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“Television and Film Criticism”
TCOM 466, BGSU, Fall 2007

Course Description:
This course explores critical frameworks, approaches, and theories of theatrical, documentary and avant-garde films, video, and television productions. The class will discuss the function, content, and style of film and television criticism from a technical perspective as well as looking a film/television program’s cultural significance in a historical perspective. We will view media as both expressions of contemporaneous times and as lenses with which to view the past. There will be an emphasis on film and TV’s relationships with the larger cultural framework surrounding its production and consumption as well as the analysis of a film/TV program’s aesthetics.

Course Expectations & Goals:

• You are expected to be in every class throughout the semester. This class meets only once a week; therefore one missed class is like missing 6% of the course. You are only allowed one absence throughout the semester, but you are responsible for all material covered. Notification prior to a missed class will be viewed more favorably than simply not showing up. Missing more than one class will result in the lowering of your grade by 6% for each additional class missed.
• You are expected to be on time to class. Recurring lateness will not be tolerated.
• You are expected to have read all assigned readings prior to class and to participate in in-class discussions. Please prepare questions and topics pertinent to the week’s topic(s) prior to class.
• You are expected to type and hand in a weekly summary/précis of all reading assignments.
• All films/videos viewed in class in your absence are your responsibility to watch (don’t miss class). But… You are not expected to have seen all or any of the films or television programs viewed or discussed in class or the readings prior to the course.
• At the end of the course, you will have a better understanding of film and television scholarship and criticism. You will also have gained a great deal of experience in scholarly writing on the topics of film, television, media, and culture. I do hope that you also enjoy this class

Grades:

• “Classic Cinema” Research Paper 15% (September 26)
• Midterm Exam 15% (October 24)
• Group Project/Presentation 15% (December 5)
• Final Exam 20% (December 12)
• Homework 15%
• Attendance & Participation 20%

Primary Texts:

• Belton, John. American Cinema/American Culture. 2 nd Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004.
• Butler, Jeremy G. Television: Critical Methods and Applications. 3rd Ed. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc., 2006.
• Villarejo, Amy. Film Studies: The Basics. London: Routledge, 2007.

(Additional readings will be made available via E-Res or hand-outs.)

Plagiarism & Academic Honesty:
It should go without saying, but plagiarism and academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Any situation involving plagiarism, academic dishonesty, or cheating will result in a report to the University and the situation will be handled accordingly. It’s not worth it! All essays, projects, and other assignments must be accompanied by a “work cited” page, and you will be expected to cite all references, concepts, quotations, etc. in your work. Failing to do so is considered plagiarism. Consult your student handbook for more information on plagiarism and academic honesty.

Citation Methods & Quality of Writing:

• All researched material must be cited. I prefer to use the MLA (Modern Language Assoc.)method of citation, but other citation methods are acceptable. You are required to adhere to thestandards of whatever citation method you use and to stay consistent in its usage.
• All essays,projects, and other assignments must be accompanied by a “work cited” page.
• Any and all material handed in for a grade or homework credit must be of a collegiate level ofprofessionalism. “E-mail standards” are not acceptable. Overly “familiar” language is notacceptable unless it is warranted by the assignment, topic, or method.
• Multiple page assignments, unstapled with the corners folded over to “attach” the pages arenot acceptable and will not be accepted.
• Spelling, sentence construction, and other aspects of writing quality will count.
• Running “spellcheck” is not enough—read what you’ve written before handing it in.
• Use the writing center!
• You may not cite Wikipedia in your essays.
• You make not cite filmsite.org or Tim Dirks in your essays.
• IMDb.com is a good resource, but it does not count towards your minimum sourcesrequirement.
• You may not use essay/research-helping sites as sources.
• If you think the material isquestionable, avoid it.

Midterm and Final Exams:
The midterm exam will be an essay-based, in-class exam covering the first half of the course.
The final exam will be a comprehensive essay-based, in-class exam covering the entire course.

“Classic Cinema” Research Paper:
This research paper is a 7-10 page essay on one “great” film included in the American Film Institute’s “100 Years…100 Movies” list. All film choices must be submitted for approval prior to the paper’s completion. You are responsible for viewing the film in your own time. Using the class texts as well as outside reviews, scholarship, documentary, and other material, you will analyze the film’s reception, production, “message,” and cultural/industry/creative significance. Typed, double-spaced, 7-10 pages, include citations. You will be provided a more detailed assignment sheet along with the list.

Group Project:
The final project will be one of your own design (with Instructor approval). In groups of 2-4, you will further explore an aspect of television and/or film criticism covered in class discussions or in the readings. These topics may include, but are not limited to, narrative, genre, style, race, gender, fame, class, and consumption/business of a specific film, television program/series, news event, or era. All topics must be submitted for Instructor approval. The project may take the form of a co-authored paper, a video, or performance. All presentations must include an in-class presentation and a written component of some sort.

Reading Assignments and Weekly Responses:
As already stated, you are expected to do all of the reading. Every week that there is a reading assignment, you will hand in a 1-2 page response/précis on the reading assignments. Use this response to provide a brief synopsis of the topics covered, a list of the films/television/events discussed, and a critical answer to issues. Please include two questions/quandaries with each response essay. Typed, double-spaced, 1-2 pages, include citations.

Tentative Schedule (subject to change):
Section 1: EARLY 20th CENTURY MEDIA (1890-1930)

• 8/22 – “Introduction to Course / The Inventions of Electronic Media”
• 8/29 – “Early Media Experimentation Begets Early Criticism” – Read: Villaejo, Chapters 1-2
• 9/5 – “Science to Entertainment to Business” – Read: Villarejo, Chapters 3-5

Section 2: THE CINEMA (1940-1960)

• 9/12 – “The Emergence of the Cinema” – Read: Belton, Chapters 1-4 – Due: “Classic Cinema” Research Paper Proposal
• 9/19 – “Genre and Hollywood” – Read: Belton, Chapters 6-9
• 9/26 – “The ‘Great’ Movies” – Due: “Classic Cinema” Research Paper

Section 3: THE TELEVISION (1960-1990)

• 10/3 – “Movies in the Living Room” – Read: Butler, Preface & Chapters 1-4
• 10/10 – “War in the Living Room” – Read: Butler, Chapters 5-9
• 10/17 – “Diversity in the Living Room” – Read: Butler, Chapters 10-12
• 10/24 – Midterm Exam

Section 4: REALITY, TRAGEDY, THE MACABRE

• 10/31 – “Horror, the Macabre, Spectacle, and the Cold War” – Read: Belton, Chapters 11-12 & TBA
• 11/7 – “JFK, Vietnam, 9/11, Columbine, Virginia Tech, & Budd Dwyer” – Read: Belton, Chapter 13 & TBA – Due: Group Project Proposal
• 11/14 – “Talk shows, reality television, scandal, gossip, & OJ Simpson” – Read: Belton, Chapters 14-15 & TBA

Section 5: SCHOLARSHIP & FARCE

• 11/28 – “Film Scholarship in Academics” – Read: Villarejo, Chapter 6 & TBA
• 12/5 – “Farce and Comedy / Course Review” – Read: TBA
• 12/12 – Final Exam – Due: Final Project