Introduction to Film Syllabus for 2023-2024
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Instructor Information

Course Information

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As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

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Tutoring for Success applies to any student whose overall performance in the course falls below 75%. The instructor will create the task in the Student Engagement Portal (Watermark) to direct the student to the appropriate tutoring service, which may be faculty- or SI-led, discipline-specific, and/or general. The tutoring service assigned, the due date for when the tutoring must be completed, and the amount of tutoring required are at the discretion of the instructor. Additionally, the task will alert the student’s success team. Students who do not fulfill the assigned tutoring task may be subject to program- and course-specific penalties that could result in a grade reduction and/or in not being allowed to progress in the course until the tutoring requirement has been satisfied.

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Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016

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NOTE: Students who are attending Texas institutions of higher education, for the first time fall 2007 and later, may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career. This withdrawal limitation does not include dual credit or developmental classes (Senate Bill 1231 Rule 4.10.) For more information on Drop and Withdrawal Policies, please visit the Registrar's Office Web site.

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Course

COMM-2366-001 Introduction to Film

Prerequisites

Course Description

An introductory course in film studies which surveys the American film industry as an art form, a business and a means of communication. Extensive screenings and analysis of representative films from various genres. An examination of how Hollywood films work technically, artistically and culturally.

Student ResourcesStudent Resources Website

Department Expectations

Occupational License Disclaimer

Notice to Students enrolled in an educational program for preparation of issuance of certain occupational licenses:

Students enrolled in an educational program in preparation for obtaining certain occupational licenses are potentially ineligible for such license if the student has been convicted of an offense. For further information, please contact:

Melodie Graves
Justice Involved Advocate
Student Service Center 117
mgraves24@actx.edu
806-371-5995
Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me

You can also contact the Legal Clinic, or the faculty member in charge of the educational program that you seek to enroll in. The further information you will receive will include notification to you of your right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the licensing authority in order to clarify your particular situation.

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

Online Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

Film Art: An Introduction, 13th Ed. | David Bordwell, Kristin Thompson, Jeff Smith

Supplies

IMPORTANT NOTE: As this is an online course, you are required to rent or stream these films via streaming services such as YouTube—or check out these movies from the Amarillo Public Library.

 

Disclaimer: Films in this course range from a PG rating to an R rating. R rated films can feature violence, language, sexual content, substance abuse and nudity. If you are unable to watch a film due to personal convictions, please contact me at the beginning of the semester for alternative assignments. 

Student Performance

Student Performance

• Analyze film through written response.
• Applying knowledge of the cinematic language in formal analysis.
• Demonstrate a basic knowledge of film history, form, and genre.
• Describe the collaborative nature of cinema and the many jobs required to develop a motion picture.
• Discuss/Describe the relationship of cinema to society as it relates to his/her perspective.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

No form of scholastic dishonesty will be tolerated.

Plagiarism is unacceptable. Plagiarism is considered serious academic misconduct. All written assignments presented in this class must be original work by the student. Any student caught plagiarizing or cheating will receive a failing grade for the course.

Generative AI is prohibited in this course. Any use of artificial intelligence to complete assignments will be considered cheating and handled accordingly. 

Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but not be limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion. Cheating on a test shall include: 1. Copying from another student’s test paper. 2. Using test materials not authorized by the person administering the test. 3. Collaborating with or seeking aid from another student during a test without permission from the test administrator. 4. Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, or soliciting, in whole or in part, the contents of an unadministered test. 5. The unauthorized transporting or removal, in whole or in part, of the contents of the unadministered test. 6. Substituting for another student, or permitting another student to substitute for one’s self, to take a test. 7. Bribing another person to obtain an unadministered test or information about an unadministered test. Plagiarism shall be defined the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of another person's/organization's work as one’s own written work for purposes of receiving grades in this course and/or publication in a student media outlet, regardless of whether the lifted material represents the original work in its entirety or in part. Collusion shall be defined as the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work for fulfillment of course requirements. A complete statement regarding scholastic dishonesty can be found in the Student Code of Conduct inStudent Rights and Responsibilities in this syllabus.

Grading Criteria

Grading Breakdown:

Online Discussion | 15%

Short Formal Analyses | 30% (2 assignments, 15% each)

Shot-by-Shot Analyses | 30% (2 assignments, 15% each)

Group Project | 20%

Final Reflection | 5%

Assignment Summaries

Online Discussion | 15%

In this online course, most of your interaction with fellow students takes place in our online discussions. Starting from Week 1, you will need to respond each week to the discussion question related to the assigned film. Your responses should not only address the discussion question but also engage with at least one post from your classmates. Feel free to initiate other discussions by posing additional questions in a separate post. To earn full marks in the discussion, your post must show that you watched the film and integrate knowledge from lectures and assigned readings. Posts resembling basic plot summaries found on Wikipedia, IMDb, or other movie review sites will not be accepted. Moreover, posts lacking in-depth responses (approximately 100 words) will not receive a grade above 50%. Hence, it's crucial to provide more than a simple "I agree" or "I disagree" to secure a higher grade.

 

Short Formal Analyses | 30% (2 assignments, 15% each)

Beginning in Week 3, you will be given a brief clip from the assigned film to analyze. This course is primarily concerned with understanding the cinematic language and formal elements of film, therefore your analysis should be focused on using the terminology and methods (stylistic, historical, and theoretical) of analysis discussed in the readings or lectures provided. This is not a film review. For example, focus on how the lighting influences perceptions of character types, how the camera movement carries the narrative flow, or how the editing conveys urgency. The options are endless and completely up to your observations of film form in the assigned scenes. To ensure your analysis has a clear focus, like the examples mentioned earlier, each analysis must present a thesis statement in the introductory paragraph. Following the thesis statement, your body paragraphs should provide sufficient evidence to support your argument. Since this assignment is concise, a conclusion will not be required.

The Short Formal Analysis must be approximately 400 words, double-spaced, Times New Roman, with your thesis statement bolded. Comments will be provided, if needed, on your submissions to establish where improvements can be made in future assignments.

 

Shot-by-Shot Analysis | 30% (2 assignments, 15% each)

The shot-by-shot analysis will be a technical and written exercise that will require you to watch a designated scene from Psycho and Jaws (Weeks 5 and 7) and break it down into separate shots. Once they are dissected into shots, you will describe the shot, its shot scale (close-up, extreme long shot, etc.), length of the shot, and camera movement in the shot. After discerning these elements of the shot, you will write a 200 word reflection on the patterns recognized and how this practice contributed to your learning.

Group Project | 20% The group project will be assigned in Week 5. It requires you to create a major motion picture company and answer the prompts as it relates to the company. The purpose of this assignment is to understand major motion picture studios, their business models, and the types of films they make, produce, and distribute. After answering the writing prompts, you must submit your group project with an individual team evaluation. 

Final Reflection | 5%

In this assignment, you will explore the future of film making in light of the termination of the Paramount Decree. Reflecting on the influence of streaming services and the absence of regulatory constraints, you will analyze potential industry trajectories.

Attendance

• Students are expected to login 3 to 5 times a week and participate in Online Discussion as well as submit assignments on their due dates.

Calendar

Additional Information

Help in navigating the course website can be found at www.actx.edu and clicking on "AC Connect."

Students may use the computers located in the Mass Media Lab in Parcells Hall 214 or in the Lynn Library on the fourth floor of Ware Student Center to access AC Connect.

Students are encouraged to follow the Matney Mass Media department and The Ranger on social media and read The Ranger at www.acranger.com.

Matney Mass Media Department on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ACmassmedia
Matney Mass Media Department on Twitter: https://twitter.com/acmassmedia
The Matney Mass Media Messenger http://acmassmedia.wordpress.com/
The Ranger: www.acranger.com
The Ranger on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acrangerpaper
The Ranger on Twitter:https://twitter.com/acranger
The Ranger on Instagram: http://instagram.com/acranger

Department website: www.actx.edu/massmedia

AC offers many opportunities to explore the mass media.  Ask your instructor how you can become a D.J. on FM-90, can write for the College newspaper and can join the crew shooting live football video this fall.  Don’t miss your chance to take photos for the College magazine or work as a videographer, graphic artist or web designer for the College’s news website. In addition, AC mass media faculty can help you find paid positions in the local media industry.  Don’t just sit there—get involved!