SP 21
Instructor: Dr. Jacinta
Yanders (aka Dr. J)
Pronouns: She/Her (what’s
this about?)
Email: yandersj@cod.edu
Virtual Office Hours: Tues/
Wed/Thurs (1-4pm)
Description and Objectives:
Introduces the basic elements
of film as an art form, including
cinematography, mise-en-
scene, movement, editing, and
sound. Social and media
contexts of film will also be
considered. Through
screening, discussion, and
critical evaluation of selected
films, students develop an
ability to interpret cinema
through close examination of
the relationship between its
form and content.
• Practice active rather than
passive spectatorship of film
• Identify various film types
and genres by their
characteristics and
conventions
• Discuss critical writing about
individual films and film
movements obtained through
research
• Articulate important stages in
the development of film as a
mass medium and impact on
spectatorship
• Analyze elements of film
related to both form and
content
• Evaluate films according to
their social and historical
contexts
1
ENGLI/MPTV 1135: Introduction to Film Art, “The
Many Meanings of Film”
Hello!
In this class, we examine how films make meaning. To
achieve this goal, we'll watch and analyze several films.
To analyze a film effectively, we have to look beyond the
obvious plot details and turn our attention to the
potentially less familiar components of film production,
reception, and criticism that impact the viewing
experience. Teasing out these choices, why they may
have been made, and how we receive them as viewers is
key to growing as students of film.
We’ll engage with films differently than how you may do
as a casual viewer, but the goal isn't to stop enjoying
films. You can (and should) critically engage with films
you love. Approach each new film we watch with
openness and generosity, regardless of whether you like
or dislike the genre, style, and/or story of the film. Some
of the stuff we watch for this class may be obscure,
unfamiliar, and/or older than your grandparents. You may
or may not enjoy all of them, but enjoyment is not
necessary for analysis. Try to get a sense of why we're
watching something, even if you don’t like it. What does
the film have to offer us?
Movies reach inside and change us, even when we don't
realize it. Like many other forms art and entertainment,
they evoke a wide range of emotions and attachments
from viewers. They also influence how we see the world
around us as well as how we're seen by other people.
Movies don't just reflect culture as some sort of mirror.
They shape it simultaneously. What we want to figure out
in this class is how and why movies do this. We want to
move past being passive consumers and figure out how
to bring our own voices into the discourse.
SP 21 2

Accessibility Wise Words

We all have different learning needs. In designing this
class, I've tried to account for many of those needs. This
class utilizes a variety of modalities (such as audio, video, “Writing about texts is
and text) because people thrive and learn in different perhaps the single, most
ways. If there's some way in which your access and ability common trademark for the
in this course could additionally be supported, please let kind of writing and thinking
me know. In order to receive accommodations from that is expected of you in
COD’s Center for Access and Accommodations, you can the academy. However,
email them at access@cod.edu or complete an online
form request by visiting cod.edu/access. If you’re already this does NOT mean: that
registered with the Center for Access and you write about things you
Accommodations, don’t forget to email me your Letter of don’t care about, that you
Accommodation. write as if you sound like
an encyclopedia/
What You Need wikipedia, that you omit
• No books for this class ✌ your own voice and
• All of the movies we’re watching will be available for perspective, that you
free via Kanopy (cod.kanopy.com) cannot be creative and
• Blackboard (bb.cod.edu) is the central hub for this
class. Course materials will be posted online in weekly
energetic, that you must
Blackboard modules. Make sure you regularly log in. sound like the type of
Each week, you'll be tasked with some combination of person who might wear
reading, watching, listening, writing, and recording. To wool/plaid jackets with
do all of this, you’ll need internet access. Because you'll suede patches on the
have to record video/audio for some of the class work, elbows in order to be
you also need a camera-enabled device to do that on,
whether it be a phone, computer, or tablet.
taken seriously, that you
cannot be everything that
Communication makes up your multiple
You can contact me via email at the address on the first selves, that you cannot be
page of this syllabus. You should check your COD email Hip Hop/ Soul/ Bomba y
at minimum daily (trust me on this). I'm also setting up a Plena/ Soca/ Bachata/
Discord server for our class. For those unfamiliar, Discord
is a chat app. We'll talk more about it during the first week
Metal/ Reggae/ EDM/ or
of class. I tend to respond to emails pretty quickly, but if Rock-N-Roll, that you
you don't hear back, give me at least 24 hours before cannot have some fun
trying again. I'm also available during virtual office hours with it. You do not give
and by appointment for video meetings if you're interested up who you are to be an
in that. Like you, I have schedules, routines, and academic writer. On the
obligations that have to be maneuvered, so make sure
you give me some lead time if you want a video meeting.
contrary, you take who
you are even MORE
SERIOUSLY.”

- Carmen Kynard
SP 21 3
Covid-19 (C19) and More
Everything about this school year is strange and challenging, not just because school is
inherently that way, but because we’re grappling with a global pandemic, economic
catastrophes, political collapses, and the ever-present drumbeat of racism along the way. This
is…not easy. I don’t expect us to ignore that. For many, the world is a scary place right now.
I’ve personally lost a family member to C19, and I suspect the same is true for some of you as
well. Unfortunately, it’s unclear when this cluster of shenanigans will take its foot off our necks.
As such, it’s especially important now to try to support one another. We’ll do our best in this
class to cultivate a supportive classroom community. Extending grace to ourselves and to one
another is always important, but it's even more critical in the current world, and I hope we'll all
keep that in mind as we move through the semester.

Basic Needs
It’s really hard to focus on school work when you're also facing difficulties with having your
basic needs (such as food, healthcare, and shelter) met. All of this stuff takes priority over
school work. I’ve created a Resources page on our course site that includes campus and
community resources that can assist with resolving such issues. If you want help with
communicating with any of these resources, please don't hesitate to ask. I also want to note
here that COD does require me (as well as the rest of your professors) to report disclosures
of sexual violence to our Title IX office. I want to be upfront about that because while I
absolutely do want to provide support in such instances, I also know that a student may not
wish to trigger an automatic report for various reasons, and I believe it's important for you all to
have that information before making the decision to disclose.

Timeliness
Assignments for this class have due dates, and you should aim to submit your work by those
due dates. The later an assignment is submitted, the less likely it is to receive meaningful
feedback. It’s also difficult to catch up, the further behind you get. That being said, there are no
late penalties in this class. This means you should complete and turn in all your assignments,
even if they’re late. If you find yourself in a situation where you’re really, really far behind, let’s
chat and come up with a plan so that you can catch up without having to do a Usain Bolt-
esque sprint at the end of the semester. P.S. As noted above, please always prioritize your
physical and mental health. Feel free to communicate challenges to me if you wish, but
you don’t need to disclose specifics to me, and you don’t need to apologize for it either.
SP 21 4

How This Class Works

• Asynchronous: As a NET section, this class will operate asynchronously, which means
we won't have live virtual class meetings.
• Participation: If you’re new to online classes, asynchronicity can be a bit jarring. This
class is designed for you to demonstrate your understanding, and to foster community. To
make this happen, we all have to regularly engage with each others' ideas. I know that
being asked to do this can sometimes feel inauthentic in online spaces, and I'm hoping
that the tasks I've set in motion for our class move beyond that feeling of inauthenticity.
• Time Management: Online classes can be particularly challenging for anyone who
struggles with time management. Part of why the class is divided into weekly modules is to
provide useful structure and organization. I encourage you to establish a routine for
yourself (Google Calendar, planners, and to-do-list apps are useful for this). I will include
time estimates with most tasks each week to assist you in the planning process.
• Due Dates: Work for this class will typically be due on Mondays, Wednesdays, and/or
Fridays. Each week's module will open on Blackboard at 12am on Monday of that week. I
will usually send Announcement emails on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays as well
(another reason to regularly check your inbox).
• Language & Identity: Despite the rumors, there’s no such thing as “correct” or
“proper” English. There is what some refer to as Standardized English, but that isn't the
only English or the “right” one. Many
scholars – myself included – believe the
Conference on College Composition and
Communication had it right in 1972 when
they declared that students have a right to
their own language. As the statement
explains,"The claim that any one dialect is
unacceptable amounts to an attempt of
one social group to exert its dominance
over another. Such a claim leads to false
advice for speakers and writers, and
immoral advice for humans…A nation
proud of its diverse heritage and its
cultural and racial variety will preserve
its heritage of dialects.” In this class,
I welcome the deliberate usage of
language variation in our work. You don't
need to give up your identity, your
voice, or your persona to be in this class.

Community
The physical distance afforded by digital communication sometimes brings out the absolute
worst in people. Here are some important principles for this class:
• We’ll work with topics like race, sexuality, socioeconomic status, gender, nationality, etc.
You may have an emotional response to something you see, read, or hear, which is
perfectly normal (and often, the intention of the creators). Some ideas and beliefs may
challenge your views and/or be contrary to your experiences. Approach the work of this
class with respect and generosity. Doing so enables our class to be the learning space it
needs to be for people to share and for us all to grow. Listen. Try not to jump to
conclusions. Ask clarifying questions. Make sure you understand what's actually being said
before you formulate a response. We don't have to agree about everything, but we do
need to be able to listen to one another.
• I will always strive to give a heads up when media and readings we're engaging with
includes representations that I know can be traumatic, such as sexual violence, child
abuse, and representations of suicide. If there's a particular type of content beyond the
more commonly known ones that you'd like a heads up on, let me know.
SP 21 5

• My classes operate on a fundamental agreement that we do not make space for racism,
ableism, transphobia, sexism, xenophobia, etc. None of that is productive, and it's very
disruptive to classroom communities (and, ya know, humanity in general). By remaining in
this class, I expect you to work with me in ensuring our
class is one in which compassion and care are at the
forefront.
• Relatedly, how we address one another conveys
respect. For example, referring to me as Dr. Yanders
or Dr. J or Professor Yanders (my preferred names)
rather than Ms. Yanders or Mrs. Yanders is a matter of
respect as is me using the name you tell me you wish
to use. I expect you to refer to one another by the
correct names, with the correct pronunciations (if you
don't know, you can typically find most name
pronunciations online), and with the correct pronouns.
• Last, but certainly not least, the devil does not
need an advocate.

Assessment
Should final grades reflect what you do in a
class or what you already knew and were
able to do before the class? What if I told
you that letter grades actually do much
more to hinder learning than to support it?

In this class, we use a labor-based

approach, which means you won’t receive
letter grades on assignments. Instead,
each assigned task will be accompanied by
a point value. Submissions that do what
was asked will receive full points.
Submissions that don't will receive no
points and are considered incomplete until the submission is revised and requirements
are met. For example, if you are asked to analyze an article, and you turn in a summary rather
than an analysis, you will receive no points for the task until you submit a revised analysis.
There will be no partial points given. As such, points are earned by way of the completeness of
your labor, rather than perceptions of quality. If you do what's being asked, you'll get the credit.
And if you need to make revisions, you can still get the credit.

I’ll give feedback on much of the work you submit. I don’t typically give corrective feedback. I
will, however, ask questions, make suggestions, draw connections, etc. Ask questions if you're
unsure about how to build upon the feedback you receive. Final grades will be based upon the
following point scale:

A: 224-250 points
B: 199-223 points
C: 174-198 points
D: 149-173 points
F: 0-119 points

The goal is to get away from the idea of a letter as the primary purpose of the class. When all
that matters is the grade, course work tends to become an exercise in landing a grade rather
than an opportunity to really grapple with ideas, try new approaches, and perhaps most
importantly, have fun. Make everything you submit interesting, and make sure it matters to
you, so that it can also matter to your audience.
SP 21 6

A Few More Wise Words

“Labor is work the body does over time. Labor in the writing classroom is
the experience of languaging. No matter what our pedagogical
assumptions are about learning or literacy, about grades or how to
evaluate student writing, we all take for granted that our students
must labor in order to learn. They must read or write, take notes
or discuss. All pedagogies ask students to labor, to do something
in order to gain something else. However, typical grading systems rarely
account for students’ labor in any way...Because labor is neglected in
such conventional grading systems, they often are unfair to diverse
groups of students. They (labor-based grading contracts) open a space
for practices that can fail or miss the mark, allowing students the
freedom to take risks, and try new things in their writing without the fear
of losing points or failing the course.”- Asao Inoue

Assignments
• Blog: Much of the work you complete for this class will be housed in a blog you will create
early in the semester. This means you’ll be writing for a real, public audience rather than just
directing your work to the class.
• Flipgrid: You’ll be using Flipgrid to record videos. You may have seen recent articles about
regulating student appearance & location online. I figure you can learn just as well when
leaning against your headboard in a Pikachu onesie as you can at a desk wearing a
cardigan. That being said, I’m going to ask you to refrain from recording topless. Cool? Cool.
• Scene Analysis Essay: In the first half of the semester, you’ll apply what you’ve learned to
the analysis of a single film scene.
• Film Analysis Essay: In the second half of the semester, you’ll apply what you’ve learned to
the analysis of a whole film.
• Other Weekly Tasks: This is essentially a catch-all category for any tasks that fall outside of
the above categories. These tasks might include completing worksheets, drawing charts,
annotating readings, etc.