FILM ONE FILM DEPARTMENT BROOKLYN COLLEGE
JOHN BEATTY SYLLABUS FALL 2011


COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Text Book

Gianetti, Louis, 2005 Understanding Movies Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ

Papers and Exams

The will be two quizzes, a final and a paper,

Paper

The paper is to be submitted as a hard copy – no electronically transmitted papers are accepted. Papers are due on the assigned date. The paper should have on it your name, the course number and the term in which you are taking the course. Late papers (any paper which arrives after the due date) will be given a grade with no comments and there will be no discussion about the paper. Papers which arrive later than the next class meeting will lose one letter grade for each week they are late.

Plagiarism

Although the assignments are to be done without any reference to outside sources, any material which comes from an outside MUST be cited. Failure to do so is plagiarism and will result in a failing grade for the paper and possible the course. See the college Bulletin for rules about plagiarism.

Late Assignments

If the paper is turned in late MUST be accompanied by a major functioning internal organ. (with DNA proof it is yours) This specifically excludes tonsils and appendix and in many cases the brain which is not necessarily a functioning organ or you wouldn't be worrying about late papers. You may in place of an internal organ submit the skin (which is more or less external) - as long as I get all of it.

Quizzes and Exams

There will be two quizzes (15 minutes) which will be in a short answer format (fill ins, true false multiple choice, identify)

THE FINAL EXAM IS TUESDAY DEC 20th FINAL 6-8 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.. STUDENTS ARRIVING MORE THAN 5 MINUTES LATE WILL NOT BE ADMITTED TO THE FINAL

Grades are computed as follows:

Final = 35%
Paper = 35%
Quiz 1 = 15%
Quiz 2 =15%
Total =100%

The Paper

An analysis of a scene in a film. The film you select must be one NOT shown in class or in a language you do not speak fluently. The paper should discuss the way the director handles the opening, closing, first appearance of the main character or set piece. The paper is NOT to be descriptive, but is to be analytic.

E-mails

If you contact me by e-mail (Profbeatty@hotmail.com) put your full name and course number on the e-mail . Names like “sexy dancer” are not on my roster. If they are not there I will not respond to the e-mail. Do NOT e-mail me asking me questions that are answered in the syllabus or the schedule of classes (e.g. "When is the final?")

Web Site

There is a web site for the course – http://Johnbeatty.name and from there, follow the links, or go directly to:

http://userhome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/anthro/jbeatty/COURSES/FILM1/fall_2011/fall_2011.html

 Attendance and Lateness

Departmental policy allows you two absences a term. Since classes meet only once a week, each absence means you have missed more than three hours of class time. Students who miss more than two classes for whatever reason will fail the course. Students are considered absent if they come more than 15 minutes late.

Cell Phones

If you have one, turn the damned thing off! If the phone goes off during class it is an automatic “F” in the course, plus expulsion from the college and a slow painful death. Your cell phone will also be destroyed. No joke.

FILMS (Tentative)

DATE FILM
Aug. 30 Historical development - Early films Trip to the Moon
Sept. 6 Montage examples and The Great Train Robbery
Sept. 13 Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Sept. 20 Sunrise + QUIZ 1
Sept. 27 Frankenstein (1910 and 1931 versions)
OCT 4 NO CLASSES
Oct. 11 2001: A Space Odyssey
Oct. 18 The Thing from Another World
Oct. 25 Memento + QUIZ 2
Nov. 1 Night of the Hunter PAPER DUE
Nov. 8 Sunset Blvd.
Nov. 15 Cat People
Nov. 22 NO CLASSES
Nov. 28 The Haunting
Dec. 6 The Innocents
Dec. 13 Shinju Ten no Amijima (Double Suicide at Amijima)