HUM 110: Introduction to Film

North Seattle Community College
HUM 110: “Introduction to Film” Syllabus
Fall Quarter 2009

Quick Links: Required Books, Film List, Participation, Late Paper Policy and Turning in Journals,
Quizzes and Final Exam, Grades and Grading

Instructor Information

Name:

J.C. Clapp

Email:

jclapp@sccd.ctc.edu

Office location:

2313A of the Instruction Building, NSCC campus

Phone:

206-528-4531

Instructor’s Website:

http://facweb.northseattle.edu/jclapp/

Blackboard

We will be using Blackboard (also called WebCT) as our online courseware. To access our online course, go to: http://elvis.sccd.ctc.edu:8900 Your username and your password are the same: they are both your complete 9-digit NSCC student ID number. For example, if your student ID number is 955-55-4411, then both your username and your password would be 955554411. If you have troubles logging on, please check the Distance Learning office's troubleshooting information. If you can't solve the problem that way, contact the Distance Learning office help desk: (206)527-3738 or email them at distance@sccd.ctc.edu

Course number:

HUM 110 (Humanities) “Introduction to American Film”

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 language of film and how film communicates. This course is not designed to cover international/world cinema, nor are the films we watch meant to cover every aspect of American filmmaking. We will spend time looking carefully at how films are constructed (lighting, editing, sound, etc.) and how specific filmmaking techniques create specific audience responses. We study the language of 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.

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.

Location:

Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

Meeting day(s):

No on-campus meeting days

Meeting time(s):

Online communication only.

Prerequisite(s):

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! This class requires significant amounts of reading and writing, and I expect all writing to be at the college level.

New to Online Classes?

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.

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

Course Goals

Course goals (or, what you're supposed to learn by the end of this course):

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 diverse film makers.
8. Studies the role of ethnically and culturally diverse creators in their communities and society at large.

Required Books

Recommended
reading:

A Short Guide to Writing About Film, Timothy J. Corrigan, Pearson Longman, 6th edition, 2007, ISBN: 0-321-41228-1 (Yes, the 7th edition will be fine, if you'd prefer to buy that one.)

While not absolutely required, I strongly recommend you get this slim book by Corrigan to help you write about the films we're watching -- especially if you haven't taken English 101 and/or English 102 yet. It's inexpensive and quite helpful! There are no quiz questions out of the Corrigan book -- it really is optional, but very recommended.

Required reading:

Film: A Critical Introduction, Maria Pramaggiore and Tom Wallis, Pearson Allyn Bacon, 2^nd edition, 2007, ISBN: 0205518699 (No, the 1^st edition won’t work!)

This book is required -- and you'll be reading every word in it. The weekly reading quizzes will come from this book by Pramaggiore and Wallis.

To find your textbooks at reduced rates, you may consider an online vendor, such as: http://www.bestbookbuys.com It's imperative that you have your book(s) 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 you may watch for free: http://northonline.sccd.ctc.edu/pwebpaz/Media/ByTitleListing.html ALL of the films for this class are available via the NSCC Library.

These are the required films.

They are listed in the order assigned:

The Graduate (1967) Mike Nichols

American Beauty (1999) Sam Mendes

Moulin Rouge! (2001) Baz Luhrmann

Taxi Driver (1976) Martin Scorsese

Memento (2000) Christopher Nolan

Thelma & Louise (1991) Ridley Scott

Do the Right Thing (1989) Spike Lee

Citizen Kane (1941) Orson Welles

The Godfather (1972) Francis Ford Coppola

O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) Joel & Ethan Coen

Psycho (1960) Alfred Hitchcock

Crash (2004) Paul Haggis

Saving Private Ryan (1998) Steven Spielberg

The Gold Rush (1925) Charlie Chaplin

Unforgiven (1992) Clint Eastwood

Pulp Fiction (1994) Quentin Tarantino

Bowling for Columbine (2002) Michael Moore

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 and films. You’ll notice there is no Film Noir and no Science Fiction. I’m aware of this. I’m constantly adjusting the film list to try and make it as broad and as inclusive as possible!

Taking an Online Course

Time Needed for This Class:

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 5-6 hours per week viewing the films, 5 hours per week discussing online, and at least 3-4 hours per week reading, and 1-2 hours writing. That totals about 15 hours per week. Of course, some weeks will require more time, and others less. Don't be shocked when the course takes you 15 hours per week!

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 regularly to stay on top of things. I will check my Blackboard email at least once per weekday, and you need to, too. You'll be discussing the films we watch in discussion groups.

Blackboard Email

The email feature in Blackboard is an important way for me to communicate with you. Please check your Blackboard email every time you log in to the class.

Play Nice!

Just a reminder that in an online discussion and via email you need to be careful about your tone. Sometimes a joking or sarcastic tone can come off as hostile or as a personal attack. So, just be mindful to use your Netiquette and treat others with respect. If you need a refresher on good netiquette, review here: http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html

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 8:00 p.m. to the following Sunday evening at 8:00 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. There are discussion questions posted in the groups to help guide your discussions. You are not required to answer every last discussion question, but they will give you an idea of the kind of discussions I'm expecting. If you post 4 days per week, then by the end of the term you’ll need a total of 48 posts to earn full participation points (there are 12 weeks during the quarter).

Additional information:

You are required to participate in the discussion of the assigned films. You don’t have to participate in the discussion of both films (there will be a discussion group for each of the films we’re discussing that week), but you do need to participate in at least one. You’re encouraged to jump into both groups, though! Discussing the films (participation) is a significant portion of your class grade, so please engage in the discussions. There will be discussion prompts to guide you. Yes, responding to other people’s posts count!

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. I will participate in the discussions, occasionally, but more in the form of asking follow-up questions and encouraging discussion. I read almost every post in all of the group areas even though I won’t reply often. I do reply, though, to every question posted in the “Feedback and Questions for JC” discussion group area. No matter where you post, please make sure you title your post with a clear and informative title. “I don’t get it” isn’t a very clear title for a post! “The Use of Music to Create Tension in Psycho” is quite clear, however. So, be clear! It helps us all when we’re wading through posts!

Late Paper Policy and Turning in Homework

Introduction:

I do not accept late journals or quizzes. For each assignment you need to turn in there is a specific due date/time. Everything is always due at 9:00 a.m. PST. To turn in a journal 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. You must click “Submit” to turn the paper in after you’ve uploaded it. To take the Quizzes, go to the “Take Quizzes” area. 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 NSCC Blackboard server is ever down, the techie people contact me. If this happens, I will be understanding; however, other than a NSCC server crash, no other computer excuses will be accepted. This includes excuses such as your internet connection going down, your computer crashing, being stuck in traffic, forgetting a due date, or being abducted by aliens.

How to format your files

All journals must be turned in via the class website in the “Turn in Assignments” area -- you may not e-mail your journal 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 or .docx) files.

Assignment Descriptions

The assignment sheet for how to write your journal entries are in the “Get Assignments” area of our class webpage. The course is broken down by week, with all of the necessary information found under each week’s assignment. You might have to click on the green/triangle arrow next to each week to get the week to “expand” so you can see all of the associated files. Don’t rely on the “Calendar of Due Dates” to give you all the information you need. It only has the due dates and an overview of the course! The details are under “Get Assignments.”

Quizzes and Final Exam

Description of Quizzes

Each week there is a short reading quiz. The quizzes contain multiple-choice questions that relate to the reading from the Film: A Critical Introduction textbook that you were assigned to read for that week. The quizzes are always due on Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. PST. You must be finished taking the quiz by that day/time. You will be given between 30-50 minutes to complete the quizzes, depending on the number of questions. The quizzes are open-book and open-note, so use any of our class resources that you’d like to help you.

How to Take Quizzes

To take the weekly reading quiz, go to the “Take Quizzes” area of our class webpage. Click on the title of the appropriate quiz. The clock starts ticking when you click on the title (the clock is in the upper right-hand corner of the screen). You will be shown one question at a time, but you can always go back and review previous questions if you wish. No answers will be accepted after the allotted time is up. So, if you have 20 minutes to complete the quiz, no answers will be accepted after the 20 minutes is up. There is a sample/practice quiz available to you so that you can go in and get a feel for how the quizzes are formatted. Remember to click “Submit” and “Finished” at the end of your quiz! Go and play around with the “Practice Quiz” the first week of the quarter so that you get used to and comfortable with the process.

Retaking the Quizzes

You are allowed to take a quiz twice. The higher of the two quiz scores will be the one recorded in the gradebook. You must wait at least 12 hours, however, before being allowed to take the quiz for the second time. Each time you take the quiz you will be given a randomized set of questions and answers, so you will not get the exact same quiz the second time you take it. If you choose to take the quiz a second time, the second attempt must be completed before Thursday at 9:00 a.m. PST. This means that the latest you can take the quiz for the first time, and still have time to retake it, is at about 8:00 p.m. PST on Wednesday. So, obviously, you need to plan ahead if you’d like to take advantage of the retake option.

Grading the Quizzes

Each question on each quiz is worth 1 point. So, if a quiz has 10 questions, it’s worth a total of 10 points. The Blackboard system automatically grades your quiz and puts the grade immediately into your “My Grades” gradebook area. The grade you earn on your first attempt at taking the quiz will remain unless or until you take the quiz a second time. If you do, the higher of your two scores will be the one in the gradebook.

Final Exam

The Final Exam will be multiple choice, comprehensive, and the questions will come from the quizzes you’ve taken all term. There will be 100 randomized multiple choice questions worth 1 point each. You will have 100 minutes to take the online exam. You may take it only once.

Grades and Grading

Grades:

I will write brief comments in response to your journal entries. 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 issues 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. I do not comment on your quiz grades.

Point Breakdown:

You will write a journal entry in response to each of the assigned films. Your journal will be turned in to be graded three times during the quarter. Details of how to write your film journal can be found under “Get Assignments” on our class webpage.

Film Journal is worth 400 points (total of 53% of your final course grade). That works out to be 25 points for each journal entry (and there are 16 films you'll write an entry for -- no journal entry needed for Bowling for Columbine). You’ll turn in your journal to be graded three times during the quarter. Given the percentage of your grade, I expect them to be good!

Quizzes are worth a total of 150 points (20% of your final grade) -- there are 9 quizzes

Posting/Participation is worth 100 points (7.5% of your final grade) – you need an absolute minimum of 4 posts per week, for a total of 48 posts in the term to earn full participation points. That works out to be about 2 points per post.

Final Exam is worth 100 points (7.5% of your final grade)

That all adds up to 750 (100%) points total.

What Grades Mean:

Grades in this class are not given based on effort. While it’s true that lots of effort usually results in higher quality journal entries and higher quiz scores, there is no way for me to accurately and fairly assess how much effort a particular student exerts. 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):

Percentage	Letter Grade	Decimal Grade	Indication of Performance
96% or more	A	4.0	Excellent/Exceptional
94%-95%	A	3.9
93%	A-	3.8
92%	A-	3.7
91%	A-	3.6
90%	A-	3.5
89%	B+	3.4	High/Above Average
88%	B+	3.3
87%	B+	3.2
86%	B	3.1
85%	B	3.0
84%	B	2.9
83%	B-	2.8
82%	B-	2.7
81%	B-	2.6
80%	B-	2.5
79%	C+	2.4	Average/Meets Expectations (About 50% of the class will be in this range)
78%	C+	2.3
77%	C+	2.2
76%	C	2.1
75%	C	2.0
74%	C	1.9
73%	C-	1.8
72%	C-	1.7
71%	C-	1.6
70%	C-	1.5
69%	D+	1.4	Minimum
68%	D+	1.3
67%	D+	1.2
66%	D	1.1
65%	D	1.0
64%	D	0.9
63%	D-	0.8
62%	D-	0.7
61% and below	F	0.0	Unsatisfactory/Below Minimum Requirements

Withdrawing

from the

Course:

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

Extra Credit:

No extra credit will be offered. However, if you’re not doing as well in the course as you’d hoped, please contact me and we might be able to come up with a plan for you to improve.

Grade

Complaints

If you ever want more comments on your paper, so that you understand where your grade came from, please don’t hesitate to ask. I don’t consider asking for feedback to be a grade complaint. However, if you are unhappy with your grade (either on an assignment or in the class) and you want me to change it, I have a process for handling grade complaints. Any assignment grade complaints must be filed within one week of when I return your paper to you. Here's what to do:

Go to and thoroughly read the information at: http://www.wikihow.com/Get-a-Professor-to-Change-Your-Grade
If you decide you want to try and convince me to change your grade after reading the above article, then email me and request that we sit down together and discuss your grade. In your email you need to attach the paper whose grade is in question. Also, you need to thoroughly explain to me why you think a grade change is warranted. Your explanation needs to be clear, concise, and have evidence to back it up. There are some reasons for a grade change that won't work with me, so don't use them. They are:
--Because you tried really hard on the assignment
--Because the Loft tutors helped you with the assignment and they told you it was good
--Because English isn't your first language and you feel I should use different standards to assess your work than I do for native speakers of English
--Because you need a certain grade in order to pass the class
--Because you won't graduate if you don't pass the class
--Because you need a certain grade to get into a particular program or college
--Because you'll lose your student visa, your financial aid, or your parent's financial support if you don't pass the class
--Because you're an A student and you've never earned less on an A on anything
--Because you think the assignment was too difficult and my standards are unreasonable
We’ll meet in person, if possible, and we’ll both come prepared to talk about your paper and your grade. If we aren’t able to meet in person (this is an online class, after all, and you might live far away!), then we’ll continue to communicate via email and phone. However we meet, we’ll discuss your paper and your grade. If I feel a grade change is appropriate, I’ll change it at this point. I do not change grades without meeting to discuss the situation.
If I don’t agree with you and change your grade, you have two choices. You can either just write it off and move on, or you can take your case up the chain of command. To do that, you would go and meet with the Dean of the Humanities Division. If the Dean is unable to resolve your complaint, she will advise you as to how to file a formal complaint with the college.

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’m happy to work with you on your journal entries if you're struggling or just want some guidance. Just ask!

Online Writing Help

There are several great online resources that might be helpful as you’re writing your papers. So, check them out!

Writing about Film:

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/humanities/film.shtml

From Spokane about Writing about Film (lots of good links):

http://www.spokaneschools.org/lewis_clark/academics/english/Woodard/WritingAboutFilm/

Academic Honesty (Plagiarism Policy)

Don't Plagiarize!

Using ideas/words from sources other than your own mind 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 your journals with OUT looking online at all. If you’re ever confused about what constitutes plagiarism, please email me. Or, another resource is: http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml Pages 162-165 in our A Short Guide to Writing About Film book also includes information on how to avoid plagiarism.

Plagiarism

Resources:

If you’re unsure about what constitutes plagiarism, or how to avoid it, check out these resources:

Piedmont Community College: http://www1.cpcc.edu/library/research-tools/DrCiteRight

Rutgers (on YouTube): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P05vgxDoPU&feature=related

Acadia University (Canada): http://library.acadiau.ca/tutorials/plagiarism/