ClassInfo

DC 110 Foundations of Cinema for Majors

Ronald Eltanal

Office: CDM 501
Fall 2015-2016
Class number: 11706
Section number: 404
Th 1:30PM - 4:45PM
14EAS 00214 Loop Campus

Summary

This course deals with visualization and cinema literacy skills. Drawing heavily on a wide array of historical examples, the course will examine the many expressive strategies potentially usable in the creation of moving image art forms: image construction and manipulation, editing, composition, sound, narrative, and performance. An emphasis will be placed on story and storytelling. In addition to analyzing the works of others, students will also produce their own projects - putting theory into practice. Prerequisite(s): None



Texts

REQUIRED:
Film Art: An Introduction with Tutorial CD-ROM, 10th edition
Bordwell & Thompson


Grading

Class Participation 10%
Reading Quizzes 20%
One Shot Film 15%
Revised Screen Story 10%
Still Assignment 10%
Photomontage Rough Cut 10%
Photomontage Final Cut
Final Paper 15%

Grading Scale
A: 93-100, A-: 90-92, B+: 87-89, B: 83-86, B-: 80-82, C+: 77-79, C: 73-76, C-: 70-72, D+: 67-69, D: 63-66, D-: 60-62


Prerequisites

None


Course Objectives

To shift perspective from a consumer of cinema to a maker of cinema.
To analyze cinematic texts in terms of image, sound, and story.
To develop the ability to judge the aesthetics of cinema, using the language and jargon of filmmakers.
To incorporate this mode of analyzing and seeing cinema into one's own creative work.


Course Assignments and Attendance

Attendance Each week?s class consists of lectures, screenings and equipment workshops. Since this is primarily a hands-on class, attendance is mandatory. An absence is counted as not showing up for class or showing up 30 minutes or more late for class. Each student is allowed one absence. All subsequent absences will result in a grade reduction equal to one-third of a letter grade (for example, from an A to an A-). Assignments Assignments are due the week after they are assigned, unless otherwise indicated on the syllabus. Reading Quizzes: Short quizzes on previously assigned reading will confirm that reading is done and ready to be discussed. Screen Story and Storyboards: Students will write a story for the screen that can be told without dialogue. Storyboards of the story will be created (a minimum of three shots must be storyboarded). The filmed version should run between 3 to 5 minutes. Revised Screen Story: Students will revise their screen stories, based on comments from peers. One-Shot Film: Students will make a film with no cuts, running between 30 seconds to 1 minute. Photomontage: Incorporate originally shot still pictures (stills not shot by you and/or not shot for this project originally will not be accepted, such as copyrighted images or vacation selfies) to tell a story, editing them together using appropriate sounds and music in the final edited piece. This photomontage should run between 1 and 2 minutes. Final Project: In a group of two or three students, create a short film based on your screen story. The total running time should be between 3 and 5 minutes. Six major crew positions (director, producer, cinematographer, production designer, sound designer/recordist and editor) will be divided between the group members. A minimum of three shots must be edited in the film. Complete sound design including music, effects and ambiences is mandatory. Dialogue or voice-over is not allowed. Film Analysis Paper: Students will write a 3-5-page paper analyzing the aesthetic elements of a selected film.


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