Film 1010: Film Aesthetics and Analysis (Fall 2008, CRN: 87792)

TR 9:30am-10:45am, General Classroom Building 517 Drew Ayers dayers2@gsu.edu www.drewayers.net Phone: (812) 202-0778 Office: 840B, One Park Place Office Hours: M 2:30pm-4:30pm, T 11:00am-1:00pm, and by appt. (ALWAYS email first) Mailbox: 6th Floor, One Park Place

Note: The course website will reflect updates to the course, changes in syllabus, assignments, etc. Be sure to check it regularly. The course syllabus provides a general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary. Course Description Film 1010 is designed to build on the historical information you gain in Film 2700 by increasing attention paid to film terms and their use in filmmaking and criticism. The course also develops student critical thinking and writing tools, with particular emphasis given to thinking and writing about cinema. That is, the course will put the terms to analytical work. Film 1010 is a precursor to the more advanced work done in upper-level film courses. Course Objectives Students will be able to: define terms fundamental to cinema studies; employ these terms in class discussion; and, write analytical/critical essays that show understanding of, engagement with, and thoughtful use of cinema studies vocabulary. The critical, argumentative, and written skills gained in this course are those assumed to be used in upper-level film studies courses as well as in other critical engagements with the world. Required Texts 1) Corrigan, Timothy and Patricia White. The Film Experience: An Introduction. New York: Bedford, 2004. (Available at the GSU bookstores) 2) Readings on uLearn 3) Course films (Available on library reserve) Screenings Throughout the semester, you will be required to view the five 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 (except for Die Hard) are available through the library media center (2nd Floor, Library South), and all of the films are available through Netflix or at local video stores (e.g., Movies Worth Seeing and Videodrome). The films are a fundamental part of the course and will comprise a large part of our discussions. Thus, even if you have already seen the films, you should plan view them again before the class in which we are discussing them. Attendance and Participation Attendance for this course is mandatory. My approach to this class will integrate lectures, class discussions, student presentations, and various exercises and activities in order to explore the

principles discussed in the readings you cant participate if youre not there. Attendance will be taken in each class by using a sign-in sheet. Each student will have three personal days during the semester to cover absences from either class or screenings. These days may be used for any reason you choose and should include time out for illness, emergencies, and family obligations. For each absence after the initial three, your overall attendance grade will be lowered by one letter grade. If you have an ongoing situation that requires special consideration, please discuss this with me at the beginning of the course. Group discussion of course material will comprise a large portion of our in-class activity. It is essential that you have carefully read the assigned material prior to class in order to fulfill your responsibilities as a member of the learning community of this class. Further, you are expected to actively participate in class discussion. Attendance/Participation comprises 10% of the final grade, and your participation grade will be based on both the level and quality of your participation. Policies 1) Late Assignments: If an assignment is turned in late, one full letter grade will be deducted for each day the assignment is late. Additionally, please remember that an assignment is considered late immediately following the class period in which it is due. If you are unable to attend class on a day that an assignment is due, you must contact me prior to the class and make alternative arrangements. All assignments should be submitted in hard-copy form. 2) Academic Honesty: The universitys policy on academic honesty is published in On Campus: The Undergraduate Co-Curricular Affairs Handbook, available online at http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwcam. There is an addendum to that policy available here: http://www2.gsu.edu/~joujhr/AcademicHonestyPolicyFA06.htm. The policy prohibits plagiarism, cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification, and multiple submissions. Violation of the policy may result in failing the class, in addition to disciplinary sanctions. The internet makes it easy to plagiarize, but also easy to track down plagiarism. Bottom line: Dont plagiarize its not worth it. Theres always a better way. Cite all your sources, put all direct quotations in quotation marks, and clearly note when you are paraphrasing other authors work. 3) Class Etiquette: (1) I expect you to be in class on time and to stay for the entire class session. Latecomers and early-leavers distract me and your student colleagues dont do it; (2) It is expected that each student will come to class prepared, having read the required material and/or viewed the required film for the day. Additionally, students are expected to participate in class discussions; (3) It should go without saying that I expect you to treat the classroom space appropriately. Checking your Facebook profile and text messaging are inappropriate activities. In general, simply be respectful and mindful of others were all here to learn (even me J), so we should all try to make the classroom as conducive to learning and communicating as possible; (4) Make sure any email correspondence clearly identifies both you and the course. I get tons of emails every day, and this ensures that I dont accidentally delete any of your emails.

Grading Five Short Essays (5% each): Quizzes: Film Clip Presentation: Midterm Exam: Final Paper: Attendance/Participation:

25% 10% 10% 20% 25% 10%

Grading Breakdown A (100-95); A- (94-90); B+ (89-87); B (86-84); B- (83-80); C+ (79-77); C (76-74); C- (73-70); D+ (69-67); D (66-64); D- (63-60); F (59-0) Assignments There are five primary assignments for the semester. We will talk about each in more detail as the due dates approach. 1) Short Essays: There are five short writing assignments spaced throughout the semester. Some are merely two paragraphs; some are up to three pages. All are designed to develop your written organization and argumentative focus. Each will be graded according to coherence, structure, grammar, syntax, diction, etc. based on the type of assignment. These assignments must be submitted in hard-copy form. We will talk about each as due dates near. Each short essay is worth 5% of your overall grade, and the essays together comprise 25% of your overall grade. All essays are due at the beginning of class. 2) Quizzes: At random times throughout the semester, I will distribute short quizzes to the class. These quizzes are designed to test your comprehension of the assigned reading and/or film for the day. The quizzes are worth 10% of your overall grade. 3) Film Clip Presentation: Groups of two or three people will present and discuss the cinematic aspects of a film clip of their choosing. The presentations should focus on the particular aspects of cinema we are studying (editing, cinematography, etc.). Thus, your presentation should (1) focus on a brief clip from a film of your choice clips should be no more than two or three minutes; (2) provide a reading of the clip focusing on the topic of the class discussion (editing, etc.); (3) draw summary conclusions as to how your clip is representative of the larger issues we are discussing; and (4) provide further questions for class discussion. Your group should meet with me at least a week prior to your presentation to discuss what you are going to present. The presentation is worth 10% of your overall grade. 4) Midterm Exam: You will be responsible for completing a take-home midterm exam, and the exam is designed to test you on the material we have covered in class up to the midpoint. You will respond to two questions/prompts of your choice, selected from a list of several questions/prompts that I will provide to you. Each response should be at least 750 words in length (roughly 3 double-spaced pages), resulting in a total of approximately 6 pages for the entire midterm. The midterm is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, October 21st, and it is worth 20% of your overall grade. 5) Final Paper: This assignment will be 8-10 pages in length, and it is meant to showcase all you have learned this semester. The paper should make use of all of our discussion about film essay construction, analysis, research, etc. I will provide several

questions/prompts from which you may choose. You may also write on a topic of your own, but you MUST approve the topic with me before you begin writing (failure to do so will result in a required rewrite of the essay with a one letter grade deduction). You are encouraged to submit drafts before the paper is due. We will talk much more about the paper throughout the summer. The final paper is due on the last day of class (Thursday, December 4th), and it is worth 25% of your overall grade. 6) All submitted materials should be typed in 12-point Times New Roman, 1-inch margins on all sides, and double-spaced. Each page should also include your last name and the page number in the upper right-hand corner. The upper left-hand corner of the first page should include your name, my name, the course name, and the date of submission. Use MLA format for your citations and works cited page. Please remember to staple your essays.

Daily Schedule
8/19 Mise-en-Scene 8/21 Topic: Introduction to Course Syllabus, Objectives, and Assignments; Sign up for Presentations Elements of Mise-en-Scene pp. 41-64 (C&W) Smith, Its Just a Movie. (uLearn) Values and Traditions of Mise-en-Scene pp. 64-69, 72 (C&W) Discussion of Bicycle Thieves pp. 70-71 (C&W) Bicycle Thieves (De Sica, 1948), 93 min.

Topic: Reading: Topic: Reading: Topic: Reading: Screening: Topic: Reading:

8/26 8/28

Types of Film Writing 9/2

Film Reviews pp. 474-478 (C&W) Two reviews of a film of your choice (http://www.rottentomatoes.com is a good starting point) Assignment: Short Essay #1 Due Topic: Reading: Critical/Analytic Essays pp. 479-487

9/4 Cinematography 9/9

Topic: Elements of Cinematography Reading: pp. 75-97 (C&W) Assignment: Short Essay #2 Due

9/11 9/16

Topic: Reading: Topic: Reading: Screening:

Values and Traditions of Cinematography pp. 97-103, 107 (C&W) Discussion of M pp. 104-106 (C&W) M (Lang, 1931), 110 min.

9/18

Topic: Presentations Assignment: Short Essay #3 Due Film Presentations from Group I (Mise-en-Scene and/or Cinematography) Topic: Reading: Topic: Reading: Topic: Reading: Topic: Reading: Topic: Screening: Critical Essay Structure pp. 492-502 (C&W) Writing Workshop pp. 488-492 (C&W) Elements of Editing pp. 110-144 (C&W) Values and Traditions of Editing pp. 145-157 Discussion of Requiem for a Dream Requiem for a Dream (Aronofsky, 2000), 102 min.

Writing Critical Essays 9/23 9/25 Editing 9/30 10/2 10/7

Researching for a Film Paper 10/9 Topic: Intro to Researching Film Reading: pp. 502-513 (C&W) Assignment: Short Essay #4 Due 10/14 Topic: Distribute and Discuss Midterm Exam Presentations Assignment: Film Presentations from Group II (Editing) Topic: Reading: Topic: Reading: Elements of Sound pp. 166-200 (C&W) Values and Traditions of Sound pp. 200-209 (C&W) (skip The Conversation section)

Sound 10/16 10/21

Assignment: Midterm Exam Due (bring to class) 10/23 10/28 NO CLASS Topic: Reading: Screening: Topic: Reading: Discussion of The Conversation pp. 207-209 (C&W) The Conversation (Coppola, 1974), 113 min. Intro to Ideology Comolli and Narboni, Cinema/Ideology/Criticism (uLearn) Cahiers analysis of Young Mr. Lincoln (skim) (uLearn) Elements of Film Narrative pp. 214-246 (C&W)

Narrative and Ideology 10/30

11/4 11/6

Topic: Reading:

Topic: Values and Traditions of Film Narrative Reading: pp. 246-251 (C&W) Assignment: Short Essay #5 Due Topic: Reading: Topic: Reading: Screening: Classical Hollywood Narration Bordwell, Chapter 3, Classical Narration (uLearn) Post-Classical Narration; Discussion of Die Hard Elsaesser and Buckland, Classical/Post-Classical Narrative (Die Hard) (uLearn) Die Hard (McTiernan, 1988), 132 min. Elements of Film Genre pp. 288-297 (C&W) Hollywood Genres pp. 297-306 (C&W) Hollywood Genres, continued pp. 306-320 (C&W)

11/11 11/13

Film Genre 11/18 11/20 12/2 12/4

Topic: Reading: Topic: Reading: Topic: Reading:

Topic: Presentations Reading: pp. 252-254 (C&W) Assignment: Final Paper Due (bring to class) Film Presentations from Group III (Narrative, Ideology, and/or Genre)

Short Essay Assignments

Short Essay #1 Write two paragraphs that you could add to the essay on Bicycle Thieves (pp. 70-71), which analyze specific elements of mise-en-scene at work in the film. The essay highlights specific elements like the apartment of The Santona and the characters dress. What are two other such elements that are notable? How do they function within the rest of the films mise-en-scene? How do they help to create meaning and tell the films story? Remember, you should focus on the visual aspects of the film (what you see) rather than on a summary or explanation of the story/plot of the film. Short Essay #2 Find two reviews of a film of your choice and write overviews of each, focusing on the goals of the reviewers and the types of arguments that they make. Consider what sorts of objective verses subjective claims the authors make. How do the writers argue in support of the claims? How is this type of writing different than the writing in a critical essay? Short Essay #3 Write two paragraphs that you could add to the essay on M (pp. 104-106), which analyze specific elements of cinematography at work in the film. The brief essay begins with grand claims about the cinematography, noting that the objective and subjective views presented in the film often are blurred so that it is often difficult to tell from whose point of view the story is being told. Read the second paragraph carefully, paying particular attention to the specific reading it gives to the cinematic elements it is discussing. Notice that it does much more than describe the cinematography: it makes readings and conclusions about it. The essay hints at some of the many places you could pick as a point for your own investigation. Pick one such place and strike off on your own analysis of a specific scene. Remember, you should focus on how the cinematography helps to tell the story rather than providing a summary or interpretation of the film. Short Essay #4 After watching Requiem for a Dream, select two scenes from the film and write a two-page paper in which you analyze the relationship between story and editing. That is, make an introductory claim (a topic/thesis statement) as to how the editing relates to the story (of the scene or of the film as a whole) and then proceed to argue how exactly the scene/film does this. Be very specific in how you pay attention to the editing practices. Short Essay #5 Read pp. 252-254 (C&W), paying attention to how the essay sets up and fulfills a comparison and contrast. Write a three-page paper in which you briefly develop a comparison and contrast between the two films you watch from the list provided below. You do not need to work on the fullest development possible, but provide a completely full introduction as to how you could develop such a comparison/contrast. Be certain that you are attentive to the specific demands of a comparison/contrast paper. Pick one pair of films to watch and compare/contrast: Fargo (Coen, 1996) and The Killing (Kubrick, 1956) Cleo from 5 to 7 (Varda, 1962) and Vertigo (Hitchcock, 1958) The Untouchables (De Palma, 1987) and Goodfellas (Scorsese, 1990)