Introduction to Film
Saint Louis University – Spring 2012
ENGL270-03 (CRN: 27418) + FSTD270-03 (CRN: 27624)
MWF 9:00 AM – Xavier Annex, Room 203
Mr. David Olsen, instructor
Office: Adorjan Hall, Room 209
Office hours: Monday 10:00-11:00, Tuesday 2:15-3:15, and by appointment
E-mail: olsendb@slu.edu
Course Description
The study of film requires a keen, complex process of observation that takes into account the many sites of meaning within the medium – everything from staging to soundtracks, directors to deleted scenes. This course will look at film from a number of angles, and in the process will equip students with both a technical understanding of filmmaking and an introduction to the cultural analysis of films. We will view films across several eras, through which we will explore both the historical contexts and the technical advancements that shape our appreciation for cinema today.
The critical analysis of films presents a unique challenge because we apprehend and understand movies both visually and verbally. In order to more engage more closely with these complex texts, we will adapt strategies from a broad variety of disciplines within the humanities.
Objectives
To develop a heightened critical understanding of the language of film and the history of cinema
To reconsider the place of film within literary and popular cultures
To trace the thematic and technical evolution of film across many genres
To appreciate and utilize different methodological approaches to film and other literatures
To speak and write about film with comfort, sophistication, and aplomb
Required Texts
Bill Nichols, Engaging Cinema: An Introduction to Film Studies. New York: Norton, 2010. ISBN: 9780393034915
Thomas Elssesser and Malte Hagener, Film Theory: An Introduction Through the Senses. New York: Routledge, 2010. ISBN: 9780415801010
Reading Assignments
There will be a specific reading or viewing assignment for nearly every class period, and it is your responsibility to both read/view the text and be prepared to discuss its significance within the scope of the course – preferably with written notes or questions to facilitate this process. I will often seek volunteers to speak up and respond to a text, concept, or question, but you may want to be prepared to be called on as well.
We will likely have a quiz every day, but they are generally pretty easy if you’ve been keeping up with the work.
Some of our readings will come from outside of the required textbooks. These will be available as PDF files on our class homepage; the “Reading Assignments” page will have links to each day’s reading.
Writing Assignments
All students will be required to complete two longer papers in the class, a take-home final exam, and a few relatively informal assignments. All papers should be formatted with 1” margins on all sides, double-spaced, and with 12-point Times New Roman font. Your research should be cited using the current MLA (Modern Language Association) guidelines, which will be outlined in class. You will also be allowed to revise one of the two major papers in the course and resubmit it for a new grade, which I will discuss further in class.
Papers must be e-mailed to me by the time that they are due.
Also, it is supremely important to always save often as you are writing. Computers sometimes crash despite every available precaution, and being able to have the most recent version of a paper – even if that means saving it in an e-mail or external hard drive – is always preferable to a complete rewrite.
Grading Standards
Your final grade in the course is contingent upon several factors, which are broken down as follows:
Paper #1 – 15%
Paper #2 – 25%
Final Exam – 30%
Reading/Viewing Quizzes – 15%
Shorter Writing Assignments – 10%
Class Participation – 5%
Papers in this course will be assigned a letter grade with a value that corresponds to the University’s grade point average scale: A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0, B- = 2.7, C+ = 2.3, C = 2.0, C- = 1.7, D = 1, F = 0.
Academic Integrity and Honesty
Students are expected to be honest in their academic work. The University reserves the right to penalize any student whose academic conduct at any time is, in its judgment, detrimental to the University. Such conduct shall include cases of plagiarism, collusion, cheating, giving or receiving or offering or soliciting information in examinations, or the use of previously prepared material in examinations or quizzes. Violations should be reported to your course instructor, who will investigate and adjudicate them according to the policy on academic honesty of the College of Arts and Sciences. If the charges are found to be true, the student may be liable for academic or disciplinary probation, suspension, or expulsion by the University.
At the very least, anyone who violates this policy by plagiarizing a paper in this course will receive a zero on the assignment, with no possibility for revision. In some cases, the student may also receive a failing grade for the course. A report will also be filed with the Chair of the Department of English. If a case of plagiarism is identified at any point in the semester, I may also reexamine and reevaluate assignments that have already been turned in for a grade in the class. We will be addressing the proper citation of sources early in the semester, so there should be little confusion regarding the incorporation of research and quotations into your papers.
Attendance
Attendance in this course is mandatory. You are allowed to miss three class periods (i.e., unexcused absences), after which your final grade will be lowered by one half of a letter grade for each subsequent absence. For instance, if you should receive a B in the course but have missed class four times, you will receive a C+. This is a policy endorsed by both the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of English.
Excused absences include religious holidays, medical illness or emergency (with appropriate documentation), and participation in Saint Louis University athletic events. Athletes who know they will be missing certain classes will need to provide official documentation from their coach and a schedule of events by no later than the end of the first week of classes.
Excessive tardiness will not be endured. If a student is late to class three times, it will be considered an absence. Likewise, a student who is more than 15 minutes late for class will also be considered absent. I will be taking roll at the beginning of each period, and students who arrive late are responsible for seeing me after class to confirm their attendance.
Finally, sleeping in class is not actually attending class as far as I am concerned. Students who sleep during class may also be marked absent for the day.
Cell Phones and Computers
With the increasing presence of personal technology in our classrooms comes a greater and greater risk for distraction and diversion. It is my policy that any student who is observed using their phone will be marked absent for that day. This includes talking and text messaging. (To not be intellectually present and engaged in a class discussion is to be absent from class, in my opinion.) I approve of the use of a computer in the class for note-taking or for classroom activities and projects. However, students observed to be using a computer for other reasons (browsing, e-mail, IM, Facebook, other classwork, etc.) will also be marked absent.
Late Papers
Papers should be turned in to me via my SLU e-mail address by the hour and date specified for each assignment. Any paper that is late will be docked one half of a letter grade for each day that it is late. If you know you will be absent on a due date, you may turn in your paper to me before the day it is due. I have listed these dates on the syllabus. If any of these deadlines should change at any point in the semester, I will make the revision very clear during class time in addition to a written confirmation via e-mail.
Course Content Disclaimer
In this course, students may be required to read text or view materials that they may consider offensive. The ideas expressed in any given text do not necessarily reflect the views of the instructor, the English Department, the Writing Program, or Saint Louis University. Course materials are selected for their historical and/or cultural relevance, or as an example of stylistic and/or rhetorical strategies and techniques. They are meant to be examined in the context of intellectual inquiry of the sort encountered at the university level.
Students with Special Needs – Disability Services
In recognition that people learn in a variety of ways and that learning is influenced by multiple factors (e.g., prior experience, study skills, learning disability), resources to support student success are available on campus. Students who think they might benefit from these resources can find out more about:
Course-level support (e.g., faculty member, departmental resources, etc.) by asking your
course instructor.
University-level support (e.g., tutoring/writing services, Disability Services) by visiting the
Student Success Center (BSC 331) or by going to www.slu.edu/success.
Students who believe that, due to a disability, they could benefit from academic accommodations are encouraged to contact Disability Services at 314-977-8885 or to visit the Student Success Center. Confidentiality will be observed in all inquiries. Course instructors support student accommodation requests when an approved letter from Disability Services has been received and when students discuss these accommodations with the instructor after receipt of the approved letter.
How We Can Help With Your Writing
I will provide you with feedback on your writing throughout the semester, but you can also get independent help with your writing. Saint Louis University supports three undergraduate writing services centers:
Student Success Center, Busch Student Center, Suite 331
Pius XII Library, Room 320-8
Student Success Center-Medical Center, Nursing Building, Room 114
The Program Manager for Writing Services is Jessica Perolio: jperolio@slu.edu. Tel: 314-977-2937. She is based in the Busch Student Center, Suite 331.
I encourage you to make use of a writing services center because feedback benefits writers at all skill levels. The center helps with writing projects, multimedia projects, and oral presentations. One-on-one consultations address everything from brainstorming and developing ideas to crafting strong sentences and documenting sources.
Assignment Due Dates (and Other Significant Events)
Assignment Due Dates (and Other Significant Events)
Friday, 1/27 --- Last day to drop without a "W"
Friday, 2/17 --- Last day to receive partial refund of tuition
Monday 2/27 --- Essay #1 due by midnight
March 12-17 --- Spring Break
Friday 3/30 --- Last day to drop the course
Thursday, 4/5 --- No Class (Holy Thursday)
Friday, April 20 --- Essay #2 due by midnight
Week of Final Exams --- Take-Home Final Exam due 