Assignments

Assignments

Class Participation:  15%  One aim of the class is to stimulate lively and productive discussion about the films we'll be watching.  Our goal in class is to share our solitary efforts, and generate a regular exchange of ideas.  This grade will also include occasional quizzes.

Blog Posts: 10% Once a week, choose a scene from one of the films we’ll be viewing that week, and analyze it closely.  Begin each post with a brief argument about the meaning of the scene as a whole.  Think of this argument as your unique “position,” which you must persuade others to adopt.  Then support your overall point with specific evidence from the scene: point to specific frames, and use specific vocabulary (cinematography, narrative, mise-en-scene, editing, sound).  Post to our class blog (min. 300 words, due by class time on either Monday or Wednesday).  At the beginning of each discussion, we may call upon two or three students to present (and if necessary, defend) their approach to their chosen scene.

Discussion-Starter Presentations: 10%              Each student will prepare a brief, focused, 5-minute presentation to the class dealing with one (and only one) of the films assigned for that class.  The presentation will be given at the beginning of class.  The purpose of the presentation is to initiate discussion, and might be pursued one of the following ways: (1) Present and defend your own interpretation of the film; (2) Isolate a few frames or parts of a scene (no more than 30 seconds) and give a frame-by-frame analysis; (3) Identify and discuss a specific theme or idea, and demonstrate its relevance; (4) For academic articles or other non-fictional texts, sketch the main argument (sometimes easier said than done). Please discuss your plans with me no less than one class (not one day) prior to the presentation.

Close-Reading Essay: 15% (3-4 pages)           

In the first essay, you will produce a thesis-guided close-reading of a film we have studied, paying attention to the specific cinematic, rhetorical, and literary devices that the author uses.

Formatting requirements: (1) Proper citation, using the MLA format, of all sources; (2) Inclusion of a “Works Cited” page using MLA format; (3) Document format of 12 point Times New Roman, double-spaced, with 1” margins all around (your default format may be different; you are responsible for changing it).

Annotated Bibliography: 20% (15-20 sources)           

To prepare for your final project, you will produce an annotated bibliography of secondary sources that relate to your primary text.  These might come from a number of different genres, including academic criticism, philosophy, cultural criticism, and journalism (reviews from the film's first release).  We will practice the art of annotation in class, but each annotation should be 50-100 words, written for an academic audience.  It should be accompanied by a brief headnote of approximately 500 words, which will explain the theme that unifies your research.

Scholarly Introduction Project: 30%                        

Imagine what it’s like to make a wonderful discovery, such as an archaeological item, or a whole new species of creature.  After the initial elation fades, the explorer faces a major dilemma.  Surely s/he must share the find with the world, explain its significance, and give colleagues the tools they need to understand it.  Equally important, however, s/he must preserve some of the uniqueness of the artifact.  Why?  Giving others a chance to approach it on their own terms, with minimal interference, could generate a far greater variety and depth of insight.

This same challenge will be yours in this course’s final project.  You will produce a scholarly introduction to the film of your choice, complete with the entire scholarly apparatus: an introduction, selected bibliography, and appendices (which will contain historical materials and scholarly criticism appropriate for your film).  The goal of the project is to present your chosen film in a new light to a specific community of film-goers not unlike yourselves.

Included in the grade for the project will be a formal proposal, due early in the quarter, and a brief in-class presentation on the final class meeting.