Lecture 1 Course Introduction Professor Michael Green 1

Lecture 1: Course Introduction Professor Michael Green 1

Professor Michael Green • • Lecturer, Film and Media Studies, Arizona State University I teach courses in Screenwriting, Film Studies, and Cultural Studies. 2

In This Lesson • • What kind of distance learning course is this? How can you succeed? Assignments What do we study in this course? 3

What Kind of Distance Learning Course is this? • • • It’s Not an Automated Course It’s Not a Self-Paced Course This Course Emphasizes Interactivity – Asynchronous • Participation is Fundamental to the Success of Our Course – Discussion Board Take the Self-Evaluation of Online Students. It’ll help you better understand how your learning style meets the demand of this environment. 4

The Advantages of this Course • • Flexibility… Not Limited by Time, Space Study Materials Available 24/7 – – • • • Lectures (streaming audio w/ Power. Point) Websites & Other Resources Media Clips Interactive discussion board But Structured Like a Traditional Course Complements Multiple Learning Styles Lots of Interactivity 5

Potential Disadvantages • Students that learn best through face-toface debate can struggle in this environment. – Ways to Compensate – Arrange for Real-Time Meetings with Classmates • Students that are not well organized tend to not do well in this environment. – – Meet all Deadlines Study in Advance of Assignments 6

How to succeed (get an “A”) in this course Taking An Online Class: Part II 7

Course Organization • Each lesson contains: – Reading – Screening of Film – Website – Lecture – Clips – Interactivity • (Discussion Board) 8

Forms of Interactivity • • Threaded Discussions on the e. Board Skype E-mail Professor Office Hours The Namesake (2006) Directed by Mira Nair 9

Keys To Success: • • • Go through the Website, or Virtual Classroom, with Care; Know it Well Keep up with All Lesson Tasks Do Assignments Carefully, Thoroughly, and Turn Them in on Time Get to Know Your Classmates Discuss with Rigor & Respect 10

Guidelines for the Class • • To Study Art We Must Debate Discussing Art Doesn’t Require Being Disrespectful or Insensitive I expect us to discuss art with passion and perspective. I expect us to challenge each other’s perception of art with rigor and respect. 11

Assignments Taking An Online Class: Part III 12

Participation • • Participation is 25% of Your Final Grade Participation Grade is Based On: – Keeping Up with Discussion Board Posts – Quality of Posts - how rigorous, critical and original they are; also how well they engage lesson materials such as the screening, readings, lecture and clips. – Length of posts – At least ten sentences – Being on time with the Posts 13

Critical Papers • • You will write two critical papers in this class, each of which will be worth 25% of your grade. Information on the papers can be found on the syllabus and on the course site under Graded Work. Also under Graded Work you will find a Power. Point on how to write a critical paper. Start reading that Power. Point now! 14

Final Exam • There is also a cumulative exam for the course which totals 25% of your grade. – It will cover readings, lectures, clips and assigned films. – It will be a combination of fill in the blank, identification, short answer & essay questions – It will be due to me via e-mail – No late exams! 15

Keep Up! • You will do well on the exam if you take good notes during the lectures, keep up with the readings, watch the films carefully and participate on the e. Board. • It will be very difficult for you to do well if you get behind. Online courses require a lot of discipline! 16

What Do We Study in This Class? Matewan (1987) Directed by John Sayles Taking An Online Class: Part IV 17

Two Aspects in Every Film: Content and Form • Content – What the story is about • Form – How the film tells its story • The two are inextricable in film as in any art form – you can’t have one without the other. 18

Film Content • What the film is about, its narrative. • All films are created by people and are therefore historical, subjective & political. • Even if unintended, everyone tells stories from their experience, their perspective. 19

Film Form • • • Narrative Structure Mise-en-scene Cinematography Editing Sound These are the tools of film; the techniques that are used to tell the story in the movie. 20

International and American Films • Using the form and content distinction, we will analyze both American and International Films (we don’t call them foreign films). 21

Critic Jonathan Rosenbaum: “[International] movies have important things to teach us. . They’re proof positive that Americans aren’t the only human beings and that the decisions we make about how to live our lives aren’t the only options available. ” – Movie Wars, page 108 22

Six Things to Remember • • • Go through the Website, or Virtual Classroom, with Care; Know it Well Keep up with all Lesson Tasks Turn Assignments in on Time, Written at a College Level Get to Know Your Classmates Discuss with Rigor & Respect Enjoy yourself! It’s film, after all. 23

End of Lecture 1 Next Lecture: The Nuts and Bolts of Making and Getting Movies to Audiences 24