normally occurs; however, there may be unusual cases that fall outside these conditions which also will be judged unacceptable by the academic community.

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• Plagiarism: Plagiarism is presenting another person’s work as one’s own. Plagiarism includes any paraphrasing or summarizing of the works of another person without acknowledgment, including the submitting of another student’s work as one’s own. Plagiarism frequently involves a failure to acknowledge in the text, notes, or footnotes the quotation of the paragraphs, sentences, or even a few phrases written or spoken by someone else. The submission of research or completed papers or projects by someone else is plagiarism, as is the unacknowledged use of research sources gathered by someone else when that use is specifically forbidden by the faculty member. Failure to indicate the extent and nature of one’s reliance on other sources is also a form of plagiarism. Any work, in whole or in part, taken from the Internet or other computer-based resource without properly referencing the source (for example, the URL) is considered plagiarism. A complete reference is required in order that all parties may locate and view the original source. Finally, there may be forms of plagiarism that are unique to an individual discipline or course, examples of which should be provided in advance by the faculty member. The student is responsible for understanding the legitimate use of sources, the appropriate ways of acknowledging academic, scholarly or creative indebtedness, and the consequences of violating this responsibility.
• Cheating on Examinations: Cheating on examinations involves giving or receiving unauthorized help before, during, or after an examination. Examples of unauthorized help include the use of notes, computer based resources, texts, or “crib sheets” during an examination (unless specifically approved by the faculty member), or sharing information with another student during an examination (unless specifically approved by the faculty member). Other examples include intentionally allowing another student to view one’s own examination and collaboration before or after an examination if such collaboration is specifically forbidden by the faculty member.
• Unauthorized Collaboration: Submission for academic credit of a work product, or a part thereof, represented as its being one’s own effort, which has been developed in substantial collaboration with another person or source, or computer-based resource, is a violation of academic honesty. It is also a violation of academic honesty knowingly to provide such assistance. Collaborative work specifically authorized by a faculty member is allowed.
• Falsification: It is a violation of academic honesty to misrepresent material or fabricate information in an academic exercise, assignment or proceeding (e.g., false or misleading citation of sources, the falsification of the results of experiments or of computer data, false or misleading information in an academic context in order to gain an unfair advantage).
• Multiple Submissions: It is a violation of academic honesty to submit substantial portions of the same work for credit more than once without the explicit consent of the faculty member(s) to whom the material is submitted for additional credit. In cases in which there is a natural development of research or knowledge in a sequence of courses, use of prior work may be desirable, even required; however the student is responsible for indicating in writing, as a part of such use, that the current work submitted for credit is cumulative in nature.

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Assignments & Grade Breakdown:

Class Participation: (10%, 100pts.)

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• Attendance, preparation, quantity + quality of participation in discussions or group work, attendance.

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Quizzes: (10%, 100pts.)

Short Writing Assignments: (20%, 200pts.)

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• There will be various short writing assignments throughout the semester. Each assignment varies in length—from a few paragraphs to a few pages.
• These assignments will help you develop your written organization and argumentative focus for the final paper.
• These assignments will be graded, like most college-level writing assignments, according to coherence, structure, grammar, syntax, etc.

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Group Film Clip Presentation: (10%, 100pts.)

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• You will be in a group with classmates to present and analyze a film clip on a presentation day, which are spaced throughout the semester. Your presentation will be 10-15 minutes long and will focus on the particular aspect of cinema that we are studying (e.g. cinematography or editing).
• Your group will be required to meet with me at least one week before your presentation date.
• Your presentation should include:
  • A brief film clip (2-4 min.) from a film of your choice;
  • A cohesive thesis about this clip that will connect with topic that the class is currently studying;
  • Various arguments that support your thesis and result in a clear summary/conclusion to illustrate how your clip various issues that we are discussing in class.

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Midterm Exam: (20%, 200pts.) DUE MARCH 8.

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• A take-home exam.
• This exam will test your knowledge and understanding of materials we have covered up to the course midpoint.

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Final Paper: (30%, 300pts.) DUE APRIL 26.

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• NOTICE: The timeline has different deadlines for parts of your paper, and each of these count toward the final paper grade.
• A 5-6pg paper that explores various cinematic techniques we have addressed throughout the semester.
• The paper should employ writing techniques that we have discussed in class (appropriate essay structure, argumentative criticism and analysis, research, etc.)
• Your paper topic will require a proposal. This will include your major arguments and an annotated bibliography.
• You will meet with me AT LEAST once about your final paper.
• The final paper will be graded, like most college-level writing assignments, according to coherence, structure, grammar, syntax, etc.

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Grade Scale:

A	:	94-100 (e.g. 940-1000pts)
A-	:	90-93
B+	:	87-89
B	:	84-86
B-	:	80-83
C+	:	77-79
C	:	74-76
C-	:	70-73
D	:	61-69
F	:	60 & below.

An A+ grade is possible, but only in rare instances and with the following conditions:

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• Perfect scores.
• Perfect attendance (including office hours visits and meeting attendance).
• Compelling, inventive and exemplary scholarship.

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Introduction:

1/18 Syllabus (& “Why Study Film?”)
Read: “It’s Just a Movie” (Smith)
NOTE: 1/14 was the last day to drop classes.
First Day Handout

MISE-EN-SCENE

1/20 Elements of Mise-en-Scéne.
Read: pp. 61-77, 80-84 (C&W).
NOTE: 1/21 is the last day for late registration.

1/25 Significance of Mise-en-Scéne.
Read: pp. 84-93 (C&W).

1/27 WRITING 1: Writing About Film & Writing Thesis Statements.
Read: pp. 507-512 (C&W) ; One film review of your choice (Rotten Tomatoes is a good place to start).
[Thesis Statement Handout]

2/1 Mise-en-Scéne, Application & Discussion.
View: Do the Right Thing (Lee, 1989)
Read: pp. 78-80 (C&W).
DUE: Short Essay #1

CINEMATOGRAPHY

2/3 Elements of Cinematography.
Read: pp. 95-121 (C&W).

2/8 Significance of Cinematography.
Read: pp. 122-123, 127-133 (C&W).
WRITING 2: Writing(Analytical/Argumentative) Previews.
[Previews Handout]

2/10 Cinematography, Application & Discussion.
View: Peeping Tom (Powell, 1960)
Read: “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” (Mulvey).
DUE: Short Essay #2

2/15 Group 1 Presentations. (Mise-en-Scéne & Cinematography)

EDITING

2/17 Elements of Editing.
Read: pp. 135-166 (C&W).

2/22 Significance of Editing.
Read: pp. 166-183 (C&W).
WRITING 3: Structuring an Essay & Writing Introductions.
[Notes & Writing Handout – with Intro/Thesis Example]

2/24 Editing Application & Discussion.
View: Being John Malkovich (Jonze, 1999)
DUE: Short Essay #3
Distribute Midterm Exam.
NOTE: 2/25 is the last day to withdraw from classes for the semester.

2/28-3/4 SPRING BREAK– No Classes.

SOUND

3/8 Elements & Significance of Sound.
Read: pp. 185-211, 214-223 (C&W).
DUE: Midterm Exam.

3/10 SOUND APPLICATION. (I WILL BE OUT OF TOWN AT THE SCMS CONFERENCE.)
Watch (in class): The Piano, (Campion, 1993)

3/15 Sound Application.
Finish (in class): The Piano, (Campion, 1993)
Read: pp. 212-213 (C&W); “What My Fingers Knew” (Sobchack) or “Axe the Piano Player” (Modleski).

3/17 Sound Discussion: The Piano. 
DUE: Short Essay #4

3/22 Group 2 Presentations (Editing & Sound).

NARRATIVE

3/24 Narrative Film, Application & Discussion.
View: All About Eve (Mankiewicz, 1950)

3/29 Narrative, continued.
Read: pp. 227-269 (C&W)

3/31 WRITING 4: “Cutting the Fluff” in our Writing & Film Research.
Read: pp. 526-527; 532-535; 540-543 (C&W)

4/5 Alternative Narrative, Application.
Watch (in class): The Hours (Daldry, 2002)
Read: “Melancholic Arrangements: Music, Melodrama, and the Seeds of Transformation in The Hours” (LeBlanc).

4/7 Alternative Narrative, Application & Discussion.
Finish (in class): The Hours (Daldry, 2002)
DUE: Final Paper Proposal
DUE: (Optional) Short Essay #5

4/12 Group 3 Presentations (Narrative)

4/14 Post-Cinematic Aesthetics
Read: TBA
View: TBA

4/19 FINAL PAPER MEETINGS
Meetings will be held in Saxby’s Coffee, Library North, First Floor.
Final paper meeting are by appointment. If you did not sign up in class, please e-mail me.

4/21 FINAL PAPER MEETINGS
Meetings will be held in Saxby’s Coffee, Library North, First Floor.
Final paper meeting are by appointment. If you did not sign up in class, please e-mail me.

4/26 (Finals Week) FINAL PAPER DUE.

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