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FS120: Master Filmmakers (Spring 2015, CRN: 60082)

Class: TR 3:00pm-5:05pm, BC Forum
Instructor:
Email:

Dr. Drew Ayers

drayers@pipeline.sbcc.edu

Office Hours: By Appointment

Website:
www.drewayers.com

N.B.
Moodle will reflect updates to the course, changes in the syllabus, assignments, etc. Be sure to
check it regularly. The course syllabus provides a general plan for the course; deviations may be
necessary.
Course Description
Study of important film directors and how their work has advanced and defined the art of
cinema. Landmark films by celebrated directors, both foreign and domestic, are analyzed in
terms of theme, structure, and cinematic technique. Emphasis is placed on the role of the auteur
in contemporary and mid to late 20th century cinema. Directorial contributions to specific film
genres are also explored. This iteration of the course will focus on the films of Stanley Kubrick
(1928-1999), Krzysztof Kielowski (1941-1996), and David Cronenberg (b. 1943).
Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Analyze films of significant directors in relation to periods, styles, genres, and
movements using film terminology.
Differentiate significant directors within film history from the 1890s to the present.
Apply stylistic analyses to films of significant directors.
Required Texts
1) Naremore, James. On Kubrick. London: BFI/Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.
2) Beard, William. The Artist as Monster: The Cinema of David Cronenberg. Rev. and expanded.
ed. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2006.
3) Haltof, Marek. The Cinema of Krzysztof Kielowski: Variations on Destiny and Chance. New
York: Wallflower, 2004.
4) Readings on Moodle
5) Course films
Screenings
Screenings will be held during class time as indicated in the daily schedule. Students are
expected to attend all screenings, and absences from/tardiness to the screenings will count
against participation grade. If a student cannot attend a screening, s/he must conduct the
screening on his/her own time. Some materials are available through the library, and most
materials are available through online rental and streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon,
and iTunes. During the screenings, you may not use your phones, tablets, or laptops. Once
the screening starts, please do not leave the room unless it is an emergency.

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Participation
My approach to this class integrates lecture, discussion, student presentations, and various
exercises and activities in order to explore the principles discussed in the readings and lectures
you cant participate if youre not there. Group discussion of course material will comprise a
large portion of our in-class activity. It is essential that students have carefully read the assigned
material prior to class in order to fulfill their responsibilities as a member of our learning
community. Further, students are expected to participate actively in class discussion.
Participation comprises 10% of the final grade, and the participation grade will be based on both
the frequency and quality of a students participation. Participation does not mean simply
showing up to class. Everyone is expected to participate actively in class discussions, and
tardiness to class will negatively affect your participation grade.
A Note About Laptops and Technology
As a media scholar, I acknowledge the ubiquity and utility of (new) media technologies. Laptops
and other communication technologies can serve as useful educational and professional tools,
provided they are used effectively and responsibly. However, research has shown that a)
technologies frequently become distractions rather than learning aids; b) technologies are
distracting for your classmates as well; and c) multitasking has a negative effect on your ability
to focus (even though you might think youre a pro at multitasking). I leave it to you to decide
how best to utilize your technology, but I have consistently found that students who are
distracted during class tend to earn lower grades than those who engage with the lectures and
discussions. Also keep in mind that if youre tweeting and posting on Instagram, youre not
participating, and your participation grade will suffer. So as not to distract your classmates, I
request that heavy technology users choose to sit near the back of the class.
Think of your time in the classroom as an opportunity to unplug and devote complete focus to a
subject. If youre going to text and Snapchat the entire class, consider staying home. I also
expect laptops to be closed during class screenings. If you want to take notes, please do so in an
analog fashion, with paper and pencil.
Late Assignment Policy
If an assignment is turned in late, one full letter grade will be deducted for each day the
assignment is late. If a student is unable to submit the assignment on the day it is due, s/he must
contact me prior to the class and make alternative arrangements. Assignments must be uploaded
to Moodle by class time on the day they are due (3:00pm). Assignments uploaded after 3:00pm
will automatically be marked as late. When assignments are due, expect the unexpected. Assume
that one (or perhaps all) of the following will happen on exam dates and assignment due dates:
Your internet connection suddenly stops working
Moodle crashes or experiences some other kind of technical difficulty
Your computer crashes and all your data is lost
Your car will not run, busses will skip your stop, and all of your friends will be out of
town
Please take whatever steps are necessary to prevent these events from affecting the timely
submission of assignments and exams.

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Additional Sources of Academic Support
SBCC offers a range of support services for students. Among the resources available are:
Writing Center (http://www.sbcc.edu/clrc/writing_center/)Provides advice and tutoring
in composition
Student Services (http://www.sbcc.edu/studentservices/)Offers a variety of services,
including tutoring, career counseling, and support groups
Policy for Make-Up Exams
Unless we have discussed rescheduling an exam before the exam date, exams may only be madeup in instances of extreme hardship. I will require documentation verifying the hardship, and the
option to complete a make-up exam is at my discretion.
Special Accommodations
SBCC students with verified disabilities who are requesting academic accommodations should
use the following procedure:
Step 1: Obtain documentation of your disability from a licensed professional. You may
use the Disability Verification Form found at www.sbcc.edu/dsps.
Step 2: Make an appointment to meet with a DSPS Specialist to review your
documentation and discuss reasonable accommodations. To schedule a meeting, please
call DSPS at (805) 730-4164.
Step 3: Bring your disability documentation to your DSPS appointment. The DSPS office
is located in room 160 of the Student Services building.
Step 4: Each semester, reach written accommodation agreement with the DSPS Specialist
and your instructor.
Please complete this process in a timely manner to allow adequate time to provide
accommodation.
Assignments
There are two primary assignments for the semester. We will talk about each in more detail as
the due dates approach.
1) Weekly Discussion Board Postings: Before the Thursday class of each week students will
post a 350-400 word response to the readings, discussion, and film from that week. The
discussion boards can be found on the course website on Moodle. The posts should relate
a shot, scene, or element from the film (or clips) screened in class to one of the issues
discussed in the readings or in class. Each post should build on class discussion rather
than simply repeating what was already said, and you should avoid simply stating your
personal opinion about how much you liked or disliked the film. The posts for each week
are due before the start of class on each Thursday. These posts will be graded on letter
grade system, but in most cases I will not include specific comments or feedback.
However, if your posts are complete and you include an analysis of all required course
screenings, you will likely receive an A or B.
2) Director Papers (x3): Students will write three papers, one on each director examined in
class. Each paper must be 6-7 pages in length. The exact topic of each paper is up to you,
but you should formulate a clear thesis and argument that engages with the concepts and
theories covered in the class lectures, discussions, screenings, and readings. I also
encourage you to watch, analyze, and incorporate some of the directors films that we did

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not screen in class. All papers should reference specific readings assigned for the class,
and outside research is highly recommended.
All materials must be submitted to Moodle by the beginning of the class for which they are due
(3:00pm), and papers should be typed in 12-point Times New Roman, 1-inch margins on all
sides, and double-spaced. Each page should also include your last name and the page number in
the upper right-hand corner. The upper left-hand corner of the first page should include your
name, my name, the course name, and the date of submission. Use Chicago or MLA format for
your citations and works cited page.
Grading
Weekly Discussion Board Postings: 15%
Director Papers:
25% (x3)
Participation:
10%
Grading Breakdown
B+
A
94-100% B
A90-93%
B-

87-89%
84-86%
80-83%

C+
C
C-

77-79%
74-76%
70-73%

D+
D
D-

67-69%
64-66%
60-63%

Below 60%

Grading Criteria
A indicates truly outstanding work that shows a command of concepts and theories,
presenting them in a well-argued and logically structured manner. The work doesnt
merely address the questions through a repetition of course material and lectures. It
provides fresh, creative, and original perspectives with a unique voice, offering
connections between the topic and broader issues and contexts. Superior research skills
are demonstrated with relevant citations and quotations advancing the argument. The
work is error-free in spelling and grammatical errors. A work significantly surpasses
the expectations of the assignment.
B indicates above-average work that clearly achieves the goals of the assignment. The
work provides smart and solid analyses that I would expect any diligent student to be able
to produce. These assignments take on the questions directly, citing specific materials
from the texts and lectures to illustrate the points being made. These assignments often
offer previously discussed examples illustrating points covered in class. There are usually
few typos or spelling errors (if any), sentences are relatively clear, and thoughts are
organized into a concise argument.
C indicates meeting the course requirements in an adequate fashion. The work
addresses the questions but doesnt explicitly cite specific texts and discussion. This work
tends to recycle examples from discussion without discussing how they fit with the
analysis and repeats information given in class. There are usually typos, spelling errors,
and poorly structured sentences that render the argument vague or unpersuasive.
D indicates work that is off-topic, poorly written, disorganized, and instead of the
course materials, relies on personal experience alone or materials from other classes. In
other words, the assignment shows no evidence that the student was paying attention in
class and does not incorporate materials used in the readings or in class discussion. Often
these assignments seem more like summaries or reviews rather than analyses. These

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assignments may also fall short or far exceed the page limits or time constraints for the
assignment. They do not use appropriate grammar and often are not proofread.
F indicates work that dramatically fails to meet course goals and course expectations.
It is incoherent, plagiarized, and/or never turned in.

Regarding Scholastic Dishonesty: I take this matter very seriously and will report any suspected
cases of academic dishonesty to the Dean of Educational Programs and Student Support
Services. For details on the Universitys policy on Academic Integrity, please consult the
Offices website at
https://www.sbcc.edu/boardoftrustees/files/policies/AP%205231.6%20Academic%20Integrity.p
df. The policy prohibits cheating, fabrication, fraud, misrepresentation, lying, plagiarism,
multiple submissions, and facilitating academic dishonesty. The process by which the university
handles academic misconduct cases is also very specifically spelled out in the policy. Violation
of the policy may result in failing the class as well as disciplinary sanctions. The internet makes
it easy to plagiarize, but also easy to track down plagiarismIf you can google it, I can google
it. Bottom line: Dont plagiarizeits not worth it. Cite all your sources, put all direct quotations
in quotation marks, and clearly note when you are paraphrasing other authors work.

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Daily Schedule
Auteur Theory
1/20
Reading:
Screening:
1/22

Reading:

Smith, Its Just a Movie

Corrigan, Writing about the Movies
Goscsik & Barsam, Kinds of Film Papers
Man with a Movie Camera (Vertov, 1929, 68 min.)
Stam, The Cult of the Auteur and The Americanization of
Auteur Theory
Vertov, Film Directors: A Revolution
Sarris, Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962
Barthes, The Death of the Author

Stanley Kubrick
1/27
Screening:
Reading:

The Killing (1956, 83 min.)

Naremore, pp. 1-41

1/29

Reading:

Naremore, pp. 67-80

2/3

Screening:

Dr. Strangelove (1964, 94 min.)

2/5

Reading:

Naremore, pp. 119-137

Phillips, Stanley Kubrick and Dr. Strangelove
Nelson, The Descent of Man: Dr. Strangelove

2/10

Screening:

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, 142 min.)

2/12

Reading:

Naremore, pp. 137-153

Kolker, 2001: A Space Odyssey

2/17

Screening:

A Clockwork Orange (1971, 137 min.)

2/19

Reading:

Naremore, pp. 153-170

Nelson, The Performing Artist: A Clockwork Orange

2/24

Screening:

Eyes Wide Shut (1999, 159 min.)

2/26

Reading:

Naremore, pp. 222-242

Hoffman, Where the Rainbow Ends: Eyes Wide Shut

Krzysztof Kielowski
3/3
Screening:
Reading:

Blind Chance (1981, 122 min.)

Haltof, pp. ix-xiv; 1-23
Kickasola, Which Kielowski? (optional)
Assignment: Kubrick Paper Due

3/5

Reading:

Haltof, pp. 53-64

Bordwell, Film Futures

3/10

Screening:

A Short Film About Killing (1988, 84 min.)

3/12

Reading:

Haltof, pp. 75-107

Kielowski on Kielowski, pp. 159-166
Kickasola, Decalogue V and A Short Film About Killing

3/17

Screening:

Blue (1993, 94 min.)

3/19

Reading:

Haltof, pp. 122-133

Kickasola, Blue
Evans, Synaesthesia in Kieslowskis Trois
couleurs: Bleu

3/24

Screening:
Reading:

White (1994, 87 min.)

Haltof, pp. 133-141
Kickasola, White

3/26

NO CLASS (SCMS)

3/31

NO CLASS (SPRING BREAK)

4/2

NO CLASS (SPRING BREAK)

4/7

Screening:

Red (1994, 99 min.)

4/9

Reading:

Haltof, pp. 141-152

Kickasola, Red
Kielowski on Kielowski, pp. 212-227

David Cronenberg
4/14
Screening:
Scanners (1981, 103 min.)
Reading:
Beard, pp. vii-xii
Assignment: Kielowski Paper Due
4/16

Reading:

Beard, pp. 96-120

4/21

Screening:

Videodrome (1983, 87 min.)

4/23

Reading:

Beard, pp. 121-164

4/28

Screening:

The Fly (1986, 96 min.)

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4/30

Reading:

Beard, pp. 198-233

Mathijs, AIDS References in the Critical Reception of David
Cronenberg

5/5

Screening:

Dead Ringers (1988, 115 min.)

5/7

Reading:

Beard, pp. 234-276

Frank, The Camera and the Speculum

5/12

Assignment: Cronenberg Paper Due @ 2:00pm