Literature & Film Syllabus



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Literature & Film Syllabus

Mr. David Holdredge

Wyalusing Valley High School

_____________ school year



dholdredge@wyalusingrams.com
Course Objectives: This college preparatory elective class will be an aid in the exploration in a variety of cultures that address the major issues in the exchange between film and literature since the beginning of the twentieth century. Class time will be given to provide landmark discussions of different genres and practices (such as poetry and movies or film scripts as literature) through writings by major film figures. We will also study a concise, but detailed history of film and literature and the critical terms and techniques used in film and literary analysis as well as a detailed history of the bond between film and literature, from theatrical narratives of the silent film era to recent and classical blockbuster adaptations of Shakespeare, Kesey, Steinbeck, Puzo, Metalious, etc... The class will culminate in how to write a proper screenplay. This will help encourage lifelong skills in writing both for pleasure as well as vocation. This class will be heavily leaden with terminology and descriptions involving the art of filmmaking. It is not a class built around simply watching films. You will be called upon to deeply reflect upon various elements in filmmaking and communicate your own ideas on a plethora of assigned topics. Since the course will be very demanding of the student all assignments are to be turned in on time in a neat and professional manner (typed). Late work is not tolerated or accepted. Having a prior knowledge of MLA is very beneficial.
Purpose: The purpose of the course is to introduce students to major film theories as well as film terminology, enabling them to write more thoughtfully and critically. With numerous student and professional examples, we will progress from taking notes and writing first drafts to creating polished essays and comprehensive research projects. Moving from movie reviews to theoretical and critical essays, the students will demonstrate how an analysis of a film can become more subtle and rigorous as part of a compositional process. The overall goal is to synthesize all of the course work into a harmonious amalgamation of knowledge and appreciation towards the art of filmmaking and further the students’ enjoyment of the cinematic experience.
Class movie list: (This list may be added to or individual films deleted at the instructor’s discretion) Some of the movies listed will be used as instructional clips, take home/out of class assignments, and in class analytical studies. They are: Of Mice and Men, The Great Gatsby, The Godfather, Peyton Place, Back to the Future, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, E.T., The Birds, The Matrix, Psycho, The Breakfast Club, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Goonies, Pearl Harbor, The Italian Job, Grease, and Citizen Kane. If you have not noticed some of these films will contain questionable material (violence, sexual innuendo, mayhem, language, etc…). This class is considered college preparatory; therefore, your mature reactions and point of view are required for the lessons.
Required novels (although not used each term):

John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men



F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
Of course, not all of the films listed above will be viewed during class. Movies given for critical assignment will be individually signed out through your instructor and become the student’s responsibility for viewing, guard, and return.
Honor code: Academic honesty requires students to refrain from cheating and to provide clear citations for assertions of fact as well as for the language, ideas and interpretations of others that have contributed to their work. Failure to acknowledge indebtedness to the work of others constitutes plagiarism, a serious academic offense that cannot be tolerated in a community of scholars. All instances of academic fraud will be addressed in accordance with the policies of the Wyalusing School District.
During the year, you will be subjected to numerous pop quizzes. If you do the work assigned each night and participate in class regularly, you should have no problem with the assessments. If you are absent on the day of a pop quiz, you will NOT have to make the pop quiz up. However, if the quiz has been posted and/or announced you will have to make up the exam within three school days of your class meeting period.
If you are absent on the day of a test (or announce quiz) you will be given three school days to make up the exam. This will be done on your time and not necessarily during our class time. You will not be reminded or hounded to make up the exam. You will need to take responsibility for your own grades and see the instructor for a suitable make up time. Failure to do so within three days of the exam and your return to school will result in a grade of a zero. Do not wail and complain because you forgot about making up the assessment. Be responsible and invest care into your grades.
Course meeting dates and times: Obviously this class will take place daily during your assigned time period; however, shall an early dismissal, delay, or cancellation interrupt the normal “flow” of our class meeting(s) all tests, quizzes, homework, and/or essays will be due the very next time we reconvene.
Conference times: I am willing and able to meet with you during any prearranged ninth period. At times this may seem difficult to fit into your schedule—so as to alleviate any added stress; you may schedule a morning visit (approx. 8 AM) or a post school meeting (3:30 to 4:00 PM).
During this class you will be asked to perform various activities—both individual and in groups (sometimes chosen for you). If you cannot work within a group dynamic tell the instructor immediately. Group members are expected to pull their own weight with group assignments—there are NO hitchhikers. Group member complaints towards the lackadaisical work ethic of another member will result in the alleged slacker’s removal from the co-op and forfeit of the group grade. The “freeloader” will be forced to complete the assignment on their own for their own grade.
Class attendance is vitally important—especially when we begin to actively dissect films for critical review. If you happen to be absent during one of these days it is your own responsibility to get caught up. The class will not be able to pause for you to catch up. Please make every effort to be in class during these days.
Grading: The class is run based on the total amount of points you can earn during each marking period—which varies at the instructor’s discretion. However, you can be assured that your grades will evolve from:

  • Quizzes

  • Tests

  • Movie Critiques

  • Screenplays

  • Research Paper

  • Homework (critiques, reaction papers, notes, blog entries, etc…)

Class timeline changes each term. Below is an example:

Weeks 1-3: Discussing film terminology and major aspects of filmmaking such as narration, the story, acting, photography, the history and evolution of filmmaking, approaches to writing, writing styles (screening reports, movie reviews, theoretical essays, and/or critical essays), etc…
Week 4: The class will begin putting our writing critique styles to use. We will begin analysis and discussion on Steven Spielberg’s 1982 classic E.T. Focusing on story-telling and how a director can actually include/invest them self in a film….dangers and acclaim to be gained from the risk.
Week 5: Critiquing Gary Sinise’s Of Mice and Men or Jack Clayton’s The Great Gatsby…comparing the novel to film. The class will be discussing subtle or significant changes and the reasons for doing so. Did they help or hinder the work? What is the director’s responsibility to the literary audience in terms of poetic license avoidance?
Weeks 6 & 7: Discussing lessons on the skills needed to write and develop screenplays. Focusing on how to setup the writing style, craft believable characters, memorable villains, pitfalls, etc… Students will also begin generating ideas for individual screenplays and putting them to form on paper. We will also be choosing a director of personal preference to research and generating a research based paper discussing his/her own style and how he/she has transformed their craft and left an indelible mark on society.
Week 8: Analysis of Milos Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest…we will once again review method acting (and school’s of acting), film shots, directorial staging of the frame, as well as the effects of ensemble acting.
--OR—
Critiquing Mark Robson’s Peyton Place…the students will be responsible for analyzing the mise en scene, cinematography, and camera angles. The class will also discuss how this film attempted to bring about the discussion of the generation gap post WWII and coming of age films.
Week 9: The class will wrap up with a final film analysis of Alfred Hitchock’s 1968 visionary masterpiece The Birds. We will take the time to see how Hitchock (and all directors ) implement the storyboard process to begin processing his film courtesy of supplemental materials provided on the collector’s edition disc. Discussions on the evolution of special effects are also mandated due to the innovations of Hitchcock’s team and their use of sodium vapor techniques.

September 1, 2009


Dear Parent(s),
Welcome to another academic term at Wyalusing Valley Jr./Sr. High School. I am very excited to inform you of your child’s intent to participate in the high school’s literature and film elective. The class will be challenging for your son or daughter requiring him/her to think critically about film, the filmmaking process, and the director’s intent during this process.

The overall goal of this class is to synthesize all of the course work into a harmonious amalgamation of knowledge and appreciation towards the art of filmmaking and further each student’s enjoyment of the cinematic experience. To arrive at this end, we will not only be spending time discussing various techniques in filmmaking, screenwriting, and critical reviewing but also applying this knowledge towards actual Hollywood productions (both past and present….award winning and flops). In order to achieve this critical success the class will be critically viewing and assessing various movies. Please be aware that some of these movies may contain, at times, questionable material (such as language, sexual innuendo, violence, etc…). The class is a college preparatory elective and we will approach all material in an appropriate and formal manner. However, I felt it necessary to correspond with each parent and keep you apprised of the class intentions.

If you have any problems with your son or daughter viewing films in this class please indicate so below and he/she can work with guidance to find another class in its replacement. If you have no problem/issue with your child analyzing any of the cinematic works in class please also sign the designated area below for my records.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation. I greatly look forward to this new experience in our academic environment.


Sincerely,

David Holdredge

 I do not mind my son or daughter watching and analyzing various films in the academic atmosphere for educational purposes.
___________________________

 I would rather that my son or daughter refrain from participating in this class and request that he/she visit the guidance office for a change in schedule.



___________________________
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