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Studies in Film Art
Critical exploration of general concepts of genre,
style, theme and technique of related films. Specific focus and
films vary each semester, with emphasis indicated in class schedule.
Prerequisites: E, R, HUMN 209 or consent of instructor.
American Cinema
Using clips from over 300 of the greatest movies ever made, this
series immerses you in film history and American culture through
the eyes of over 150 Hollywood insiders. In-depth treatments present
film as a powerful economic force, potent twentieth-century art
form, and viable career option
American Cinema connects subjects such as history, business, and
English with other studies. In addition, it is a perfect vehicle
for developing visual and media literacy skills and can be used
as a springboard for creative writing endeavors and media production.
Features interviews with Hollywood's great actors, directors,
and business executives, including Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg,
Michael Eisner, and many others.
Produced by the New York Center for Visual History in association
with KCET/Los Angeles and the BBC. 1995.
TEXTBOOK
"American Cinema/American Culture" by Belton. First
Edition, NY: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1994. ISBN: 0-07-004466-X
STUDENT STUDY GUIDE
"American Cinema: Telecourse Study Guide" by Sikiv.
First Edition, NY: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1994. ISBN: 0-07-057605-X
Online
via Video on Demand
You can view Annenberg Media programs of your choice online with
a broadband connection. There is no charge for this service.
Free
sign up is required for first-time users.
Simply select a program and go to the individual program description
listing and click on the icon. To hear the sound and view video,
you should have Windows Media Player, DSL, a cable modem, or a
LAN connection to a T1 line or greater, and have Javascript enabled.
For more information, please visit Annenberg
Media broadband FAQ.
10 one-hour programs plus three half-hour programs.
1: The Classical Hollywood Style
In the classical Hollywood film, the story is primary. Filmmakers
rely on style--structure, narrative, and visual elements--to effectively
tell their story. Martin Scorsese and Sydney Pollack are among
the premiere directors who discuss how classical Hollywood style,
evolving and yet enduring over time, informs their work.
2: The Studio System
This program surveys Hollywood's industrial past during the era
of contract players and directors, studio police forces, and colorful
movie moguls and looks at the film-making environment of today
with studio heads Michael Eisner, Howard Koch, and others. Paramount
Pictures, one of the oldest and most successful of the Hollywood
studios, serves as a case study.
3: The Star
Greta Garbo, Cary Grant, Dustin Hoffman--and many others--are
names synonymous with Hollywood. Early on, Hollywood saw that
recognizable talent could minimize the financial risks of film
production. Critics, film scholars, and studio publicists view
the stars from many angles--as marketing tools, cultural icons,
and products of the industry. Joan Crawford headlines as a case
study of the cultural phenomenon of stardom.
4: The Western
The western is an American myth that has been translated by other
cultures and reinterpreted time and again, but never dies. With
clips and critical commentary on westerns, from John Ford's Stagecoach
through the work of Arthur Penn, Sam Peckinpah, and Clint Eastwood,
the program traces the aesthetic evolution of the genre as well
as its sociological importance.
5: Romantic Comedy
Breezy and silly to witty and intelligent, romantic comedies have
been with us since the 1930s. But the surface humor has often
just barely masked issues of gender and sexuality. This program
looks back on screwball comedies including It Happened One Night
and His Girl Friday and analyzes recent interpretations of the
genre by directors, including James Brooks and Nora Ephron, that
reveal the underlying social and psychological messages.
6: The Combat Film
Beginning with World War II combat films--produced under directives
from the federal government--this program examines the role of
the combat film in filling a social and political need. Critics
and directors describe the evolution of these films, the rise
of the Vietnam film, and the influence of the newsreel documentaries
and TV news on the genre.
7: Film Noir
These cynical and pessimistic films from the 1930s and '40s touched
a nerve in Americans. Historians link the genre's overriding paranoia
to Cold War-related angst over the nuclear threat and the Hollywood
blacklist. In addition, a cinematographer demonstrates the creation
of noir lighting, which gave films their peculiar look and emphasized
the themes of corruption and urban decay.
8: Film in the Television Age
Television first arrived in American homes just as the Hollywood
studio system was collapsing. As the new medium took hold, so
did a new era of motion picture entertainment. Top directors,
actors, and film scholars trace the influence of each medium on
the other, from the live and fresh dramas of the Golden Age of
Television and the growth of Hollywood spectacles to the megalithic
entertainment industry of today.
9: The Film School Generation
Maverick filmmakers of the 1960s and '70s, including Brian DePalma,
Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg, capitalized on new technology
and borrowed from classical Hollywood and French New Wave as they
reinvented the American film. The financial and cultural forces
that contributed to their success and commercial clout are explored.
10: The Edge of Hollywood
While many of the old rules are still in force, independent filmmakers
today often add their dissenting voices to the forum. This program
looks at some alternative visions from new talents including Spike
Lee, Joel and Ethan Coen, Jim Jarmusch, and Quentin Tarantino.
With limited budgets, they are challenging the stylistic status
quo of the Hollywood film.
Three half-hour Supplemental Programs
11. Film Language
Teaches students the formal and technical vocabulary of the cinema
— essential terms that help them to see the way films are
constructed. What is a tracking shot? How are shots edited together?
What is a zoom? What does the 180&#deg; axis mean, and how
is it used? These are some of the terms illustrated in this innovative
program.
12. Writing and Thinking About Film
Provides a close formal and cultural analysis of a classical film
sequence–a detailed, hands–on demonstration of practical
film criticism. Here, students are offered a range of interpretive
possibilities, a critical how-to guide for those new to film critique.
13. Classical Hollywood Style
Today offers a wide spectrum of thought on the way America views
the world and the way the world views America through film. Through
interviews with a leading contemporary director, a studio-era
veteran, a top European filmmaker, a young American independent,
and articulate scholars and critics, the program probes Hollywood's
influence on American life and world culture.
This page was last modified :
August 17, 2007
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