I was lucky to be able to take a beginners theory class in college. I shoulda aced the class but being too confident and cocky screwed me on the final. Good stuff nonetheless. If you need any help at all, feel free to get in touch with me.
Shut your whore mouth! Theory rules. As long as you don't become a robot with it, it's nothing but beneficial. It's essentially learning a new language.
Shut your whore mouth! Theory rules. As long as you don't become a robot with it, it's nothing but beneficial. It's essentially learning a new language.
I'm a theory freak. I have just as much fun figuring this stuff out and making sense of it as I do playing instruments.
Its something I would like to learn someday but I get lost on even the basic shit. I've always been able to pick things and figure it out, I can absorb information like a sponge, language and science like a muther fucker, but this is a language or skill set that my brain has never shown any aptitude at learning
I have to miss my Cinema Studies class because I have to go to a makeup meeting for an externship (a short internship) because I missed the one on Monday night since I was in class. :-<
Hah. This is the syllabus. We're on Renoir right now.
354:210: Close Readings of Cinema
M-W 2:50-4:10 Mi 100 M 6:10-8 Mi 100
Course Description: A close analysis of seven individual films, concentrating on the formal aspects of each film's visual track, sound track, and scenario/narrative construction. Each film will be screened twice and studied for two weeks. Required Reading: a selection of xeroxed essays posted on Sakai. Attendance at both class meetings and screenings is mandatory. If students cannot arrive before class starts and remain until it concludes, they should not register for the course; after the first week, students may not have more than four unexcused absences. Film screenings occur only once, on Monday nights, and cannot be repeated. Learning objectives: by the end of the semester, students will be able to analyze how mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing and sound are deployed by filmmakers to produce meaning and aesthetic value. This course meets goal II-c-p. It analyzes arts and/or literatures in themselves and in relation to specific histories, values, languages, cultures, and technologies. Method of assessment of achievement of the core goals: Students will be asked to write three papers. One 5-page paper will be due on Oct. 8; a second 5-page paper will be due on Nov. 14 and a third on Dec. 3.. Late papers will be penalized. There will also be a final exam. Final grades will be based on the three papers (25% each) and the final exam (25%).
Syllabus:
Part One: Focusing on the Image
9/5: Film Form and Pure Cinema:
9/10-19: Film Form and Pure Cinema. Screening: Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious (1946). Read Jonathan Culler on close reading, Vlada Petric's "For a Close Cinematic Analysis" for 9/10. Read E. Belton on Notorious, J. Belton's "Classical Hollywood Cinema: Narration" and "Classical Hollywood Cinema: Style" for 9/12.
9/24-10/3: Realism and Renoir: Grand Illusion (1937). Read Martin O’Shaughnessy’s “Analysis” for 9/26.
10/8-10/17: Modernist Montage: Yasujiro's Ozu's An Autumn Afternoon (1962). Read Thompson/Bordwell on Ozu for 10/10. PAPER DUE ON 10/8.
Part Two: Listening to Sound
10/22-10/31: The Phenomenology of the Soundtrack: Robert Bresson's A Man Escaped (1956). Read Bordwell/Thompson on fundamentals of film sound for 10/24. Read Bordwell/Thompson and Belton on Man Escaped for 10/24.
11/5-11/14: Sound: Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation (1974). Read Turner on “The Conversation” and Beck on “Citing the Sound” for 11/7. SECOND PAPER DUE ON 11/14.
Part Three: Script Analysis
11/19-11/28): Classical Hollywood Narration: Howard Hawks's His Girl Friday (1940). Read Bordwell's "Classical Hollywood Cinema" and David Howard on writing screenplays for 11/13; read Bordwell (Narration in the Fiction Film) for 11/26.
12/3-12/10: Alternatives to Classical Hollywood: Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow-up (1967). Final paper due on Dec. 8. Read Bordwell on art cinema for 12/3 and Wood on Blow-up for 12/5. FINAL PAPER DUE ON 12/3.
Hah. This is the syllabus. We're on Renoir right now.
354:210: Close Readings of Cinema
M-W 2:50-4:10 Mi 100 M 6:10-8 Mi 100
Course Description: A close analysis of seven individual films, concentrating on the formal aspects of each film's visual track, sound track, and scenario/narrative construction. Each film will be screened twice and studied for two weeks. Required Reading: a selection of xeroxed essays posted on Sakai. Attendance at both class meetings and screenings is mandatory. If students cannot arrive before class starts and remain until it concludes, they should not register for the course; after the first week, students may not have more than four unexcused absences. Film screenings occur only once, on Monday nights, and cannot be repeated. Learning objectives: by the end of the semester, students will be able to analyze how mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing and sound are deployed by filmmakers to produce meaning and aesthetic value. This course meets goal II-c-p. It analyzes arts and/or literatures in themselves and in relation to specific histories, values, languages, cultures, and technologies. Method of assessment of achievement of the core goals: Students will be asked to write three papers. One 5-page paper will be due on Oct. 8; a second 5-page paper will be due on Nov. 14 and a third on Dec. 3.. Late papers will be penalized. There will also be a final exam. Final grades will be based on the three papers (25% each) and the final exam (25%).
Syllabus:
Part One: Focusing on the Image
9/5: Film Form and Pure Cinema:
9/10-19: Film Form and Pure Cinema. Screening: Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious (1946). Read Jonathan Culler on close reading, Vlada Petric's "For a Close Cinematic Analysis" for 9/10. Read E. Belton on Notorious, J. Belton's "Classical Hollywood Cinema: Narration" and "Classical Hollywood Cinema: Style" for 9/12.
9/24-10/3: Realism and Renoir: Grand Illusion (1937). Read Martin O’Shaughnessy’s “Analysis” for 9/26.
10/8-10/17: Modernist Montage: Yasujiro's Ozu's An Autumn Afternoon (1962). Read Thompson/Bordwell on Ozu for 10/10. PAPER DUE ON 10/8.
Part Two: Listening to Sound
10/22-10/31: The Phenomenology of the Soundtrack: Robert Bresson's A Man Escaped (1956). Read Bordwell/Thompson on fundamentals of film sound for 10/24. Read Bordwell/Thompson and Belton on Man Escaped for 10/24.
11/5-11/14: Sound: Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation (1974). Read Turner on “The Conversation” and Beck on “Citing the Sound” for 11/7. SECOND PAPER DUE ON 11/14.
Part Three: Script Analysis
11/19-11/28): Classical Hollywood Narration: Howard Hawks's His Girl Friday (1940). Read Bordwell's "Classical Hollywood Cinema" and David Howard on writing screenplays for 11/13; read Bordwell (Narration in the Fiction Film) for 11/26.
12/3-12/10: Alternatives to Classical Hollywood: Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow-up (1967). Final paper due on Dec. 8. Read Bordwell on art cinema for 12/3 and Wood on Blow-up for 12/5. FINAL PAPER DUE ON 12/3.
i bet this is boring as fuck if you're not a film buff. the most interesting thing you'll study is 'the conversation'
It is a bit boring since this is my first legitimate film studies class that doesn't focus on the culture and story but the actual mechanics of it. I'm worried about the first paper.
The first written assignment for this course is a 5-page paper, due on Oct. 8. The paper is to consist of a shot analysis of a designated scene from one of the films seen in class and a written analysis, commentary, or interpretation of the shot analysis, explaining the formal function of the shots/editing in the sequence and relating the material in the sequence to the thematic concerns of the film as a whole. This part of the paper should have a topic and develop a thesis about that topic.
Scenes designated for analysis come from Notorious and Grand Illusion and can be found in the “Shot Analysis” folder in the Resources section of Sakai. Sample papers can also be found in this folder.
A shot analysis breaks the scene down into specific shots; it describes those shots in terms of temporal/spatial setting, camera angle, camera distance, camera movement (if any), significant character action, significant dialogue, etc.; it also describes transitions between shots. Consult the sample shot analyses in this folder to get a sense of what kinds of things to include. The “wine cellar” analysis is too detailed; the “daisies and buttercups” one is too brief; the “riding club” is about right. Illustrate each shot (or important moments in that shot) with a frame enlargement of that shot. (You can use VLC or Media Player Classic to do frame grabs.) Try to keep the length of the shot analysis down to one or two pages.
The paper should be typewritten, double-spaced (the shot analysis should be single-spaced), and carefully proofread for typographical (and other) errors. The discussion of the significance of the shots should be at least 3 pages, even if the shot analysis itself puts you over the 5-page limit. Late papers will not receive full credit (nor will the comments on them be as extensive as those submitted on time).
Your paper should have both a topic and a thesis. The topic is the general area of investigation you intend to pursue. The thesis is a shaping or discussion of the topic in terms of a specific position or attitude; the thesis is generally set forth in the first (or second) paragraph of the (essay section of the) paper and is developed in subsequent argumentation.
Your paper should try to discuss the scene similar to the way that scenes are discussed in class, i.e., by drawing connections between specific formal choices and decisions and the significance that those choices and decisions have in terms of expressing larger thematic concerns.
Underline or italicize film titles. Refer to characters by the character’s (not the actor’s) name. Observe all honor codes.
Comments
Rob Pellegri Lich King SUUUUCKS...
31 minutes ago · Unlike · 2
Tom Martin Hey come on, man, band-bashing isn't cool. Support local music, maaan!
25 minutes ago · Like · 1
Brian Koz We gotta stick together so the scene doesn't fall into the hands of the posers
22 minutes ago · Like
Lynne Honeyman Only posers talk about posers
17 minutes ago · Unlike · 2
Brian Koz Was joking...see the two comments above mine
IT'S DONE IT 4 TIMES IN THE LAST 5 MINUTES
354:210: Close Readings of Cinema
M-W 2:50-4:10 Mi 100
M 6:10-8 Mi 100
Course Description: A close analysis of seven individual films, concentrating on the formal aspects of each film's visual track, sound track, and scenario/narrative construction. Each film will be screened twice and studied for two weeks. Required Reading: a selection of xeroxed essays posted on Sakai. Attendance at both class meetings and screenings is mandatory. If students cannot arrive before class starts and remain until it concludes, they should not register for the course; after the first week, students may not have more than four unexcused absences. Film screenings occur only once, on Monday nights, and cannot be repeated. Learning objectives: by the end of the semester, students will be able to analyze how mise-en-scène, cinematography, editing and sound are deployed by filmmakers to produce meaning and aesthetic value. This course meets goal II-c-p. It analyzes arts and/or literatures in themselves and in relation to specific histories, values, languages, cultures, and technologies. Method of assessment of achievement of the core goals: Students will be asked to write three papers. One 5-page paper will be due on Oct. 8; a second 5-page paper will be due on Nov. 14 and a third on Dec. 3.. Late papers will be penalized. There will also be a final exam. Final grades will be based on the three papers (25% each) and the final exam (25%).
Syllabus:
Part One: Focusing on the Image
9/5: Film Form and Pure Cinema:
9/10-19: Film Form and Pure Cinema. Screening: Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious (1946). Read Jonathan Culler on close reading, Vlada Petric's "For a Close Cinematic Analysis" for 9/10. Read E. Belton on Notorious, J. Belton's "Classical Hollywood Cinema: Narration" and "Classical Hollywood Cinema: Style" for 9/12.
9/24-10/3: Realism and Renoir: Grand Illusion (1937). Read Martin O’Shaughnessy’s “Analysis” for 9/26.
10/8-10/17: Modernist Montage: Yasujiro's Ozu's An Autumn Afternoon (1962). Read Thompson/Bordwell on Ozu for 10/10. PAPER DUE ON 10/8.
Part Two: Listening to Sound
10/22-10/31: The Phenomenology of the Soundtrack: Robert Bresson's A Man Escaped (1956). Read Bordwell/Thompson on fundamentals of film sound for 10/24. Read Bordwell/Thompson and Belton on Man Escaped for 10/24.
11/5-11/14: Sound: Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation (1974). Read Turner on “The Conversation” and Beck on “Citing the Sound” for 11/7. SECOND PAPER DUE ON 11/14.
Part Three: Script Analysis
11/19-11/28): Classical Hollywood Narration: Howard Hawks's His Girl Friday (1940). Read Bordwell's "Classical Hollywood Cinema" and David Howard on writing screenplays for 11/13; read Bordwell (Narration in the Fiction Film) for 11/26.
12/3-12/10: Alternatives to Classical Hollywood: Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow-up (1967). Final paper due on Dec. 8. Read Bordwell on art cinema for 12/3 and Wood on Blow-up for 12/5. FINAL PAPER DUE ON 12/3.
Shot Analysis Assignment
The first written assignment for this course is a 5-page paper, due on Oct. 8. The paper is to consist of a shot analysis of a designated scene from one of the films seen in class and a written analysis, commentary, or interpretation of the shot analysis, explaining the formal function of the shots/editing in the sequence and relating the material in the sequence to the thematic concerns of the film as a whole. This part of the paper should have a topic and develop a thesis about that topic.
Scenes designated for analysis come from Notorious and Grand Illusion and can be found in the “Shot Analysis” folder in the Resources section of Sakai. Sample papers can also be found in this folder.
A shot analysis breaks the scene down into specific shots; it describes those shots in terms of temporal/spatial setting, camera angle, camera distance, camera movement (if any), significant character action, significant dialogue, etc.; it also describes transitions between shots. Consult the sample shot analyses in this folder to get a sense of what kinds of things to include. The “wine cellar” analysis is too detailed; the “daisies and buttercups” one is too brief; the “riding club” is about right. Illustrate each shot (or important moments in that shot) with a frame enlargement of that shot. (You can use VLC or Media Player Classic to do frame grabs.) Try to keep the length of the shot analysis down to one or two pages.
The paper should be typewritten, double-spaced (the shot analysis should be single-spaced), and carefully proofread for typographical (and other) errors. The discussion of the significance of the shots should be at least 3 pages, even if the shot analysis itself puts you over the 5-page limit. Late papers will not receive full credit (nor will the comments on them be as extensive as those submitted on time).
Your paper should have both a topic and a thesis. The topic is the general area of investigation you intend to pursue. The thesis is a shaping or discussion of the topic in terms of a specific position or attitude; the thesis is generally set forth in the first (or second) paragraph of the (essay section of the) paper and is developed in subsequent argumentation.
Your paper should try to discuss the scene similar to the way that scenes are discussed in class, i.e., by drawing connections between specific formal choices and decisions and the significance that those choices and decisions have in terms of expressing larger thematic concerns.
Underline or italicize film titles. Refer to characters by the character’s (not the actor’s) name. Observe all honor codes.