1COM 320--History of the Moving Image Syllabus 8/29/11 version Dr. Kim Neuendorf Fall 2011 Office: MU 241, 687-3994 Class: MU 107, 6:00-7:50 pm, M & W Office Hrs.: M & W 1:00-3:00 pm and by appointment email: [email protected] website: http://academic.csuohio.edu/kneuendorf Graduate Assistant: TBA CSU Emergency Phone: x2111/x2020 Course Objectives This course is primarily an historical study of the techniques of silent and sound film in their social, economic, historical, and technological contexts. Films and videos from 1895 through the present time will be examined, with a consideration of both American and international sources. The interplay of influences between film and early U.S. television will also be considered. Like COM 221 (Introduction to Film), the course will use a variety of perspectives with which to critically examine films of this period: the development of a "language" of film, the film industry and its legal environment, film as social agent, film as artistic endeavor, critical theories for analyzing film, film genres, role portrayals, and the important "players" in the making of film. COM 221 is a prerequisite for this course. Writing Across the Curriculum Effective Fall Semester 2008, this course is a Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) course. Thus, word minimums for papers and other assignments need to be enforced. As a course approved for the WAC requirement, this course meets the following criteria: 1. Require students to write between 3,000 and 5,000 words (10-20 pages, double-spaced, in 12-point font, with 1” margins) in writing assignments (which may include drafts).1 2. Final versions of at least one assignment should total at least 2,000 words (eight pages).2 3. Teach students writing-to-learn strategies that foster students’ experiences in learning and writing-to-communicate strategies that foster students’ respect of readers’ experiences.3 Whenever possible, planning assignments (e.g. reading logs, pre-writing strategies) and peer reviews should be included. 4. Assign writing complex enough to require substantive revision for most students. The instructor should give feedback to assist students in preparing subsequent papers or drafts of papers. This feedback should not consist entirely of mechanical correction of punctuation and grammar. 5. Provide instruction in discipline-appropriate forms of texts, arguments, evidence, style, audience, and citation. 6. Assign writing throughout the semester. 7. Where appropriate, address the needs of students regarding library competency. 1 The word count may only include one preliminary draft for each final draft. 2 Exceptions to this criterion may be granted in disciplines or courses where students do a substantial amount of writing, but the course structure and/or content does not create opportunities for an assignment of this length. 3 Writing-to-learn helps students use writing to explore many aspects of the course as well as their own reflections; these activities should foster learning at deeper levels than memorization or recitation. Writing-to-communicate emphasizes aspects of writing (style, grammatical correctness, coherence, focus) that allow a reader to navigate the writing as he or she wishes.28. Assign writing in English unless the course is specifically geared to improving writing at the 300-level in another language. Additional criteria 9. In order to receive a C or better in the course, students must write at a satisfactory skill level (C or better). If the student’s writing is weak, but shows understanding of the course material, the student may be assigned a D, in which case WAC credit will not be received for the course. 10. Maximum enrollment for this course is 35 or 45 with a graduate assistant. Screenings About half the class time will be devoted to film and documentary screenings. The films and the documentaries (about the history of film and television) are PRIMARY TEXTS, not just entertainment. You will be required to think--seriously and critically--about what you are seeing. In short, an active (rather than passive) viewing is required. The exams will cover the screenings, the lectures and discussions, and the readings. Additionally, the instructor may assign up to ten out-of-class viewings as requirements. Books and Readings Required: Cook, D. A. (2004). A history of narrative film (4th ed.). New York: W. W. Norton. Strongly Recommended: Membership in Netflix Katz, E., & Nolen, R. D. (2008). The film encyclopedia (6h ed.). New York: Collins. (NOTE: At over 1,500 pages and around $23, this is the best book buy around—go to www.amazon.com) The Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) (NOTE: IMDb has become an essential source for filmographies and linkages among filmmakers, actors, etc. However, IMDb has not become a useful replacement for the Katz and Nolen book, which provides valid biographies for thousands of actors, directors, and other film professionals.) Recommended: General texts on film history (not limited to U.S.): Geiger, J., & Rutsky, R. L. (2005). Film analysis: A Norton reader. New York: W. W. Norton & Co. Giannetti, L., & Eyman, S. (2010). Flashback: A brief history of film (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education/Allyn & Bacon. Gomery, D. (1991). Movie history: A survey. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing. Mast, G., & Kawin, B. F. (2011). A short history of the movies (11th ed.). New York: Longman. Thompson, K. & Bordwell, D. (2009). Film history: An introduction (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc. Wexman, V. W. (2010). A history of film (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.3 Excellent books on the classical-era U.S. Hollywood Studio System: Gabler, N. (1988). An empire of their own: How the Jews invented Hollywood. New York: Anchor Books. Mordden, E. (1988). The Hollywood studios: House style in the golden age of the movies. New York: Simon & Schuster. Schatz, T. (1996). The genius of the system: Hollywood filmmaking in the studio era. New York: Henry Holt. Handouts & Website Handouts and other required readings will be distributed to the class as the term progresses. Most materials will also be posted on the class website: http://academic.csuohio.edu/kneuendorf (click on “Fall 2011, COM 320"). Screenings and Class Rules 1. Films may be longer than our class time. Nevertheless,