Science Essentials Writing About Film

Writing for Film
Second Semester 2008

 In the Past we have seen these films, however, we will see many of them, but not all and probably some different ones.

Bride of Frankenstein                      The Big Sleep

 Casablanca                               Chocolat     

Citizen Kane                              Cool Hand Luke     

D. O. A.                                        Detour

Double Indemnity                      Dr. Strangelove

Frankenstein                              Ghostbusters

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly        Jaws

Maltese Falcon                 Night of the Living Dead

North by Northwest                        Nosferatu

Psycho                                         Rear Window

Scarlet Street                             Shall We Dance?

Some Like it Hot                              The Sting

The Trouble With Harry         

                    

Text:

 There is no book, however, we will have several handouts and readings for which you will  be responsible.  We will also, per haps, see some films.    DESCRIPTION:This is a writing course that will develop your ability to think about and critically analyze films in written work and oral presentations.  GOALS:1.      You will become familiar with several genres of film.  2.      You will be able to critically analyze films that you have seen in several written works and projects. 3.      You will be able to go through the writing process while writing the papers about films..  REQUIREMENTS:1.   You are required to be in class.  It is particularly difficult to watch a film or participate in class discussion if you are not present in class.  If you happen to be absent, as I understand sometimes happens, YOU will be responsible for finding the video and making up what we missed.  If it is possible on the next day to come in during VIP we can possibly make up the video then. YOU (you will notice that the responsibility rests on YOU) should talk with me as soon as possible before you know you will be absent.  If the absence is unexpected then it would be best to talk with me after you return.

2.   You will also be required to write several pieces on the films we will be seeing.  These are expected to be turned in on time and in their entirety.  This means that if the 3-page typed paper is due on Monday, then you should turn in, on that same Monday, a 3-paged typed paper on the given topic.  A typed page, for those of you interested in testing this definition, is double spaced and in 12–point font of a standard size (i.e. Times New Roman and Century Schoolbook are your choices)  The margins are to be standard and the title should take up no more than 1 inch of space on the first page.  A typed page consists of 325 words or more.  Therefore, a three-page paper would have 975 words.  I will count the words if it is suspect.  If you are low, I will deduct the percent you are below the requirement.

3. We will work on several types of papers.  They will include but not be limited to:

      Expository papers – explaining a difficult or complex point or idea brought out

           by a film;

      Argumentative papers – taking a side (“the movie was good or bad                      because…) and defending this point of view;

Compare/Contrast papers – Comparing several films to each other, or to certain genres of film, or contrasting several different films in a given genre as to how they all fit the definition of that genre.

          

4.   You are also required to participate in class.  Obviously class discussion will be a bust if you are not participating.  So do so.  15% of your grade is participation.

 

RESOURCES:

We will be using movies, handouts, videos on movies and probably websites during this class. 

·        One useful website is: <http://us.imdb.com> 

·        Another is <http://www.tcf.ua.edu/screensite/intro.htm> 

·        Also Robert Ebert's page: <http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebert.html>

EVALUATION:

1. 10% of your grade will come from participation  I understand that this is largely subjective, but will assign points and deduct points if need be and you will be able to see where you stand on a weekly basis you will lose participation points for being tardy or unexcused.

2. 10% of your grade will be class work--this will be things like daily assignments, vocabulary, quizzes, etc.

3.. 60% of your grade will be your papers.  All of these are announced, and again, all of these are fun

4. 20% of your grade will be from a written project and presentation (Yes, in front of class).  You will do one per quarter.

Class Expectations, Rules, etc.

Just the basic stuff that makes classes run well:

1.      Be on time—that is, when the bell rings, you should be in your seat and quite – not diving in the door.

·      If you are tardy once in a quarter that is ok. 

·      The second (and each successive) time you are tardy you will lose one percent of your 10% participation grade. 

2.      Also, since we will be doing a lot of discussion in class you will be required to be polite to all involved.  There will be no tolerance for rudeness. 

3.      This is not to say that you have to agree with everyone in class.  Disagreeing is not being rude.  You need to criticize an idea or a piece of work or logic and not criticize a person.  I expect that there  will be movies or ideas that some people like or agree with that you will not.  I want to know about it.  But I want to know about it in a decent, civilized manner.

4.      Otherwise, stay awake, back up your opinions with fact or logic, write good papers, don’t interrupt,  and enjoy the shows.