Instructor Information

Name:

J.C. Clapp

Email:

jclapp@sccd.ctc.edu

Office location:

2313A of the Instruction Building, NSCC campus

Phone:

206-528-4531

Course Information

Course title:

Introduction to American Film

Course number:

HUM 110 (Humanities)

Course description:

Examines American Hollywood film making as an art form, a business, and a shaper of culture. Identifies film techniques and traditional stories. Students explore the role of movies in their own lives and the impact of film on America and the world. This course is not designed to cover international/world cinema, nor are the films we watch in class meant to cover every aspect of American film-making.

The adult subject matter and profanity in the rated-R films we’ll view might be offensive to some students. If you are a Running Start student and/or under the age of 18, please consult with your parent(s) or guardian(s) to determine if this course is appropriate for you.

We will watch American films and then discuss those films by examining questions such as:

--What was happening in the larger society at the time the film was made?
--Was the film a commercial success? Why or why not? What connection can you make between a film's "message" and its success or failure at the box-office?
--What is the film's target audience? How do you know?
--What messages does the film seem to convey? How are these messages a reflection of the larger culture? Are these messages deliberate on the part of the film-makers, or are they a reflection of the larger culture that shaped the film?
--Does the film present a stereo typical view of a member of a particular group? If so, does this representation challenge or support the stereotype?
--How do specific film techniques, such as the mise en scčne, editing, and sound, create a specific response in the audience?

We will be study the language of American film by looking at film technique, film structure (narrative structure), the history of film, and how specific films have shaped American culture in the last 100 years.

Location:

Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

Meeting day(s):

No on-campus meeting days

Meeting time(s):

Online communication only.  You will be assigned a discussion group.

Prerequisite(s):

Taking an Online Course:

While there are no NSCC prerequisites for this course, I strongly recommend that at the very least you've taken and passed English 101. If you've taken and passed English 102, even better!

If you have never taken an online course before, please read the information for “Potential” and “Registered” online students at: http://www.virtualcollege.org/resource/orient.htm (scroll down to the yellow and blue shaded boxes near the bottom of the page).  These brief orientations will help you to understand what’s expected from you in an online class, so please take a few minutes to read this over.

Course Goals

Course goals:

This course has been designed to meet the following Course Outcomes and Learning Objectives:

1. Gives students the opportunity to explore the role of film in expressing and reflecting all aspects of human experience.
2. Introduces the history of the medium and the classics of the art form.
3. Teaches visual communication techniques.
4. Provides critical thinking tools.
5. Gives students the opportunity to explore the role of motion pictures in their lives and on American Society.
6. Connects the communications medium of film with the philosophies and historic events which shape America and the world.
7. Provides the intellectual framework to study the contributions of Asian-American, Native American, and African-American film makers.
8. Studies the role of ethnically and culturally diverse creators in their communities and society at large.

Required Books

Required reading:

A Short Guide to Writing About Film, Timothy J. Corrigan, Pearson Longman, 6th edition, 2007, 0-321-41228-1

Required reading:

Film: A Critical Introduction, Maria Pramaggiore and Tom Wallis, Pearson Allyn Bacon, 1st edition, 2006, 0-205-43348-0 (FIRST EDITION!)

To find your textbooks at reduced rates, you may consider an online vendor, such as:  http://www.bestbookbuys.com  We will read every chapter of both books, so it’s imperative that you have them the first day of class.

Film List

Obtaining the Required Films:

You are required to obtain the films for this course and watch them on your own. Many students find that it's easiest to set up an online film account such as Blockbuster Online (http://www.blockbuster.com) or NetFlix (http://www.netflix.com) -- so that your films arrive in the mail when you need them. Another option, is to rent the movies from your local video store.

The NSCC Media Center, housed in the NSCC Library, has an extensive collection of films and you may be able to check out many of the films you need from there: http://northonline.sccd.ctc.edu/pwebpaz/Media/ByTitleListing.html

These are the required films. They are listed in the order assigned:

Citizen Kane (1941) Orson Welles
Psycho (1960) Alfred Hitchcock
Moulin Rouge! (2001) Baz Lurmann
The Godfather (1972) Francis Ford Coppola
Memento (2000) Christopher Nolan
Thelma & Louise (1991) Ridley Scott
Do the Right Thing (1989) Spike Lee
Crash (2004) Paul Haggis
Boys Don’t Cry (1999) Kimberly Peirce
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) Joel & Ethan Coen
The Gold Rush (1925) Charlie Chaplin

Taxi Driver (1976) Martin Scorsese

Unforgiven (1992) Clint Eastwood
Pulp Fiction (1994) Quentin Tarantino
Saving Private Ryan (1998) Steven Spielberg
American Beauty (1999) Sam Mendes
The Graduate (1967) Mike Nichols

Note:  This list of films is NOT meant to encompass ALL of the classics of American film.  These films were, however, chosen because of particular production techniques and genre considerations.  I’ve also attempted to represent a few of America’s most influential directors.

Taking an Online Course

Time Needed for This Class:

This class is time intense. Please realize that you'll be viewing the films on your own (more than once), reading from our textbooks, writing film journal entries, and working online rather than sitting in a classroom 5 hours a week as you would with an "ordinary" class.

Be prepared to spend at least 8 hours per week viewing the films, 5 hours per week discussing online, and at least 2-5 hours per week reading and writing. That totals at least 15 hours per week. For many of you this will seem strange at first and you'll feel like you spend inordinate amounts of time on this class. Keep reminding yourself of the time you're NOT spending in a classroom and commuting to school!

How We'll Communicate:

Class will be conducted entirely online. There is no specific time of day when you need to be online; however, you will need to check the class page at least five days per week to stay on top of things. I will check my email at least once per weekday, and you need to, too. You'll be discussing the films we watch in discussion groups.

Participation (Posting) Policy

Introduction:

In order to receive the full attendance/participation points you must participate in the film discussion at least 4 days per week. I count a "week" from Sunday evening at 8:30 p.m. to the following Sunday evening at 8:30 p.m. Yes, weekend days count. You need to post on 4 different days of the week, not just post 4 times on one day! It's up to my discretion, but a post has to be substantial, meaningful, contain thought, and add something to the discussion in order to "count." As a very basic guideline, remember that your posting is in lieu of attending class, and class time fills 5 hours per week, so your posts should take approximately that amount of time per week for you to write. Don't feel limited to writing only one post per day! Remember to discuss with your peers -- not just post in a vacuum. Interacting with your group members is the equivalent of "going to class" -- and it is not optional.

Additional information:

You are required to participate in the discussion of the assigned films.  It’s a significant portion of your class grade (25%), so please engage in the discussions. There will be discussion prompts to guide you.

I run the discussions like seminars -- they tend to be run by the students rather than me being the focal point or "expert". I've found students learn more by hashing out issues or responses to the films by talking to each other first. If I weigh in too soon with my perspective, this tends to color your reading of the film. I will participate in the discussions, some, but more in the form of asking follow-up questions and encouraging discussion.

Late Paper Policy and Turning in Homework

Introduction:

I do not accept late journals or papers for any reason. For each assignment you need to turn in there is a specific due date/time. To turn in an assignment, go to the “Turn in Assignments” area of our class website – click on the assignment you want to turn in and then upload your file. The computer will NOT accept your assignments after the posted time. Therefore, you need to be on top of things and give yourself time in case there is a problem. If you do not turn your assignment in on time, you will receive 0 points on that assignment. If the server is ever down, the techie people contact me. If this happens, I will be understanding; however, other than a server crash, no other computer excuses will be accepted.

Additional information:

All work must be turned in via the class website in the “Turn in Assignments” area -- you may not e-mail your homework to me. I expect everything you turn in to be thoroughly proofread. In order to be sure I can open the file you send me, please save all of your files as rich text (.rtf) files or Word (.doc) files.

Grades and Grading

Grades:

I will write brief comments in response to your assignments. You will be able to see my comments if you go back to the “Turn in Assignments” area where you submitted your assignment. I try to write enough comments so that you understand your grade and so that you know the types of things you need to work on for the next assignment. If you ever have a question about your grade or a comment I made, please let me know. Also, please get familiar with the "grade book" feature where your grades will be regularly updated.

Point Breakdown:

What Grades Mean:

Withdrawing from the Course:

You will write a journal entry in response to each of the assigned films. Your journal will be turned in for assessment three times during the quarter. Your complete film journal is worth 300 points (total of 30% of your final grade).

Essay #1 is worth 200 points (20% of your final grade)

Essay #2 is worth 250 points (25% of your final grade)

Posting/Participation is worth 250 points (25% of your final grade)

That all adds up to 1000 (100%) points total.

Grades in this class are not given based on effort.  While it’s true that lots of effort usually results in higher quality papers, there is no way for me to accurately and fairly assess how much effort a particular student puts into his or her paper.  So, papers are graded solely based on what’s on the page – not how much the student tried.  For each paper there are grading criteria attached to the assignment sheet.  I will use those grading criteria to assess each student’s paper.  Please note what the grades on your papers indicate (according to the Seattle Community College’s grading standards):

The grade given at the end of the quarter will be based on a 4.0 scale.  No grades of I (“incomplete”) or NC (“no credit”) will be granted except in the most extreme circumstances. If you do not feel you will be able to complete the course to your satisfaction, it is your responsibility to drop/withdraw from the course. For more information regarding withdrawing and other registration related questions: http://www.northseattle.edu/enroll/admit/policy/chsched.htm

No extra credit will be offered.

Online Writing Center

Help with Writing your Papers:

The Loft is the campus language lab/writing center, located on the top floor of the library. One of the primary attributes of The Loft is the free tutoring! The tutoring sessions last 30 minutes, are held on a first-come first served basis, and can help you with reading, writing, grammar, listening and speaking. They also do ONLINE TUTORING. For more information: http://www.northseattle.edu/services/loft/  

I strongly suggest you use the Loft to help you polish your writing.  I will not be reading and responding to your rough drafts; however, if you have something you’d like me to look over or have questions, please feel free to email me!

Technical Problems

Technical Problems:

If you every experience technical difficulties with the class website, including problems with your username/password, please contact the Distance Learning Office: http://www.virtualcollege.org

Academic Honesty (Plagiarism Policy)

Don't Plagiarize!

Using ideas/words from sources other than your own brain without citing where you acquired the idea is plagiarism.  If you choose to plagiarize, you will receive 0 points on that assignment and a formal report will be filed with the college requesting disciplinary action. You will not be given a warning. This policy aligns with the policies found in the NSCC Student Handbook: http://www.northseattle.edu/info/pub/handbook.htm

Using the "Director's Cut" or Online Sources:

Many of you will choose to watch the DVD version of the assigned films -- which often has a "director's commentary" or "director's cut" feature. Feel free to watch this, but do NOT simply regurgitate what the director says in your film journal. That is considered cheating. In addition, there are many places on the internet where you can find wonderful information and analysis of many of the films we've been watching. Using those sources, as well, is considered cheating -- UNLESS you give the source you're borrowing from total credit. To learn how to properly cite your sources, please see: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/ Using ideas from outside sources is okay provided you give credit to the original author.  And, it’s considered plagiarism if you lift even a part of a sentence from a source without giving the original author credit.  It’s best to write you journals/papers with OUT looking online at all.