1. WEEKLY QUIZZES (25%)
Unless I indicate otherwise, we'll spend a few minutes at the beginning of each meeting taking a short quiz covering the assigned materials. Quizzes will be multiple choice and should not require extra preparation beyond completion of reading and viewing assignments. I'll throw out your two lowest scores in order to determine your overall quiz score for the semester.
Quiz make-up assignments: If you miss class and you want to protect your quiz score, you can request a make-up assignment by e-mailing me prior to 11:59pm the day of the absence. If I approve your request I'll send a make-up assignment involving a short pieces of writing. (It's a bit more work than simply taking the quiz.) |
2. WEEKLY RUSHES (25%)
In filmmaking, a "rush" (or "daily") is the output from the day's shooting (with the sum collection of rushes comprising the raw material for the resultant film). Your rush fragments will be submitted each week (rather than every day). Like raw pieces of footage, though, your rushes will provide a place to explore new ideas and techniques without having to worry too much about overall writing protocol. And even more like a cinematic rush, these weekly submissions of yours will provide raw material for your analytical paper and your final project.
Topics and guidelines for the weekly rushes will be found on the course blog the day after each class, and each rush must be posted by 10:00am the morning of the next class meeting in order to receive full credit. (Rushes submitted beyond the deadline will receive 75% percent of the originally available credit.) The place to post your rush is on your personal blog. (See the "your blog" page for details on establishing and/or using your personal film history blog.)
You'll have a lot of leeway with the weekly rushes. But each of your responses must somehow show that you're thinking about the assigned task, topic or question. Submissions not yet reflecting a genuine engagement may be returned to you for additional development (with credit granted upon a satisfactory demonstration of effort).
3. ANALYTICAL PAPER (25%)
Midway through the term you'll submit a short paper (2-4 pages) applying one or more of the principles we're studying this semester to the analysis of a specific film. Click here to see the assignment description.
4. FINAL PROJECT (25%)
Midway through the term, you'll commit to one of three final-project tracks: 1) individual completion of an analytical paper; 2) completion of a short piece of original work (a creative effort based on one or more principles studied this semester); 3) participation in the Citizen L project, an on-going video project in which students can take part as actors, editors, designers, writers, cinematographers, musical composers/performers, etc. (Availability of specific roles in the Citizen Lebowski project varies from semester to semester depending on the project's current production schedule. Contact me for details if you're interested.)
Your final project will be due at the end of the semester. Additional information will be posted on the three major options in the coming weeks.
Your final project will be due at the end of the semester. Additional information will be posted on the three major options in the coming weeks.
