Difference between pages "Building Narrative (Discussion)" and "JCM412-512 Seminar in American Cinema"

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(put Sheldon pix in gallery)
 
(→‎Study groups: spring 2012 groups)
 
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==Signs of character<ref name="Dyer">Richard Dyer, ''Stars''</ref>==
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[[Image:DoubleIndemnity.jpg|thumb|Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck in the film noir, ''[[wikipedia:Double Indemnity|Double Indemnity]]''.]]
#Viewer foreknowledge
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'''TCF 440/540 Seminar in American Cinema''' is a discussion-oriented course taught by [[User:Jeremy Butler|Jeremy Butler]].
#Character name
 
#Appearance
 
#Objective correlative
 
#Dialogue
 
#Lighting and videography or cinematography
 
#Action
 
  
How are these signs of character used to construct the characters in the "The Vartabedian Conundrum" episode of ''The Big Bang Theory''? These screen shots mostly show their first appearance in this particular episode.
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== Course objectives ==
  
<gallery widths=400px heights=300px perrow=2 >
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The student will learn the three major critical methods applied to the American cinema: genre study, the auteur "theory," and the star "system." We will begin with the film noir, director Howard Hawks and actor Humphrey Bogart, and then, during the second half of the semester, turn our attention to the melodrama, director Douglas Sirk, and actress Lana Turner.
Image:BigBangTheory20081117qq00_00_15qq00003.jpg|'''Groups 3 & 7:''' Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki)
 
Image:BigBangTheory20081117qq00 00 03qq00001.jpg|'''Groups 4 & 8:''' Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons)
 
Image:BigBangTheory20081117qq00 04 38qq00068.jpg|'''Group 5:''' Penny (Kaley Cuoco)
 
Image:BigBangTheory20081117qq00_10_10qq00163.jpg|'''Group 6:''' Dr. Stephanie Barnett (Sara Rue), hospital scene
 
Image:BigBangTheory20081117qq00 08 36qq00134.jpg|'''Group 1:''' Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg)
 
Image:BigBangTheory20081117qq00 09 32qq00151.jpg|'''Group 2:''' Raj Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar)
 
</gallery>
 
  
===Two more screen shots of Sheldon===
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Our focus will shift back and forth from the primary texts (the films themselves) to the writings on them. The latter will eventually lead us into considerations of feminism, Marxism, structuralism and semiotics.
<gallery widths=400px heights=300px perrow=2 >
 
Image:BigBangTheory20081117qq00 03 59qq00055.jpg|
 
Image:BigBangTheory20081117qq00 01 28qq00020.jpg|
 
</gallery>
 
  
==Signs of performance<ref name="Dyer" />==
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== Online study guides ==
#Vocal
+
===Chronological order===
#Facial
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#Film Analysis: [[BordwellThompson/Narrative Form (Discussion)|Discussion]] of film form chapters, ''Film Art''
#Gestural
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#Classical Style I: [[TCF440540/Mise-en-scene (Discussion)|Discussion]] of mise-en-scene
#Corporeal
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#Classical Style II: [[TCF440540/Cinematography (Discussion)|Discussion]] of cinematography
 +
#Editing: [[TCF440540/Editing (Discussion)|Discussion]] of editing
 +
#Sound: [[TCF440540/Sound (Discussion)|Discussion]] of sound
 +
#Concept of Genre: [[Concept of Genre (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Concept of Genre (Discussion) | Discussion]] of Kitses (6-27), Buscombe (33-45), Collins (157-163).
 +
#Film Noir as Genre: [[Film Noir as Genre (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Film Noir as Genre (Discussion)|Discussion]] of Silver & Ursini (17-26, 37-52, 53-64, 65-76).
 +
#Concept of Authorship: [[Concept of Authorship (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Concept of Authorship (Discussion)|Discussion]] of Caughie (9-16, 22-67).
 +
#Howard Hawks as Auteur: [[Howard Hawks as Auteur (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Howard Hawks as Auteur (Discussion)|Discussion]] of Sarris (on Hawks, 52-56), Caughie (138-151), Hillier & Wollen (26-31, 32-34, 68-71, 83-86, 111-119).
 +
#Noir & Sexuality: [[Noir & Sexuality (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Noir & Sexuality (Discussion) | Discussion]] of Place (47-68), Dyer (52-72).
 +
#Concept of Star: [[Concept of Star (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Concept of Star (Discussion)|Discussion]] of Dyer (Stars, 106-50; recommended: 88-105).
 +
#Humphrey Bogart as Star: [[Humphrey Bogart as Star (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Humphrey Bogart as Star (Discussion)|Discussion]] of Sklar (104-120, 165-176, 227-251).
 +
#Domestic Melodrama as Genre: [[Domestic Melodrama as Genre (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Domestic Melodrama as Genre (Discussion)|Discussion]] of Haskell (153-188) -- in-class discussion preempted by midterm exam.
 +
#Domestic Melodrama Since World War II: [[Domestic Melodrama Since World War II (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Domestic Melodrama Since World War II (Discussion)|Discussion]] of Gledhill (5-39), Elsaesser (43-69).
 +
#Melodrama Variations: TV Soap Opera: [[Melodrama Variations: TV Soap Opera (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Melodrama Variations: TV Soap Opera (Discussion)|Discussion]] of Butler ("Apparatus," 53-70), Butler ("Actors," 75-91).
 +
#Douglas Sirk as Auteur: [[Douglas Sirk as Auteur (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Douglas Sirk as Auteur (Discussion)| Discussion]] of Sarris (on Sirk, 109-110), Fischer (3-28, 268-272); recommended: Doherty ([http://www.tcf.ua.edu/EO/SirkEssay.htm online]).
 +
#Lana Turner as Star: [[Lana Turner as Star (Lecture)| Lecture]] / [[Lana Turner as Star (Discussion)| Discussion]] of Dyer (30-52) [Also in Fischer (186-206)].
  
==Star texts==
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===List of lecture notes===
#Explain how these terms apply to the study of television stars:
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[[:Category:TCF440/540 Lecture]]
#*'''Group 4:''' Stars as texts
 
#*'''Group 1:''' Intertextual
 
#*'''Group 2:''' Media text
 
#*'''Group 3:''' Polysemy
 
#How does the textbook distinguish a "star" from an everyday "actor"?
 
#Choose one star principally known for his or her work on television. What are some attributes of his or her polysemy. Explain how, according to Richard Dyer's approach, his or her polysemy is constructed from:
 
#*Promotion
 
#*Publicity
 
#*Characters on TV programs
 
  
<!--Gallery files hotlinked out of Wikipedia Commons; see talk page-->
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===List of discussion notes===
 +
[[:Category:TCF440/540 Discussion]]
  
== Bibliography ==
+
==Study groups==
#Jeremy G. Butler, ''Television: Critical Methods and Applications'' (New York: Routledge, 2012).
+
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
 +
|-
 +
| valign="top" |
 +
===Group 1===
 +
*Mark Lent
 +
*Tyler Allison
 +
*John Mark Alston
 +
*Jason Atchley
 +
*Kevyn Bowling
 +
*Lindsey Sway
 +
| valign="top" |
 +
===Group 2===
 +
*Samuel Bubis
 +
*Nalisa Capers
 +
*Geoff Carroll
 +
*Matthew Cocozza
 +
*Katherine Tuebner
 +
| valign="top" |
 +
===Group 3===
 +
*Sean Fleming
 +
*Jaime Kaufman
 +
*Joshua Key
 +
*Melissa Lockhart
 +
*Devon Young
 +
| valign="top" |
 +
===Group 4===
 +
*Christopher McCarter
 +
*Brandon Lowe
 +
*Alison O'Neil
 +
*Ashley Polyne
 +
*Shelby Ross
 +
*Connor Simpson
 +
|}
  
==References==
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== Texts & resources ==
<references/>
 
  
==External links==
+
===Books===
  
[[Category:TCF311]]
+
#David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson, ''Film Art: An Introduction''.
[[Category:TCF311 Discussion]]
+
#John Caughie, ed., ''Theories of Authorship'' (Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1981).
 +
#Richard Dyer, ''Stars'', Second Edition, Supplementary Chapter by Paul McDonald (London: British Film Institute, 1998).
 +
#Recommended, not required: Lucy Fischer,ed., ''Imitation of Life: Douglas Sirk, Director'' (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1991).
 +
 
 +
===Articles and book chapters===
 +
#Jim Kitses, ''Horizons West'' (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1969) 6-27.
 +
#Edward Buscombe, "The Idea of Genre in the American Cinema," ''Screen'', 11.2 (1970): 33-45.
 +
#Richard Collins, "Genre: A Reply to Ed Buscombe," ''Movies and Methods'', ed. Bill Nichols (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976) 157-163.
 +
#Alain Silver and James Ursini, eds., ''Film Noir Reader'' (New York: Limelight, 1996).
 +
#Andrew Sarris, ''The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929-1968'' (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1973) 52-56, 109-110.
 +
#Jim Hillier and Peter Wollen, eds., ''Howard Hawks American Artist'' (London: British Film Institute, 1996).
 +
#Janey Place, "Women in Film Noir," ''Women in Film Noir'', ed. E. Ann Kaplan (London: British Film Institute, 1998) 47-68.
 +
#Richard Dyer, "Homosexuality and Film Noir," ''The Matter of Images: Essays on Representations'' (London and New York: Routledge, 1993) 52-72.
 +
#Robert Sklar, ''City Boys: Cagney, Bogart, Garfield'' (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1992).
 +
#Molly Haskell, "The Woman's Film," in ''From Reverence to Rape: The Treatment of Women in the Movies'' (New York: Penguin, 1974) 153-188.
 +
#Christine Gledhill, "The Melodrama Field: An Investigation," ''Home is Where the Heart Is: Studies in Melodrama and Woman's Film'', ed. Christine Gledhill (London: British Film Institute, 1987) 5-39.
 +
#Thomas Elsaesser, "Tales of Sound and Fury: Observations on the Family Melodrama," ''Home is Where the Heart Is'', 43-69.
 +
#Jeremy G. Butler, "Notes on the Soap Opera Apparatus: Televisual Style and ''As the World Turns''," ''Cinema Journal'', 25.3 (1986): 53-70.
 +
#Jeremy G. Butler, "'I'm Not a Doctor, But I Play One on TV': Characters, Actors, and Acting in Television Soap Opera," ''Cinema Journal'' 30.4 (1991): 75-91.
 +
#Lucy Fischer, "Three-Way Mirror: Imitation of Life," ''Imitation of Life: Douglas Sirk'', Director ed. Lucy Fischer (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press) 3-28.
 +
#Paul Willemen, "Distanciation and Douglas Sirk," ''Imitation of Life: Douglas Sirk, Director'', 268-272.
 +
#Recommended, not required: Thomas Doherty, "Douglas Sirk: Magnificent Obsession," ''The Chronicle Review'', 49, no. 12 (November 15, 2002), p. B16. Available online.
 +
#Richard Dyer, "Four Films of Lana Turner," ''Movie'' 25: 30-52.
 +
 
 +
[[Category:TCF440-540]]
 +
[[Category:TCF Classes]]

Revision as of 15:58, 18 January 2012

Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck in the film noir, Double Indemnity.

TCF 440/540 Seminar in American Cinema is a discussion-oriented course taught by Jeremy Butler.

Course objectives

The student will learn the three major critical methods applied to the American cinema: genre study, the auteur "theory," and the star "system." We will begin with the film noir, director Howard Hawks and actor Humphrey Bogart, and then, during the second half of the semester, turn our attention to the melodrama, director Douglas Sirk, and actress Lana Turner.

Our focus will shift back and forth from the primary texts (the films themselves) to the writings on them. The latter will eventually lead us into considerations of feminism, Marxism, structuralism and semiotics.

Online study guides

Chronological order

  1. Film Analysis: Discussion of film form chapters, Film Art
  2. Classical Style I: Discussion of mise-en-scene
  3. Classical Style II: Discussion of cinematography
  4. Editing: Discussion of editing
  5. Sound: Discussion of sound
  6. Concept of Genre: Lecture / Discussion of Kitses (6-27), Buscombe (33-45), Collins (157-163).
  7. Film Noir as Genre: Lecture / Discussion of Silver & Ursini (17-26, 37-52, 53-64, 65-76).
  8. Concept of Authorship: Lecture / Discussion of Caughie (9-16, 22-67).
  9. Howard Hawks as Auteur: Lecture / Discussion of Sarris (on Hawks, 52-56), Caughie (138-151), Hillier & Wollen (26-31, 32-34, 68-71, 83-86, 111-119).
  10. Noir & Sexuality: Lecture / Discussion of Place (47-68), Dyer (52-72).
  11. Concept of Star: Lecture / Discussion of Dyer (Stars, 106-50; recommended: 88-105).
  12. Humphrey Bogart as Star: Lecture / Discussion of Sklar (104-120, 165-176, 227-251).
  13. Domestic Melodrama as Genre: Lecture / Discussion of Haskell (153-188) -- in-class discussion preempted by midterm exam.
  14. Domestic Melodrama Since World War II: Lecture / Discussion of Gledhill (5-39), Elsaesser (43-69).
  15. Melodrama Variations: TV Soap Opera: Lecture / Discussion of Butler ("Apparatus," 53-70), Butler ("Actors," 75-91).
  16. Douglas Sirk as Auteur: Lecture / Discussion of Sarris (on Sirk, 109-110), Fischer (3-28, 268-272); recommended: Doherty (online).
  17. Lana Turner as Star: Lecture / Discussion of Dyer (30-52) [Also in Fischer (186-206)].

List of lecture notes

Category:TCF440/540 Lecture

List of discussion notes

Category:TCF440/540 Discussion

Study groups

Group 1

  • Mark Lent
  • Tyler Allison
  • John Mark Alston
  • Jason Atchley
  • Kevyn Bowling
  • Lindsey Sway

Group 2

  • Samuel Bubis
  • Nalisa Capers
  • Geoff Carroll
  • Matthew Cocozza
  • Katherine Tuebner

Group 3

  • Sean Fleming
  • Jaime Kaufman
  • Joshua Key
  • Melissa Lockhart
  • Devon Young

Group 4

  • Christopher McCarter
  • Brandon Lowe
  • Alison O'Neil
  • Ashley Polyne
  • Shelby Ross
  • Connor Simpson

Texts & resources

Books

  1. David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson, Film Art: An Introduction.
  2. John Caughie, ed., Theories of Authorship (Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1981).
  3. Richard Dyer, Stars, Second Edition, Supplementary Chapter by Paul McDonald (London: British Film Institute, 1998).
  4. Recommended, not required: Lucy Fischer,ed., Imitation of Life: Douglas Sirk, Director (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1991).

Articles and book chapters

  1. Jim Kitses, Horizons West (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1969) 6-27.
  2. Edward Buscombe, "The Idea of Genre in the American Cinema," Screen, 11.2 (1970): 33-45.
  3. Richard Collins, "Genre: A Reply to Ed Buscombe," Movies and Methods, ed. Bill Nichols (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976) 157-163.
  4. Alain Silver and James Ursini, eds., Film Noir Reader (New York: Limelight, 1996).
  5. Andrew Sarris, The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929-1968 (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1973) 52-56, 109-110.
  6. Jim Hillier and Peter Wollen, eds., Howard Hawks American Artist (London: British Film Institute, 1996).
  7. Janey Place, "Women in Film Noir," Women in Film Noir, ed. E. Ann Kaplan (London: British Film Institute, 1998) 47-68.
  8. Richard Dyer, "Homosexuality and Film Noir," The Matter of Images: Essays on Representations (London and New York: Routledge, 1993) 52-72.
  9. Robert Sklar, City Boys: Cagney, Bogart, Garfield (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1992).
  10. Molly Haskell, "The Woman's Film," in From Reverence to Rape: The Treatment of Women in the Movies (New York: Penguin, 1974) 153-188.
  11. Christine Gledhill, "The Melodrama Field: An Investigation," Home is Where the Heart Is: Studies in Melodrama and Woman's Film, ed. Christine Gledhill (London: British Film Institute, 1987) 5-39.
  12. Thomas Elsaesser, "Tales of Sound and Fury: Observations on the Family Melodrama," Home is Where the Heart Is, 43-69.
  13. Jeremy G. Butler, "Notes on the Soap Opera Apparatus: Televisual Style and As the World Turns," Cinema Journal, 25.3 (1986): 53-70.
  14. Jeremy G. Butler, "'I'm Not a Doctor, But I Play One on TV': Characters, Actors, and Acting in Television Soap Opera," Cinema Journal 30.4 (1991): 75-91.
  15. Lucy Fischer, "Three-Way Mirror: Imitation of Life," Imitation of Life: Douglas Sirk, Director ed. Lucy Fischer (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press) 3-28.
  16. Paul Willemen, "Distanciation and Douglas Sirk," Imitation of Life: Douglas Sirk, Director, 268-272.
  17. Recommended, not required: Thomas Doherty, "Douglas Sirk: Magnificent Obsession," The Chronicle Review, 49, no. 12 (November 15, 2002), p. B16. Available online.
  18. Richard Dyer, "Four Films of Lana Turner," Movie 25: 30-52.