Classic
Films – Mass Media
WVSU
Communications 140 Syllabus
2004-05
Kathy
Humphries khumpy@msn.com
Capital
High School 348-6500
Room
215
Course
Description:
Classic Films is a year-long
course. During the first semester the
students are introduced to the historical significance of early firms and their
evolution. It examines the early
techniques used in the 1920’s during the Silent Era and progresses through the
1950’s. In the second semester Classic
Films continues with the advent of the special effects film and the new
techniques used in the 1960’s through to today’s modern masterpieces.
The objectives are to better
acquaint students with the aesthetic elements as well as the technical elements
that make up the “art of film”. The
students will study feature films, shorts, documentaries, and animations that
best exemplify the different periods and genres of film
The students will also be
introduced to and study the works of various significant directors such as John
Ford, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Francois
Truffaut to name a few.
It should be noted that some
films shown in class contain mature themes, images, content, and language that
may be offensive to some students. In
the event a situation arises the student may select an alternate film to
study. The schedule of films is
tentative and may change, but some of the films studied in the past have been
from the American Film Institute’s list of the top 100 American Films as well
as some famous French, German, and Italian films. Here is a partial list.
City Lights The Godfather
Sunset Boulevard
Cassablanca
Citizen Kane King Kong
Sabrina Shane
Frankenstein Nosferatus
Textbook: Understanding Movies Eighth Ed. By Louis Giannetti
Anatomy of Film by Bernard F. Dick
The
Monster Show by David J. Skal
Notebook for critiques and
handouts, pencils, pens, and paper
Each student is expected to
fully participate in the viewing and critiquing of films. Students are expected to attend all
scheduled classes. Some of the
films are very rare and could not be rented at the local video store. Each student is expected to participate in
team and or individual projects assigned throughout the year. There will be at least two term-research
papers. Each unit will have an
essay test. Most of the students’
grades come from writing assessments. Late assignments will lose a letter
grade per day. I will not accept papers
that are over two days late!
September Early film history and the
Silent Era
October
Films of the 1930-40’s
November Films of the 1940’s “Golden Age of
Films”
December Hitchcock
and films of the 1950’s (term paper due)
January Films
of the 1960’s and early special effects
February Foreign films from France, Italy,
Germany, Japan
March Films
of the 1970’s
April Films
of the 1980’s Sci-fi special effects (term paper due)
May World
Cinema and modern masterpieces