Contemporary American Film 			Fall 2005
				
Instructor: Jennifer Van Sijll 			Units: 3	
Lecture Hours: 3					Office Hours: TBA
						

Required Texts

1. Van Sijll, Jennifer. Cinematic Storytelling. Wiese, 2005   ORDER NOW
2. Boggs, Joseph, and Daniel Petrie. The Art of Watching Film.	 
   Mayfield, 2000.

Reader: Collection of Articles on Reserve at library. Includes Dramatica
and Steinem readings.

			
COURSE DESCRIPTION

Analyzes modern American films with particular attention to storytelling 
techniques, genre, cinematic rendering and thematic meaning. Films will 
be examined against the backdrop of their specific historical-socio-
political context. 

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Students will learn how to write critically about film.  They will 
learn how to recognize different film genres, storytelling structures, 
and filming techniques. The students will be graded on these skills 
through written essays and exams.  More specifically they will learn 
how to:

1.  Describe the difference between the literary techniques employed 
by the novel and those employed by screenplay. This includes 
understanding dramatic tools like plot, subplot, theme, 3-act 
structure, and narrator. 

2.  Describe filming techniques used to dramatize a story. These include 
the use of sound, lighting, camera, motion, editing as well as the graphic 
elements within the film frame. 

3.  Identify both what a theme is and how it is incorporated into a film. 

4.  Write a critical essay using these aspects and connect them with 
the theme and subject matter of the film. 


COURSE CONTENT 

Week 1	a) Introduction

What makes a movie different from other art forms?
How do you read a movie if there is no text? 
Comparison of movies to books, plays and other literary forms.
The Novel's Narrator versus Film's Cinematic Scenarios.

	Screening: Clips from Dances with Wolves / House of Sand and Fog  
	Handouts: Script and novel excerpts. 

b) Narrative versus Episodic Story Structure
	Story structure. Handout: Syd Field's Paradigm

c) Advocacy and screenwriting: Entertainment or Inculcation?
	Handouts: From Dramatica: "Theme and Encoding" and "Grand 
	  Argument Story"

Week 2	Space, Frame, Shape, Editing  
	Screening: The Piano
	Text reading: Cinematic Storytelling. Chapter 1-4
	Optional reading: The Art of Watching Films Chapter 2

Handout: Dramatica Reading (Distributed Class 1)
Discussion: Dramatica reading. How is theme expressed non-verbally?  
Films as modern day fables? Morality tales? 
 
Week 3	Editing / Sound and Theme
	Screening: Barton Fink.
	(Guest Speaker)
	Text Reading: Cinematic Storytelling, Chapters 4,5,6,7.8.
	Optional Reading: The Art of Watching Films Chapter 8
		 
Week 4	Camera Lenses, Camera Position. Camera Motion, Lighting, Color 
and Theme	

	Screening: The Professional 
		Text Reading: Cinematic Storytelling 9,10, 11, 12, 13
Optional Reading: The Art of Watching Films Chapter 5

Week 5	Props, Wardrobe, Locations, Natural Environment and Theme   
	Screening: Ed Wood
	Text Reading: Cinematic Storytelling 14, 15, 16, 17
	Optional Reading: The Art of Watching Films Chapter 4 Page 108.
	Clips from Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Dolores Claiborne

Week 6	a) Mid-term Exam: View Short 

Discuss how theme, character and ideas are suggested cinematically. 

	(Exam 90 minutes) 
	b) Signage, Semiotics
	Excerpt from Roland Barthes' Mythologies. 

Week 7 	Critical Analysis / Film Reviews

	Film and Social/Political Advocacy (Bio Pic)
	Screening: People vs. Larry Flynt

	Reading: Gloria Steinem's Critical Review
	Reading: Online Appendix  
	(Writing a Film Analysis and Selected Bibliography and 
	  Study Materials)

Week 8	Genre: Plot and Production Value
	Screening: Sixth Sense
	Optional Reading: The Art of Watching Films Chapter 4

Week 9	Film and Social/Political Advocacy (Auteur Theory: Writer/Directors)
	Screening: Boys N the Hood.
	Reading: The Art of Watching Films Chapter 11
	Reading: TBA

Week 10	Film and Social Political Advocacy (Adaptations)
	Film: One True Thing
	Reading: The Art of Watching Films Chapter 13
	Reading: TBA

		Essay #1 Due

Week 11	Film and Social Political Advocacy (Adaptations)
	Film: The House of Sand and Fog
	Reading: The Art of Watching Films Chapter 13 Continued
	Reading: TBA

Week 12	Film and Social/Political Advocacy (Global Subjects)
	Screening: Hotel Rwanda
	Reading: TBA
		
Week 13	a) Directing and Acting 
	John Sayles, Woody Allen, Jim Jarmusch and James Cameron, 
	  Alfred Hitchcock. 
	Realism, Theatricality and changing styles. Discussion, film clips.
	Reading: The Art of Watching Films Chapter 11

	b) Discussion of Essay # 2

Week 14	Censorship
	Reading: The Art of Watching Films Chapter
	Screening: Kinsey

	Essay #2  Due
					
Week 15	New Technologies, Distribution and Financing
	Series of Clips 

Week 16	Final Exam					
________________________________________________________________________

 GRADED ASSIGNMENTS 

1.	Mid-term: In class. 
Topic: Cinematic Storytelling. Define and identify cinematic 
storytelling tools. 
				
2. Analysis of published film review.
Read Gloria Steinem's critical review of The People Vs. Larry Flynt. Write 
a critical analysis of Steinem's review. See Assignment handout.  

3. Analysis of Thematic Emphasis
Choose any of the films we have studied this semester and analyze how the 
writer and director express a coherent theme to their audiences. See 
Assignment handout

4. Final Exam:  Students will view a film in class and write an analysis 
of the film's messaging systems and theme. 
 
Assignment Weight

Midterm: 20%				
Analysis of Published Review: 30%
Analysis of Thematic Emphasis: 30%     
Final Exam: 20%

Required Texts

1. Van Sijll, Jennifer. Cinematic Storytelling. Wiese, 2005
2. Boggs, Joseph, and Daniel Petrie. The Art of Watching Film.	 
Mayfield, 2000.

	Reader: Collection of Articles on Reserve at library. Includes 
	  Dramatica and Steinem readings.

	Reference Sources:
	Phillips, Melanie Anne & Chris Huntley. Dramatica: A New Theory 
	  of Story. Screenplay Systems, 1994. 
	Giannetti, Louis. Understanding Movies. Prentice Hall, 2002.
	Thompson, Kristin, and David Bordwell. Film Art.  McGraw Hill, 1997.

Readings

Students will need to purchase both required books. Please bring Cinematic 
Storytelling to classes 2-6 as some of the discussion and clips will 
be based on the book. 

Assignment Instructions
You will receive specific assignment instructions for each essay.  This 
will include grading criteria.

Copies of All Essays and Assignments

Please keep copies of your returned mid-term and essays. If there is 
any discrepancy at the end of the semester, students can bring their 
work to the instructor to assure the correct grades have been entered. 
Keeping a copy of all work is the students' responsibility and 
insurance policy. 

Late Essays 

Late essays will be graded down. Please consult with instructor if you 
need to hand your essay in late. 

Conferences, Office Hours and Passing Grades

Please Note: If for any reason a student is concerned about passing the 
class, please schedule an appointment with me so we can immediately address 
any grade issues.  Please do this early in the semester, before the mid-term, 
so we have time to address any problems. If you have an emergency, or need 
to set up an appointment, you can call me at home.  

If you have questions about assignments or course content, please set up 
an appointment during my posted office hours. 

 
Structure of the Class
We will divide our class into: 
1.  Lecture
2.  Screening 
3.	Discussion

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is when an author copies work from another source and presents 
it as his/her own. All work turned in must be original. If you plagiarize, 
you will receive an F on the assignment and will not be allowed to redo it. 
Please make sure you read the College’s plagiarism policy. If you have any 
questions consult "Academic Regulations and Standards," or call me.   

Disability Statement

Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact 
of a disability should contact me at the beginning of the semester to discuss 
specific needs.  Students should also notify DISC (Disability Instructional 
Support Center) to arrange any accommodations that might be needed.  

Additional Resources List

Web Resources

Facts and Reviews

Clamen's Movie Information Collection (Full listing of over 100 Film 
  Related Links)
Film.com (Film Essays and Reviews)
Images: A Journal of Film and Popular Culture
Internet Movie Data Base (www. IMDB.com) Movie Facts and links to reviews
Salon
Siskel and Ebert
Roger Ebert on Movies (Chicago Sun-Times)
Recent Reviews on rec.arts.movies.reviews
(US) National Film Registry (List of Films) 

Revenues

Movie Web (US Canada Box Office Totals- Recent
Box Office Guru (Current and historical)
World Wide Box Office Totals

Scripts

www.drewsscriptorama.com (free current downloadable feature scripts)
www.dailyscript.com (free current downloadable feature scripts)
 
Scripts for Purchase

Hollywood Book & Poster
Script City  and Samuel French

Film Viewing List: Contemporary Films 1990-2005 
(In order of Class Viewing)

	
1.  The Piano (1993)
2.  Barton Fink
3.  The Professional (1994) 
4.  Ed Wood (1994)
5.  People Versus Larry Flynt (1996)
6.  The Sixth Sense (1999) 
7.  Boys N the Hood
8.  One True Thing 
9.  House of Sand and Fog (2004) 
10. Hotel Rwanda (2004)  
11. Kinsey