Writing about Film
English 292-001/FST 369-002, Spring 2004
TR, 9:30-10:45 in MO 101
Instructor: N. Laudadio
Office: Randall 2013
Office Hours:
E-mail: laudadion@uncw.edu

Course Description
In this course we will begin with the basics of film language/terminology and then move through several different genres of film writing: reviews, critical essays, personal analysis, treatments, screenplays, etc. We will discuss the mechanics of and practice writing in most of these formats, but there will be a particular focus on the critical/analytical essay and film review. While much of this class concerns itself with film studies and history, it is at heart (and in practice) a writing course, and therefore a writing intensive course.

Required texts
• Course packet available from your instructor.
• Corrigan, Timothy. A Short Guide to Writing About Film. 5th edition. Pearson Longman, 2003.
• Bukatman, Scott. Blade Runner (BFI Modern Classics). British Film Institute, 1998.
These books are available from the university bookstore as well as the Seahawk bookstore, but feel free to buy them used from amazon.com or bookfinder.com if you would prefer. Just make sure your copy of the Corrigan book is the 5th edition and make sure you have all your books by the time we discuss them.

Supplies
• Three-ring binder with pockets for your journal entries and essays/reviews; paper for taking notes; disk for backing up your computer work.
• Save all writing you do this semester in at least two locations (i.e on disk and in hard copy). Keep all work that I hand back to you in your journal.
NB: Always save repeatedly and backup regularly as important documents have a tendency to disappear and crashes/losses are not an acceptable excuse for late/missing assignments.

Screenings
As you might expect, each week (when class is scheduled, not over the holidays) you will be watching a film. Occasionally I will have a film on reserve that you will be required to watch (it will be listed in the schedule) or I might suggest a film from a series on (or off) campus that we'll be talking about in class. Most often the films you watch will be yours to choose (the primary requirement here is that it is not a film you are watching in another class; however, you should vary your selections a bit. In other words, you don’t want to spend the entire semester watching Westerns). If, on occasion, there is nothing playing and you have no idea what to rent/check out, I have made up a list of films that make good fodder for discussion. These are available on here. Also, make sure you check out the great selection of films in Randall Library (they also have viewing stations for those of you without any viewing equipment at home).

Class requirements and assignments
• You will be required to maintain a film journal (see below), write two major papers (5-7pgs) and four reviews (1500 wds), participate in class discussions, and attend class regularly (see attendance policy below).
• Each assignment (including journal entries) should be typed in a standard 10 or 12 point serifed font (Times or Times New Roman) in MLA style (refer to the website for more info). Hand in all versions of the paper with your final drafts.
• Late assignments will be reduced by one-third of a grade per class day. (Absence from class on the date due (as well as computer problems) does not excuse the lateness of your assignment.)

Journals
Basically there are three major components of this course: reading, writing, and watching. The place where all of these things intersect in the most obvious way is in your film journal. Each week, you will be writing two 500 word journal entries that discuss/analyze/criticize/meditate on either a film you’ve watched or a review/article you’ve read. Occasionally I will assign specific writing topics for your journal that will take the place of these more open-ended entries, but most of the time it will be UP TO YOU to come up with topics—I won’t be reminding you. These entries will be graded at various times through the semester and you will sometimes be called on to read them aloud in class.
NB: Your journal entries should NOT be the sort that begin "This review was really good/bad..." or "I really love/hate this movie because..." You need to center your discussion on tangible and specific aspects of the film/article you are discussing, not on your emotions. When you “run out of things to say,” you’re probably not being specific enough. Since these entries are short, don’t try to tackle the entire film; rather, spend time on specific moments/scenes.

Breakdown of grades
Final essay (30%), midterm essay (20%), Four reviews (20%)
Film journal responses: (20%) (all work must be in order, titled, dated, and typed).
Participation: includes group work, class participation, attendance, and general attitude (10%)

Attendance
You are allowed to miss two classes before you are penalized. Use these wisely (i.e. save them for when you are really sick). After three missed classes, your participation grade drops a level. After four missed classes, your final grade drops by a third. After five missed classes, you will receive a failing grade. The class depends upon your presence.
• If you miss more than one class, you must contact me either by e-mailing me or by calling; otherwise, I will assume you have dropped the class. I encourage you to contact me by e-mail if you miss only one class. You will also want to get notes from another student.
• Do not schedule meetings with your advisor, doctor’s appointments or anything else during this class time. (Having a doctor’s note does not gain you a “free” absence.)
• Don’t leave class early.

Tardies
If you are more than several minutes late to class three times, you will receive one absence. It is essential that you be on time.

Incompletes
The incomplete grade may be given only to students who have 1) fulfilled the attendance requirement for the course and 2) completed all but one of the written assignments.

Academic Dishonesty
Plagiarism is using another person’s words (even just a few words and even if they are from some old website) and/or ideas as if they were your own. To avoid plagiarism, simply put the material you have taken in quotation marks and cite the person’s name and publication information in your paper. Please note that turning in an assignment that you wrote for another class also falls under the heading of academic dishonesty and is prohibited. If you turn in any such assignments, you will receive an “F” for the course and I will notify the Dean.

Writer’s Block
Feel free to stop in during office hours for any reason; as paper time draws near, you’ll probably want to schedule an appointment if you’re desperate for additional feedback. Please do not wait until the last minute to do so; I cannot (as you can probably imagine) schedule time for very many students two days before the deadline. If you need additional assistance on your paper draft beyond this meeting, please seek out the Writing Place; the staff are there to provide feedback on papers. (Please keep in mind, however, that merely having someone on the staff read your paper does not ensure you a higher grade. http://www.uncw.edu/stuaff/writingplace/ 962-7155 (appointments are recommended) Hours: M-Th 10-9; Friday 10-3; Sun 6 p.m.-9 p.m.