Sample Syllabus

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Syllabus [Sample]

FST 200: Introduction to Film Study

Course Description

Introduction to film study, including analysis of cinematography, editing, mise-en-scène, sound, and narrative. Films drawn from various national cinemas, representing diverse styles, periods, and genres. Intended for prospective majors in film studies.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Employing the methods and terminology of film studies, students critically analyze and make cogent subjective judgments about cinema’s formal properties and how movies tell stories, convey meaning, and create experiences.

2. Students demonstrate an understanding of films and film modes within the contexts of their production, with attention to cinema’s role as a product of particular technologies and industrial conditions.

3. Students demonstrate an understanding of the importance of artistic expression and open-minded inquiry by analyzing the contribution of cinema to people’s understanding of art and experience.

Grading

1. Paper 1: 10%

2. Paper 2: 10%

3. Outline: 10%

4. Paper 3: 15%

5. In-class quizzes: 20%

6. Shot Breakdown: 5%

7. Final Exam: 10%

8. Class Participation: 20%

Grade scale (minimums): A (93.3), A- (90), B+ (86.7), B (83.3), B- (80), C+ (76.7), C (73.3), C- (70), D+ (66.7), D (63.3), D- (60), F.

Required Text(s) for Purchase

180-day Connect subscription to Film Art: An Introduction, 13 ed. by David Bordwell, Kristin Thompson, and Jeff Smith (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2024).

The course engages diverse scholarly perspectives to develop critical thinking, analysis, and debate, and inclusion of a reading does not imply endorsement.