Advanced Film Studies
Course Description/Overview/Welcome Statement
Welcome to Advanced Film Studies. This is a class that will engage your mind, sharpen your intellect, and be a lot of fun, too. As we delve more deeply into the study of film and its creation I hope to give you the skills to access, analyze, evaluate, and create great films and media artifacts. This class will be collaborative, supportive, and investigative. We will work together to navigate the seas of media with which we are surrounded.
Learning Expectations
You will be able to communicate clearly and intelligently about media and film by way of written word, oral presentation, and visual and electronic media.
Assessment of Progress
Film and Media Theory and Criticism
Genre: Horror
DISCLAIMER: The study of horror as a genre is not to be confused with the niche markets of exploitation (Machete) , slasher (Friday the 13th), and torture porn (Saw) films. This rather represents a broad discussion of films that more appropriately are designated as Gothic Melodrama. For a more specific list of films that will be shown in this unit, see the media section below.
Assignment: Media Installation
Screenwriting and Pre-production
Assignment: Original Screenplay
Course Materials
In Accordance with Provo School District policy I will not show any film with extreme violent or pornographic content, nor will I show any film that has received an “R” rating from the MPAA. However, because of the nature of the course some film clips will have their source in PG-13 or PG movies. That being the case I have made sure to avoid content in those films that might be deemed inappropriate for a High School audience. Even so I am including a list of all films that may be used all or in part. If any are beyond the bound of yours or your students standards contact me and I will create an alternative. Signing this Disclosure signifies that you approve of the following:
2001: A Space Odyssey (PG), Rear Window (PG), The Sixth Sense (PG-13), The Hudsucker Proxy (PG), O, Brother Where Art Thou? (PG-13), Good Night, and Good Luck (PG), Spider-man 2 (PG-13), Raiders of the Lost Ark (PG), The Fawlty Towers (NOT RATED but probably PG-13), Citizen Kane (NOT RATED probably PG), Spirited Away (PG), Napoleon Dynamite (PG), Ponette (NOT RATED probably PG) Millions (PG), Metropolis (NOT RATED probably PG-13), Lord of the Rings Trilogy (PG-13), Edward Scissorhands (PG-13), Labyrinth (PG), A Mighty Wind (PG-13), Steel Magnolias (PG), Driving Miss Daisy (PG), Jaws (PG), Finding Neverland (PG), How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying (NOT RATED but probably PG), UHF (PG-13), The Incredibles (PG), Groundhog Day (PG-13), What About Bob? (PG), Frankenstein (NOT RATED probably PG), M (NOT RATED probably PG-13), The Iron Giant (PG), The 3 Penny Opera (NOT RATED probably PG-13) The Man Who Knew Too Much (PG), The Birds (NOT RATED probably PG-13), The Manchurian Candidate [1962] (PG-13), The Bride of Frankenstein (NOT RATED but probably PG), Strange Brew (PG), The Taming of the Shrew (NOT RATED but probably PG), A Streetcar Named Desire (PG) The Dark Knight (PG-13) Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (PG) Inception (PG-13) Ben-Hur (PG) Vertigo (PG-13) Dial “M” for Murder (NOT RATED probably PG) The Fantastic Mr. Fox (PG) What’s Up, Doc? (PG) Be Kind, Rewind (PG-13) Son of Rambow (PG-13) Watership Down (PG) Harlan County, USA (PG) Bright Leaves (PG) 6 O’clock News (PG-13) Waiting for Superman (PG) Lifeboat (NOT RATED probably PG) Still Walking (NOT RATED probably PG) Seven Samurai (NOT RATED probably PG-13) The Magnificent 7 (NOT RATED probably PG) Catching Fire (PG-13) Spirit of the Beehive (NOT RATED probably PG) The Searchers (PG) Ace in the Hole (NOT RATED probably PG-13) The General (NOT RATED probably G) The Secret Life of Water Mitty (NOT RATED probably PG) Beasts of the Southern Wild (PG-13) It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (PG) Duck Soup (Probably PG)
Horror Unit Films: The Golem (NOT RATED probably PG) Faust (NOT RATED probably PG-13) Cat People (NOT RATED probably PG) The Leopard Man (NOT RATED probably PG-13) Isle of the Dead (NOT RATED probably PG) Carnival of Souls (NOT RATED probably PG-13) Mad Love (NOT RATED probably PG) The Vanishing (PG-13) The Mummy (NOT RATED probably PG) Freaks (NOT RATED probably PG-13) King Kong (NOT RATED probably PG-13) Night of the Hunter (NOT RATED probably PG-13) Dark Water (PG-13)
Any other films of a PG or PG-13 rating will be informed to the parents prior to viewing.
Classroom Procedures
Respect
Though this is a class where we watch films and other media, I am not a T.V. You should not talk to your neighbor nor text/phone your friends during class. You certainly cannot change the channel when I am talking. Treat me with the respect that any human being deserves and I will respect you in turn. In short, “don’t cause a problem for me or anybody else, if you do, I will have to do something about it”.
School Policy
I support the PHS and PSD policies for electronic devices, profanity, dress code, etc. As such I will provide consequences for such infractions in line with said policy.
Food
Due to the systematic and perpetual trashing of my classroom, all food is banned. Exceptions due to health reasons will be dealt with on a case by case basis.
Calendar of Due Dates for Major Assignments
Each student in this class will do one 5 minute presentation on an aspect of film during the course of the semester. The topic of the presentation will be related to a personal experience with film that changed your life, a filmmaker whose work has influenced you, a theory or construct about film that has changed how you see the world and/or film, or a technical principle that improves understanding of how film makes meaning. The order of these will be assigned the first day of class.
Media Installation- End of Term One
Screenplay- End of Term Two
Progress Reports and Report Cards
If a student misses a day of class they have one week to make it up.
I will not accept late work.
Any Extra-credit can be found on the class web-site and consists of watching one of the approved films and writing a one-page typed response to the film based on what we have learned in class. Extra-credit is limited to 3 assignments per term. All extra-credit must be turned in by the final day of the term.
Connecting Home to School
Please sign this form at :
T 373-6550 EXT 3373
https://sites.google.com/a/provo.edu/drama-and-film-studies/home/advanced-film-studies