Reading Journal: Due on Nov 6th & Dec 18th

Write a 500- 800 word reading journal (typed, double-spaced, 12-point font, and 1” margins all around; refer to MLA format style; see https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/675/01/) focusing on assigned reading for the previous month (assignment for Nov 6^th to review readings till Week 4; Dec 18^th to review readings between Week 7-10). Don’t be overly concerned with grammar (although spell-check will be helpful!), but do put a lot of thinking into your reading journals since they will be key to fruitful discussions in class and even your final paper.

click READ MORE!!!

PDF files for Week 2 & 3's Lectures

[due to OS upgrading, I cannot use GoogleDrive for sharing at the moment...]
Cinema of Attractions

Download Link: http://pan.baidu.com/s/1o6JUmTG 
Password: v9at


Montage
Download Link: http://pan.baidu.com/s/1mgC6KFQ
Password: v4ey

Readings on Montage & Discussion Session on 2 Films

Film 1) Battleship Potemkin, Dir. Sergei Eisenstein, 1925

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNT6xyopdBs

Film 2) Man with a Movie Camera, Dir. Dziga Vertov, 1929 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zeCdQJcA88

NOTE: NO in-class screenings (both available at YouTube with English subtitle)

But hope you do review

DB&KT “the Relation of Shot to Shot: Editing”, Film Art: and Introduction (7^th Edition), University Of Wisconsin Press, 2003, p294-344

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readings for Week 3

Required Reading:

Gunning, Tom. “The Cinema of Attraction: Early Film, Its Spectator and the Avant-Garde”, Wide Angle, Vol.8, Issue 3-4, p 63-70

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1iCIatGj0eLT0RRU1V1d0U1NEE/view?usp=sharing

“Attraction”, the Routeledge Encyclopedia of Film Theory, eds. Edward Branigan & Warren Buckland, Routledge, 2014, p 45-49

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1iCIatGj0eLRWZ3bEppVi1Hd2c/view?usp=sharing

Reference Reading:

Musser, Charles. “Rethinking Early Cinema: Cinema of Attractions and Narrativity”, The Cinema of Attractions Reloaded, eds. Wanda Strauven, Amsterdam University Press, 2006, p389-416 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1iCIatGj0eLcGpvbUZDYVFFVXM/view?usp=sharing

READINGS the Basics to Film Studies & Discussion Session

Dear all,

The readings are not that intimidating actually; and hope you could enjoy at least reading the one by David Bordwell & Kristin Thompson, esp the one on mise-en-scene ; )
[update from Ran: the DB pdf are re-scanned!!! pls download the current version!!!!!]

See you next week!

cheers
Ran

Film Studies: the Basics

Dear all,

Villarejo, Amy. Film Studies: the Basics, Routledge, 2^nd edition, 2013

You could download ITS FIRST EDITION from here; please do not circulate it beyond the use for academics

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1iCIatGj0eLN29wWWNFRENKdVk/edit?usp=sharing




Cheers
Ran

temporary syllabus (may subject to change)

FALL 2014: CRITICAL FILM ANALYSIS

Lecturer:                MA Ran (maran@lit.nagoya-u.ac.jp)

Class:                     Thursdays 10:30~12:00

Place:                     School of Letters, Lecture Room 131

Office Hour: School of Letters, Rm. 224, appointment by email

Course Blog: http://nu2014cfa.blogspot.jp/

[readings and other course-related materials, notifications would be updated at the course blog]

This course is designed to engage students with vital research perspectives in film studies on theory, method and analysis. Building upon the study of a body of world films, we would navigate the students through several crucial strands of film theories and help to cultivate the students’ ability in applying theories in appropriate contexts to facilitate the film analysis. Film theories we would cover shall include but are not limited to classical/post-classical narrative, thematic and auteur criticism, genre, psychoanalysis, gender studies, new media theory and so forth.

Evaluation:

30% Attendance & contribution to class discussion/presentation

30% Reading Journal Assignment (x2)

10% In-class Quiz

30% Final Paper

Course Assignments:

Reading Journal Assignment:  Due on Nov. 6^th / Dec 18^th

For each month between October to December, students are expected to submit one reading journal assignment reflecting upon their reading progress in the previous month. They are required to review, evaluate and even critique concepts and arguments by referring to both the required and reference readings (from the previous month) and write a 500~800 word journal; further relevant analysis of film shots/scenes/aesthetics/styles etc. will be encouraged but not a must. Details will be offered later in class.  

Final Paper: Due on Feb 2^nd 1,000~1,500 words. (If you wish, you can go over the word limit.)

Please engage with at least two readings or texts from the required or supplementary reading/viewing lists. It should include a bibliography and use the MLA citation style. Topic of the paper followed by one paragraph of justification and two essay references should be submitted and discussed on Jan 22 at the essay workshop.

Note on Plagiarism:

Plagiarism: A writer who presents the ideas of words of another as if they were the writer’s own (that is, without proper citation) commits plagiarism. Plagiarism is not tolerable in this course or at Nagoya University. You should avoid making quotes or drawing on figures from nowhere—you must provide sources of reference for quotation and/or citations you use in the paper. This applies to images and media clips as well. Failure to observe this would risk being charged of plagiarism. In this University, plagiarism is a disciplinary offence. Any student who commits the offence is liable to disciplinary action.