Announcements_SpSum11

=Announcements (Archive: Spring/Summer 11)=

=English 425 Announcements=

Experimental Animation
(7/20/2011) If you are interested in experimental animation, here is an [|interesting collection of shorts] from the California Institute of the Arts.

Duck Amuck
(7/20/2011) A classic that calls attention to the conventions of orthodox animation.

Group Presentation
(7/4/2011) I have updated the description of the presentation assignment. We should form groups this week, so you can choose a film to present ASAP.

Essay Proposals
(6/29/2011) I've created a page on the wiki where you can post your proposals for the formal analysis essay. Everyone can put their proposals on the same page--just make sure to put your name with your proposal. I recommend you write your proposal outside the wiki and then copy and paste it to the wiki rather than using the wiki as a word processor. There's less chance of losing your writing that way.

How to Play Indians
(6/24/2011) Tips on how to act like a "movie Indian" from Unberto Eco. For example:

Before Attacking
 * 1) Never attack immediately: make yourself visible at a distance a few days ahead of time, producing easily observed smoke signals, thus giving the stagecoach or the fort ample time to send word to the Seventh Cavalry.
 * 2) If possible, appear prominently in small groups on the surrounding hills. Set up sentinels on totally isolated peaks.

[|Read more (including "Attacking a Stagecoach")]

What is a wiki?
(6/9/2011)

Where to find scholarly articles about movies
(4/4/2011) The following library databases are a good place to start for finding scholarly articles about movies. Many of the articles in the MLA database are available in full-text online. When you get your search results, click on the blue "Multilink BSU" to locate the source. In JSTOR, all articles are available online.
 * **MLA International Bibliography**
 * **JSTOR**

Don't discount books. They're often the best sources, and worth the effort to actually walk into the library. To find books, use
 * **Cardcat**

Where to find movie reviews
(3/30/2011) Both of the following websites compile movie reviews from around the web. When using them, you need to be careful to sort through the reviews in order to find reviews from when the movie originally came out. A lot of more recent reviews will be mixed in with the results.
 * **[|Rotten Tomatoes]**
 * **[|Metacritic]**

In addition to the above, you might check out the following:
 * **[|imdb.com]** - The Internet Movie Database contains information about a movie's budget and gross earnings, allowing you to get a sense of its popularity.
 * **Lexis Nexis Academi**c - This is a full-text library database that allows you to search newspapers and magazines. If you limit your search to the year the movie came out, you should be able to find contemporary reviews. This is a good source for older movies, because it will allow you to find published reviews that are not available on the web.
 * **Books and articles** - Sometimes books or articles will provide information about how a movie was received upon release, especially if the movie was controversial or particularly successful or unsuccessful.

Bonnie and Clyde reviews from 1967
(3/30/2011)
 * [|Time]
 * [|New York Times]
 * [|Variety]
 * [|Chicago Sun Times (Roger Ebert)]
 * [|New Yorker, excerpt (Pauline Kael)]

Sample Essay
(2/24/2011) I fixed the link to the [|essay on The Big Heat].

Midterm
(2/24/2011)
 * Information about the midterm.
 * [|"Synthesis: Citizen Kane" essay] to read for Tuesday, 3/1
 * [|Citizen Kane review handout] for Tuesday, 3/1

(2/24/2011)
Notice that each of the claims below states why the scene being analyzed is important, either thematically or in terms of its effect on the viewer.

** Paper on //Rear Window// **

 * In the confrontation scene at the end of //Rear Window//, Hitchcock uses lighting, camera angles, and point-of-view editing to heighten the tension and suspense.

Paper on //The Big Heat//


 * This scene is especially important because it underscores the duality of human nature. In the twisted moral logic of this noir world, an upstanding member of society reveals herself to be a moral reprobate, and a woman of questionable values redeems herself via an act of murder.

Paper on //Notorious//
 * This scene illustrates how Hitchcock's deft manipulation of film techniques induces the spectator to identify with Alicia as she undertakes her mission [to steal Sebastian's key].

Diegetic and Non-Diegetic
(2/22/2011) Just a reminder that there is a video in the Chapter 4 section of the "Looking at Movies" DVD that explains the difference between diegetic and non-diegetic elements. The video points out that the terms "diegetic" and "non-diegetic" can describe elements other than sound. Sound is the most common non-diegetic element in movies because of score music. But images, such as text, can be non-diegetic as well.

What are foley sounds?
(2/22/2011)

Sample Scene Analysis Essays
(2/21/2011) I've placed two sample essays on the Handouts and Powerpoints page. You may use either one as a model for your own writing.

Join the Class Wiki
(1/10/2011) You will need to join the wiki so that you are able to create pages and edit content. To do that, you must do two things: create a wikispaces account and request to join the class wiki. Once you have done those two things, I will approve your request and you'll be a full-fledged member.
 * 1) Go to wikispaces.com and create an account. You will be asked if you want to create a wiki. You do not need to do this. In fact, you will never need to create your own wiki for this class.
 * 2) On this page, click "Join this Wiki." The icon is at the top of the menu on the left.
 * 3) That's it. Now you wait for me to approve your request.