CourseOverview

Required Text

 * //**Film: A Critical Introduction**//, 3rd edition, Pramaggiore and Wallis

Course Description
“Until we know //how// a film is speaking to us, we cannot be sure what it is saying.” – Gavin Lambert

In this course, we’ll learn to view and analyze films critically by developing an understanding of the visual, aural, and narrative elements of film art. We will also explore the social contexts of film, considering films as cultural artifacts and political expressions. Our goal is to make the invisible visible, to see and think about things you may not have noticed in movies before. In addition, the course will expose students to a variety of great films in different styles and genres, hopefully broadening your appreciation for film.

Assignments and Grading
Essentially, we will do four things in this class: watch films, read about films, talk about films, and write about films. I will provide you with standards and criteria for evaluating each assignment as they are assigned. Final course grades will be computed as follows:
 * Class participation, including response papers and attendance (15%)
 * Three practice writing assignments (15%)
 * Sequence analysis essay (25%)
 * Four cumulative quizzes (20%)
 * Comprehensive final exam (25%)

I will compute grades in Grade Center in [|Blackboard].

Attendance
Regular attendance to class and screenings is required.
 * 1) ** You are allowed two absences ** free and clear, no excuses necessary. You don’t need to provide any documentation to explain your absence, but you only get two, so use them wisely.
 * 2) ** After your second absence, any and all absences, regardless of the reason, will adversely affect your grade ** as follows. For each absence after the second, your attendance and participation grade (15% of the total course grade) will be lowered by ** 20 ** percentage points.
 * 3) If you are absent, you are responsible for submitting the assigned homework, for watching any film shown in class, for making arrangements to get the materials for the next class, and for coming prepared to discuss the next class materials. Students whose illness or family responsibilities require a long absence should contact me as soon as possible (NOT after an unexplained absence of several weeks).

Late Assignments
Keep in mind:
 * 1) In-class writing and quizzes cannot be made up.
 * 2) Absence is not an excuse for late work: assignments must be turned in the day they are due. If you will be absent when an assignment is due, arrange to have someone turn in the assignment for you. If you cannot make such arrangements, contact me before the due date.
 * 3) Technology is not an excuse for late work. Plan ahead for the inevitable problems with printers, flash drives, etc. ** Use Dropbox, Google Drive, ** or some other online storage space.
 * 4) A late essay will be penalized one full letter grade (e.g., from a B to a C) for each class day it is late (e.g., the essay is due Friday but not turned in until Monday).

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
Using someone else's ideas or words as your own on any assignment is plagiarism. It is a violation of the Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities as defined in the [|student handbook] and will be treated as such. If you are concerned about inadvertently violating this policy, please see me before completing the assignment.

Accomodations
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible.