YORK UNIVERSITY DEPT. OF FILM AND VIDEO W 2008 Film 1701 3.0 (W) Hollywood Old and New COURSE DIRECTOR: Gillian Helfield OFFICE: CFT Room 219 OFFICE HOURS: Mondays 4:00PM-5:00PM E-MAIL: cd1701@yorku.ca DEPT. PHONE NUMBER: (416) 736-2100 Course Description: This fully online introductory course will provide Web-based delivery of lectures and discussion groups complemented by the screenings and interviews of TVO's Saturday Night at the Movies. Key concepts in critical film analysis will be introduced and important themes in American film history will be examined. Students are asked to watch the two films per week screened on Saturday Night at the Movies and then to access lectures and readings, and post written assignments via WebCT, a learning program for which they will be given access. Screenings and Lectures All films for the course will be screened on Saturday night on TVO, beginning at 8:00PM. There are two films per screening: students must watch both films in each Saturday night screening. Lectures will be posted on the website, under Course Content. They will be posted on Fridays, the day before the films are screened. (In other words, Lecture #1 will be posted on Friday, the day before the films relating to Lecture #1 which will be screened the day after on Saturday on TV). All lectures posted online can be accessed via RealPlayer (downloads are free) and also as podcasts (which can be listened to with MP3s or Ipods). Course Texts There is no course text. All readings take the form of articles, which will be made available on the Course Website, under Course content. These readings will be provided through links to other academic/scholarly websites and on-line journals.
2 Recommended Texts. A supplementary bibliography of readings and texts about Hollywood and American cinema will also be posted on the Course Website under the Additional Resources Tab. Course Director Availability: I will hold office hours at the times listed above, to discuss issues affecting course curriculum and structure (but not specific course content relating to individual films and readings). Please note that these are not open office hours i.e. you must e-mail first for an appointment, as there may be others who also require consultation at the same time. If you wish to leave a message, please do so with the Receptionist in the Film Department: (416) 736-5149, Ext. 0, and not on my office voice-mail. Give me at least one day to get back to you. For help with course content (ie. discussions or questions pertaining to the films, the readings or the assignments), please contact your individual tutorial leaders. See below. Tutorial Leader Availability: Please note that each tutorial has its own individual website under the main course website, as well as its own tutorial leader. Tutorial leaders will hold virtual office hours during which time they are available for discussion and/or to answer questions. These hours will be posted on the main course website as well as the individual tutorial websites. All written assignments (which consist of 6 blogs) are to be submitted to the tutorial leaders via the tutorial website - not the course director. E-Mail Policy: Please contact me the course director is by e-mail, through the course website (cd1701@yorku.ca). I will try to reply as promptly as I can, but allow for at least one day for a response. Please reserve e-mail for making appointments and for asking brief questions of information. Substantive discussion about course materials and assignments should occur in conversation during office hours. Please make sure that your tutorial leader has your up-to-date york e-mail address and student number. All tutorial leaders can be reached via e-mail on their individual tutorial websites. Do not contact tutorial leaders or the course director through their private or York e-mail addresses. Course Website: There is a website for this course, which students require a Webct account to access. If you do not already have such an account you must contact Computing Services at York to set one up. Please note that it is the student s responsibility to get this account set up, and to become familiarized both with webct and the course website. It is also the student s responsibility to get help from Computing Services or the webmaster (webm1701@yorku.ca) if they have a problem with the website. Technical difficulties are not considered acceptable reasons for failing to submit course work on time. All assignments will be posted on this website. There is also a bulletin board on the main course website and each of the individual tutorial websites, which students must check
3 daily for important announcements. You may also contact the instructor through the e- mail tab on this website. General Assignment Guidelines: Assignments for this course take the form of blogs. Course Assignments The blog. Most students will be familiar with the idea of the blog as an on-line journal created by an individual to demonstrate his or her understanding of a particular subject, or knowledge of a particular field. In this particular blogging exercise, students will be expected to provide original and well-written responses to a suggested topic based on the films screened each week. Blogs are to be from 500-700 words in length, and will be submitted online to the tutorial leaders on the specified due-dates (see below). What is valued most in student blogs is evidence of a developing ability to discuss intelligently the issues raised by the films seen in the course, and reiterated by the Course Director in her lectures. The blogs are to be submitted online every two weeks by students to their tutorial leaders, through their tutorial websites. Discussion topics for each set of screenings will be posted on the main course website and individual tutorial websites the day before or day of the screenings each week. There will be a blog discussion topic posted for each set of screenings, but students have the choice to write about either set of screenings. For a total of 12 sets of screenings, there are 6 blogs that must be submitted: one blog for every two weeks of screenings. Assignments must be submitted on the specified due date, by the specified time. Late assignments will be penalized at 1% per day. Students may not be behind more than one blog. Due dates for these blogs are posted below, along with their grade value. Grades will be assigned for every two blogs submitted, on an incremental scale. All blogs are to be submitted online to tutorial leaders before midnight on the specified due-date. Students must submit blogs on a regular basis, and may not submit blogs all at once to make up for missed assignments. Late blogs will be penalized at 1 %/week. Students may not be behind more than 1 blog at a time. BLOG DUE DATES AND EVALUATIONS: BLOG #1 (Based on Week #1 or #2 films): Wednesday, January 16 BLOG #2 (Based on Week #3 or #4 films): Wednesday, January 30 1 st BLOG EVALUATION: 20% OF FINAL GRADE BLOG #3 (Based on Week #5 or #6 films): Wednesday, February 20 BLOG #4 (Based on Week #7 or #8 films): Wednesday, March 5
4 2 ND BLOG EVALUATION: 30% OF FINAL GRADE (BEFORE FINAL DATE TO DROP WITHOUT ACADEMIC PENALTY) BLOG #5 (Based on Week #9 or #10 films): Wednesday, March 19 BLOG #6 (Based on Week #11 or #12 films): Wednesday, April 2 3 RD BLOG EVALUATION: 50% OF FINAL GRADE (END OF COURSE) It is a good idea to keep copies of all submitted work in case of a failure in transmission. Faxed essays will not be accepted. Retrieval of Blogs: Blogs will be graded and posted online for students to review. Individual grades will be posted on the tutorial websites under my grades. Deferrals: If students need to defer submission of assignments to a later date, they must petition for said deferral. Forms may be obtained from the Registrar s office which must be submitted to the Film Department for the instructor s permission and signature. Participation Students are expected to view all films screened on TVO s Saturday Night at the Movies. Copies of most films (but not all) are available in SMIL in Scott Library, but this is an additional study aid, and not a substitute for screenings. Please note that these films are only available on a limited time-basis and can only be screened in the library. Please also note that it is the student s responsibility to make sure they view the film. Students are responsible for listening to all lectures posted on the website, and for completing all readings listed under each lecture heading.. Students are expected to take notes during film screenings, and lectures. Please respect your fellow students opportunity to learn in class by remaining quiet during lectures and screenings. Academic Dishonesty Academic Dishonesty and plagiarism are serious academic offenses. You will be prosecuted to the fullest extent that university regulations allow. Don t do it.
5 Please read the Faculty of Fine Arts Policy on Academic Honesty which can be found in the faculty of Fine Arts Student Handbook. Also consult the York website on plagiarism: http://www.yorku.ca/academicintegrity/students.htm. Language, Learning Difficulties and Disabilities: If you have difficulties with the English language or if you have a learning, physical or sensory disability, please speak to the lecturer and your tutorial leader so that we can adapt. Difficulties with English? Contact YUELI (York University English Language Institute) 287 Winters college, (416) 736-5353. Physical or Sensory disabilities? Contact OPD (Office for Persons with Disabilities) 109 Central Square, (416) 736-5140. Learning Difficulties? Contact CDC (Counselling and Development Centre) 145 Behavioural Sciences Building (416) 736-5297. Important Dates: Fall/Winter 2007-2008 Sessional Dates Term F Term Y Term FF Term A Term W Term WW Term B Fall Classes Start Sep 5 Sep 5 Sep 17 Oct 13 Fall Classes End Dec 3 Dec 3 Oct 26 Oct 28 Fall Exams Start Dec 5 Dec 5 N/A N/A Fall Exams End Dec 20 Dec 20 N/A N/A Winter Classes Start (Resume) (Jan 3) Jan 3 Jan 3 Feb 16 Reading Week** (Monday to Friday) Feb 11 to 15 Feb 11 to 15 Winter Classes End Apr 4 Apr 4 Feb 8 Mar 4 Winter Exams Start Apr 7 Apr 7 N/A N/A Winter Exams End Apr 29 Apr 29 N/A N/A Last Date to Announce Components of Final Grades Term F Term Y Term FF Term A Term W Term WW Term B Sep 20 Sep 20 N/A N/A Jan 17 N/A N/A Term Work Submission Deadlines Last date to submit Fall Term work Dec 5 Dec 5 N/A N/A Term F Term Y Term FF Term A Term W Term WW Term B
6 Last date to submit Winter Term work Apr 7 Apr 7 N/A N/A Schedule of Fall/Winter Holidays and University Closings University Closed? Classes Held? Exams Held? Registration and Enrolment System available? Administrative Services Available? Labour Day (Sep 3) Yes No No Yes No Rosh Hashanah (Sep 13-14) 1 No No No Yes Yes Yom Kippur (Sep 22) 2 No No No Yes Yes Thanksgiving (Oct 8) Yes No No Yes No Christmas/New Year's break (Dec 21-Jan 1) Yes No No Yes No Reading Week (Feb 11-15) 3 No No No Yes Yes Family Day (Feb 18) Yes No No Yes No Good Friday (Mar 21) Yes No No Yes No Passover (Apr 20-21) 4 No Yes No Yes Yes Passover (Apr 26-27) 4 No Yes No Yes Yes 1 No classes or exams will be held 7-10pm on Wednesday September 12; all day (evening included) on Thursday September 13; all day (evening included) on Friday, September 14. 2 No classes or exams will be held 7-10pm on Friday September 21; all day (evening included) on Saturday September 22. 3 Reading Week is held from Monday to Friday inclusive. Courses scheduled on weekends will continue to meet on the weekend before and the weekend after Reading Week. 4 No exams will be held 7-10pm on Saturday April 19; all day (evening included) on Sunday April 20; all day (evening included) on Monday April 21; 7-10pm on Friday April 25; all day (evening included) on Saturday April 26; all day (evening included) on Sunday April 27. The Registrar s Office staff will provide a customized ad hoc booking service option to Faculty departments for scheduling the 12th meet for classes not held in the 7-10pm slot on the evenings prior to the Jewish holidays. These classes will be accommodated on weekends. Departments are encouraged to resolve these bookings in the summer 2007 prior to the start of the Fall/Winter 2007-2008 Session.
7 Film Schedule*: (*Screenings are subject to change pending TVO s lineup) Jan. 05/08 THE UGLY AMERICAN (1963) THREE KINGS (1999) Jan. 12 /08 KISS OF DEATH (1947) PANIC IN THE STREETS (1950) Jan. 19/08 COMPULSION (1959) FRENZY (1972) Jan. 26/08 OPERATION CROSSBOW (1965) THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS (1956) Feb. 05/08 CHEYENNE AUTUMN (1955) THE WHITE DAWN (1974) Feb. 09 /08 BOB & CAROL & TED & ALICE (1969) CARNAL KNOWLEDGE (1971) Feb. 16/08 NO SCREENINGS READING WEEK Feb. 23/08 HEAVEN S GATE (1980)
8 Mar. 01/08 FAHRENHEIT 451 (1966) SOYLENT GREEN (1973) Mar. 08 /08 LOCAL HERO (1969) MR. DEED GOES TO TOWN (1971) Mar. 15/08 MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (1955) THE OXBOW INCIDENT (1969) Mar. 22/08 WENT THE DAY WELL (1942) THE DEERHUNTER (1978) Mar. 29/08 MAN ON THE MOON (1999) CABLE GUY (1996) END OF COURSE