CRN - #76551 (AM class), 70752 (PM class)

THEATER ARTS 7B
CONTEMPORARY FILM HISTORY SYLLABUS
Fall, 2015 Wednesday Classes
INSTRUCTOR: DR. ROD FOSTER
OFFICE: CA 102 H
PHONE: 626.585.7563
e-mail: wrfoster@pasadena.edu
Course materials are on Canvas

TEXT :

Film History II: Contemporary Film History, 1st ed. (With Great River
Technologies Access) isbn #978-1-4652-4975-3, Foster
The text book is available at a discount at the following link:
kendallhunt.com/foster_contemporary/

Topic and assignment

Sept. 2

Course introduction and methods

Hollywood in the Fifties
Assignment: Read Chapters 1
(Begin chapter quizzes. All chapters are available until December 14
at noon PST)

Sept. 9

Hitchcock (North by Northwest)

Sept. 16

The New Wave and Truffaut (400 Blows)

Assignment: Read Chapter 2 &3

Sept. 23

Post Code Hollywood (Bonnie and Clyde)

Assignment: Read Chapter 4

Sept. 30

Counter-culture: The Sixties and New Auteurs Mike Nichols (The

Graduate)
Film Review (Term paper) Project Assigned
Assignment: Read Chapter 9

Oct. 7

The Film School Generation inherits Hollywood. The Godfather

Oct. 14

The Godfather Continued

Midterm Review

Oct. 21

Midterm Examination

Oct. 28

Cinema Verite Revisited (Day For Night)

Nov. 4

Martin Scorsese (The King of Comedy)

Term Papers Due

Nov. 11

Veterans Day No Classes

Nov. 19

American Independent Cinema in the Nineties (The Big Lebowski)

Read Chapter 7 and 8

Nov. 25

The Dominance of Corporate Cinema (L.A. Confidential)

Extra Credit Papers Due

Dec. 2

Independent Film and the Festival Movement (Maria Full of Grace)

Final Review

Dec. 9

American Hustle
(Dec. 14 last day for chapter quizzes)

Dec. 16

Final Examination: 10:15 am Morning Class

3:15 pm Afternoon Class

Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Students will be able to identify the major developments and events in
contemporary film history as demonstrated on quizzes and
examinations.
2. Students will be able to identify major figures and their contributions to
contemporary motion picture history as demonstrated on quizzes and
examinations.
3. Students will be able to identify major films on contemporary film
history as demonstrated on quizzes and lectures.
4. Students will be able to analyze motion picture style, mise en scene,
theme and presentation as demonstrated through class discussion and
writing assignments.

GRADING:

Attendance (45 points)----------Chapter quizzes-------------------Term Paper (100 points)--------Midterm (50 points)---------------Final Exam (100 points)---------Total Points-------------------------Extra Credit 25 points maximum

45
80
100
50
100
375

Chapter Quizzes:
1. Your access code comes with your text book. It is the only access code you
will receive. Do not buy a used book as it will not contain an active access
code.
2. Quizzes must be completed by Noon on December 14.
3. You will have twelve minutes to complete each quiz. Do not log off or lose
your internet connection while taking a quiz. If you do log off or lose your
connection, you will not get credit for that quiz.

ATTENDANCE:

1. One or no absences
45 points
2. Two absences
30 points
3. Three absences
15 points
4. Four or more absences expect to fail
5. There is no such thing as an excused absence

Other Course Policies:

1. No papers accepted by e-mail.
2. Plagiarism (def.): To steal and use (the ideas or writings of another) as
ones own.
Plagiarized term papers will receive an automatic zero grade.
Plagiarized extra credit papers will result in a 25 point deduction from
the final grade.
3. Repeated cell phone use will result in a charged absence.
4. It is your responsibility to sign the sign-in sheet.
5. It is your responsibility to read and understand the syllabus.