The Planimetric Shot

I've really appreciated how much David Bordwell (and his partner, Kristin Thompson) have taught me (through their writing) about filmmaking, film-viewing and film critique.

I'm working on a paper tonight that has me thinking about this post, so I thought I'd share it with you. It isn't directly related to what we've been talking about, but it is a nice discussion of a formalist strategy of filmmaking, that's both specific, deep and *really* really interesting when applied across a number of films.

Read about planimetric shots here.

Summative Project

On your own, or with a group, you will develop an in-depth understanding of a filmmaker, a film theorist or a film critic through their work and ideas written about their work. You should carefully “read” at least SEVEN texts to understand your subject. At least FIVE of these seven should be primary sources. You should consult at least TEN total sources. After you “read” and discuss these texts (films, essays, books, articles), you need to develop a clear summative and in-depth point of view about this person’s body of work. Your summative perspective should include connections to ideas from our class.

I will offer a list of great choices on the class blog, but you may choose other individuals as your subject. Everyone must get official approval before beginning their research. See the course blog for details on “official approval.” If you choose to work alone, I assume you will still do the same amount of research, but your presentation will be from 10 - 15 minutes instead of 15 - 20. Groups may not be larger than three individuals; you may self-form these groups based on your shared interest in various filmmakers, film theorists or film critics.

You will present a summary of your findings to the class in a 15 – 20 minute presentation which should include film images. You must submit your power-point (electronically), along with an outline and a REFERENCES page on December 1st. Please submit your materials to the following email: hatofinal at gmail dot com. All class members will be expected to integrate ideas and concepts from these presentations into their final essay exams.

Your presentation date will be assigned one week prior to presentations. No late presentations will be accepted.

Great Summative Project Topics

The following filmmakers, film theorists and film critics would make ideal topics for you to choose for your summative project. I do expect you to do some initial research about a number of these options so you can come to class prepared to collaborate with peers in choosing a group and choosing a project. You may (of course) choose to complete this project individually if you would like.

FILMMAKERS:

Hitchcock

Truffaut

D.W. Griffith

Akira Kurosowa

John Ford

Ingmar Bergman

Frank Capra

Charlie Chaplin

Stanley Kubric

Fellini

Howard Hawks

Jean Renoir

John Cassavetes

Woody Allen

Luis Bunuel

Jean-Luc Godard

Ozu

Speilberg

Wong Kar Wai

Tarkovsky

Ang Lee

Lars Von Trier

Pedro Almodovar

Wim Wenders

Jim Jarmusch

Errol Morris

Ken Burns


FILM THEORISTS

Laura Mulvey

Siegfried Kracauer

Mary Ann Doane

Thomas Schatz

Laura Marks

Gilles Deleuze

Andre Bazin

Tom Gunning

Andrew Sarris

Bela Belazs

Christian Metz

Slavoj Žižek


FILM CRITICS

Pauline Kael

Andrew Sarris

Roger Ebert

Armond White

Judy Gerstel

Carrie Rickey

Jonathon Rosenbaum

Todd McCarthy

Robert Sklar

Kevin Thomas

Rob Nelson

Exams

Both the midterm and the final in this class will be cumulative essay exams. If you turn in notecards, you will be able to use them on the final. You may also bring other materials to use during the final – in-class notes, notes from watching films & any other notes you wish to prepare in advance. You will be required to turn in these materials with your exam (and I will give them back to you). The questions on the exams will ask you to use higher order thinking skills to respond to the historical and theoretical developments in film. You will need to explain your ideas using concrete examples from the films we watched in class and other films you have seen.

Community Involvement

This class will depend heavily upon discussion of the films we watch together, particularly as we struggle to understand concepts from film theory and as we make connections regarding the development of film throughout history. As in any discussion-based class, we are all at the mercies of you. If you (each student) bring your fullest selves to our conversation, our learning experience will be rich, unique and full. If you also bring your highest regard for one another to our conversation, our experience will be effective, stimulating and enjoyable. Because Malone College’s Mission orients you toward a life of service, I believe that this dimension of learning (our attention to the collective intelligence and the community’s interests) is worth assessing and cultivating. I also believe that such attention will have the secondary effect of achieving all of our other class objectives. Your community involvement will be assessed at mid-term and at the end of the semester.

I will be asking you to advocate for one another’s community involvement grade. I will invite you to give narrative feedback about one another at the midpoint and end of the semester. You will submit this feedback through email. More details about this process can be found here.

In order to ensure your richest, fullest self, I expect you to write a thoughtful response to the film in a google doc you will share with me.  In order to effectively write responses to these prompts, I do expect you to take notes during your film viewing experience.  And one of the ends of writing these prompts?  Is to prepare you to be a rich vigorous respondent in class to the movies that we see.

Critical Essays

For each critical essay, you will analyze a worthwhile film of your choice. (You should read chapter 12 from your textbook before you begin the process.) Be sure that your analysis of the film includes depth, nuance & insight. Some of the insight you generate should include concepts and ideas we discuss in class. The analysis of the film will take a good deal of critical work before you will be able to synthesize your insights into this concise essay. These essays are not “writing to know”; they allow you to capsulate a substantial amount of critical work. You will turn in your critical essays through google docs.

You may choose any worthwhile film, but I expect you to tell me what worthwhile film you're choosing. And I will only allow one person to do a movie per semester.

Department Statement of Hospitality and Cultural Engagement.

The Communication Arts Department encourages you, as part of our mission statement, to “act as agents of truth, reflection, transformation and reconciliation.”  We recognize that one of the best opportunities that we have to act as these kinds of agents is by participating in the story-telling in our culture.

In theatre, journalism, media production, interpersonal communication, and public relations and speaking, Christians will always feel the rub of our story-- the Gospel of God-- against the other stories people bring to these contexts. Our goal is not to silence these stories, or triumph over them.  Instead, through patient listening and engagement, we want to engage others’ stories as a means to embrace the wholeness of the Gospel—joining in the Divine compassion for the human condition.

We want our classrooms and our work to engage stories, sometimes even stories that challenge our assumptions and even undermine our core beliefs and values.  We believe a Christian university is the best place to examine such stories.  In the hospitable context of a community of faith we can dialogue and understand more deeply stories that both affirm our beliefs and those that challenge them

We will try, whenever possible, to alert you to “controversial” ideas that may be part of some of the stories we choose to engage.  Sometimes we will offer alternative experiences and allow you to “opt out”.  But we encourage you in all cases to demonstrate the grace that Christ did when he encountered brokenness. When you feel defensive, try to seize that moment as an opportunity for growth and openness.

Course Policies

Know the syllabus. Starting on the second day of class, the syllabus is binding and should be referred to when you have a question. When information is required, I will post that info on the course blog (see the top of the syllabus for the address).
I will always let you know (in “real” class time) when I’ve provided more information on the web, and will never make changes to the syllabus without consulting you. In this course though, email is a requirement. I won’t answer any (process-oriented) questions in class unless you can first tell me what the web page or syllabus says about it.

Web Usage. It is necessary that you familiarize yourself with google docs. I will use google docs to accept your assignments and to post some information. I will also ask you to record your group interactions (if you have a group of three) in google docs (specifically, a record of meetings, decision and work completed). You will also need to access your Malone email regularly to receive messages from me. And, you will also need, as discussed before, find announcements, reading due dates and ancillary materials on the class blog.

Attend class. While there are no unique penalties for missing class, it is impossible for you to earn any points for “Community Involvement” while missing class. It will be almost impossible to miss class periods (without a college-sanctioned or teacher-sanctioned excuse) and earn an “A” in the Community Involvement section of this class. A “teacher-sanctioned excuse” will only be issued for severe illness, death and emergencies. You must procure these “excuses” BEFORE class (calling or emailing).

Turn in your work early. All work will be due in class on the due date marked in the calendar. Late assignments will only be accepted with prior permission. Assignments turned in on the due date but outside of class will have five points deducted. Assignments will lose one letter grade of value for each class day that they are late. Assignments which are late will receive minimum feedback and will not be accepted one week after their due date.

Write carefully. The Communication Arts department policy for all written assignments is that students will receive one grade reduction for more than three errors in grammar, mechanics, syntax, spelling and punctuation.

Don’t cheat. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Any instances of plagiarism, cheating, or dishonesty will be dealt with as outlined in the student handbook.

Wait one night. I do not discuss the grades I assign on the day that I return them to you. I encourage students to question and be forthright about their questions, but our conversation will proceed more productively if you have at least one night to reflect on my feedback, and construct your response.

Get Help. If you have a learning disability, I want to participate in your success. If you haven’t been to Disability Services yet, please visit. If you have, let me know how I can help, and I’ll be very glad to participate in any modifications I can. Even if you don’t have a learning disability, I believe that everyone can benefit from outside assistance. Be sure to visit the writing center during the semester, particularly as you develop your final paper.

Course Introduction

This course will explore the historical development of cinematic conventions and the theories that critics and filmmakers have developed to explain, provoke and alter those conventions. Students will view films and read essays about film. The course examines the ways that cinematic technologies and devices have shaped the stories, themes, industries and audiences that permeate contemporary film.

Objectives

This course will:

introduce students to classic films and the ways that they shaped cinematic storytelling.
develop students’ vocabulary for analyzing, interpreting and critiquing film.
contextualize the developments of filmic storytelling within historical and theoretical frameworks.
interrogate film using several approaches Christians have developed for integrating theology and filmic discourse.