Wednesday, April 18, 2012
A Clockwork Orange
When I read the description of A Clockwork Orange, I was definitely interested to see how a movie like this would play out. It was definitely weirder than I expected it to be, but I was surprised at how interesting it was, especially the second half when all the psychological parts started showing up. The way that the movie was put together was pretty genius for how I think the director and writer wanted to get the ideas of the movie across to the audience. Some of the scenes were hard to watch, and it was definitely pretty disturbing, but it was one of those movies where, even though what you are seeing is disturbing, the meaning behind what's going on is incredible, whatever it is that you might be taking from it. A Clockwork Orange is definitely one of those movies you don't forget. I really felt like I was in this "future Britain" when I was watching it. I know that the graphics of the rapes etc made it more extreme, but I wish that there was some way around all of that so that it would be easier to watch for myself. The main character Alex really did a fantastic job. The way he played the part of the charismatic psychopath was really cool to see.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
MID-TERM EXAM
Turn this in during the first class after Spring Break. No emails or postings on this one. Come to class with a printed copy.
I'm not looking for full papers on each question, but answers should have some depth. The more complete you are, the better. Examples from our assigned or in-class viewings are a plus; outside examples, even more so.
- Film editing is sometimes called the “invisible art”. What does this mean and how did it come about?
- Early Russian filmmakers stood in contrast to this idea. Who were they and what did they do differently?
- Cinema is often referred to as having a “language” or a “grammar”. What is meant by this? Please cite examples.
- The concepts of “montage” and “mis en scene” are components of cinematic style. What are they and how are they used?
- A film is made three times. What is meant by this statement?
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Sweeney Todd Musical
Sweeney Todd
Sweeney Todd is about a barber who was banished from London for fifteen
years because of a jealous judge. However, Mr. Todd has come back after all
this time and seeks revenge with the help of Mrs. Lovett and her failing pie shop. He goes on a killing
spree slicing his way to the judge and disposes of the bodies through a trap
door that goes downstairs to the pie shop where Mrs. Lovett makes her meat
pies. Inevitably, Todd gets his revenge on the judge and finds out his
beautiful wife is not dead a second too late. He kills her thinking she is an
intruder and is then quickly slain by a boy who had escaped his silver razor.
Overall
this musical was very dark, not just the actual cinematography but the whole
story itself. It is very different from the majority of musicals I’ve seen
which have been very upbeat and poppy. The way the musical was shot was also
different. The entire movie’s imagery is lifeless with just shadows and dull
gray except for the blood, which is highlighted throughout the movie. We see an
ample amount of heinous crimes such as; murder, rape, and cannibalism making
the film very dark.
In my opinion the actual singing itself was very amateur. They had big
names like Johnny Depp, Alan Rickman, etc. who are all great actors, but are
certainly not known for their singing abilities! The songs in the very
beginning of the movie were a good way to give us some background knowledge of
the character and his previous life in London. The lyrics to the songs were
very well written and helped tell the story of the psychopathic barber and his
insidious agenda.
Friday, February 10, 2012
JACK CARDIFF - CINEMATOGRAPHER
Here is the trailer for a documentary on Jack Cardiff, the Academy Award winning cinematographer who shot this weeks home viewing selection, "Black Narcissus".
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
LUMIERE BROTHERS - 1895
One of the earliest films and typical of its type, it is a single shot of a scene from daily life.
GERORES MELIES - 1899
This early film by the man celebrated in Martin Scorsese's "Hugo" was hand tinted one frame at a time.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
SYLLABUS - SPRING 2012
Elements of Film
Spring 2012
Tom Hammond
This course is an introduction to film analysis and criticism. Being able to identify and interpret the various components of a film is vital to understanding the most important and influential art form of the last century and this one as well. We will watch films and clips in class. You will be assigned feature-length films to watch as homework as well as readings from the required text. There will be a class blog for you to participate in and an individual project.
Class Blog: http://filmelements.blogspot.com. You will be invited to post on this website.
Instructors Contact Information – phone: 813-900-4759, email: hammontm@eckerd.edu
Face to face meetings can be arranged before or after class.
Required Text:
Louis Giannetti, “Understanding Movies”
Netflix – A monthly subscription is a good idea for the semester. All assigned movies are “streamable” on Netflix. It costs $8 per month and the first month is usually free. You can obtain all the films at the library, but availability might be a problem with 25 students and a limited number of copies on hand. You can rent or buy, but Netflix is easily the most convenient and affordable method. If you subscribe for an extra $7, you can receive the films by mail as well as streaming. Turnaround is 2-3 days.
Course Requirements and Grading:
• Attendance & Participation - 20% of grade
• Quizzes on Viewing Assignments - 20% of grade
• Midterm & Final Exam - 40% of grade
• Final Project - 20% of grade
Attendance & Participation – Every class covers a component of film history, theory and criticism vital to your overall understanding of the subject. If you can’t avoid missing a class, let me know in advance. Any pattern of absence or chronic lateness will be noted and will adversely impact your final grade.
I encourage you to speak up in class and generate discussion. Film clips pertaining to our area of study for the week are welcome. Please feel free to bring them in.
The Class Blog – You will be invited to author on the blog. You can make comments on existing posts, post photos, videos or your own writing. You can add links and suggested readings and viewings as well. The Blog is a component of participation. Contributing to it will generate interest in the class and good grades for you.
Quizzes – There will be four quizzes given during the course. They will be at random and will cover the home viewing assignments. The questions will be general and not analytical. They are designed to determine if you have watched the film. There will be no make-ups. This is another good reason to watch the assigned movies and show up for class.
Mid-Term & Final Exams – You are responsible for the information presented in class, the content of the assigned readings, and being familiar with class and required viewings. The exams will be a combination of objective and short essay questions.
Final Project – Prepare a research article with photos and film clips and post it to the blog. It should cover an aspect of cinema from its origins to the present day. This will be treated as a work in progress during the course of the semester and you will submit your materials in three stages.
1. A Proposal due the fourth week of class.
2. Assembled materials and writing-to-date due the tenth week of class.
3. Publication (posting to the blog) during the final week of class.
Extra Credit – You can keep a journal of films you view outside the requirements of class. You should choose from movies that are mentioned or illustrated in the text book. Write a paragraph or more for each entry explaining how this film relates to the subjects we are studying in class along with a personal opinion. Turn in your work before the end of the semester in organized and printed form.
Academic Integrity – If you use an idea from another source, you can quote it or paraphrase it, but please CITE IT. Failure to do so will be a violation of the Honor Code.
The Eckerd College Honor Code: “On my honor, as an Eckerd College student, I pledge not to lie, cheat or steal, nor to tolerate these behaviors in others.”
To affirm this, you will write, “Pledged” followed by your signature on all assignments, papers and exams.
Assignment Schedule:
• All readings are chapters in the required text, “Understanding Movies” by Louis Gannetti.
• Assigned Viewings are films you are required to see outside of class (all “streamable” on Netflix).
• In class we will watch feature films, scenes and clips from various movies and documentary material on filmmaking. Much of this will also be posted on the Blog for your further study.
Week 1: Introduction
Introduction of students and professor
Review of syllabus
In-class viewing: “Citizen Kane”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 1
Week 2: Photography
Lecture: Cinematography
In-class viewing: “Visions of Light”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 2
Assigned viewing: “Black Narcissus”
Week 3: Mise en Scene
Lecture: Mise en Scene
In-class viewing: “I Walked With a Zombie”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 3
Assigned viewing: “The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari” (1920)
Week 4: Movement - PROJECT PROPOSAL DUE
Lecture: Cinematic Movement
In-class viewing: “Kung Fu Hustle”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 4
Assigned viewing: “13 Assassins”
Week 5: Editing
Lecture: Film Editing
In-class viewing: “The Cutting Edge”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 5
Assigned Viewing: “Raging Bull”
Week 6: Sound
Lecture: Film Sound
In-class viewing: “Singin’ in the Rain”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 6
Assigned viewing: “A Hard Day’s Night”
Week 7: Acting – MIDTERM EXAM
Lecture: Film Acting
In-class viewing: “On the Waterfront”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 7
Assigned viewing: “About Schmidt”
Week 8: Drama
Lecture: Drama
In-class viewing: “The Set-Up”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 8
Assigned viewing: “All About Eve”
Week 9: Story
Lecture: Storytelling
In-class viewing: “8 ½”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 9
Assigned viewing: “High Noon”
Week 10: Writing - PROJECT REVIEW DUE
Lecture: Screenwriting
In-class viewing: “Adaptation”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 10
Assigned viewing: “Chinatown”
Week 11: Ideology
Lecture: Theme
In-class viewing: “V for Vendetta”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 11
Assigned viewing: “Clockwork Orange”
Week 12: Theory
Lecture: Film Theory & Criticism
In-class viewing: “Pan’s Labyrinth”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 12
Assigned viewing: “Hellboy”
Week 13: Synthesis
Lecture: Re-viewing “Citizen Kane”
In-class viewing: “Citizen Kane”
Individual Project Presentations due
Week 14: FINAL EXAM & FINAL PROJECT
Final Exam
Publication of Individual Project
EMERGENCY INFORMATION
In the event of an emergency or campus shutdown, class work will continue online at:
www.filmelements.blogspot.com
You will be invited to contribute as a blog correspondent at the beginning of the semester. This is part of the participation segment of your grade and the location for all information if class can’t be held as scheduled. Assignments will be posted there as well as suggested readings. Video lectures will be available if a shutdown continues for more than one week. Under those circumstances, you may also post any written assignments on the blog or send them to my email at:
hammontm@eckerd.edu or thammond1946@yahoo.com
You can contact me by phone at: 813-900-4759
Be sure to review the school handout on procedure in the event of a hurricane.
ELEMENTS OF FILM – REQUIRED VIEWINGS
“The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari” – 1920
“Citizen Kane” – 1941
“I Walked With a Zombie” – 1943
“Black Narcissus” – 1947
“The Set-Up” – 1949
“All About Eve” – 1950
“Singin’ in the Rain” - 1951
“High Noon” – 1952
“On the Waterfront” – 1954
“8 ½” – 1963
“A Hard Day’s Night” – 1964
“A Clockwork Orange” – 1971
“Chinatown” – 1974
“Raging Bull” – 1980
“Visions of Light” – 1992
“About Schmidt” – 2002
“Adaptation” – 2002
“The Cutting Edge” – 2004
“Hellboy” – 2004
“Kung Fu Hustle” – 2004
“Pan’s Labyrinth” – 2006
“V For Vendetta” – 2006
“13 Assassins” - 2010
Spring 2012
Tom Hammond
This course is an introduction to film analysis and criticism. Being able to identify and interpret the various components of a film is vital to understanding the most important and influential art form of the last century and this one as well. We will watch films and clips in class. You will be assigned feature-length films to watch as homework as well as readings from the required text. There will be a class blog for you to participate in and an individual project.
Class Blog: http://filmelements.blogspot.com. You will be invited to post on this website.
Instructors Contact Information – phone: 813-900-4759, email: hammontm@eckerd.edu
Face to face meetings can be arranged before or after class.
Required Text:
Louis Giannetti, “Understanding Movies”
Netflix – A monthly subscription is a good idea for the semester. All assigned movies are “streamable” on Netflix. It costs $8 per month and the first month is usually free. You can obtain all the films at the library, but availability might be a problem with 25 students and a limited number of copies on hand. You can rent or buy, but Netflix is easily the most convenient and affordable method. If you subscribe for an extra $7, you can receive the films by mail as well as streaming. Turnaround is 2-3 days.
Course Requirements and Grading:
• Attendance & Participation - 20% of grade
• Quizzes on Viewing Assignments - 20% of grade
• Midterm & Final Exam - 40% of grade
• Final Project - 20% of grade
Attendance & Participation – Every class covers a component of film history, theory and criticism vital to your overall understanding of the subject. If you can’t avoid missing a class, let me know in advance. Any pattern of absence or chronic lateness will be noted and will adversely impact your final grade.
I encourage you to speak up in class and generate discussion. Film clips pertaining to our area of study for the week are welcome. Please feel free to bring them in.
The Class Blog – You will be invited to author on the blog. You can make comments on existing posts, post photos, videos or your own writing. You can add links and suggested readings and viewings as well. The Blog is a component of participation. Contributing to it will generate interest in the class and good grades for you.
Quizzes – There will be four quizzes given during the course. They will be at random and will cover the home viewing assignments. The questions will be general and not analytical. They are designed to determine if you have watched the film. There will be no make-ups. This is another good reason to watch the assigned movies and show up for class.
Mid-Term & Final Exams – You are responsible for the information presented in class, the content of the assigned readings, and being familiar with class and required viewings. The exams will be a combination of objective and short essay questions.
Final Project – Prepare a research article with photos and film clips and post it to the blog. It should cover an aspect of cinema from its origins to the present day. This will be treated as a work in progress during the course of the semester and you will submit your materials in three stages.
1. A Proposal due the fourth week of class.
2. Assembled materials and writing-to-date due the tenth week of class.
3. Publication (posting to the blog) during the final week of class.
Extra Credit – You can keep a journal of films you view outside the requirements of class. You should choose from movies that are mentioned or illustrated in the text book. Write a paragraph or more for each entry explaining how this film relates to the subjects we are studying in class along with a personal opinion. Turn in your work before the end of the semester in organized and printed form.
Academic Integrity – If you use an idea from another source, you can quote it or paraphrase it, but please CITE IT. Failure to do so will be a violation of the Honor Code.
The Eckerd College Honor Code: “On my honor, as an Eckerd College student, I pledge not to lie, cheat or steal, nor to tolerate these behaviors in others.”
To affirm this, you will write, “Pledged” followed by your signature on all assignments, papers and exams.
Assignment Schedule:
• All readings are chapters in the required text, “Understanding Movies” by Louis Gannetti.
• Assigned Viewings are films you are required to see outside of class (all “streamable” on Netflix).
• In class we will watch feature films, scenes and clips from various movies and documentary material on filmmaking. Much of this will also be posted on the Blog for your further study.
Week 1: Introduction
Introduction of students and professor
Review of syllabus
In-class viewing: “Citizen Kane”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 1
Week 2: Photography
Lecture: Cinematography
In-class viewing: “Visions of Light”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 2
Assigned viewing: “Black Narcissus”
Week 3: Mise en Scene
Lecture: Mise en Scene
In-class viewing: “I Walked With a Zombie”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 3
Assigned viewing: “The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari” (1920)
Week 4: Movement - PROJECT PROPOSAL DUE
Lecture: Cinematic Movement
In-class viewing: “Kung Fu Hustle”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 4
Assigned viewing: “13 Assassins”
Week 5: Editing
Lecture: Film Editing
In-class viewing: “The Cutting Edge”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 5
Assigned Viewing: “Raging Bull”
Week 6: Sound
Lecture: Film Sound
In-class viewing: “Singin’ in the Rain”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 6
Assigned viewing: “A Hard Day’s Night”
Week 7: Acting – MIDTERM EXAM
Lecture: Film Acting
In-class viewing: “On the Waterfront”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 7
Assigned viewing: “About Schmidt”
Week 8: Drama
Lecture: Drama
In-class viewing: “The Set-Up”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 8
Assigned viewing: “All About Eve”
Week 9: Story
Lecture: Storytelling
In-class viewing: “8 ½”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 9
Assigned viewing: “High Noon”
Week 10: Writing - PROJECT REVIEW DUE
Lecture: Screenwriting
In-class viewing: “Adaptation”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 10
Assigned viewing: “Chinatown”
Week 11: Ideology
Lecture: Theme
In-class viewing: “V for Vendetta”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 11
Assigned viewing: “Clockwork Orange”
Week 12: Theory
Lecture: Film Theory & Criticism
In-class viewing: “Pan’s Labyrinth”
Assigned reading: Giannetti, Chapter 12
Assigned viewing: “Hellboy”
Week 13: Synthesis
Lecture: Re-viewing “Citizen Kane”
In-class viewing: “Citizen Kane”
Individual Project Presentations due
Week 14: FINAL EXAM & FINAL PROJECT
Final Exam
Publication of Individual Project
EMERGENCY INFORMATION
In the event of an emergency or campus shutdown, class work will continue online at:
www.filmelements.blogspot.com
You will be invited to contribute as a blog correspondent at the beginning of the semester. This is part of the participation segment of your grade and the location for all information if class can’t be held as scheduled. Assignments will be posted there as well as suggested readings. Video lectures will be available if a shutdown continues for more than one week. Under those circumstances, you may also post any written assignments on the blog or send them to my email at:
hammontm@eckerd.edu or thammond1946@yahoo.com
You can contact me by phone at: 813-900-4759
Be sure to review the school handout on procedure in the event of a hurricane.
ELEMENTS OF FILM – REQUIRED VIEWINGS
“The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari” – 1920
“Citizen Kane” – 1941
“I Walked With a Zombie” – 1943
“Black Narcissus” – 1947
“The Set-Up” – 1949
“All About Eve” – 1950
“Singin’ in the Rain” - 1951
“High Noon” – 1952
“On the Waterfront” – 1954
“8 ½” – 1963
“A Hard Day’s Night” – 1964
“A Clockwork Orange” – 1971
“Chinatown” – 1974
“Raging Bull” – 1980
“Visions of Light” – 1992
“About Schmidt” – 2002
“Adaptation” – 2002
“The Cutting Edge” – 2004
“Hellboy” – 2004
“Kung Fu Hustle” – 2004
“Pan’s Labyrinth” – 2006
“V For Vendetta” – 2006
“13 Assassins” - 2010
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