Thursday, January 4, 2018

American Cinema - Syllabus - Spring 2018

AMERICAN CINEMA – COM 260 - SYLLABUS

University of Tampa
Spring Semester - 2018
Tom Hammond - Instructor

Objectives:
This class is a survey of the history, origins and influences of American Film.  We will consider the American Cinema as an art form, an industry, and a system of representation and communication. We will explore the process by which an American identity is both formed and reflected through movies, and how films work technically, aesthetically, and culturally to reinforce and challenge our national self-image.
The course is designed to build an integrated understanding of U. S. society, politics, and culture. The interconnectedness of these domains is reflected in the films we will study. 
Class Blog: http://americancinemaclass.blogspot.com.  You will be invited to post on this website.

Instructor's Contact Information – phone: 813-900-4759, email addresses: thammond@ut.edu, thammond1946@yahoo.com.  Individual meetings can be arranged before or after class.

Required Text and Viewings:

There is no textbook for this class. Rather, you will be given weekly readings on the class blog. These will be links to articles from websites, film journals and review sites. Regular quizzes will be given to show compliance with this requirement.

Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, YouTube and Filmstruck – Every week a list of recommended films for viewing outside of class will be posted on the blog. You can watch and write on these at your discretion. These websites offer a variety of viewing and subscription plans. Whatever your preference, films listed will be available on one or more of these platforms. Whether you subscribe or pay one-time rental fees, there will always be a multitude of choices. Most of the titles are available in the school or public library. These films will be the basis for your required articles or reviews to be posted on the blog.

Course Requirements and Grading:

·        Attendance & Participation                     20% of grade
·        Quizzes (10)                                            40% of grade
·        Blog Postings (4)                                     40% of grade

Grading Ranges:

A         94-100
A/B     87-93
B          80-86
B/C     75-79
C          70-74
D         60-69
F          Below 60

Attendance & Participation – Every class covers a component of film history, theory and criticism vital to your overall understanding of the subject.  If you must miss a class, let me know in advance, if possible.  Chronic lateness will be noted and will adversely impact your final grade. 

Quizzes – You are responsible for the information presented in class and the content of the assigned readings.  The quizzes will be a measurement of this and will also serve as an attendance marker. No make-ups will be given.

 Blog Postings – You will be invited to participate on the class blog.  This is where you will post your articles and reviews. A minimum of four is required during the semester. More can be done for extra credit. A rubric, detailing the possible formats you can use for this requirement, is given later in this syllabus. Also, blog comments on the work of your fellow students are noted and work in your favor when calculating your grade.

Academic Integrity – If you quote material from another source, please mention it in the text or CITE IT at the end. Otherwise it is a violation of University standards. 

Assignment Schedule:
·        Links to all readings will be posted on the blog at least three days before the week in which they are to be studied.
·        Suggested Viewings are recommended films which supplement what we will be studying in the upcoming week. This list will be posted on the blog, along with the required reading links, three days prior to the week of study. Aside from deepening your knowledge of our subject, these are the films you will use as the basis for your four required articles and reviews.
·        Extra credit is available in the form of additional articles to the blog. Each of these will count as an added 5% of your grade.
·        The only DEADLINE is that all four of the regular articles must be posted to the blog 30 days prior to the end of the semester. Extra credit is given to additional postings any time after the first four have been submitted.
·        It is expected that your postings will be on a regular basis and not all at the last minute.

Here is a list of films we will watch in class. Three of them are of a length that will require 2 class sessions. This is the approximate order in which they will be shown. You may use these as subjects for your blog writing as well as those from the recommended home viewing lists.

American Cinema: In-Class Viewing List
Beginnings: Edison, Porter, Griffith
Silent Comedy: Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy
Seven Chances
My Man Godfrey (1936)
To Be or Not To Be (1942)
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek
King Kong (1933)
Bride of Frankenstein
I Walked With a Zombie
War of the Worlds (1953)
Serials: Flash Gordon, Adv. of Captain Marvel, Radar Men From the Moon
Cartoons: Fleischer, Disney, Warner Bros.
The Searchers (2 class sessions)
High Noon
Citizen Kane (2 class sessions)
The Maltese Falcon
Touch of Evil
Top Hat
Singin’ in the Rain
Vertigo (2 class sessions)
Sunset Blvd.
Casablanca


Primary Subjects and General Areas of Study/Reading

·        Early technology and the beginnings of film
·        Development of film form and grammar
·        The Silent Era and rise of the Studio System
·        The introduction of sound
·        Foreign influences on the American Horror Film
·        American Film Industry structure and practices
·        The Star System
·        Historical, social and political influences on Film Noir
·        The end of the Studio System
·        Major American genres
·        Major American filmmakers

Rubric for Blog Articles and Reviews

1.     Articles must be 400-500 words in length.
2.     They should either review a specific film, discuss a genre in general, or the work of an individual filmmaker.
3.     Since this class mainly covers the first 50 years of American Film, please consult with me if you wish to write about more contemporary titles, styles, artists, genres or trends.
4.     You should include several pictures (3 or more) with your posting. Google search will turn up many choices.
5.     You may include clips or trailers from YouTube or any other source you favor.
6.     To get an example of what you should be doing, go to my website at www.monstermoviehouse.com

7.     My articles tend to run a bit longer (600-1000 words) than your requirements, but feel free to exceed the basic suggested length.

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