English 114: Introduction to Film Syllabus

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updated: 9 August 2006

SYLLABUS
ENGLISH 114, INTRODUCTION TO FILM
Section 3: Thursday 6:00-9:30 p.m., Wiecking Auditorium
Fall 2006, 4 credits

NOTE: THIS SYLLABUS IS CURRENTLY BEING REVISED! PLEASE CONTINUE TO REVISIT FOR UPDATES!

Professor: Donald F. Larsson	E-Mail Address: donald.larsson@mnsu.edu
Office: 301L Armstrong Hall (third floor, facing fountain)	Office Phone: 389-2368 (voicemail available)
Office Hours: Monday and Thursday, 4:00-5:00 pm; Tuesday and Wed., 10:00-11:00 am and by appointment* *Note: I am on campus most of the day, almost every day of the week, but if you want to be sure to find me, please let me know that you want to meet!

1. Texts and Materials	2. Objectives	3. Attendance
4. Reading	5. Grading	6. Extra Credit Deadline passed: No further papers will be accepted or read
Weekly Outline (Weeks 2-15 are now online)	SCHEDULE	Links
Terms to Know from Film Art TERMS FOR FINAL EXAM ARE IN RED

A CAUTION AND AN INVITATION:

Contemporary films shown in this class sometimes include strong language, nudity and "sexual situations," and/or scenes of violence. As adults, you are expected to approach these films with the same seriousness as you would approach any object of study in college. However, if you have genuine objections to watching such material, let me know.
This is a very large class, so I rarely get to know more than a few of you by name. But I welcome your comments, compliments, and complaints, in class and out of class. Remember that there is no such thing as a dumb question (except, maybe, "Did I miss anything important?" and "Do you have a stapler?")
I am happy to offer advice about papers and exams or just to talk about movies. Always feel free to drop by during office hours. If you can't make it during my hours, let me know when you're free and we'll set up a time together. You can leave messages by e-mail or on my office answering machine any time. I hope to get to know at least some of you outside of class and to hear what's on your mind. Even in a film class, we shouldn't have to work in the dark.
I also welcome comments, questions and conversations by e-mail (donald.larsson@mnsu.edu).

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1. TEXTS AND OTHER MATERIALS

· Richard Barsam, Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film (Norton)
Textbook Web support at: http://www.wwnorton.com/web/movies/
(Your registration code for using the website should be inside the back cover of your textbook.)

· Class website: http://english2.mnsu.edu/larsson/introfilm/syllabus.html

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2. COURSE OBJECTIVES
(Go to General Education Competencies for English 114.)

This class starts with one basic assumption: Viewing and understanding films require our active participation as viewers.

We tend to think of watching film as a passive activity--we kick off our shoes, put up our feet and just let the images and sounds wash over us. Sometimes, after a hard day, that kind of "passive" viewing is necessary. But unless we are asleep, we always take part in what we watch--we catch clues and cues, anticipate events, react to characters, and notice themes and meanings. Much of the time, we aren't aware of this participation. But when we do notice it, our active involvement in watching the film can reward us. And as we learn more about how to look and listen and what to look and listen for, we can find more rewards: more to think about, more to appreciate, and even more to enjoy.

This course, then, will be about how to watch and listen to films. Using individual movies as examples, we'll consider how events, characters, and meanings give stories their shape. Just as important, we'll examine how these elements of narrative depend on and interact with the elements of the film's style. We'll see how props, settings, costumes, lighting, acting, cinematography, editing, and sound can say more than the words in the script. And we'll discuss how all these elements reflect the visions and beliefs of different filmmakers and the times and places they came from, as well as our own visions and beliefs.

Most of our examples will come from the tradition we are most familiar with--that of the Classical Hollywood Narrative Film--but we'll also view examples of other types of film as well as movies from other countries and the silent era.

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3. ATTENDANCE

I will not call attendance each week for a class this large. However, you should attend consistently. Some weeks will be devoted to screening a full-length film with a lecture and discussion. Other weeks will be devoted primarily to lecture and discussion, supplemented by short films, clips and slides. I will have class notes available online, but some films and the clips and slides will not be readily available. The notes are no substitute for being here! In addition, there will be a 3 Tests given in class and 11 Quizzes. Each Quiz will be worth 4 points to your possible total of 200 points. Quizzes will be given at the end of the period (around 9:15 pm), and cannot be made up. If you miss a Quiz for any reason, you will forfeit the 4 points.

When watching the film, concentrate on what you see and hear. Take notes during or after the screening. The Study Guides for in the weekly notes can give you some guidance in what to look and listen for. I will leave the lights partially on so you can at least see your notebook during the films. Laughter, gasps, and applause are fine, but PLEASE DON'T TALK until after the screening. On the other hand, I encourage you to talk and ask questions during lecture and discussion!

It's as important to see all of a film as it is to read a novel from beginning to end. Please arrive at class on time and do not leave the auditorium until the lights start coming up. If you must leave during a film screening for a bathroom break or emergency, please do so as quietly as possible.

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4. READING

You should do the assigned reading in the class schedule for each week before coming to class. The lists of Terms to Know will help you to know what to concentrate on as you read. Also see the textbook support website at http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072484551/student_view0/

There are at least three advantages to doing this reading in advance:

You will know what to look and listen for in the films we see (several of them are at least mentioned in Film Art and some are discussed in depth);
Lectures and discussions will refer to terms from the reading and you will be better able to discuss the terms and concepts and ask questions about them;
Many of the terms will appear in one form or another on Tests and the Final Exam, and you will not have to cram them all in just before the exam itself.
Some of the terms will show up on the weekly Quizzes.

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5. GRADING

The main part of your final grade will be based on 11 Quizzes, 3 Tests, and one Final Exam in multiple-choice/true-false format. Each Test will cover a period of three to four weeks; the Final Exam will be cumulative.

· Quizzes consist of 4 questions each, based on readings, screenings, and lectures for that week.

· Tests cover 3-4 weeks of class with 30 questions each that require closer thinking about terms, concepts and films. Tests will often have several questions based on a film clip shown in class.

· The Final Exam will be worth 66 points and have 66 questions. The exam will cover material in class after Test 3, a comprehensive section that covers the class as a whole, and a section of questions relating to a film clip that will be show at the exam.

Quizzes: Weeks 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15 = 44 points (11 Quizzes @ 4 points each)
Test 1: Week 4 = 15 Points	Test 2: Week 8 = 35 Points	Test 3: Week 12 = 35 Points	Final Exam = 71 Points
See the Schedule for exact dates for Quizzes, Tests and Final Exam. Quizzes cannot be made up. If you miss a Quiz, you lose the 4 points. Tests or the Final Exam can be made up only by a written appeal to the teacher and will take the form of a written essay exam.

TOTAL POSSIBLE SCORE=200 POINTS
(Total Possible Extra-Credit = 20 points. See below!)

EXAM MAKE-UP POLICY: Any in-class Quizzes or Exams that are missed for any reason can be made up only by taking a written essay-form Quiz or Exam that I will administer. If you miss a quiz or exam, contact me as soon as possible.

The final grade will be based on the total of points on your quizzes and final exam, adjusted by any extra-credit work.

A = 180-200

B = 160-179

C = 140-159

D = 120-139

F = 0-119

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6. EXTRA CREDIT

There is one optional, extra-credit assignment that can help to raise your final grade. You will not lose any credit if you do not do the assignment (but you won't get any extra points either!).

Analytical Paper (Mise-en-Scene, Cinematography, Editing)
You can earn another 15-20 points by writing an optional paper that analyzes the use of mise-en-scene, cinematography, or editing in a film seen outside of class. For more information, go to the Extra Credit Paper Assignment page.

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