Phone: Email: Course Objectives: • • • • • • • •

To examine movies as art, business, entertainment, and a cultural expression. To display the difference between narrative, documentary, and avant-garde films. To explore various genres, film theories, and cinematic styles. To illustrate a variety of filmmaking techniques, conventions, and icons. To gain knowledge of international cinema. To study the works of prominent filmmakers and their cinematic impact. To provide a critical methodology and practical application to facilitate a greater critical understanding and appreciation of all aspects of film. To gain experience in writing critical academic essays in relation to film analysis.

Students should gain a solid foundational knowledge and understanding of different film genres, forms, and techniques of film making and be able to analyze and communicate how those concepts are used in films to 1) tell a story effectively, 2) communicate meaning in a visual medium, and 3) persuade audiences towards different or particular ways of feeling about or seeing themselves and the world.

As a result of taking this course, I hope that students will 1) understand how films create and communicate meaning 2) seek out and enjoy watching a greater variety of films, and 3) have an increased desire or capacity to make intelligent and entertaining films of their own and/or implement the creative work of others in their careers and/or personal lives.

Reading Assignments: All required reading assignments are listed in the class schedule at the end of the syllabus and located in the weekly Learning Modules in Blackboard. They will be in the form of PDF files. Additional readings not listed on the syllabus may be assigned during the semester. When this happens, the instructor will give reasonable advance notice as an announcement/email in Blackboard. Note: Information from these articles will appear on the exams unless labeled “Optional.”

Recommended Texts: Film & Art by Bruce H. Hinrichs Film & Art is a great introduction to film history, production, and analysis. The book takes a biased look at film as art and cultural expression rather then film as entertainment or film as business, which are all valid viewpoints for study. Students are encouraged to consider the opinions shared in this book as a sounding board for helping them to form and articulate their own relationship to film and media. Additionally, students who feel that the required readings, recorded lectures, written notes, and slide show presentations are inadequate to help them understand the film concepts being covered and hold meaningful conversations about how those concepts could be applied in specific settings are recommended to read this book. Film, a Critical Introduction by Maria Pramaggiore and Tom Wallis, 2nd Edition Film, a Critical Introduction goes into great detail about how to write critical analysis papers for film. It also goes into more detail about a lot of the information included in the slide-show tutorials. Students who struggle with writing for film or who feel that the required readings, recorded lectures, written notes, and slide show presentations are inadequate to help them understand the film concepts being covered and hold meaningful conversations about how those concepts could be applied in specific settings are recommended to read this book. Assignments and Examinations: • • • • • One (1) four-five (4-5) pp critical scene analysis paper One (1) seven-ten (7-10) pp critical film analysis paper Midterm Examination Final Examination (Non-comprehensive) Online Film Journal 22% 30% 15% 15% 18%

Grading Scale: A = 93-100 A- = 90-92 B+ = 87-89 B = 84-86 B- = 80-83 C+ = 77-79 C = 73-76 C- = 70-72 D+ = 67-69 D = 63-66 D- = 60-62 E = 59

WEEKLY FORMAT Each learning week begins on Monday and ends on Sunday at 11:59pm MT (except where noted in the class schedule: i.e. Week 15, 16, and 17). A typical learning week includes email introduction, assigned reading, topic notes, tutorial, tutorial clip discussion post, film, and a film review question post. Viewing online lectures is an alternative to lecture notes for those who prefer the spoken word to a lot of reading. FIRST PAPER: 4-5 pp Critical Scene Analysis Paper (22%)* Rough Draft due on or before February 20th 11:59pm MT (3%) 2 Peer Reviews due on or before February 27th at 11:59pm MT (5%) Final Draft due on or before March 6th at 11:59pm MT (14%)

Rough Drafts Students should submit a rough draft of their paper to a discussion post labeled “1st Paper Rough Draft” under the Week 6 discussion posts. Students should paste their paper directly into the discussion post as well as add as an attachment. Those who don’t paste their paper in directly to the post will receive a “0” Peer Reviews The teacher will then assign Peer Reviews. Students should wait for a peer review assignment before reviewing their peer’s papers. If you are some how left out of the peer review assignment, you should contact the teacher right away. Paper Parameters The correct parameters and format for this paper are found on Blackboard in Course Content Week 3 in a document labeled Scene Analysis Paper Guidelines. Please read it. Students should write up a rough draft of their paper and submit in the designated discussion post (1st Paper Rough Draft) under Week 6. Students will then have an additional week to do two peer reviews of other students’ rough draft papers. Each paper should be reviewed twice. Students should use the Peer Review Form provided in the Week 7 Learning Module. Peer Reviews should be attached to the initial Rough Draft Discussion post. The Final Draft of the First Paper should be submitted to the instructor as an attachment via Course Content > 4-5pp Scene Analysis Paper, Sp 11. This link allows students to upload papers through Turn It In, which is an educational software that checks for potential plagiarism. The paper will be graded according to the Grading Rubric, which is provided in the learning module for Week 3. SECOND PAPER: 7-10 pp Critical Film Analysis Paper (30%)* Rough Draft due on or before April 17th at 11:59pm MT (3%) Peer Reviews due on or before April 24th at 11:59pm MT (5%) Final Draft due on or before May 1st at 11:59pm MT (22%) Rough Drafts Students should submit a rough draft of their paper to a discussion post labeled “2nd Paper Rough Draft” under the Week 13 discussion posts. Students should paste their paper directly into the discussion post as well as add as an attachment. Those who don’t paste their paper in directly to the post will receive a “0” Peer Reviews The teacher will then assign Peer Reviews. Students should wait for a peer review assignment before reviewing their peer’s papers. Paper Parameters The correct parameters and format for this paper are found on Blackboard in Course Content Week 10 in a document labeled Film Analysis Paper Guidelines. Students should write up a rough draft of their paper and submit in the designated

discussion post (2nd Paper Rough Draft) under Week 14. Students will then have an additional week to do two peer reviews of other students’ rough draft papers. Each paper should be reviewed twice. Students should use the Peer Review Form provided in the Week 7 Learning Module. Peer Reviews should be attached to the Rough Draft Discussion post. This link allows students to upload papers through Turn It In, which is an educational software that checks for potential plagiarism. The Final Draft of the First Paper should be submitted to the instructor as an attachment via Course Content > 7-10pp Film Analysis Paper, Sp 11. The paper will be graded according to the Grading Rubric, which is provided in the learning module for Week 3.
* Students should pay special attention to the required readings that center around developing film analytical skills or that provide examples of film analysis in action as guidelines for what makes a good paper. * Although students are given many examples in the reading of what makes a good film analysis paper, some students may find these examples inadequate for helping them to write a well-structured and articulate paper. Those students should make use of the University Writing Center located on the University of Utah campus where writing tutors are available. For more information go to the University Writing Center website at http://www.writingcenter.utah.edu/.

MIDTERM EXAMINATION (15%) Available Monday February 21st – Sunday February 27th at 11:59pm MT on Blackboard. Access the test through the Assessments Tab. The test will be a combination of short answer, multiple choice, true/false, and short essay. Students will be tested on the feature films viewed online (match character name to character description), required reading content, and online slides from the first half of the semester. A study guide is provided in the Week 7 Learning Module. FINAL EXAMINATION (15%) Available Friday April 29th – Friday May 6th at 11:59pm MT on Blackboard. Access the test through the Assessments Tab. The test is non-comprehensive and will be a combination of short answer, multiple choice, true/false, matching, and/or short essay. Students will be tested on the feature films viewed online (match character name to character description), required reading content, weekly introduction emails, and online slides from the second half of the semester. A study guide is provided in the Week 17 Learning Module. ONLINE CHAT SESSIONS It is possible to hold weekly online chat sessions with the instructor present to answer questions. Students should let the teacher know if they are interested. Chat sessions would be accommodated using WIMBA, an online web conferencing tool provided by Blackboard. For more information on what WIMBA is and how to use it, click on the link WIMBA: a web conferencing tool located on Blackboard in the Course Content section. Chat sessions/web conferencing would be voluntary and subject to sustained participation.

ONLINE FILM JOURNAL (18%) Online Film Journals are due by the end of most learning weeks (Sunday at 11:59pm MT) except where noted in the Class Schedule at the end of this syllabus. Part I: Journal Writing Assignment (8%) Students will watch one or more clips at the end of each slide show tutorial and respond in writing to the questions provided. All journal entries should be submitted in the Discussions section of Blackboard. The instructor will respond to different sections of the class each week. This means you may not receive teacher feedback every week, but you should receive it consistently throughout the semester. Part II: Feature Film Review Questions (10%) Students will watch the assigned Feature Film for that particular week and respond in writing to the review questions provided in each learning module. All Film Review Question posts should be submitted in the Discussions section of Blackboard. Students are encouraged to respond to their classmate’s entries in meaningful ways that will mutually enhance their learning experience. The purpose of these journal entries is for students to check their understanding of film concepts and applications prior to the time when they are required to turn in papers and take tests. Students will be assigned a pass (1) or fail (0) grade based on whether or not they turn in the assignment on time. However, the quality of instructor feedback is based on the quality of student submissions. Learning weeks (Monday - Sunday) are structured to accommodate observed student viewing patterns. Many students have mentioned that they need to go through the tutorial before they respond to the film questions. This may mean that you want to do your journal before you do your film review. Students are encouraged to type their written assignments in a word processor (Word or Open Office) rather then in the Blackboard browser provided and then paste their finished document into the browser and/or add as an attachment. If students spend significant time typing their written entries in the Blackboard Browser, Blackboard may time-out before students submit their entries. When this happens, all information is lost and students have to start over. VIEWING FILMS Each learning week has a feature film assigned to it for students to watch (for exceptions to this, refer to the schedule at the end of the syllabus). For example, the feature film associated with Week 3 is Chungking Express (Wong Kar Wai, 1994). All required films are available to students via online streaming on Blackboard. To access these films, click on the movie title link in the weekly "This Week's Task" list contained in each learning module. Make sure that pop-ups are enabled on your computer. Because of copyright protection, films will be left up on Blackboard for no longer than three (3) weeks. THE NATURE OF ONLINE LEARNING Online learning can be convenient but sometimes frustrating. Students can access the full course, including lectures and discussion groups, via the web and work on assignments at any time. Students are encouraged to make full use of the online resources provided. However, many students feel disconnected from the learning process because they have little to no face-to-face interaction with teachers and other students or because they have a hard time navigating the course tools and online format. This makes it easier and therefore more likely for students to forget

course materials quickly and neglect course study. Online learning often requires students to be more proactive, independent, and computer savvy in order to learn the material. Studies show that online learning traditionally takes up more time than traditional learning. Students should take this information into consideration before attempting an online course. IMPROVING THE COURSE We are constantly trying to improve the quality of this course. Since the online format is relatively new to education, your help will be very beneficial in this process. Throughout the semester, please be sure to provide feedback of your learning experience. ELECTRONIC OR EQUIPMENT FAILURE It is your responsibility to maintain your computer and other equipment needed to participate in online forums in a manner that enhances your experience. Repeated equipment failures will not be an acceptable excuse for late or absent assignments. Utilize campus lab computers around campus to make sure you adhere to deadlines if you need to do so. Do not wait until 11:58 to post your assignments on the due dates. CLASSROOM EQUIVALENCY Online communications, including e-mail, discussion threads, and chat rooms are equivalent to the classroom and are subject to the Student Code. Specifically: • Posting photos or comments that would be off-topic in a classroom are still off-topic in a discussion thread. • Off-color language is never appropriate. • Using angry or abusive language is called "flaming", and is not acceptable. • Do not use ALL CAPS, except for titles, since it is the equivalent of shouting online, as is overuse of certain punctuation marks such as exclamation points !!!! and question marks?????. • Online communications, including e-mail in Blackboard Vista, are University property and subject to GRAMA regulations. Privacy regarding Blackboard Vista communications must not be assumed unless mutually agreed upon in advance. • As with assignments, instructors are required to respond to e-mails in a “reasonable” amount of time. Note that email content may be shared with the class when there are valid teaching/learning reasons for doing so and unless mutual privacy agreements for the communications have been previously made. STUDENT ASSIGNMENT EXCEPTIONS Students are expected to post assignments on the due dates/times specified in the syllabus and course schedule via the online discussion forums, the personal journal area or the assignment drop box depending on the type of assignment. Work will not be accepted via email unless there is a problem with posting the file or Blackboard Vista is down. For legitimate work/life reasons, the instructor will permit students who do not complete assignments on time to make up journal postings and assignments with approval for partial or in some cases full credit. However, the students must deliver an electronic request for an extension to the instructor explaining the situation before the assignment or posting is due (with the exception of extreme circumstances). Notification of such a circumstance and a request for an extension is to be e-mailed to j.schurig@utah.edu. All other late work will receive a grade reduction as follows: 2-7 days late: 8 days and beyond: up to 50% 50% or more

TECHNOLOGY HELP If you experience repeated difficulty viewing clips or films, please contact Juan Aldape at the TAC Center for assistance: j.aldape@utah.edu. He is very nice and helpful. Other resources for technology related questions include: UOnline email: info@uonline.utah.edu phone: (801) 585-5959 TACC Blackboard Vista student support url: http://www.tacc.utah.edu/support/Blackboard Vista6/student_support/student_support.html phone: 585-0065. Email: Blackboard Vista-admin@lists.utah.edu GENERAL INFORMATION AND POLICIES • All features and film clips have been chosen for their aesthetic, cinematic, and cultural values in relation to the topics covered in class regarding critical film analysis. Please note that some of these films have an “R” rating. • The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for people with disabilities. If you will need accommodations in the class, reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the Center for Disability Services, 162 Union Building, 581-5020 (V/TDD). CDS will work with you and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations. • All students are expected to maintain professional behavior in the classroom setting, according to the Student Code, spelled out in the Student Handbook. Students have specific rights in the classroom as detailed in Article III of the Code. The Code also specifies proscribed conduct (Article XI) that involves cheating on tests, plagiarism and/or collusion, as well as fraud, theft, etc. Students should read the Code carefully and know they are responsible for the content. According to the Faculty Rules and Regulations, it is the faculty responsibility to enforce responsible classroom behaviors, beginning with verbal warning and progressing to dismissal from class and a failing grade. Students have the right to appeal such action to the Student Behavior Committee. (The Student Code can be found online at: http://www.admin.utah.edu/ppmanual/8/810.html.) • Missed assignments or Student Code violations (e.g., plagiarism, misrepresentation, etc), will result in a zero score. If work is submitted and receives a zero, this score constitutes a verbal warning or notification of misconduct and students should follow procedures outlined in the Student Code following this notification • Students are responsible for regularly checking Blackboard for notifications regarding changes or updates on assignments, written feedback, and announcements.
• Note: This syllabus is not a binding legal contract. The above schedule, policies, and

assignments in this course are subject to change with reasonable notice in the event of extenuating circumstances or by mutual agreement between the instructor and the students.

Class Schedule
Week 1: (Jan 10 – Jan 16) COURSE OVERVIEW* Expectations of Film; Tools of Film Analysis; Hollywood Standard Reading: “On Film-Making” “Hollywood International” “The Classical Hollywood Narrative” Introduce Self: Post a description of who you are. Feature: Steamboat Bill, Jr. (Buster Keaton, 1928) Mise-en-Scene and Visual Design* Reading: “Mise-en-scene: Do the Right Thing” “High Concept Film” & “The Allegory of the Cave” Paper Info: “The Scene Analysis Paper” “Scene Analysis Paper Guidelines” “Writing Papers” “Paper Grading Rubric” Feature: North by Northwest (Alfred Hitchcock, 1959) Raising Arizona – Optional (Joel and Ethan Coen, 1987)

Week 2: (Jan 17 – Jan 23)

*Assignments for the first two weeks are allotted two weeks for completion to accommodate student changes to early semester schedules.

Week 3: (Jan 24 – Jan 30)

Narrative Form and Structure Reading: “The Classical Hollywood Narrative” “Narrative Space” Feature: Chungking Express (Wong Kar-Wai, 1994) Annie Hall – Optional (Woody Allen, 1977) Cinematography Reading: “Cinematography: Vertigo” “Authorship” “Point of View in Cinematic Narratives” Feature: Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955) Days of Heaven – Optional (Terrence Mallick, 1978) Editing Reading: Feature: “Editing: The Battleship Potemkin” “Cinematic Self-Reflexivity” Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Edgar Wright, 2010) The Graduate – Optional (Mike Nichols, 1967) Hot Fuzz – Optional (Edgar Wright, 2007)

Week 4: (Jan 31 – Feb 6)

Week 5: (Feb 7 – Feb 13)

Week 6 (Feb 14 – Feb 20)

ROUGH DRAFT OF FIRST PAPER DUE THIS WEEK (Feb 20) Sound Reading: “Sound: Singing in the Rain” “The Comic Mind” Feature: His Girl Friday (Howard Hawks, 1940) Psycho – Optional (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960) 2 PEER REVIEWS OF FIRST PAPER DUE THIS WEEK (Feb 27) MIDTERM EXAM (Feb 21 – Feb 27)

Week 7 (Feb 21 – Feb 27)

Week 8 (Feb 28 – Mar 6)

FIRST PAPER DUE THIS WEEK (Mar 6) Film Theory: Genre Studies: The Western Reading: “Genres, Movies and Meaning: an Introduction” Optional reading: “Genre Cinema and the Western” Feature: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Sergio Leone, 1966) The Big Lebowski – Optional (Joel Coen, 1997 Genres: Science Fiction Film Reading: “The Film Analysis Paper” & “The Sci-fi Film” Feature: Primer (Shane Carruth, 2004) Planet of the Apes – Optional (Franklin Schaffner, 1968) Film Noir Reading: Feature: “Film Noir: Generic Chinatown” Brick (Rian Johnson, 2005) Blade Runner – Optional (Ridley Scott, 1982) Hollywoodland – Optional (Alan Coulter, 2006)

Week 9 (Mar 7 – Mar 13)

Week 10 (Mar 14 – Mar 20)

Week 11 (Mar 21 – Mar 27) Week 12 (Mar 28 – Apr 3)

SPRING BREAK Documentary Film Reading: “Introduction to Documentary” “Documentary: The Man with a Movie Camera” Feature: Waiting for Superman (Davis Guggenheim, 2010) New York Doll – Optional (Greg Whiteley, 2005) Animation; Censorship in Film Reading: “Animation: Of Mice and Magic” Feature: Persepolis (Marjane Satrapi, 2007) Spirited Away – Optional (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001)
ROUGH DRAFT OF SECOND PAPER DUE THIS WEEK (Apr 17) International Cinema Reading: “Dogme 95, the Manifesto” Feature: Italian for Beginners (Lone Scherfig, 2000)

Week 13 (Apr 4 – Apr 10)

Week 14 (Apr 11 – Apr 17)

Week 15 (Apr 18 – Apr 20)

Experimental, Avant-garde, and the Art Film Reading: “Avant-garde Cinema: Meshes of the Afternoon” Feature: No Feature Film this Week
2 PEER REVIEWS OF SECOND PAPER DUE THIS WEEK (Apr 24) Film Ideology, Gender Studies, and Cultural Studies in Film Reading: “Ideology: Within our Gates” “Sending Cinematic Smoke Signals” Optional reading: “Fantasies of the Master Race” Feature: Smoke Signals (Sherman Alexie, Chris Eyre, 1998) Fast Food Nation – Optional (Richard Linklater, 2006)

Week 16 (Apr 21 – Apr 27)

Week 17 (Apr 29 – May 6)

SECOND PAPER DUE (May 1) FINAL EXAM (Apr 29 – May 6)