TCOM 466, Fall 2008

“Television and Film Criticism”
TCOM 466, Fall 2008
Tuesdays, 6-9 pm
Room: Olscamp 121
Bowling Green State University
office: 219B West Hall
office hours: Tue & Wed 2-4, or by appt.

Course Description:
This course explores a variety of critical frameworks, approaches, and theories on narrative, documentary and avant-garde films, video, and television productions. The class will discuss the function, content, and style of film and television as well as 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. Notification prior to a missed class will be viewed more favorably than simply not showing up.
  • 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, complete homework, and to participate in in-class discussions.
  • You are expected to type all assignments.
  • All films/videos viewed in class in your absence are your responsibility to watch.
  • 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 hope you also enjoy this class.

    • Grades:
    Research Paper – 20%
    Final Exam – 20%
    Homework & Quizzes – 20%
    Attendance & Participation – 40%
    You will receive a grade based on class attendance, punctuality, and attentiveness. Missing classes will result in a lower possible overall grade for the class.
    Missing no classes = ±100%, missing 1 class = ±92%, missing 2 classes = ±84%, missing 3 classes = ±76%, missing more endangers you for failing the course.

    Gish Film Theater:
    On September 16, October 14, October 21, and October 28 the class will meet during the screening of the “Tuesday At The Gish” film series at 7:30 – 9:30pm in the Gish Film Theater in Hanna Hall. These are mandatory class meetings.
    bgsu.edu/gish
    battlegroundstates.org/gish

    On-line Class Discussions:
    On September 30 and November 25, we will not meet as a traditional class. You are expected to participate in an online discussion on the BlackBoard/MyBGSU site for the course. Details will follow.

    Primary Text:
    (Purchase this new or used via the BGSU Bookstore, Amazon, etc., but you must have your own copy by next class)
    Belton, John. American Cinema/American Culture. 2nd Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004.

    Additional Texts:
    (You don’t need to purchase these, but you will be assigned readings from these books)
    Butler, Jeremy G. Television: Critical Methods and Applications. 3rd Ed. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 2006.
    Cook, David A. A History of Narrative Film. 4th Ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2004.
    Villarejo, Amy. Film Studies: The Basics. London: Routledge, 2007.
    (Others to be announced)

    E-Res :
    E-Res material can be accessed via the BGSU Library page or at https://reserve.bgsu.edu.
    The password is: 466F08CH45 (four six six F zero eight C H four five)

    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! Failing to cite sources and quotes 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 the MLA (Modern Language Assoc.) method of citation, but other citation methods are acceptable. You are required to adhere to the standards of whatever citation method you use and to stay consistent in its usage. All essays, projects, and other assignments must be accompanied by a “works cited” page.

    Any and all material handed in for a grade or homework credit must be of a collegiate level of professionalism. “E-mail standards” are not acceptable. Overly “familiar” language is not acceptable unless it is warranted by the assignment, topic, or method. All assignments must also be formatted correctly, consult your (MLA or other) style guide.

    Multiple page assignments, unstapled with the corners folded over to “attach” the pages are not acceptable and will not be accepted. Seriously.

    Spelling, sentence construction, and other aspects of writing quality will count. Running “spell check” is not enough—read what you’ve written before handing it in.

    You are strongly encouraged to use the writing center. In some situations, you may be required to visit the writing center.

    You may not cite Wikipedia in your essays. You may consult its references.

    You may use only “good” Internet sources. If you cannot identify an author, that should be a red flag. Who wrote the text on the page? Who controls/owns the page? Is the page “user generated?” Etc.

    Avoid citing movie reviews as opposed to criticism. Movie reviews usually just recap the plot of a film and contain little to no criticism.

    Always cite the film and/or television program. It is your primary source, especially in regards to plot, mise en scene, and most other filmic observations.

    You make not cite filmsite.org or Tim Dirks in your essays.

    IMDb.com is a good resource, but it does not count towards minimum sources requirement. Except in the most rare of situations, its stories, anecdotes, trivia, and “fun facts” should not be quoted.

    You may not use essay/research-helping sites as sources. If you think the material is questionable, avoid it.

    It is always better to ask and be right than to not ask and be wrong.

    Film titles should be italicized or underlined. (Never both.)

    Television series titles should be italicized or underlined. (Never both.)

    Television episode titles should appear in quotation marks.

    Short film titles can be italicized/underlined or in quotation marks. (Chose one and be consistent.)

    Song titles should appear in quotation marks.

    Tentative Schedule:
    AUG 26 — Early film experimentation/Introduction to course

    SEP 2 — Citizen Kane & the Language of Film
    Read: Belton, Chapters 1, 2 & 3
    Read: Cook, “Orson Welles and the Modern Sound Film” (e-Res)

    SEP 9 – Duck Soup
    Read: Belton, Chapters 4 & 8
    Read: Villarejo, “The Language of Film” (e-Res)

    SEP 16 — Broken Blossoms or The Yellow Man and the Girl
    Read: Belton, Chapter 5 & 6
    Due: Proposal
    GISH 7:30-9:30

    SEP 23 — Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
    Read: Belton, Chapters 12 & 14

    SEP 30 — Media(ted) research (Mandatory participation in online class discussion)
    Due: Introduction and Bibliography
    On-line class

    OCT 7 — Harold and Maude
    Read: Belton, Chapters 7 & 9

    OCT 14 — “NextFrame Film Festival”
    Read: T.B.A.
    GISH 7:30-9:30

    OCT 21 — Shadows of a Doubt
    Read: Belton, Chapters 10 & 15
    GISH 7:30-9:30

    OCT 28 — Plan 9 From Outer Space
    Due: First draft of research paper
    GISH 7:30-9:30

    NOV 4 — Television and Politics
    Read: Butler, Chapter 1 (e-Res)
    Read: Belton, 13

    NOV 11 — No Class: Veterans Day

    NOV 18 — Reality programming
    Read: Butler, Chapter 4 (on blackboard/MyBGSU)

    NOV 25 — The Internet (Mandatory participation in online class discussion)
    Read: Belton, Chapter 16
    On-line class

    DEC 2 — News & Sports
    Read: T.B.A.

    DEC 9 — Music and television & course review
    Read: T.B.A.
    Due: Final draft of research paper due

    DEC 16 — Final Exam