FILM 201 L20
Introduction to Film Studies
Spring 2008

MW  11:00 - 13:45, F 11:00-12:50

Instructor:	Ms. Donna Brunsdale
Office Location:	TBA
Office Phone:	N/A
E-Mail:	brun@telus.net
Web Page:	N/A
Office Hours:	After class or by appt.

Additional Information

 

Some of the materials and topics presented in class include explicit content (sex, violence or language). If these materials make you uncomfortable, you are encouraged to speak with the professor. You will not be exempt from the work but we will work together to accommodate your concerns. This class respects difference and diversity for all gender and sexual orientations, while welcoming thoughtful, critical discussions about their representations and discourses in media and popular culture.

 

Responsibility for all lecture, lab and reading materials resides with the student. The professor will not give out lecture notes, repeat information, nor provide replacement copies of material that was provided during regular class hours. Use of recording technologies in class is prohibited.

 

Course Description

 

This course introduces the student to film analysis. We will study the basic formal elements of film as well as key theoretical concepts in film studies. We will study a wide variety of films as the basis for learning these concepts.

 

Objectives of the Course

 

The objective of this course is to provide an overview of the means for studying and analyzing film. Intended to prepare students for further work in film studies.

Textbooks and Readings:

 

David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson. Film Art: An Introduction, 8th edition

ISBN:  0073310271

Additional readings will be made available on Blackboard and online.

 

Assignments and Evaluation

Quizzes: 30%:  2 X 15% each:  May 23, June 6

Midterm Papers: 40%:  2 X 20%: Due May 30, June 13

Final Essay: 30%  Due June 25

 

Quizzes

These will be in the form of short answer questions. They will be based on the readings, lectures, and films.

 

Midterm Papers

These will be 1000 word film analyses. More details will be handed out in class.

 

Final Essay

The final essay will be a film analysis which draws upon all the material covered in the readings, lectures and screenings. More details will be handed out in class.

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.
Note: Please hand in your essays directly to your tutor or instructor if possible. If it is not possible to do so, a daytime drop box is available in SS110; a date stamp is provided for your use. A night drop box is also available for after-hours submission. Assignments will be removed the following morning, stamped with the previous day's date, and placed in the instructor's mailbox.

Registrar-scheduled Final Examination:  No

Please note: If your class is held in the evening, the Registrar's Office will make every attempt to schedule the final exam during the evening; however, there is NO guarantee that the exam will NOT be scheduled during the day.

Policy for Late Assignments

Assignments submitted after the deadline may be penalized with the loss of a grade (e.g.: A- to B+) for each day late.

Writing Skills Statement

Faculty policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Writing skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc) but also general clarity and organization. Research papers must be properly documented.

If you need help with your writing, you may use the Writing Centre.  Visit the website for more details: www.efwr.ucalgary.ca

Grading System

The following grading system is used in the Faculty of Communication and Culture:

A+ (96-100); A (92-95); A- (86-91); B+ (81-85); B (77-80); B- (71-76);
C+ (65-70); C (62-64); C- (59-61); D+ (55-58); D (50-54); F (0-49)

 

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense. Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.

You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they appear in your text. A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself. Readers must be able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people's words and ideas begin. This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages or visual media, and material taken from such sources.

Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS 106, efwr.ucalgary.ca) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237) and discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of the course.

Students' Union

For details about the current Students' Union contacts for the Faculty of Communication and Culture see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/su

"SAFEWALK" Program -- 220-5333

Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance. Use any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot booths.

Ethics

Whenever you perform research with human participants (i.e. surveys, interviews, observation) as part of your university studies, you are responsible for following university research ethics guidelines.  Your instructor must review and approve of your research plans and supervise your research.  For more information about your research ethics responsibilities, see

The Faculty of Communication and Culture Research Ethics site: http://www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/ethics

or the University of Calgary Research Ethics site: http://www.ucalgary.ca/research/compliance/ethics/info/undergrad/

Schedule of Lectures and Readings

 

To be posted on Blackboard.