ics102 introduction to film art

Winter, 2005

Dr. Yifen Beus beusy@byuh.edu Office Hours: T, TH: 9-11 (excluding devotionals & faculty meetings)

McKay Faculty Bldg. 207 (O) 293-3618 F: 10-11

Course Description and Objectives:

This class examines the nature of film art (its techniques, language, form, and style) through close analyses of specific films and introduces major critical approaches to the reading of films.

Course Requirements:

Required texts should be read before their designated class times.

*Attendance:

It is very important that you attend classes (M & F) and the showings (T or W) as many of the films and clips shown in class are NOT available in the library or at commercial video stores. 10 points will be deducted from the total accumulated points for each absence after three unexcused absences

*Texts:

Bordwell & Thompson, Film Art: An Introduction (B & T), 7th ed.

Readings on the Black Board (Course Documents or External Links)

Chapter study guide: Download from Course Information

*Assignments:

All assignments are due in class as noted (or prior to class time); no late assignments are accepted.

*Auto-graded Quizzes:

At the “Student Center” on the textbook’s web page (www.mhhe.com/filmart7) and under each chapter heading (on left side of screen), you can find auto-graded quizzes. The quiz for each chapter located here has to be taken on-line and the result needs to be printed out and turned in at class time. The quizzes that are required are noted on the syllabus. I will not accept late quizzes.

*Black Board:

Frequent use of email and the course site (Black Board) is mandatory. Reading materials (other than from the textbook) and study guides will be posted on the site for downloading before the reading assignments are due. Reminders and announcements will also be posted there. The URL for the site is : http://courses.byu.edu/. To log in, use your NET ID (http://www.byuh.edu/netid/) and password.

Special Needs

Brigham Young University-Hawai'i is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere, which reasonably accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have any disability that may impair your ability to complete this course successfully, please contact the students with Special Need Coordinator, Leilani A'una at 293-3518. Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. If you need assistance or if you feel you have been unlawfully discriminated against on the basis of disability, you may seek resolution through established grievance policy and procedures. You should contact the Human Resource Services at 780-8875.

Preventing Sexual Harassment

Title IX of the education amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination against any participant in an educational program or activity that receives federal funds, including Federal loans and grants. Title IX also covers student-to-student sexual harassment. If you encounter unlawful sexual harassment or gender-based discrimination, please contact the Human Resource Services at 780-8875 (24 hours).

Final Examination

All students should be aware of the BYUH policy that there are no early final exams. An exception to this policy is the case of a school sponsored activity which takes an individual or a team away from the University at the time an examination is scheduled to take place. Faculty and Administration who are responsible for scheduling official University activities attempt in every way to avoid scheduling activities in conflict with the scheduled examinations. Students must plan travel, family visits, etc., in a way that will not interfere with their final exams. Emergency situations should be presented in writing as soon as possible to the Dean of the college or school of the student’s major.

Less expensive fares, more convenient travel arrangements, and any other non-emergency reasons are not considered justification for early or late final exams. Students are responsible for making sure that family or friends who may supply tickets or make travel arrangements for a student are aware of the student’s need to complete courses by taking the final examinations as scheduled.

Grade Breakdown:

100 points Midterm exam

100 points Final exam (comprehensive)

100 points Pop quizzes on reading/viewing assignments; on-line quizzes; participation; attendance

50 points Film project

______________________________

350 points total (deduction occurs when applicable)

Syllabus and Assignments

1) NARRATIVE FORM

1/5 (Wed) No Lab

1/7 (Fri) Introduction

Film Form

1/10 (Mon) Narrative Form

Reading: B & T 47-67 (on-line quiz due)

1/11 & 12 (Tue/Wed) Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, US, 1943)

1/14 (Fri) Discussion of Casablanca

Reading: B & T 68-91 (on-line quiz due)

2) MISE-EN-SCÈNE

1/17 (Mon) Holiday (Human Rights Day)

1/18 & 19 (Tue/Wed) Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder, US, 1950) Reading: B & T 176-220

1/21 (Fri) The Shot: Mise-en-Scène & Discussion of Sunset Boulevard

(on-line quiz for this chapter due)

Handout: Film Noir

3) CINEMATOGRAPHY

1/24 (Mon) The Shot: Cinematography

Reading: B & T 229-290 (on-line quiz due)

Handout: camera distance (CD)

1/25 & 26 (Tue/Wed) The Third Man (Carol Reed, UK, 1949)

1/28 (Fri) Discussion of The Third Man

4) EDITING

1/31 (Mon) Editing

Reading: B & T 294-313; 317-333 (on-line quiz due)

2/1 & 2 (Tue/Wed) His Girl Friday (Howard Hawks, US, 1940)

2/4 (Fri) Discussion of His Girl Friday

Reading: B & T 415-418

In class assignment: shot breakdown analysis (CD)

5) EARLY CINEMA

2/7 (Mon) History and Development of Early Cinema

Lumière Shorts (Auguste & Louis Lumière, France, 1890’s)

Great Train Robbery (Porter, US, 1903)

Reading: B & T 464-471

2/8 & 9 (Tue/Wed)

Trip to the Moon (Georges Méliès, France, 1902)

Broken Blossoms (D. W. Griffith, US, 1919)

2/11 (Fri) Discussion of Early Cinema

Reading: B & T 481-484

6) SOUND

2/14 (Mon) Sound & Review

Duck Amuck (Chuck Jones, US, 1953)

Reading: B & T 347-379 (on-line quiz due)

2/15 & 16 (Tue/Wed) Singin' in the Rain (Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly, US, 1952)

Reading: B & T 167-169

2/18 (Fri) Midterm Exam Part I

2/21 (Mon) Holiday (President’s Day)

2/22 & 23 (Tue/Wed) Editing Workshop at Media Lab

Midterm Exam Part II (Tue. & Wed. in Testing Center)

7) DOCUMENTARY FORM

2/25 (Fri) Film Genre

Reading: B & T 108-118

La Jetée (Chris Marker, France, 1962)

2/28 (Mon) Documentary as a Genre

Reading: B & T 128-134; 140-142 (on-line quiz due)

3/1 & 2 (Tue/Wed) Man with a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov, USSR, 1929)

Reading: B & T 443-446

3/4 (Fri)

8) EISENSTEIN & SOVIET MONTAGE

3/7 (Mon) Eisenstein & Soviet Montage

Reading: B & T 333-343; 478-481

3/8 & 9 (Tue/Wed) Battleship Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstein, USSR, 1925)

Reading: Soviet Montage and the Formalist Tradition

(Course Documents)

3/11 (Fri) Discussion of & Eisenstein vs. Vertov

9) GRMAN EXPRESSIONISM

3/14 (Mon) German Expressionism (1919-1926)

Reading: B & T 472-474

3/15 & 16 (Tue/Wed) Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Robert Wiene, Germany, 1925)

3/18 (Fri) Discussion of Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Big Quiz in class (covering since midterm)

10) FRENCH NEW WAVE

03/21 (Mon) Cahiers du Cinema & The French New Wave

Reading: 485-489

3/22 & 23 (Tue & Wed) Les Quatre-cents Coups (400 Blows) (François Truffaut, France, 1959)

3/25 (Fri) Holiday (Kuhio Day)

3/28 (Mon) Discussion of Les Quatre-cents Coups

Reading: “Truffaut's The 400 Blows, or the Sea, Antoine, the Sea.” (External Links)

11) BOLLYWOOD

3/29 & 30 (Tue/Wed) Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (Karan Johar, India, 2001)

4/1 (Fri) No class (project work day—meet with group members)

4/4 (Mon) No class (project work day—meet with group members)

4/5 & 6 (Tue/Wed) Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (Karan Johar, India, 2001)

4/8 (Fri) Discussion of Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham

Reading: Indian Cinema (Course Documents)

13) PRESENTATIONS & FINAL EXAM

4/11 (Mon) Review

4/12 (Tue) Presentations

4/13 (Wed) Presentations