Survey of Cinema
Course Description/Overview/Welcome Statement
Welcome to Survey of Cinema. This is a class that will engage your mind, sharpen your intellect, and be a lot of fun, too. The Cinema is one of my great passions and I am excited to be teaching it to you this year. Together I think we can discover something new about this already prevalent part of your lives. You will need to work hard in this class. You will access, analyze, evaluate, and create great art. It is not an easy “A”.
Learning Expectations
The objective of this course is to be able to communicate clearly and intelligently about film. This will be determined through a series of written and oral assessments.
Assessment of Progress
Nature of Film as Art and Literature
Cinematography Assignment
Editing Assignment
Writing about Film
Film Analysis
Elements and Principles of Design in Film
Presentation
Great Directors and Auteur Theory
Auteur Test
Genres of Film
Oral Exam
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) 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)
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
Nature of Film as Art and Literature- August to September
Cinematography Assignment
Editing Assignment
Writing about Film- September
Film Analysis
Elements and Principles of Design in Film- September
Presentation
Great Directors and Auteur Theory- October to November
Auteur Test
Genres of Film- November to January
Oral Exam
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 https://sites.google.com/a/provo.edu/drama-and-film-studies/home/survey-of-cinema/disclosure-signature-form
T 373-6550 EXT 3373
https://sites.google.com/a/provo.edu/drama-and-film-studies/home/survey-of-cinema