FS121 – Dopcumentary Film (3.0 units): section 35574
Fall 2010
Room: A161
Day/time: TR 12:45-2:50 PM
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Handouts: (PDF files) *you may need Adobe Reader®
Syllabus
Term Paper
Film glossary
Click here to access Class Clips.
In class, you will receive the username and password to access the clips.
Email me if you have problems accessing the clips.
Resources on writing a film paper -- very helpful.
| Class Presentations: |
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> Print Version |
Week 1 questions below |
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> Print Version |
Week 2 questions below |
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> Print Version |
Week 3 questions below |
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Week 4: Tues. |
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Week 4 questions below |
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Week 5: Tues. |
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Week 5 questions below |
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Week 6: Tues. |
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Week 6 questions below |
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Week 7: Tues. |
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Week 7 questions below |
Midterm review > |
Week 8: Tues. |
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Week 8 questions below |
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Week 9: Tues. |
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Week 9 questions below |
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Week 10: Tues. |
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Week 10 questions below |
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Week 11: Tues. |
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Week 11 questions below |
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Week 12: Tues |
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Week 12 questions below |
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Week 13: Tues |
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Week 13 questions below |
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Week 14: Tues. |
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Week 14 questions below |
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Week 15: Tues. |
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Week 15 questions below |
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Weekly Questions:
You should respond to the following questions and email them to filmst121@sbcc.edu by the due date, which you can find on the syllabus.
Be sure to follow the correct formatting for your emails or the email will be sent back to you:
When sending an email, the subject line of the email should read:
Subject: First Name Last Name, 35574, Unit #
(35574 is your CRN number for the class)
NO ATTACHMENTS! 500 words minimum > do not rewrite the questions, but number each question.
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Week 1:
-What was your reaction to Encounters at the End of the World?
-How does this film function as a documentary? Is it different than documentaries you are accustomed to?
-What is the function of Werner Herzog as the narrator/interviewer in the film? How does he affect your understanding of the film?
-Early documentaries like In the Land of the Head Hunters (1914), Nanook of the North (1922), and Grass (1925) represent untamed nature and those that inhabit it. How might -Encounters at the End of the World be connected and related to these films?
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Week 2:
-What was your reaction to Man on Wire?
-How does this film function as a documentary? Is it different than documentaries you are accustomed to? How is it different than Encounters at the End of the World? What claim about the world is it making?
-Is there a point-of-view in this film? What is it?
-Does the mystery aspect of this film make it more objective or more subjective? Why or why not? Explain.
-What are the characteristics of the 1920s City Symphonies discussed in this unit: Rain, Berlin, The Man with the Movie Camera? Do you see any relationship between these characteristics and Man on Wire? In terms of politics?
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Week 3:
-What was your reaction to The Cove?
-How would you describe the look and style of this film? How is this film different from Encounters at the End of the World and Man on Wire?
-What are some of the ethical concerns that might be raised by this film as a documentary? Not only the issues, but their representation in the film.
-In the class book, Bill Nichols gives the phrase, I speak about them to you. In this film, who is the I? Who is the them? Who is the you? Explain.
-What relation to you see between John Grierson's idea of a documentary and The Cove? Explain.
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Week 4:
-Questions TBA
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Week 5:
-Questions TBA
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Week 6:
-Questions TBA
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Week 7:
-Questions TBA
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Week 8:
-No weeky writing this week > Midterm on Thursday.
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Week 9:
-Questions TBA
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Week 10:
-Questions TBA
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Week 11:
-Questions TBA
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Week 12:
-Questions TBA
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Week 13:
-No questions this week -- work on your paper.
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Week 14:
-Questions TBA
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Week 15:
-No weekly writing this week > Study for the Final.
