Writing about Film
English 317/Film Studies 317, Fall 2007
Instructor: Dr. Nicholas Laudadio
Office: Morton 135
Office Hours: TBA, and by appt.
E-mail: laudadion@uncw.edu
http://people.uncw.edu/laudadion/

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, 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 reserves available through the online course schedule in pdf or txt format.
• Corrigan, Timothy. A Short Guide to Writing About Film. 6th edition. Pearson Longman, 2003.
• Quirke, Antonia. Jaws. (BFI Modern Classics). British Film Institute, 2002.
These books are available from the university bookstore, but feel free to buy them used from amazon, ebay, or bookfinder.com if you would prefer. Just make sure your copy of the Corrigan book is the 6th edition and make sure you have all your books by the time we discuss them.

Supplies
• Folder with pockets for your journal entries and essays/reviews; paper for taking notes; drive 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.

Film Screenings
As you might expect, nearly every other week (when class is scheduled, not over the holidays) you will be watching a film. I will always have these films on reserve in the library, but given that the books for this course are inexpensive and much of your reading is online, I would recommend that you either buy as many of the films as you can (as most can be found on amazon.com for under $15 and this will help take the pressure off the library reserve) or, more rewardingly, get a Netflix membership for the semester. But however you watch the film, realize that you MUST WATCH THE FILM BY THE DATE IT IS LISTED ON THE SYLLABUS, NOT AFTER. I will be giving film quizzes to assure that this is the case. If you plan on buying films, do so as soon as possible to allow time for shipping, etc.

Class Requirements and Assignments
• You will be required to maintain a journal (see below), write two major papers (5-7pgs) and three "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.
• I do not guarantee acceptance of late assignments without notification before the due date. When accepted, all 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.)
• When you turn in your final essay at the end of the semester, you must also turn in all your journals, your drafts, and every graded paper you turned in this semester--all organized chronologically in your folder.
• Regarding the above requirements: no exceptions.

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. This semester you will be writing eight 500 word journal entries that discuss/analyze/criticize/meditate on either the film you’ve watched or a review/article you’ve read. Mostly, I will assign specific writing topics for your journal, but occasionally 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. On days when you do not have a response due, I still expect you to bring in a (preferably) written idea or question relavent to the text under discussion.
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 (25%), midterm essay (20%), Three shorter essays (30%)
Film journal responses: (15%) (all work must be in order, titled, dated, and typed).
Participation: includes group work, film quizzes, class participation, attendance, and general attitude (10%)
In-Class Grades
A 95; A/A- 93; A- 91; A-/B+ 89; B+ 88; B+/B 87; B 85; B/B- 83; B- 81; B-/C+ 79
C+ 78; C+/C 77; C 75; C/C- 73; C- 71
Final Reporting Grades
A 94-; A- 90-93; B+ 87-89; B 84-86; B- 80-83; C+ 77-79; C 74-76; C- 70-73

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 and you CAN and WILL fail if you do not show up.
• If you miss more than one class, you must contact me in person; otherwise, I will assume you have dropped the class.
• 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.

Lateness
If you are late to class two times (that is, if you come in after I have taken attendance), you will receive one absence. If you are late, please make sure that I have marked you present. If you find that parking is a problem on the first day (and it almost always is) come earlier.

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
Unfortunately, I am too often forced to fail a student for turning in a plagiarized paper. Do not be this person, as it is a terrible experience for everyone involved.

As a reminder: 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.

For more information on the university's Honor Code, see http://www.uncw.edu/policies/documents/03.100_Academic_Honor_Code_final_071905.pdf

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.

Disabilities
If you have a disability and need reasonable accommodation, you should inform me of this fact in writing within the first week of class. If you have not already done so, you must register with the Office of Disability Services in Westside Hall (extension 3746) and obtain a copy of your Accommodation Letter. You should then schedule an appointment with me to make mutually agreeable arrangements based on the recommendations in your letter.