ClassInfo

DC 250 The Art of Screen Acting

Patrick Wimp

Spring 2012-2013
Class number: 35193
Section number: 610
-
Online Campus

Summary

This course will examine the role of acting, actors, and actor-director collaboration in the development of narrative cinema. The screen demanded a new approach to acting that differed markedly from the theatrical traditions that preceded it. Seminal practitioners of actor training such as Constantin Stanislavski and his American interpreters Lee Strasberg, Sanford Meisner, and Stella Adler and their students (such as Brando, Pacino, DeNiro, Hoffman, and Duvall) have had an incalculable influence on how screen actors prepare for a role and work with directors. This course will survey the major acting techniques and approaches, examine major films as case studies, and explore contemporary approaches to screen acting and actor-director collaboration in the cinema. This course carries Liberal Studies Arts and Literature Domain Credit.



Texts

Required Text:

Acting:The Basics by Bella Merlin

Suggested Text:

Playing to the Camera: Film Actors Discuss Their Craft, Cardullo, et al, editors.


Grading

Assignments and Grading Scale:

Additional regarding assignment requirements and expectations will be provided in class and/or posted on COLWeb.

ASSIGNMENTS:

Short Essay Responses & Quizzes - 20%
Midterm - 20%
Acting Exercises - 20%
Final Paper - 20%
Participation, Attendance, and Preparation - 20%


A = 100-93, A- = 92-90, B+ = 89-88, B = 87-83, B- = 82-80, C+ = 79-78, C = 77-73, C- = 72-70, D+ = 69-68, D = 67-63, D- = 62-60, F = 59-0.

A indicates excellence, B indicates good work, C indicates satisfactory work, D indicates unsatisfactory work, and F is a failure to demonstrate an understanding of course concepts.


Course Requirements and Policies

This will be a challenging and intensive course. If you give it your full commitment you will learn a great deal about acting, directing, cinema, and the creative potential of cinematic storytelling and also have fun in the process. Here is what I will expect from you:

1. Get to class on time.
2. Come to class prepared and complete readings in advance.
3. Participate in all in-class activities and discussions.
4. Respect one another.
5. Do not interact with any electronic devices during class without prior permission.
6. Do not consume food and beverages during class, other than hydration from a water bottle.
7. Be open to challenging and different ideas and points of view.
8. Share your honest opinions but also be prepared to justify and analyze them.
9. Commit yourself fully to the projects and assignments.
10. Learn the art of collaboration with your peers.
11. Keep all appointments.
12. In cases of emergency, follow up with me as soon as possible.

ATTENDANCE and LATENESS POLICY:

Because this course is scheduled to meet only once a week for over 3 hours, each session will be broken into two parts. We will break for between 10-15 minutes approximately mid-way through the session. Roll will be called (or a roll sheet passed around) twice: at the beginning of the class and after the break. I will inform you of the time we will resume. It is your responsibility to be back in class by that appointed time.

Each time you are not present during roll or when the roll sheet is passed around, you will receive a half-absence. Each student will be allowed one full absence (or two half-absences) during the quarter with no negative impact on his or her grade. All subsequent absences will result in a grade reduction of 10 points for a full absence and 5 points for each half-absence. deducted from your participation grade. However, any student who has perfect attendance at the end of the term will receive 5 points added to his or her participation grade.

Being absent is designated as not showing up for class, showing up after roll has been called, or leaving class while class is still in session. Please take care of personal needs before class begins, during the break, or after class. If attendance and lateness are not problematic issues in the class (as I hope will be the case), and it is clear that all are present, I may dispense with roll and/or sign-in sheets at that time.

Assignments and Exercises: Assignments must be completed by the date they are due. Consequently, late work will not be accepted without prior consent of the instructor. Late work, if accepted, will be marked down significantly and under no circumstances will late work ever be accepted more than one week past due.

Examinations: Students who do not take exams during the regularly scheduled time will receive a failing grade for exams unless they have contacted the instructor in advance to arrange for a make-up exam.


Brief Overview of Major Assignments

Note: Additional information regarding assignment requirements and expectations will be provided in class and/or posted on COLWeb.

Essay Responses - These will be short 1 page essay responses to questions related to readings, lectures, films or film clips which we screen in class. You may need to review the film clips outside of class or view additional materials, which will be made available to you. The questions may provided online through COLWeb. Please note: These assignments will by due online at 11:59pm the NIGHT BEFORE CLASS (Monday night.)

Midterm Exam - A Written Exam testing your grasp of concepts and materials covered during the first half of the quarter.

Final Paper - More details will be provided in class and on COL Web. However, paper must be between 8 ? 10 pages double-?‐spaced. You should prepare a bibliography of at least 5 text sources. In addition, online video interviews with your subjects may be important sources for your research. Your paper should have a clear thesis that is supported by your research. Choose one of the major citation styles (MLA, APA, Harvard, or Chicago) and remain consistent throughout your paper.

Participation, Attendance and Preparation - A large portion of this class will be a collaborative exploration of what it means to be an actor through interactive exercises and games. Similarly, we will spend a significant amount of time watching and analyzing films in order to discuss the acting and directing techniques used. As such, active participation and rigorous attendance are mandatory. Active participation means talking, interacting, collaboration and providing input. As you can imagine, if you aren?t attending class you can?t be an active participant.


School policies:

Changes to Syllabus

This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.

Online Course Evaluations

Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation. Students complete the evaluation online in CampusConnect.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/ If you have any questions be sure to consult with your professor.

All students are expected to abide by the University's Academic Integrity Policy which prohibits cheating and other misconduct in student coursework. Publicly sharing or posting online any prior or current materials from this course (including exam questions or answers), is considered to be providing unauthorized assistance prohibited by the policy. Both students who share/post and students who access or use such materials are considered to be cheating under the Policy and will be subject to sanctions for violations of Academic Integrity.

Academic Policies

All students are required to manage their class schedules each term in accordance with the deadlines for enrolling and withdrawing as indicated in the University Academic Calendar. Information on enrollment, withdrawal, grading and incompletes can be found at http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/Current%20Students/Pages/PoliciesandProcedures.aspx.

Students with Disabilities

Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential.
To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that you have contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at:
Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd.
Phone number: (312)362-8002
Fax: (312)362-6544
TTY: (773)325.7296