English 115 - FILM AS LITERATURE
WINTER QUARTER, 2014
Instructor: Dr. Roger
George
E-mail: rgeorge@bellevuecollege.edu
Phone: 425
564 2021
Office
location: R 230 D
Office Hours:
Daily, 10:30-11:20
Course Information
Wow! Look at
this one. We just sit around all period and watch movies!
“Great. I’ll bring popcorn.”
WRONG!
This is a literature course. That means that the real goal of the course
is the same as for any other literature course: developing and applying the
skills of critical analysis -- observing significant details, synthesizing
those observations into patterns of meaning, and communicating your insights
through class discussions and through writing. The object of our investigations
is film rather than poetry or the novel, but the process remains the same.
Let me put that in simpler terms. If you're here just to sit
back and passively watch some movies, drop the course NOW. You're
expected to actively participate in this course, and all grading will be based
upon that expectation.
It's especially important that you understand this because of the nature of
film itself. We all go to the movies to be entertained, not to be
educated. We might talk to friends about the movie afterward, but usually
only in the most general terms. Even if we see the movie more than once,
we usually sit back and allow ourselves to absorb the experience rather than
"picking it apart." Movies operate primarily upon our emotions;
if a movie doesn't move us--to laughter, fear, excitement--it
is probably a failure. This course will never deny the validity of that
kind of response, but it will add to it a second, intellectual kind of
response, a kind of approach which can, I hope, add a new level of appreciation
and understanding to the movies you like.
When we discuss the films in this class, I am particularly interested in
values: what are the values movies promote, and how do we respond to and
shape them? No other segment of popular culture is more market-driven
than film; investors are not going to willingly fund a $100 million movie if
they think people won't flock to it. How much, then, do movies give us
what we want, and to what degree do they shape what we want?
FILMS TO BE
DISCUSSED:
I’m still
putting together the lineup of films we’ll be discussing, but they’ll represent
a variety of genres and periods. We’ll watch them in class (as well as
various excerpts from other films), but I’ll be pausing frequently to make
“annoying interruptions” and discuss specific elements of the film under
study. You may well also want to watch them—again—out of class.
Course Outcomes
By the end of the
quarter, successful students are able to:
-- Understand
and apply concepts of visual literacy, including lighting, camera angle,
duration of shot, composition, etc.
-- Identify and
discuss principles of narrative, particularly the relationship of shot, scene,
and sequence.
-- Understand
the history of film and the impact of technological advances.
-- Identify and
analyze the conventions of various film genres and how audience expectations
and generic conventions work together to determine and convey a given message.
-- Understand
and apply principles of literary/film criticism. Understand the different
schools of film criticism.
-- Understand
how a story can be adapted from one medium to another; identify the advantages
unique to each medium.
-- Identify the values
and assumptions behind a film’s ideology and examine the cultural context
within which a film was created.
-- Identify and analyze one’s own cultural preconceptions and biases.
Grading
Your final course grade will be computed as
follows: Mid-term, 20%; Final, 30%; Two Papers, 15% each; Quizzes, 10%;
Participation, 10%. Although they form a relatively small percentage of
the overall grade, the quizzes and participation are absolutely required.
Books and Materials Required
Textbook: Film
Art, 10th Edition, Bordwell and Thompson
Instructor’s Expectation
Essential to a
liberal arts education is an open-minded tolerance for ideas and modes of
expression which might conflict with one’s personal values. By being
exposed to such ideas or expressions, students are not expected to endorse or
adopt them but rather to understand that they are part of the free flow of
information upon which higher education depends.
To this end, you
may find that class requirements may include engaging certain materials, such
as books, films, and art work, which may, in whole or in part, offend
you. These materials are equivalent to required texts and are essential
to the course content. If you decline to engage the required material by
not reading, viewing, or performing material you consider offensive, you will
still be required to meet class requirements in order to earn credit.
This may require responding to the content of the material, and you may not be
able to fully participate in required class discussions, exams, or
assignments. Consult the syllabus and discuss such issues with the
instructor.
READ THE POLICIES OF
THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING URL: http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/artshum/policy.html THESE ARE THE POLICIES OF THIS CLASS,
AND YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD THEM. BE ESPECIALLY
SURE TO READ THE SECTION ON “ACADEMIC HONESTY.” I HAVE A “ZERO TOLERANCE”
POLICY ON PLAGIARISM. PLEASE READ THE WRITING LAB’S DOCUMENT ON “AVOIDING
PLAGIARISM” AT: :http://www.bellevuecollege.edu/writinglab/Plagiarism.html
· Attend
class. Director Stanley Donen once
said that the secret to success is “showing up.” You will not get
a “B for breathing;” you will, however, fail to earn credit if you
fail to attend. The Arts and Humanities Division policy is that
if you miss more than 20% of the class (since this is a Tuesday/Thursday class,
that means a total of four), that in itself is grounds for failing the
class—even if you turn in all assignments. Much will go on in the
class which simply can’t be reconstructed from somebody else’s notes or from
the reading. You are expected to be in class on time; if you arrive late,
you may not be credited with attendance.
Class time will consist of screenings of sequences of films, full-class
discussion and lecture, and small-group discussion and projects.
·
Papers: Two formal paper will be
required. They must be typed and 3-4 pages (minimum) in
length. PAPERS WILL BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY through campus
email or on a USB drive. They MUST be in Word, Works or Text format. All
papers may be submitted to Turnitin.com or otherwise checked for originality.
·
Tests: There will be a mid-term, which will
include objective, short answer, and essay questions. There will also be
a final, longer than the mid-term but with a similar format.
·
Turn
in assignments on time.
You will be writing a number of papers and possibly doing some investigative
projects. The deadlines are fixed; if you fail to turn in a paper or
complete a project on time, you will receive a grade for it which is no higher
than the lowest grade given to anybody who turned the paper in by the due date.
·
Improve
your writing and reading skills. College-level
reading and writing skills are expected for the highest grades; plan to use the
Writing Lab to revise your papers if your writing is not at this level.
·
Keep
up with all
reading, class discussion, and projects so that you’ll be ready for the midterm
and final.
Affirmation of Inclusion
Bellevue College is committed to maintaining
an environment in which every member of the campus community feels welcome to
participate in the life of the college, free from harassment and
discrimination.
We value our different backgrounds at Bellevue College, and students,
faculty, staff members, and administrators are to treat one another with
dignity and respect. http://bellevuecollege.edu/about/goals/inclusion.asp
Student Code
“Cheating, stealing and plagiarizing (using the ideas or words of
another as one’s own without crediting the source) and inappropriate/disruptive
classroom behavior are violations of the Student Code of Conduct at Bellevue
College. Examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited
to: talking out of turn, arriving late or leaving early without a valid reason,
allowing cell phones/pagers to ring, and inappropriate behavior toward the
instructor or classmates. The instructor can refer any violation of the
Student Code of Conduct to the Vice President of Student Services for possible
probation or suspension from Bellevue College. Specific student rights,
responsibilities and appeal procedures are listed in the Student Code of
Conduct, available in the office of the Vice President of Student
Services.” The Student Code, Policy 2050, in its entirety is located at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/policies/2/2050_Student_Code.asp
[If you plan to use a plagiarism checking service, you should
indicate so in your syllabus. Please make sure your penalty for plagiarism does
not contradict official college policy.]
Important Links
Bellevue College
E-mail and access to MyBC
All students registered for classes at
Bellevue College are entitled to a network and e-mail account. Your
student network account can be used to access your student e-mail, log in to
computers in labs and classrooms, connect to the BC wireless network and log in
toMyBC. To create your account, go
to: https://bellevuecollege.edu/sam .
BC offers a wide variety of computer and learning labs to enhance
learning and student success. Find current campus locations for all student
labs by visiting the Computing Services website.
Disability Resource Center (DRC)
The Disability Resource Center serves students with a wide array of
learning challenges and disabilities. If you are a student who has a disability
or learning challenge for which you have documentation or have seen someone for
treatment and if you feel you may need accommodations in order to be successful
in college, please contact us as soon as possible. If you are a student
with a documented autism spectrum disorder, there is a program of support
available to you.
If you are a person who requires assistance in case of an emergency
situation, such as a fire, earthquake, etc, please
meet with your individual instructors to develop a safety plan within the first
week of the quarter.
The DRC office is temporarily located in the Library Media Center, D126 or
you can call our reception desk at 425.564.2498. Deaf students can reach us by
video phone at 425-440-2025 or by TTY at 425-564-4110. Please visit
our website for application information into our program and other helpful
links at www.bellevuecollege.edu/drc
Public
Safety
The Bellevue College (BC) Public Safety Department’s well trained and
courteous non-commissioned staff provides personal safety, security, crime
prevention, preliminary investigations, and other services to the campus
community, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
Their phone number is 425.564.2400. The Public Safety website is your
one-stop resource for campus emergency preparedness information, campus closure
announcements and critical information in the event of an emergency. Public
Safety is located in K100 and on the web at: http://bellevuecollege.edu/publicsafety/
Academic Calendar
The Bellevue College Academic Calendar is separated into two calendars.
They provide information about holidays, closures and important enrollment
dates such as the finals schedule.
·
Enrollment Calendar - http://bellevuecollege.edu/enrollment/calendar/deadlines/. On this calendar
you will find admissions and registration dates and important dates for
withdrawing and receiving tuition refunds.
·
College Calendar - http://bellevuecollege.edu/enrollment/calendar/holidays/0910.asp. This calendar
gives you the year at a glance and includes college holidays, scheduled
closures, quarter end and start dates, and final exam dates.