Film Links for Class
W 6-9 SH 326
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Office Hours W. 5- 5.50 pm or other times by appointment,
Rm 9313 5057 Woodward, 9th Floor, English Department E-mail:
ag7666@wayne.edu
Instructor Web Page:
http://www.english.wayne.edu/fac_pages/thompsonk/index2.html
Class Web site with links to film archives and other useful scholarly
resources
This is a doctoral seminar which will have four principal components:
1) introductory survey of different film histories; 2) historiography
of the discipline; 3) case studies of film histories; including
Richard Koszarski’s An Evening’s Entertainment: The Age of the
Silent Feature Picture, 1915-1928. and Edward Dimendberg’s Film
Noir and the Spaces of Modernity. 4) professionalization (conference
abstracts, archival research). We will look at the current
methodological approaches to film history in media studies today and
examine two case studies of different forms of historical
scholarship. Students will be expected to research, read and
present a case study of recent film scholarship; create a
bibliography of a particular sub-field; outline and
plan a hypothetical research project, create a conference abstract, and
write a research paper.
Coursework: Case Study Report: 20 %; class participation 10 %;
Research Project/ Final Paper 40 %; Class Presentation 20 %;
bibliography 10 %
Texts
Required
Robert Allen & Douglas Gomery. Film History: Theory and
Practice. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1985. (abbreviated in syllabus
as AG)This will be your primary textbook
These next two texts (Koszarski and Dimendberg) are case studies and
you will be expected to read them in whole or in part:
∑ Richard Koszarski An Evening’s Entertainment: The Age of the Silent
Feature Picture, 1915-1928. (University of California Press: Berkeley,
1990) (abbreviated as KOS in syllabus)
∑ Edward Dimendberg Film Noir and the Spaces of Modernity (abbreviated
as DIM)
Pam Cook & Mieke Bernink, eds. The Cinema Book (2nd Edition)
London: BFI, 2000 (abbreviated COOK): This text is useful for an
overview of historical trends in film theory and historiography.
Several students may wish to buy this book together or get it from the
library to save on costs.
*****Online e reserves password for articles online will be
------.Listed In syllabus as
E-RES
Recommended Textbook
David Cook. A History of Narrative Film. New York: Norton, 2004.
(This is for your own personal reference use, as one of the most
comprehensive general film histories). Read on your own in
areas of interest
I Sept 6 Introduction to Class
Outline of Class & Coursework
Screening: Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (Carl Reiner, 1982)
Reading: E RES Corrigan chapter 9 “Conventional Film
History” & Chapter 10 “Global and Local:
Inclusive Histories of the Movies” . Please download, read and
bring these chapters to class
II Sept 13 FILM HISTORY I
Reading: AG pp 1-64
III Sept 20 FILM HISTORY II AUTEURS AND MASTERPIECES
Screening: Birth of a Nation (DW Griffith, 1918) & &
Supplementary CD material
Revised previous readings Corrigan E RES chap 9 pp 340-341 (on Birth of
a Nation); 388-391 (On Oscar Micheaux & black film)
Reading: AG 65-128 (Aesthetic & Technological Approaches to Film
Hist)
Recommended: COOK pp 3-42 (Overview of Classical Studio History)
IV Sept 27 AUTEURS II & LOST DISCOVERIES
Screening: Bamboozled (Spike Lee, 2000)
Reading: COOK 235- 318 (on auteurism)
Bibliographies of Sub-field Due (10 % of grade)
V Oct 4 PLANNING & DOING FILM RESEARCH /ALLEN &
GOMERY AG 191- 268 Screening: Forgotten Silver (Peter Jackson &
Costa Botes, 1995) New Zealand
Reading: AG 131-189 (economic & social film history)
Also please consult online American Film Institute’s list of 100 Best
Films (revise—see Corrigan pp 396-397 (chap 10).
VI Oct 11 Technological, Economic & Institutional History
CASE STUDY # 1 Richard Koszarski’s An Evening’s Entertainment: The Age
of the Silent Feature Picture 1915-1928
Readings: KOS chap 2 & 4
VII Oct 18 CASE STUDY I KOSZARSKI CTD
Reading: KOS chap 5, 6 & 7
Presentations (x 2)
VIII Oct 25 CASE STUDY I KOSZARSKI CTD
Reading: KOS chaps 8 & 9
Presentations (x 2)
IX Nov 1 CASE STUDY II: Edward Dimendberg’s Film Noir and the
Spaces of Modernity
Reading: DIM 1-21 (Intro)
Case Study presentations (x2)
All written case studies due today on historical text or film
archive.
X Nov 8 CASE STUDY II CTD
Screening: The Naked City (Jules Dassin, 1948)
Reading: DIM 21-86 (naked cities)
Case Study Presentations (x2)
XI Nov 15 CASE STUDY II CTD
Screening: Asphalt Jungle
Reading: DIM 86-119 (Walking Cures)
Case Study presentations (x2)
Discussion of conference proposal formats
XII Nov 22 CASE STUDY II CTD
Reading: DIM 119-166 (Centrifugal Space)
Conference Abstract /Final Research Paper Topic Due
XIII Nov 29
Discussion time Research paper
XIV Dec 6 Discussion Time/Presentations
XV Dec 13 Final Research Papers Due
ASSIGNMENTS
1) BIBLIOGRAPHY (10 %): Construct a list of a particular sub-field
within cinema studies. e.g. Asian-American cinema, special effects
technology etc. Your list should have at least 25 texts on
it. Due Sept 27 please photocopy copies for class so we may
share the fruits of your research
2) CLASS PRESENTATION (20 %) may be on either your reading of a
specialized film history (not general overview or textbook like
Bordwell & Thompson’s Film Art or David Cook’s A History of
Narrative Film OR research on the holdings of a film archive. It should
take about 20 minutes (no longer) Due between Oct 18 and Nov 8
Class members are expected to offer critique of their peer’s work, ask
questions and offer suggestions for further work
EITHER: 1) Historical film text of your choice (see SCMS Kovacs
Committee prizewinners and Cinema Journal’s Professional Notes Recent
books published for suggestions).
You should prepare a handout with a complete citation of the text
examined.
You should outline the text’s
1) thesis, 2) methodological approach; 3) assess its contributions to
scholarship, name the preliminary conclusions of the author; 4) your
critique of its coverage, etc
5) what, if any are follow-up areas of scholarship, which are suggested
by this study?
OR 2) Film Archive: Name content of archive holdings (in summary) with
major areas/topics, personnel.
Name URL of archival website, and all contact information for
archivist/university. Examine a component of the primary documentation
held by the collection, and assess its usefulness for scholars.
You can consult Allen & Gomery’s case studies chapters for guidance
and also look at footnotes of a film history (like Dimendberg’s) to see
where they did their primary research). See also course website
3) CASE STUDY REPORT: (20%) Written form due Nov 1.
This assignment requires you to write up what you presented to
class in Assignment # 2
Presentation should summarize the methodological approach of the film
history, & outline its key contributions to scholarship.
Please prepare a handout to give the class with key points outlined
and all information on text (name, author, publisher, date, etc).
If you presented on a film archive, you must present a written
report on a SECOND film archive instead, presenting all information
required in Assignment # 2 above, and outlining potential
research areas that could emerge from the holdings of the
archives.
4) RESEARCH PROJECT (40 %) Due Dec 13; 10 -15 pages
1) Identify problem/question
2) Identify area of research
3) Identify 5 archives you would consult. Prepare handout of these for
class.
4) Identify aspect of larger research project which you can do for your
final research paper.
5) Prepare abstract in conference proposal form by Nov 22, 2006.
6) Note: this research topic can emerge out of your case
study/presentation or can be on a different topic.
You must select a topic which involves PRIMARY research rather than
textual analysis. .
e.g. an analysis of Hitchcock’s early work at UFA studios in Germany
(requiring analysis of studio correspondence, script drafts & other
correspondence), rather than a textual analysis of one of his films. In
other words, you need to think about what kinds of questions could
emerge from an examination of primary documents and other paratextual
materials, rather than analyzing the films themselves. (Of course
textual analysis could emerge from some of your primary research,
but for the purposes of this exercise, your primary focus is on
constructing a research project in relation to an archive.)
5) Class Participation: (10%) In addition you are expected to
read the articles for each week in advance of the class, and be a
regular (vocal) participant. Participating means being able to
summarize the article, (and/or) ask questions about what you don’t
understand, (and/or)critique the article’s weakness, (and/or) or raise
topics relating to the reading for debate. Your regular
attendance is expected in class. No more than 2 class absences without
documentation are permitted.
GENERAL CLASS POLICIES
DR KIRSTEN MOANA THOMPSON
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CONTENT OF FILMS
Please note that you are required to see EVERY film in this class, and
you can expect to be tested on any film in your assignments and
tests. Some people MAY find the content of some of the films to
be disturbing, offensive, or distasteful, as the content of the films
may include sexual or violent material, and/or nudity.
Nonetheless, by registering for this class you are undertaking to see
all films which have been carefully selected to illustrate particular
topics or techniques (such as editing or sound. Do not expect to be
entertained by every film, for this is not the point of this
class. If you cannot abide by this expectation you should DROP
the class.
CLASS GRADING SCALE: All class tests will have these letter grade
equivalents to the following points out of 100
A= 96-100
A- 90-95
B+ 85-89
B 80-84
B- 75-79
C+ 70-74
C 65-69
C- 60-64
D+ 55-59
D 51-54
F (E) 50 and below
Note on Grading: All assignments MUST be submitted for successful
completion of the course.
Failure to submit one or more assignments will result in a final grade
of C or worse.
The English Department attendance policy is as follows
Students enrolled in any English course must attend at least one of the
first two class sessions of the term in order to maintain a place in
the class. If a student does not show up for the first 2 classes
he/she is not permitted to register for this class.
Other Policies:
1. There are no makeup screenings of films, so if you must miss a
screening, try to rent the videotape or DVD version (with correct
ASPECT RATIO—i.e. widescreen letterboxed). Ademany has most of the
class titles. Attendance at film screenings is a requirement of
the course.
2.In previous courses, I have received some complaints about talking
and noise during film screenings, so please use common sense and be
courteous to others during screenings. Please don’t talk during
the films (or during class discussion, for that matter). I don’t
object to food and drink in the screening room, as long as you eat
quietly. PLEASE take all trash out with you when you leave the
room. Also, please keep in mind that the end of a film is just as
important as the beginning.
3. All written assignments for the course are due in class.
Please do not leave papers for me at the English Department, unless you
have first secured my permission. (This is to prevent papers from
getting lost, and please do not slide papers under my office door!) NO
papers by email or fax.
4. Please photocopy your papers prior to submitting them, or keep
a backup copy on computer. If your paper gets lost, I will ask
you for the backup copy. Computers or printers crashing are
not acceptable excuses
5. GRADING SCHEDULE: I will try to return assignments as soon as
possible, but it will usually take me at one week to grade a given
paper or test.
6. Handing in an assignment late will result in loss of points,
unless a valid excuse is provided. For every two days the
assignment is late, the score drops by half a letter grade.
Except for dire emergencies, I will not accept papers that are more
than 2 weeks late.
7 . Makeups for missed tests or quizzes require a valid excuse,
and under most circumstances I will ask for written documentation about
the reason for absence (doctor’s receipt, auto repair bill,
etc.). If for some reason you miss a test, PLEASE notify me as
soon as possible—generally within 1 or 2 days.
8. If you cannot make it to a scheduled office meeting with me,
please call to cancel as soon as possible.
9. PLAGIARISM. Plagiarism (unacknowledged use of another person’s
work) and cheating are both serious offenses. Like most American
universities, Wayne State Univ. has a fairly severe policy about
penalties for both. Evidence of plagiarism (or fabrication of
sources) or cheating will result in a zero for the assignment and an F
for the class. Prior to submission of the final paper, students
will be given the opportunity to discuss what constitutes plagiarism.
PLAGIARISM INCLUDES ALL UNACKNOWLEDGED USE OF SOURCES, INCLUDING THE
INTERNET.
An instructor, on discovering such an instance WILL give a failing
grade on the assignment or for the course. The instructor has the
responsibility of notifying the student of the alleged violation and
the action being taken. Both the student and the instructor are
entitled to academic due process in all such cases. Acts of
dishonesty may lead to suspension or exclusion.
10. Students must put away ALL papers, notebooks, clipboards, and books
during tests. You will be given paper for the test. I will
circulate around the classroom during exams. CHEATING WILL RESULT
IN AN F FOR THE TEST AND CLASS
11. Writing Standards. Although I can provide some writing tips,
this class is too large for extensive individual tutoring in basic
writing techniques. Students who have difficulties with
English grammar or spelling should contact the Writing Center for
assistance: 313/577-2544; 337 State Hall. Hours of operation vary
from semester to semester. You will be penalized if your writing
standards are insufficient for university work
12. Personal Problems/ Physical or Mental Health
If you feel overwhelmed or stressed out, there is always help available
at the WSU Counseling Services at 1001 Faculty Administration
Building --call (313)577-3398. Alternatively there is the
Detroit-Wayne Community Mental Health Emergency Telephone Service
(313)224-7000 (24 hour service). Don't drop your classes--talk to
someone first! If you are feeling overwhelmed, depressed or
seriously stressed, TELL your professors in your classes so they can
help you if you are having difficulties. If you have a physical
or mental impairment that may interfere with your ability to complete
successfully the requirements for this course, please contact EAS in
Room 583 of the SCB to discuss appropriate accommodations on a
confidential basis. Telephone: 577-1851.
