Spike Lee Senior Seminar in Film ENG 4350.001 Fall 2019
Dr. Kate McClancy MW 2-3:20 [email protected] Flowers Hall 224 Office Hours: FH M24 MW 12-2, T 5-6 and by appt. 512-245-3777
Course Description and Objectives: This capstone class examines the medium of film from three directions: the narrative, the spectacular, and the critical. To do so, we will study the elements of screenwriting, cinematography, and cultural and historical analysis, putting these three puzzle pieces together to create a multifaceted understanding of cinema. Using the films of Spike Lee as a case study, students will unpack the details of how—and why— motion pictures work, and what work they do. Finally, students will submit as a final project a short screenplay, a short film, or an analytical paper integrating these three components.
Learning Outcomes: The Department of English has adopted student learning outcomes for general education courses in writing and literature and for all degree programs. You will find these outcomes at http://www.english.txstate.edu/ about/learning.html.
Required Texts:
TEXTBOOK: Alexander Mackendrick. On Film-Making: An Introduction to the Craft of the Director, edited by Paul Cronin, Fararr, Straus and Giroux, 2004.
Available at the university bookstore as well as from other vendors. Feel free to use other print or electronic editions; however, keep in mind that both content and pagination may be different.
PDFS: Béla Balázs. Theory of the Film. Critical Visions in Film Theory: Classic and Contemporary Readings, edited by Timothy Corrigan and Patricia White with Meta Mazaj, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011, 125-134. André Bazin. What is Cinema? Critical Visions in Film Theory: Classic and Contemporary Readings, edited by Timothy Corrigan and Patricia White with Meta Mazaj, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011, 309-324. Donald Bogle. “Black Beginnings: From Uncle Tom’s Cabin to The Birth of a Nation.” Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, & Bucks, 5th edition, Bloomsbury, 2016, 1-14. David Bordwell. “Principles of Narration.” Narration in the Fiction Film, The University of Wisconsin Press, 1985, 48-62. Peter Brooks. Reading for the Plot. Narratology: An Introduction, edited by Susana Onega and José Angel García Landa, Longman, 1996, 251-261. Jean-Louis Comolli. “Technique and Ideology: Camera, Perspective, Depth of Field.” Narrative, Apparatus, Ideology: A Film Theory Reader, edited by Philip Rosen, Columbia University Press, 1986, 421-443. Timothy Corrigan. “Taking Notes.” A Short Guide to Writing about Film, 9th edition, Pearson, 2015, 28-31. V. I. Pudovkin. Film Technique and Film Acting, Lear, 1949, 38-93. 2
Andrew Sarris. “Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962.” Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings, 7th Edition, edited by Leo Braudy and Marshall Cohen, Oxford University Press, 2009, 451-454. Viktor Shklovsky. “Art as Device.” Theory of Prose, translated by Benjamin Sher, Dalkey Archive Press, 1991, 1-14. Robin Wood. “Ideology, Genre, Auteur.” Film Genre Reader III, edited by Barry Keith Grant, University of Texas Press, 2003, 60-74.
All PDFs are available under the Resources tab on TRACS. You do not have to print them out if you prefer to read them electronically and want to save trees; however, YOU MUST BRING THE READINGS TO CLASS ON THE DAY THEY’RE ASSIGNED. If you don’t print them, bring your e-reading device. Your phone is likely too small to serve this function.
FILMS: 4 Little Girls. HBO Documentary, 1997. 1h 42m. 25th Hour. Perf. Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Buena Vista Pictures, 2002. 2h 15m. Bamboozled. Perf. Damon Wayans, Jada Pinkett Smith, Savion Glover, New Line Cinema, 2000. 2h 15m. BlackKklansman. Perf. John David Washington, Adam Driver, Focus Features, 2018. 2h 15m. Chi-Raq. Lionsgate, 2015. 2h 7m. Clockers. Perf. Harvey Keitel, John Turturro, Universal Pictures, 1995. 2h 8m. Crooklyn. Perf. Alfre Woodard, Delroy Lindo, Universal Pictures, 1994. 1h 55m. Do the Right Thing. Perf. Spike Lee, John Turturro, Universal Pictures, 1989. 2h. Inside Man. Perf. Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Universal Pictures, 2006. 2h 9m. Malcolm X. Perf. Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Warner Bros., 1992. 3h 22m. Mo’ Better Blues. Perf. Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes, Universal Pictures, 1990. 2h 10m. School Daze. Perf. Laurence Fishburne, Giancarlo Esposito, Columbia Pictures, 1988. 2h 1m. She’s Gotta Have It. Perf. Tracy Camilla Johns, Island Pictures, 1986. 1h 24m.
There will NOT be scheduled film screenings for this class; you are responsible for seeing the films on your own time. Most films should be available streaming through the library website; those that are not (specifically, She’s Gotta Have It) will be on 2 hour reserve at Alkek Library as DVDs—ask at the media desk which computers will let you watch DVDs. You might consider pooling resources with a classmate or two to buy a complete set of the films. Please make sure you are watching the right film. Some of these films have been remade as television shows; some having varying restorations or director’s cuts. When in doubt, check the year the film was released, names in the cast, or email me. Films are significantly more enjoyable when they are not watched on your phone or in 14 parts on YouTube. Make an effort to watch these movies on the biggest screen available, with friends and popcorn, for the best experience. Also, be prepared to watch these films, particularly those you write on, more than once.
Schedule:
Week 1 8/26: Introduction
8/28: Mackendrick xxxv-xxxix, “Prologue” Mackendrick 3-8, “The Pre-Verbal Language of Cinema” Mackendrick 9-21, “What Is a Story?” Corrigan, “Taking Notes” 3
Week 2: 9/2: NO CLASS—LABOR DAY
9/4: She’s Gotta Have It
Week 3: 9/9: School Daze
9/11: Mackendrick 86-91, “Activity Versus Action” Bordwell, “Principles of Narration”
Week 4: 9/16: Do the Right Thing
9/18: Mackendrick 44-65, “Exercises for the Student of Dramatic Construction” Shklovsky, “Art as Device”
Week 5: 9/23: Mo’ Better Blues
9/25: Mackendrick 27-35, “Modernist Trends” Brooks, Reading for the Plot (excerpts)
Week 6: 9/30: Malcolm X
10/2: Mackendrick 197-199, “The Invisible Imaginary Ubiquitous Winged Witness” Mackendrick 200-203, “How to Be Meaningless” Pudovkin, Film Techinque (excerpt)
10/4: STEP OUTLINE DUE
Week 7: 10/7: Crooklyn
10/9: Mackendrick 222-234, “Point of View” Mackendrick 235-250, “The Axis” Balázs, Theory of the Film (excerpts)
Week 8: 10/14: Clockers
10/16: Mackendrick 204-208, “Mental Geography” Mackendrick 209-217, “Condensing Screen Time” Bazin, What is Cinema? (excerpts)
Week 9: 10/21: 4 Little Girls 4
10/23: Mackendrick 92-96, “Dramatic Irony” Comolli, “Technique and Ideology”
Week 10: 10/28: Bamboozled
10/30: Mackendrick 251-257, “Shot to Shot Relationships” Mackendrick 258-271, “Camera Movement” Bogle, “Black Beginnings”
Week 11: 11/4: CLASS CANCELLED
11/6: CLASS CANCELLED
11/10: CLOSE VISUAL READING DUE
Week 12: 11/11: 25th Hour
11/13: Mackendrick 97-110, “William Archer Revisited” Sarris, “Notes on the Auteur Theory”
Week 13: 11/18: Inside Man
11/20: Mackendrick 111-115, “Plausibility and Willing Suspension of Disbelief” Wood, “Ideology, Genre, Auteur”
Week 14: 11/25: Chi-Raq
11/27: NO CLASS—THANKSGIVING
Week 15: 12/2: BlackKklansman
12/4: Conclusion
12/11: FINAL PROJECT DUE
Course Requirements:
INFORMAL WEEKLY RESPONSES: Once a week you will be expected to email me with a 150-250 word response to the week’s film. These emails are meant to be informal, and should provide an opportunity for you to air your thoughts, 5 experiment with different genres and techniques, and suggest topics for classroom discussion. These responses will not receive individual letter grades but rather will be given a holistic grade at the end of the semester. They are due on Mondays before class. I will not accept late responses, but you may miss three of these responses before affecting your grade. Each missed response after that will lower your responses grade by one third, and missing more than five responses is grounds for a failing grade in the course.
OF THE FORMAL WRITTEN WORK: Due dates for written work are indicated on the schedule, and all essays are due at 5 PM. Work should be submitted electronically to me via email as Microsoft Word attachments—I do not need hard copies. I will not accept PDFs or dropbox links. Students who do not turn in one of these assignments will not pass the course. Late work will not be accepted unless we’ve worked something out before the paper is due. These papers should not be your first draft, completed 23 seconds before the paper is due; you should take the time to revise your first effort, both for macro-level problems such as organization and argument and for micro-level problems such as spelling and grammar. One class paper from each graduating English major (not seeking certification) may be collected as part of the Department of English assessment of this course.
STEP OUTLINE: In week 5 you will submit a 750-1250 word step outline of one of the films we’ve viewed in class in weeks 1- 5. For this assignment, you will summarize the action of each scene in this one film as it happens, numbering the scenes, and clarifying the causal chain that runs through the narrative. I have posted an example of a step outline on TRACS.
CLOSE VISUAL READING: In week 11 you will submit a 1000-1500 word close reading of a scene from a film we’ve watched in weeks 6-10. For this assignment, you should not worry overmuch about organization or about having a coherent thesis. The goal is to analyze the cinematic details of a scene and to explain what those details do, and how they do it, to create your understanding of the film. Do NOT simply summarize “what happens” in the scene. Make sure to describe the details you’re analyzing using correct terminology and clearly enough that your reader can visualize them. Once you’ve presented the details, explain how those details work to create your reading.
FINAL PROJECT: At the end of the term you will be required to submit a project of one of three different types, corresponding to the three sections of the class: a 6-10 page screenplay, a 3-5 minute short film, or a 1500- 2000 word essay with sources. The due date for this project is indicated on the schedule. If you plan on submitting a screenplay, the script should be for a complete short film, not a section of a longer film, and should be correctly formatted as a screenplay—that is, in Courier font, with correct margins and spacing, etc.; I have posted screenplay formatting instructions on TRACS. This screenplay can be an entirely original work or an adaptation of a work from another medium, but not a remake of a film. If you decide to submit a short film, you may use an outside script (as long as you credit the screenwriter), but you must shoot and cut the film yourself—you may not enlist an outside DP or editor. This film should be in its final form, with titles and credits and mixed sound. Finally, if you choose the essay with sources, you should write on at least one and at most three of the films we’ve covered in class. You are welcome to include a film we have not discussed in the course, as long as you include at least one film that we have. For this paper, you must use at least three secondary sources from peer-reviewed journals or books, not including course readings. I will not provide topics for this paper. All papers should have 1” margins, 12 point Times font, double spacing throughout, etc., and use MLA citation guidelines. If you are unsure what these guidelines are, feel free to ask; I have posted an explanation of MLA formatting on TRACS. 6
ATTENDANCE: Attendance is mandatory. More than three unexcused absences will cause your participation grade to drop by a third of a grade for each missed class. More than five unexcused absences are grounds for a failing grade in the course as a whole.
CLASS PARTICIPATION: Class participation involves more than just showing up. You should be engaged in the material: listen and pay attention, engage with and respect your fellow students, and refrain from texting, checking Facebook, staring off into space, or falling asleep. Do not be perpetually late. You should also ask questions and participate in class discussions.
E-MAIL AND COMMUNICATION: While I know that many of you have non-Texas State email accounts, any official communications about this course will go to your Bobcat Mail addresses. Please check that email account regularly. When you email me, make sure to include your full name and indicate the course you’re in.
COUNSELING CENTER: Mental health issues can diminish academic performance and may affect students’ ability to participate in activities. The Counseling Center at Texas State University provides free and confidential mental health services on both its San Marcos and Round Rock campuses. For additional information, visit the Counseling Center’s website (https://counseling.txstate.edu) or call 512-245-2208.
ACCOMMODATIONS: If you are a student with a disability who will require an accommodation to participate in this course, please contact me as soon as possible. You will be asked to provide documentation from the Office of Disability Services. Failure to contact me in a timely manner may delay your accommodations.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Texas State has an honor code for a reason, and I expect you to follow it. Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated; failing to cite the work or ideas of others will result in a failing grade. The University policies on plagiarism and other types of academic dishonesty are described in the University’s official student handbook and at http://www.txstate.edu/effective/upps/upps-07-10-01.html. If you are uncertain how or what to cite, please don’t hesitate to ask me. Remember: the definition of plagiarism does not stop at word-for-word copying or cutting-and- pasting. Using the ideas of another without citation is also plagiarism. If you find a website useful, cite it, regardless of its reputation.
Evaluation:
Grades will be calculated as follows: 15%: Class Participation 15%: Weekly Responses 20%: Step Outline 20%: Close Reading 30%: Final Project
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Letter grades are converted to numbers and vice versa via the following charts: A = 97 100-95 = A A- = 92.5 94-90 = A- B+ = 88 89-87 = B+ B = 84.5 86-83 = B B- = 81 82-80 = B- C+ = 78 79-77 = C+ C = 74.5 76-73 = C C- = 71 72-70 = C- D+ = 68 69-67 = D+ D = 64.5 66-63 = D D- = 61 62-60 = D-
While I use pluses and minuses in grade calculations, Texas State does not recognize them, and your final course grade will not have them.