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 two assignmentss

Assignments

Assignments are to be submitted as hard copies – 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 assignmnt 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

Assignmets which are turned in late MUST be accompanied by a major functioning internal organ. This specifically excludes tonsils and appendix and in many cases the brain which is not a functining 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: THURSDAY JULY 2ND. STUDENTS ARRIVING MORE THAN 5 MINUTES LATE WILL NOT BE ADMITTED TO THE FINAL

The final and paper will count 40% of the grade each and each quiz will be 10%.

The purpose of the class is to get students to (a) understand and do text analysis (b) understand how photographic (especially motion picture photographic techniques tell the story or help tell the story – that is to say how we see things in the film. Whatever writing done in this class should emphasize film techniques, not summarizing the plot. The should specifically discuss camera placement, kinds of camera movement, types of focus, and editing techniques. Other techniques such as dress codes and to some degree even lighting should be considered ancillary. In effect you should analysis should reflect the fact that you have seen a film – not a stage play and not just listened to a radio broadcast.

ASSIGNMENT I

Find a sequence in a film in which information is given to the audience ONLY visually. What kind of information is given, (data, metaphor etc.); how is it relayed to the audience; how does it relate (or how is it necessary) to the rest of film.

The best way to do this is to make two columns. In the first colum write something you know, and in the second write how you know it.

WHAT I KNOW	HOW I KNOW IT

Using the data in the columns write the paper.For more information Use the information from the class notes about The Third Man after we have seen it in class.

ASSIGNMENT II:

Take the first sequence or a climactic sequence in a film and tell:

Camera Use

E-mails

If you contact me by e-mail put your full name and course number on the e-mail. 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?")

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 damn 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.