CT205: Final Schedule Update

Below is the final schedule of class meetings and assignment due dates.

4/29: Class meeting - chapters 11
Essay three bibliography due
5/01: Class meeting - chapter 12

5/06: No class - work day
5/08: Storyboard presentations

5/13: Final review
Essay three final draft due!!
5/15: No class - study day

5/22: Final exam @6p

CT205: JOURNAL TEN

JOURNAL TEN: Due April 29th

IDEOLOGY (chapter ten)

Melvin van Peebles, director - Sweet Sweetback's Badass Song, 1971

What is a movie's tone? What techniques are used to establish, maintain, or change the tone of a film? Give an example of a film that uses tone to mock the values of one or more of its characters.

CT205: JOURNAL NINE

Invasion of the Body Snatchers - Don Siegel, 1956

JOURNAL NINE: DUE APRIL 15th

WRITING (chapter nine)

While any good script must provide a director with ample raw material to construct the basic shots of a film, a truly great script offers nonverbal figurative clues too. Filmmakers use figurative techniques, analagous to literary motifs, symbols etc., to express the thoughts, ideas or themes of characters, time periods or authors.

After viewing the selected clips, describe one use of a literary motif in each.

• Scarface - Brian de Palma (1983)
• The Omega Man - Boris Sagal (1971)
• Bonnie and Clyde - Arthur Penn (1967)
• Invasion of the Body Snatchers - Don Siegel (1956)

CT 205: JOURNAL EIGHT

Gummo - Harmony Korine, 1997

JOURNAL EIGHT: DUE APRIL 08th

STORY (chapter eight)

Compare and contrast the qualities that typify realistic and formalistic narratives by analyzing an example of each. How can a viewer be certain the narrative content matches the narrative style of a film? View the two clips below. Discuss the narrative content and narrative style of each.

• Dogville - Lars von Trier, 2003
• Gummo - Harmony Korine, 1997

CT 205: JOURNAL SEVEN

The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover - Peter Greenaway, 1989

JOURNAL SEVEN: DUE APRIL 03rd

DRAMA (chapter seven)

Discuss the spatial differences between theater and cinema and the implications of each. How is space used for dramatic impact in theater? How does this compare to its use in cinema? Select a play adapted to film as your example. How is dramatic space altered in the adaptation? Compare your example to this clip from Peter Greenaway's The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover. How does Greenaway use dramatic space to tell a story?

CT205: ESSAY THREE

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Michel Gondry, 2004

Principles of the Moving Image

ESSAY 3: DUE MAY 13th

Requirements

1. 10 pages, double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font.
2. Due 3/25/08: One-page topic proposal.
3. Due 4/01/08: Essay 3 outline.
4. Due 4/8/08: Bibliography. Minimum of 7 sources in APA style.
5. Due 4/17/08: Bring a complete rough draft to the in-class writing workshop. Please bring TWO hard copies of your essay.
6. Include images and/or transcriptions of the film you are analyzing.
7. ESSAY TOPIC: Compare and contrast film styles.

Select TWO films to compare/contrast in depth.
Select ONE technical aspect. (Select a bullet point from below.)

Cinematography:

• Photography: lighting, lighting key, color value & film stock
• Framing: camera shots, angles, focus & depth of field

Mise en scene:

• Composition: dominant, subsidiary contrasts, depth, density
• Proxemics: camera & character proximity, character placement, staging

Movement:

• Narrative kinetics – psychological, stylistic or symbolic movement)
• Camera movement – handheld, tracking, pan, dolly, tilt, zoom, crane, aerial
• Mech. distortion – slow/fast motion, time lapse, animation, single frame

Editing:

• Cutting to continuity
• Thematic montage
• Classical editing

Consider the following questions:

1. How was the technique developed? Discuss why/how it evolved.
2. Is this technique closely connected to another technique?
3. Why is the technique important to the development of movies?
   
4. How is the technique used to create meaning? Give classic and alt uses.
5. What responses does the technique evoke in the viewer?
6. Is the technique associated with specific movements, authors or styles?
   
7. Compare and contrast the technique as it appears in 2 films.

CT 205: JOURNAL SIX

Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, 1976

JOURNAL SIX: DUE MARCH 18TH

ACTING (chapter six)

What is iconography? How is this status related to a star's classification as either a personality star or an actor star? View each of the clips below, and explain why the star is a personality star or an actor star. Then, give at least one example of the iconic use of each star today.

• James Dean in Rebel without a Cause
• Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch
• Robert DiNero in Taxi Driver

CT 205: JOURNAL FIVE

Eraserhead - David Lynch, 1977

JOURNAL FIVE: DUE MARCH 13th

SOUND (chapter five)

Sound is an essential way to construct and define space in film. A film's sound-space is often called its soundscape and is made up of diegetic and non-diegetic sounds. A film soundscape can expand space off-screen or can project the internal space of a character. It can isolate sounds pertinent to the narrative (formalist) or it can record sound as it occurs (realist).

Select a scene and describe its soundscape. How is space constructed through the use of sound? Are the sounds diegetic or non-diegetic? Is the soundscape formally or realistically designed? How does the soundscape propel the narrative and/or comment on characters?

CT205: JOURNAL FOUR

JOURNAL FOUR: DUE MARCH 06TH

EDITING (chapter four)

Night of the Living Dead - George Romero, 1968

Refer to the cubing exercise you began in class, concentrating on a single, edited sequence from Night of the Living Dead. What style of editing does the sequence use? How is the time and space of the action condensed or elongated? What are the emotional or dramatic impacts of editing the sequence in this way? Outline an alternative editing method. How would this change the film's meaning?

Watch the entire film here.

CT205: ESSAY TWO

PRINCIPLES OF THE MOVING IMAGE

ESSAY 2: DUE MARCH 11th

Battleship Potemkin - Sergei Eisenstein, 1925

Requirements

1. 3 to 5 pages, double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font.
2. A minimum of three outside sources should be used. Use APA style.
3. Include images and/or transcriptions of the film you are analyzing.
4. Due 3/11. An in-class writing workshop will be held on this day.
5. ESSAY TOPIC: Explain, analyze and critique technical aspects of film.
   

Select ONE technical aspect from the following:

• Movement: narrative kinetics, camera movement or mechanical distortion
  

• Editing: sequence shots, cutting to continuity, thematic montage or classical editing
  

Select ONE film to discuss in depth.

Consider the following questions:

1. How was the technique developed? Discuss why/how it evolved.
2. Is this technique closely connected to another technique?
3. Why is the technique important to the development of movies? Compare its early uses to more contemporary ones.
4. How is the technique used to create meaning? Give classic and alt uses.
5. What responses does the technique evoke in the viewer?
   
6. Is the technique associated with specific movements, authors or styles? Some techniques are connected to social and/or political movements.
7. Give an in-depth analysis of the technique as it appears in 1 film.

CT 205: JOURNAL THREE

The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb - Dave Borthwick, 1993

JOURNAL THREE: DUE FEBRUARY 26TH
MOVEMENT (chapter three)

The representation of movement can have a huge impact upon the style and meaning of a film. A death scene shot in slow-motion will convey very different intentions from one shot in fast-motion. Select any scene from a film you consider formalist. Propose an alternative way to represent movement in the scene. (Hint: If the scene is in slow-motion, shoot it at regular speed. If it uses close-up shots, re-frame it with a telephoto lens.) How has your “take” altered the meaning, mood or style of the scene? Has it impacted the film overall? How?

Watch Tony vs. Paul, an amazing YouTube video using pixelation.

CT205: ESSAY ONE

PRINCIPLES OF THE MOVING IMAGE

ESSAY 1: DUE FEBRUARY 21st

Requirements

1. 3 to 5 pages, double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font.
2. A minimum of three outside sources should be used. Use APA style.
3. Include images and/or transcriptions of the film you are analyzing.
4. Due 2/21. An in-class writing workshop will be held on this day.
5. ESSAY TOPIC: Explain, analyze and critique technical aspects of film.
   

Select ONE technical aspect from the following:

• Photography: lighting, color, framing (shots & angles), film stock, focus
• Movement: camera movement, narrative movement, projection (fPS)
• Mise en scene: dialogue, setting (décor, etc.), space, story (symbolic)

Select ONE film to discuss in depth.

Consider the following questions:

1. How was the technique developed? Discuss why/how it evolved.
2. Is this technique closely connected to another technique?
3. Why is the technique important to the development of movies? Compare its early uses to more contemporary ones.
4. How is the technique used to create meaning? Give classic and alt uses.
5. What responses does the technique evoke in the viewer?
   
6. Is the technique associated with specific movements, authors or styles? Some techniques are connected to social and/or political movements.
7. Give an in-depth analysis of the technique as it appears in 1 film.

CT205: JOURNAL TWO

JOURNAL TWO: DUE FEBRUARY 14th

MISE EN SCENE (chapter two)

Once Upon a Time in the West - Sergei Leone, 1968

Imagine that you have just completed your debut film – a western shot in widescreen (aspect ratio). The distributor, however, has decided to release your film print in standard aspect ratio. What implications will this have for your original mise en scene? Why do you think the distributor made this decision?

CT205: JOURNAL ONE

Fred Ott's Sneeze - Thomas Edison, 1894

JOURNAL ONE: DUE FEBRUARY 05th
PHOTOGRAPHY (chapter one)

Define “realism” in film. What are some of the techniques used to evoke reality? Give an example of a “realistic” film. What technical and/or narrative elements make it “real”? How would you critique its supposed “realism”?

CT205 COURSE SYLLABUS

PRINCIPLES OF THE MOVING IMAGE

Course Description: Introduce the fundamental principles of filmed communication by closely examining techniques used throughout moving image history to construct meaning.

Course Objectives: Throughout the term, students will: 1) acquire an understanding of moving image techniques; 2) view and discuss works crucial to the medium’s history; 3) analyze formal and stylistic elements of moving images through writing; and 4) engage in discussions of aesthetic meaning or value. This is a designated Writing Intensive (WI) course.

Prerequisites: English 125 and CT201

Required Texts:

• Giannetti, Louis. (2005). Understanding Movies (10th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
• Hacker, Diana. (2007). A Writer’s Reference. (6th ed.). New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
• Text website: A companion website is available at Understanding Movies.
  

Course Requirements and Grading:

• Writing Assignments (50%) – This is a Writing Intensive (WI) course. Students are required to write two short essays of 3 pages (10% each) and one long essay of 8 – 10 pages (30%). To receive a passing grade on the long essay, students must: 1) submit a topic proposal and outline; 2) complete a draft; 3) participate in a class workshop AND complete a peer review; 4) submit an annotated bibliography; and 5) submit a final, revised essay. All essays must use APA style to document sources. Topics and detailed writing requirements will be given in class. See Course Schedule for due dates.

• Online Reading Journal (10%) – Students will post 10 entries to the class website (URL above). Each entry must answer the posed question and be 7 – 10 sentences long. Online writing will be judged by the same criteria as printed work. Incomplete sentences, inadequate punctuation, poor grammar, etc. will not be accepted. All entries are due the following class day (see Course Schedule).

• Storyboard (10%) – Students will script and storyboard a short scene of 10 – 15 shots. Storyboards will be presented to the class (see Course Schedule).

• Exams (20%) – A midterm and a final exam will be given. Exams cannot be rescheduled. Missing an exam will result in a grade of zero.

• Participation/Attendance (10%) – Students are expected to complete assigned readings and participate in class discussions, trips and film screenings. A student who is more than 15 minutes late to class will not be permitted to enter. More than two absences OR three tardy days will result in failure of the course.

Students must have an email account and be able to regularly access the class blog and text companion website. Students will occasionally be required to view clips outside of class. In these cases, films will be available in the Studio or as online clips. Students can access grades and class materials through York College Blackboard.

CT205 CLASS SCHEDULE

Principles of the Moving Image

1. T, Jan 29 - Course Introduction – What is a moving image?
2. R, Jan 31 - Photography. Read chapter 1. Journal 1.
3. T, Feb 05 - Mise en Scène. Read chapter 2.
4. R, Feb 07 - Mise en Scène cont. Journal 2. Assign essay 1.
5. T, Feb 12 - Lincoln's Birthyday – College is closed.
6. R, Feb 14 - Movement. Read chapter 3.
7. T, Feb 19 - Movement cont. Journal 3.
8. R, Feb 21 - Class writing workshop 1. Essay 1 due.
9. T, Feb 26 - Editing. Read chapter 4. Assign essay 2.
10. R, Feb 28 - Editing cont. Journal 4.
11. T, Mar 04 - Sound. Read chapter 5.
12. R, Mar 06 - Sound cont. Journal 5.
13. T, Mar 11 - Class writing workshop 2. Essay 2 due.
14. R, Mar 13 - Acting. Read chapter 6. Journal 6.
15. T, Mar 18 - Drama. Read chapter 7. Journal 7.
16. R, Mar 20 - Midterm review. Essay 3 proposal due.
17. T, Mar 25 - MIDTERM EXAM
18. R, Mar 27 - Surprise screening.
19. T, Apr 01 - Story. Read chapter 8. Journal 8.
20. R, Apr 03 - Writing. Read chapter 9. Journal 9.
21. T, Apr 08 - Storyboarding. Essay 3 bibliography due.
22. R, Apr 10 - Ideology and Critique. Read chapters 10 and 11. Journal 10.
23. T, Apr 15 - Storyboard presentations.
24. R, Apr 17 - Class writing workshop 3. Essay 3 draft due.

25. T, Apr 22 - SPRING BREAK
26. R, Apr 24 - SPRING BREAK

27. T, Apr 29 - Synthesis: Citizen Kane. Read chapter 12.
28. R, May 01 - Synthesis cont. Finish Citizen Kane.
29. T, May 06 - No class. Field trip on Thursday.
30. R, May 08 - Field Trip: Museum of the Moving Image
31. T, May 13 - Final review and party. Essay 3 due.

32. TBA - FINAL EXAM

The CT205 "MUST SEE" LIST

Below you will find a list of important films and the chapters they illustrate. We will view clips from many of these films in class, but just in case you want to view them again and/or use them as examples in future essays, you can find them here. Many of the early films can be watched as streaming video or downloaded. The New York Public Library also has an awesome collection of films and dvd's, some of which can even be viewed online.

For a more complete list of important films, check out Jen's Kick-Butt Movie Watching Contest at Watch More Flickers.

PHOTOGRAPHY
Early Lumiere Bros.
Early Thomas Edison
Voyage to the Moon - Melies
The Great Train Robbery - Edwin Porter
Return to Reason - Man Ray

MISE EN SCENE
Intolerance - DW Griffith
Nanook of the North - Robert Flaherty
Freaks - Tod Browning
Blade Runner - Ridley Scott
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - M Gondry
Sin City - Rodriguez, Miller and Tarantino

MOVEMENT
Edward Muybridge
Early Edison and Lumiere
At Land - Maya Daren
Meat Love - Jan Svankmeyer
Neighbors - Norman McLaren
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari - R Wiene

The Conversation - Francis Ford Coppola
The Godfather - Francis Ford Coppola
Once Upon a Time in the West - Sergei Leone

EDITING
Battleship Potemkin - Sergei Eisenstein
Birth of a Nation - DW Griffith
Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde - R Mamoulian
Heart of the World - Guy Maddin

SOUND
Metropolis - Fritz Lang
The Jazz Singer - Alan Crosland
The Secret Adventrues of Tom Thumb - D Borthwick
Dancer in the Dark - Lars von Trier

Dead Man - Jim Jarmusch
Apocalypse Now - Francis Ford Coppola
Eraserhead - David Lynch

ACTING
Public Enemy - W Wellman
On the Waterfront - Elia Kazan
Psycho - Alfred Hitchcock
Repulsion - Roman Polanski
Raging Bull - Martin Scorcese

DRAMA
Stranger Than Paradise - Jim Jarmusch
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover - Peter Greenaway
The Saddest Music in the World - Guy Maddin
Heart of Glass - Werner Herzog
Blade Runner - Ridley Scott

STORY
Mulholland Drive - David Lynch
Chinatown - Roman Polanski
Kasper Hauser - Werner Herzog
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari - R Wiene
Night of the Living Dead - George Romero
Shaun of the Dead - Edgar Wright
28 Days Later - Danny Boyle

WRITING
Rashomon - Akira Kurasawa
Being John Malkovich - Spike Jonze
The White Diamond - Werner Herzog
North by Northwest - Alfred Hitchcock

IDEOLOGY
Intolerance - DW Griffith
Un Chien Andalou - Dali and Bunuel
Triumph of the Will - Leni Reifenstahl
The Great Dictator - Charlie Chaplin

CRITIQUE
Man with a Movie Camera - Dziga Vertov
Bonnie and Clyde - Arthur Penn
Sweet Sweetback's Badass Song - M van Peebles
The Atomic Cafe - J Loader and K Rafferty
Dogville - Lars von Trier

SYNTHESIS
Citizen Kane - Orson Welles