FH 208
T 6:00-9:00
Office FH 7BI0
Office Hours: MW 11:30-12:30
TTH 8:30-11:00 T 11:00-2:00
Office Phone: 762-4712
Home Phone: 753-6590
Please Use Answering Machine.
E-mail: helen.roulston@murraystate.edu
II. CATALOG DESCRIPTION: This course will cover the international, historical, cultural, artistic, and technical development of the cinema from the beginning to the present, with some emphasis on American contributions.
III. PURPOSE: This course is designed to acquaint students with a variety of American and international historical, cultural, and artistic developments via viewing and analyses of numerous film genres, techniques, film makers, and actors, dating from the early periods of the cinema to the present.
IV. COURSE OBJECTIVES: The students should acquire expertise in viewing, analyzing, discussing, and writing about films in their historical, cultural, artistic, and development contexts.
V. CONTENT OUTLINE: The outline of the course will be based on chapters in the 4th edition of David A Cook's A History of Narrative Film, which are about films of different decades, genres, and countries.
VI. INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES: The course consists of lectures, movies viewed in and out of class, discussions, exams, outside papers, weekly journals, and conferences when necessary.
VII. FIELD, CLINICAL, AND/OR LABORATORY EXPERIENCES: Field experiences will involve viewing and often writing about optional movies outside of class.
VIII. RESOURCES: Copies of pertinent videos will be made available to students when needed. Posted student essays to Celluloid Historian will provide inspiration and models for other students in their writings. Students are encouraged to attend movies shown on campus, especially those connected with the Cinema International, and off campus. Numerous movie-related web sites are listed at the bottom of the syllabus.
IX. GRADING PROCEDURES: Students will do a variety of written assignments:
4 required short essays (300 words or more) on an historical aspect of a particular movie viewed in and/or of class, each essay worth 10 points, for a total of 40 points
1 take-home midterm essay exam, worth 10 points
1 long essay (1000 words or more) on a particular aspect of cinematic history, worth 20 points
1 weekly journal (either on computer or in a hard-copy notebook), with detailed comments on the assigned chapters in the text book, the posted essays, the movies viewed in and/or out of class, and the class discussions, to be handed in twice during the semester, worth 10 points
At least 1 or more panel discussions or an extra short essay (300 words or more) in lieu of a panel discussion on an historical aspect of a particular movie viewed in and/or of class, each worth 10 points
1 final essay exam, worth 10 points
The point scale for final grades is below:
A=90-100 B=80-89 C=70-79 D=60-69 E=0-59 1 Panel Discussion
A=98-110 B=88-97.9 C=78-87.9 D=68-77.9 E=0-67.9 2 Panel Discussions
A=108-120 B=96-109.9 C=84-95.9 D=72-83.4 E=0-71.9 3 Panel Discussions<
Students must complete all assigned work to get a course grade.
Optional rewrites or revised essays to improve the grade, writing skills, and chance of having them included in Celluloid Historian. The rewrite grade will be worth 1/4 the total theme grade. Each student may write extra essays, with each one eliminating another essay with a lower grade.
Students will be encouraged to hand their works in on disk or email them, especially the revisions. After essays are suitably edited by the professor and the students, the essays, with the students' permission, will be put into HTML format and posted to the latest issue of Celluloid Historian on the professor's geocities website.
X. ATTENDANCE POLICY: Students should make every effort to attend class. If they miss a showing of a film, they should make arrangements to see the films on video at another time. Students must offer plausible excuses for any absence(s). Students missing 3 or more classes without valid excuses will fail the course. Students are responsible for presenting to the professor their valid excuses in person, by phone, or by email to avoid being penalized.
XI. ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY: "Cheating, plagiarism (submitting another person's material as one's own or doing work for another person which will receive academic credit) are all impermissible. This includes the use of unauthorized copying of examinations, assignments, reports or term papers, or the presentation of acknowledged material as if it were the student's own work. Disciplinary action may be taken beyond the academic discipline administered by the faculty member who teaches the course in which the cheating took place." Students are also responsible for the Academic Honesty policy statement in the latest edition of the MSU Undergraduate Bulletin.
XII. TEXT AND REFERENCES: David A Cook's A History of Narrative Film, 4th edition, Posted Student Essays on Celluloid Historian as they appear.
XIII. PREREQUISITES: Although no prerequisites are listed in the catalog, it is essential that students will have passed English 101, 102, 104 or the equivalent.
XIV. STATEMENT OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY: Murray State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, marital status, age, or disability in employment, admission, or the provision of services, educational programs and activities, and provides, upon request, reasonable accommodation including auxiliary aids and services necessary to afford individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in all programs and activities. For information regarding nondiscrimination policies contact the Office of Equal Opportunity, 809-762-3155.
http://www.maidenalleycinema.com