WINTER QUARTER, 2013
Instructor: Dr. Roger George
E-mail:
rgeorge@bellevuecollege.edu
Phone: 425 564 2021
Office location: R 230 D
Office Hours: Daily, 11:30-12:20
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:
s Understand and apply
concepts of visual literacy, including lighting, camera angle, duration of
shot, composition, etc.
s Identify and discuss
principles of narrative, particularly the relationship of shot, scene, and
sequence.
s Understand the history of
film and the impact of technological advances.
s 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.
s Understand and apply
principles of literary/film criticism. Understand the different schools of film
criticism.
s Understand how a story can
be adapted from one medium to another; identify the advantages unique to each
medium.
s Identify the values and
assumptions behind a film’s ideology and examine the cultural context within
which a film was created.
s 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.]
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 to MyBC.
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 located in B 132 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.