PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING: Some films will have subtitles and some will have "R" ratings for violence, sexual content, and strong language. If this prohibits your viewing any of the films, you must DROP this course--each student remains responsible for every film as it appears on the syllabus (or amended syllabus, if the case applies). Please arrive on time for the screenings and stay until the end of the film.
How to Take Notes on Films: record 1) the complete title; 2) release year; 3) director; 4) writer(s) (and novel upon which the film is based, if applicable); 5) major character names (and actors who play them); 6) the credit sequence as it will often contain parts of the film necessary for comprehension; 7) a general plot-line; and 8) scenes and dialogue that strike you as significant. Note: for 1-5 above, you can double-check your notes at www.imdb.com (the Internet Movie Database). Also, you may need to watch films more than once in order to capture specific scenes and dialogues you may have missed.
Films on Reserve: This is a 100-person class. The best time to view the film is during the film lab where you can watch the course version on a big screen. I will put all course films on reserve at the Joyner library circulation desk. You will need your OneCard to check them out for 2-3 hours, and you may watch them in the Teaching Resource Center. You will need to bring your own earphones. If several of you are watching together, you may use Joyner 2101 (the service desk upstairs has the key). However, given the size of the class and the fact that other film courses may be using the films, there is no guarantee that the film will be available when you need it, so plan ahead!
EXAMS 1-3: Each examination will consist of a mixture of identification, multiple choice, and short answer. The final exam will be comprehensive.
CLASS PARTICIPATION: Homework, quizzes, class participation, in-class writing assignments, evidence of completing the readings and viewings, and everything else all figure into this last category.
GradingPoints
Exam One 100
Exam Two 100
Final Exam 125
Shot Analysis 75 Scene Analysis 75
Class Participation 50
Total Points 525
You are responsible for the grade you earn in this class. The number points you earn determines your grade. If you would like to discuss your progress in this course, please come talk to me.
A=473-525 B=420=472 C=368-419 D=315-367 F=314 and below
If you have a question about what is permissible, please ask. But if I perceive a problem, I will let you know. As this is a discussion-based course, I expect thoughtfully prepared and courteous paricipation.
Written Work : All written work must be in the following format: 12 pt. Times New Roman font, 1" margins (check your word processing program - the default is usually 1.25"), your name, date, and my name SINGLE-SPACED in the left margin. Center your interesting title. Do not add any extra spaces.
Absenteeism and Tardiness: You are expected to arrive at class ON TIME, stay the duration of the class, and actively participate in class discussions. It is of the utmost importance that you attend EVERY CLASS. Therefore, the attendance policy will be strictly enforced. You are allowed four "freebie" absences, so use them wisely. After four absences, your final grade will drop 5% for every missed class. If you know that that you will have to miss more than three classes, even if for legitimate reasons, you should consider dropping this course. Likewise, arriving to class more than 10 minutes late or leaving more than 10 minutes early will counted as a “late” (yes I do keep track of this). After 3 “lates” your final grade will drop 5% for every additional “late” you accrue.
Late Work Policy
You must complete all assignments and exams as scheduled. I will not accept late or make-up work unless I have approved your reason for missing the deadline in advance and/or you provide me official documentation that verifies an emergency situation.
Academic Integrity
Cheating is defined as copying someone else’s work through direct quotation or paraphrasing without citing the original author. Cheating is also paying someone else to do your work. Please refer to the ECU Student Handbook for more information on ECU’s policy on academic honesty. I will strictly enforce this policy. Click here for more information on avoiding plagiarism.
Special Assistance:
It is my hope that you will succeed in this course. If you have any special needs you wish to alert me to, please come see me during my office hours or set up an appointment. ECU seeks to comply fully with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Students requesting accommodations based on a disability must be registered with the Department for Disability Support Services located in Shay 138. (252) 737-1016.
Emergency Weather
In the event of a weather emergency, you may access information from ECU emergency notices (www.ecu.edu/alert) or the ECU emergency information hotline (252-328-0062).
Semester Calendar This syllabus is a written contractual agreement between us. I reserve the right to revise the schedule to meet the class’s needs and to alert you to changes via email. However, I will never move deadlines earlier.
Week 2: Classical Hollywood Cinema Screening: Sullivan's Travels (Sturges, 1941)
Read: Ch. 6 in Film Art, p. 218-251 (246-49 optional)
T (1/22) -- Sullivan's Travels
R (1/24) --
Sullivan's Travels
Week 3: Soviet Montage Screening: Battleship Potemkin (Eisenstein, 1925)
Read: Ch. 6 in Film Art, pp. 251-60, 453-56
T (1/29) -- Battleship Potemkin
R (1/31) --
Battleship Potemkin
Revisiting Potemkin, Arcade Fire's "Intervention"
Revisiting Potemkin: Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven"
Week 5: Cinematography Screening: Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941)
Read: Ch. 5 in Film Art, pp. 96-106, 162-214
T (2/12) -- "The Battle Over Citizen Kane"
R (2/14) --
Citizen Kane
Week 6: Mise en scéne and German Expressionism Screening: Metropolis (Lang, 1927) Read: Ch. 4 in Film Art, pp. 112-153
T (2/19) -- Metropolis
R (2/21) --
Exam One
Week 7:Sound Screening: The Conversation (Coppola, 1974)
Read: Ch. 4, Film Art, pp. 264-296
T (2/26) -- The Conversation
R (2/28) --
The Conversation, SHOT ANALYSIS DUE
Pitch in Psycho (Hitchcock, 1960)
Ambient noise in Fiest's "The Park"
"Mickey Mousing"
Playing with diegetic sound
Nonsimultaneous sound--the flashback
How to tell the difference
Dramatic Groundhog
Dramatic Lemur
Week 8: Editing Screening: Hot Fuzz (Wright, 2007)
Review: Ch. 6 in Film Art, p. 218-251
T (3/4) -- Hot Fuzz
R (3/6) -- Hot Fuzz
Week 9
T (3/11) --
No Class--Spring Break
R (3/13) --
No Class--Spring Break
Week 10:Genre--The Western, Frontier Mythology, and the Captivity Narrative Screening: The Searchers (Ford, 1956) Read: "Westerns" by Craig Phillips, Ch. 9, Film Art, pp. 318-29
T (3/18) -- The Searchers
R (3/20) --
The Searchers
John Wayne for Great Western Savings:
Reviving John Wayne for beer:
Week 11: Genre: The Musical Screening:O Brother, Where Art Thou?(Coen brothers, 2000) Read: Click here for the summary of Homer's Odyssey, Ch. 9 Film Art, pp. 332-36
T (3/25) --Auteurs, Adaptation, and Authenticity
R (3/27) --
EXAM TWO
Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail (Gilliam, 1975)
"Cell Block Tango" from Chicago (Rob Marshall, 2002)
Week 12: Genre: The Horror Film Screening: The Exorcist (Friedkin, 1973) Read: Ch. 9, Film Art, pp. 329-332
T (4/1) --
The Exorcist
R (4/3)--
The Exorcist
Week 14: Documentary Screening: When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (Lee, 2006) Read: Ch. 10 Film Art, pp. 338-55
T (4/15) -- When the Levees Broke
R (4/17) --
When the Levees Broke
Week 15: Mockumentary Screening: For Your Consideration (Guest, 2006)
T (4/22) --
For Your Consideration
R (4/24) -- Last Day of Class
