Lake Superior State UniversityHU 256: Introduction to FilmTuesdays, 5:00-9:00 pm / Crawford 207Professor: Dr. Mary Been Office: Library 320Office Phone: 635- 2116Office Hours: Monday: 11:00-12:00; Tuesday: 9:00-10:00 p.m. (please notice: Tuesday is p.m.!); Wednesday: 11:00-12:00; 2:00-3:00; Friday: 2:00-3:00E-mail: [email protected] The Film Experience: An Introduction. Timothy Corrigan and Patricia White. Boston & New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 2004- Additional readings will be announced from time to time in class. These readings will be made available as handouts, reserve readings in the library, or readings online.Course Description Catalog Description: An exploration of film as an image of our culture in both its technical sense and in its role as a contemporary art form which conveys and delimits our aesthetic and social values. Focus on the visual elements of film, historical development of the medium, and its narrative modes through screening of significant films.Dr. Been’s addition to the above:Our focus in this class will be on how to read film as a text. We will be looking less at the technical side of film and more at the cultural side of film in its multiple roles: as escapist comfort, as soothing balm, as agitator for change, and as propagandizer for existing power structures. Our focus will be on examining the methods film employs in evoking those responses.Please be aware: This course will screen several films that contain profanity and some nudity. If you feel you cannot—for whatever reason—view films that contain this type of content, this is not the class for you. You should consider taking a different Humanities course.Course Objectives - Build a vocabulary of basic film terminology- Develop familiarity with some of the most well-known film genres- Learn strategies for evaluating a film’s impact on the viewer- Learn how to read beneath the surface of a film - Develop a healthy skepticism about a film’s ability to direct our emotions and responses- Learn to write about film- Have some fun with filmAttendance It is crucial that you be here for all classes. Your grade on your quizzes and exams will not be as strong if you are not here to participate. If you miss more than three classes during the term (not including college-excused absences) I reserve the option of deducting points (generally five points per absence) from your total class pointsfor each additional absence. If you must be absent, you are responsible for following the syllabus in order to keep up. You should also find out from a classmate what happened and the details of the homework. Although I am always available to you during office hours or by e-mail for assistance with your writing or other projects, I do not answer questions such as, "What happened in class today?" or "What is the homework?" You may find out the answers to these questions by consulting the syllabus and/or a classmate. I am here to teach the class at the assigned time; I expect you to be here at that time too. I do not do one-on-one reviews of missed material except under extraordinary circumstances. Instructor Availability I encourage you to stop by or call during office hours if you have questions, problems, or even just want to chat fora couple of minutes. If you want to talk with me but my posted office hours conflict with your class or work schedule, let me know and we will work out an alternative meeting time. I am also available to you on e-mail ([email protected]). Please see restrictions on e-mail questions under "attendance." E-mail: The subject lines of all messages to me should say Hu256, along with a brief description of your message's subject (for example: Hu256: Quiz Two question). Please always remember to give your full name and e-mail address at the end of your message. Keep in mind that you will receive formal notification of college and class business ONLY at your lssu.edu e-mail address. Class Protocol on Electronic DevicesCell phones need to be turned off during class. If you have an emergency that requires you to have your cell phone on, please see me. Computers may be used for taking class notes, but not for other uses unless that use is part of a class project. Ipods, blackberries, etc., all need to be put away during class. Reading In addition to reading from the assigned text, we will also be raising our film consciousness by reading the work offilm critics. Our readings will be close, textually-based readings; I will expect you to read the pieces assigned in that manner. Grading Project PointsQuizzes: 12 at 10 points apiece (No makeups! I give two extra quizzes during the semester. If you have taken all twelve quizzes at the end of the semester, I drop your two lowest grades.)100Midterm 100Final 200Paper 100Total: 500Distribution of Grading Points98-100% A+ 490 - 50093-97% A 465 - 48990-92% A- 450 - 46488-89% B+ 440 - 44983-87% B 415 - 43980-82% B- 400 - 41478-79% C+ 390 - 39973-77% C 365 - 38970-72% C- 350 - 36468-69% D+ 340 - 34963-67% D 315 - 33960-62% D- 300 - 314Note: ALL projects must be completed in order to receive a passing grade in the course. Calculating your own grade You may figure out what your overall progress grade is at any given point in the term. Take the number of POSSIBLE points for the papers finished thus far and divide that number into the ACTUAL points you've receivedon those papers. So, let's say that you're at week six, and you've taken the first five quizzes. The total possible points for the first five quizzes is 50. If you have received 43 points thus far, you divide 50 into 43 and get .86. An 86 is a mid-range B. Remember that within the 90 percentile range is an A, 80 percentile a B, etc.Late Papers Take-home quizzes, exams, and papers are due at the beginning of class on the day they are listed as due in the syllabus. Unless you have made special arrangements with me before the work is due, any late work will lose five points for each day it is late, including weekends. After one week, late work will not be accepted at all. Academic HonestyAcademic dishonesty, or plagiarism, is not just copying; it can also be a reference--without attribution--to another person's ideas, even if that reference is entirely in your own words. The penalties for plagiarism are severe, from failure in a course to expulsion from the college. We will be reviewing academic standards of appropriate use of other people’s work. MAKE SURE you are in