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Film 1010: Film Aesthetics and Analysis (Summer 2008)CRN: 50338, MW 1:50-4:35, Sparks Hall 424

Drew Ayers Office: 840B, One Park Place

dayers2@gsu.edu Office Hours: M 11:30-1:30, R 1:00-3:00www.student.gsu.edu/~dayers2 (ALWAYS email first)Phone: (812) 202-0778 Mailbox: 6

thFloor, 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 increasingattention 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 writingabout cinema. That is, the course will put the terms to analytical work. Film 1010 is a precursorto 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 classdiscussion; and, write analytical/critical essays that show understanding of, engagement with,

and thoughtful use of cinema studies vocabulary. The critical, argumentative, and written skillsgained 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 Texts1) Corrigan, Timothy and Patricia White. The Film Experience: An Introduction. New York:Bedford, 2004. (Available at the GSU bookstores)

2) Readings on electronic reservehttp://reserves.gsu.edu/eres/coursepage.aspx?cid=2812Password: 8u5e8kcb

3) Course films (Available on library reserve)GradingShort Essays: 25%

Midterm Exam: 25%

Final Paper: 25%Film Clip Presentation: 10%Participation/Attendance: 15%

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)

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AssignmentsThere are four primary assignments for the semester. We will talk about each in more detail in

class.1) Short Essays: There are five shorter 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 gradedaccording to coherence, structure, grammar, syntax, diction, etc. based on the type ofassignment. These assignments must be submitted in hard-copy form. We will talk

about each as due dates near.2) Midterm Exam: Take-home in format, the exam is meant to test you on the material we

have covered in class up to the midpoint. You will respond to two questions/prompts ofyour choice, selected from a list of several questions/prompts that I will provide to you.

Each response should be 3 pages in length (approx. 750 words), resulting in a total of 6pages for the entire midterm. The midterm is due in class on Monday, July 14

th.

3) Film Clip Presentation: Groups of two or three people will present and discuss thecinematic 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, yourpresentation 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 thetopic 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 furtherquestions for class discussion. Your group should meet with me at least a week prior to

your presentation.

4) Final Paper: This assignment will be 5-7 pages in length, and it is meant to showcase allyou have learned this summer. The paper should make use of all of our discussion aboutfilm essay construction, analysis, research, etc. I will provide three questions/prompts

from which you may choose. You may also write on a topic of your own, but you MUSTapprove 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 tosubmit drafts before the paper is due. We will talk much more about the paper

throughout the summer. The final paper is due on Friday, August 1st, at 5:00pm.

AttendanceEach student is allowed two absences for the summer. The reason for your absence does not

matter, and you do not need to provide me with an excuse. However, be aware that if youchoose to skip two classes at the beginning of the summer and then later in the summer you

happen to catch a bad case of the flu, the classes you miss for illness will be counted against you.That is, choose your absences wisely. After two absences, each additional absence will subtract

five percent from your attendance grade total. If you have an ongoing situation that requiresspecial consideration, please discuss this with me at the beginning of the course.

Policies

1) Late Assignments: Because of the compressed nature of a summer course, lateassignments will not be accepted. If you are unable to attend class on a day that an

assignment is due, you must contact me prior to that day and make alternativearrangements.

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2) Academic Honesty: The universitys policy on academic honesty is published in OnCampus: 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 additionto disciplinary sanctions. The internet makes it easy to plagiarize, but also easy to trackdown 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 clearlynote 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 classsession. 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 therequired 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 expectyou to treat the classroom space appropriately. Checking your Facebook profile and text

messaging are inappropriate activities. In general, simply be respectful and mindful ofothers 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 emailcorrespondence 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.

Daily Schedule

Intro/Mise-en-Scene

6/9 Topic: Introduction to course syllabus, objectives, andassignments; Elements of mise-en-scene and their

connection to film story.Reading: Smith, Its Just a Movie. (ER)

6/11 Topic: Values and traditions of mise-en-scene.

Reading: pp. 41-72 (C&W)Screening: Bicycle Thieves (De Sica, 1948), 93 min.

Types of Film Writing

6/16 Topic: Reviews; Analytic Essays Elements of Critical

Essays, Types of TopicsReading: pp. 474-487 (C&W)Two reviews of a film of your choice

(www.rottentomatoes.com might be a good startingpoint)

Assignment: Short Essay #1 Due

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Cinematography

6/18 Topic: Elements of Cinematography

Reading: pp. 75-107 (C&W)Assignment: Short Essay #2 Due

6/23 Topic: Cinematography in M; PresentationsScreening: M(Lang, 1931), 110 min.Assignment: Short Essay #3 Due

Film Presentations from Grouping I

Writing Critical Essays

6/25 Topic: Discussion of critical essay structure; Writing

workshop/discussion (Orlando)Reading: pp. 488-501 (C&W)

Editing

6/30 Topic: Key terms in editing practices; Spatial and temporalrelations; What do edits do?

Reading: pp. 110-139; 144-157 (C&W)

7/2 Topic: DiscussBonnie and Clyde; Intro to researching filmReading: pp. 140-143; 502-513 (C&W)

Screening: Bonnie and Clyde (Penn, 1967), 112 min.

Researching for a Film Paper

7/7 Topic: Distribute and Discuss Midterm Exam;

PresentationsAssignment: Short Essay #4 Due

Film Presentations from Grouping II

Sound

7/9 Topic: Key sound terms and their uses; techniques and

voice of film sound; music and sound effectsReading: pp. 166-206 (C&W)

Assignment: Work on midterm exam

7/14 Topic: Discussion ofThe Conversation; Intro to IdeologyReading: pp. 207-209 (C&W)

Comolli & Narboni, Cinema/Ideology/Criticism(ER)

Skim Cahiersanalysis ofYoung Mr. Lincoln(ER)

Screening: The Conversation (Coppola, 1974), 113 min.Assignment: Midterm Exam Due (bring to class)

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Filmic Narrative and Genre

7/16 Topic: Key Ideas in Narrative Study

Reading: pp. 214-251 (C&W)

7/21 Topic: Narrative, cont.; Movie Genres

Reading: pp. 288-293; 296-312; 315-317; 320 (C&W)Skim Bordwell, CHC(ER)

7/23 Topic: Narrative and Ideology; PresentationsReading: Elsaesser & Buckland, Classical/Post-Classical

Narrative (Die Hard) (ER)Assignment: Short Essay #5 Due

Film Presentations from Grouping III

FINAL PAPER: Due Friday, August 1st, by 5:00pm (papers can be dropped off in my mailbox

on the 6

th

floor of One Park Place)

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Short Essay Assignments

Short Essay #1 Write two paragraphs you could add to the essay on Bicycle Thieves thatexplicate 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 as emblematic of

contributing elements of the mise-en-scene of the entire film. What are two other such elementsthat are notable? How do they function within the rest of the films mise-en-scene?

Short Essay #2 Find two reviews of a film of your choice and write overviews of each,focusing on the structure of the reviews summary of and arguments about the film. Consult the

brief section on Research Materials on pp. 502-504 of our book (C&W) before beginning yourresearch. Consider what sorts of objective verses subjective claims the authors make. How do

the writers argue in support of the claims? Lets read one of your reviews in class and go overyour assessment of it.

Short Essay #3 Write two paragraphs that you could add to the essay on Mthat explicate

specific elements of cinematography at work in the film. The brief essay begins with grandclaims about the cinematography, nothing that the objective and subjective views presented inthe film often are blurred so that it is often difficult to tell whence they are produced or given.

Read the second paragraph carefully, paying particular attention to the specific reading it gives tothe 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 themany 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.

Short Essay #4 After watchingBonnie and Clyde, select two scenes from the film (other thanthe final scene) and write a two-page paper in which you break down these scenes by taking into

consideration the relations between editing and story. That is, make an introductory claim (atopic sentence in an introductory paragraph through which you will connect the two scenes) as

to how the editing relates to the story (of the scene or of the film as a whole). Then, elaboratethrough good critical analysis how the editing functions in these scenes as they connect to your

primary claim about them. 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 andfulfills 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 donot 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 andcompare/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)