Week 3: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Week 3: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Mo 8.31/We 8.2
Class: DIAGNOSTIC; Presentation assignments; Lectures—“Building a Better Multimedia Presentation,” “Lectures—“MLA Style: An Introduction,” and “A Brief History of Film, Pt. I & II” Due: REFLECTION 2

Upcoming:

Week 4: Rocky (1976)
Mo 9.7 (LABOR DAY—NO CLASS)/We 9.9
Class: AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL; Reading discussion; Lecture—“Crafting the Essay: Writing as a Process”

Multimedia Presentations

As you know, this semester you and a classmate will be responsible for a 10-minute multimedia presentation and class hand-out.

You have now been randomly assigned a partner, a date, and a topic. Some time will be given in class to trade your topic, if you should so desire. 

Requirements:

• The work distribution is up to each group, though it should be somewhat equitable
• The presentation must be approximately 10 minutes in length—everyone must present at least part of the time
• There should be 10-12 slides, including at least one video clip (no more than 2-3 minutes in length)
• You must provide a handout related to or outlining your presentation (sent via email) 
• On the day of your presentation, email both your presentation (or a link) and handout to me at dhdelao@gmail.com.

You may utilize any presentation program you like (e.g PowerPoint, Prezi, Keynote). However, please sort out any technical issues before your presentation date (our room's projection system can be found throughout campus). Groups may be docked for a lack of preparedness.

The best presentations will:

• Have an introductory slide which contextualizes the topic—very important 
• Use words economically 
• Include visually interesting illustrations—gifs are also acceptable
• Avoid a heavy use of animation and effects 
• Have a style that complements the subject matter and strikes the appropriate tone
• Engage the class through a conversational style, utilizing questions and/or activities
• Embed a relevant video or audio clip (e.g. YouTube, SoundCloud)—ad blockers are also helpful in saving time
• Conclude with a slide that summarizes the topic—also very important

This is an opportunity to be creative, so feel free to have fun with the visual layout of your presentation.

Lower scoring presentations might:

• Begin without an introductory slide and/or fail to offer any context upfront
• Be thinly researched
• Allow visuals to overrun their content, or lack a cohesive style
• Fail to engage the class in any meaningful way—this is often achieved by reading an entire presentation
• Lack multimedia
• End without a concluding slide

Remember, you must provide your own laptop. Also, Macs will require an Apple-specific adapter to connect to the university’s projection system. Newer model PCs with HDMI-only connections will also require special adapters.

Presentation schedule:

Week 5: Mo 9.14/We 9.16

Brett B. and Raye G. - Cinema Au Naturel: A History of Nudity on Film

Week 6: Mo 9.21/We

Madison A. and Jade G. - Bombs Away: Hollywood's Most Infamous Failures

Week 7: Mo 9.28/We 9.30

Dunba T. and Felix W. - Inside Bollywood, the World’s Most Prolific Film Industry

Week 8: Tu 10.6/Th 10.8 

Elias R. and Trudy S. - La Famiglia: Italians Representation on the Silver Screen

Week 9: Mo 10.5/We 10.7

Paul F. and Krystal D. - The Good, the Bad, and, the Ugly: A Look at Spaghetti Westerns

Week 10: Mo 10.12/We 10.14 

Jasmeen K. and Alliyah V. - No Laughing Matter: The Fatty Arbuckle Scandal

Week 11: Mo 10.19/We 10.21

Emily P. and Eileen R. - Hollywood and Gun Violence: The Continuing Debate

Week 12: Mo 10.26/We 10.28 

Jimmy N. and Daniela R. - Kowai Hanashi: A History of Japanese Horror Films

Week 13: Mo 11.2/We 11.4

Aliya H. and Maria K. – A Legacy in Infamy: The Story of Birth of a Nation

Week 14: Mo 11.9 - Charlie C. and Jesus J. - Infamous Films: Browning’s Freaks, Damiano’s Deep Throat, and Stone’s Natural Born Killers

Week 15: Mo 11.23

Alex C. and Nicole G. - Fifty Years of Bond, James Bond

Week 16: Mo 11.30/We 12.2 

Yaning V. and Evonne T. - Don't You Forget about Me: The Films of John Hughes

Reflection 2: Reel Music—Exploring Movie Soundtracks

It's difficult to imagine the movie-going experience without music. For over 100 years, music has been an integral part of what makes the movies so special. Many films are regarded as legendary, in part, due to their musical soundtracks. Below is a list of iconic scenes made even more memorable through their use of music. Choose two to three of the following scenes (at least one must be prior to 1960) to examine how music enhances its overall effect. For example, how does the music effect you, as a viewer? Are you being manipulated? And if so, how? What emotions are being elicited? What would change in the scene if the music were omitted? Finally, can you imagine this scene with different music? What would be gained and lost?

Choose one of the following:

1. "As Time Goes By" from Casablanca (1942, Music and lyrics by Herman Hupfeld)
2. "Put the Blame on Mame" from Gilda (1946, Music and lyrics by Allan Roberts and Doris Fisher)
3. "The River Kwai March" from The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957, Music by Malcom Arnold)
4. "Moon River" from Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961, Music by Henry Mancini)
5. "The Sound of Silence" from The Graduate (1967, Music and lyrics by Paul Simon)
6. "The Blue Danube" from 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, Music by Johann Strauss)
7. "Main Title" from Jaws (1975, Music by John Williams) 
8. "Gonna Fly Now" from Rocky (1976, Music and lyrics by Bill Conti, Carol Connors, and Ayn Robbins)
9. "You Should be Dancing" from Saturday Night Fever (1977, Music and lyrics by The Bee Gees)
10. "Can You Read My Mind? (Love Theme)" from Superman (1978, Music by John Williams) 
11. "Main Title" from Halloween (1978, Music by John Carpenter)  
12. "Rhapsody in Blue" from Manhattan (1979, Music by George Gershwin)
13. "Chariots of Fire" from Chariots of Fire (1981, Music by Vangelis)
14. "Saying Goodbye" from E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982, Music by John Williams) 
15. "Old Time Rock and Roll" from Risky Business (1983, Music and lyrics by George Jackson, Thomas E. Jones III, and Bob Seger)
16. "If You Were Here" by from Sixteen Candles (1984, Music and lyrics by The Thompson Twins)
17. "Love is Strange" from Dirty Dancing (1987, Music and lyrics by Mickey Baker, Sylvia Vanderpool, and Ethel Smith)
18. "Unchained Melody" from Ghost (1990, Music and lyrics by Alex North and Hy Zeret) 
19. "Bohemian Rhapsody" from Wayne's World (1992, Music and lyrics by Freddy Mercury)
20. "You Can Never Tell" from Pulp Fiction (1994, Music and lyrics by Chuck Berry
21. "These Days" from The Royal Tenenbaums (2001, Music and lyrics by Jackson Browne)
22. "Starálfur" from The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004, Music and lyrics by Sigur Rós) 
23. "Brokeback Mountain 2" from Brokeback Mountain (2005, Music by Gustavo Santaolalla)
24. "Anyone Else but You" from Juno (2007, Music and lyrics by Kimya Dawson and Adam Green)
25. "You Make My Dreams" from (500) Days of Summer (2009, Music and lyrics by Sara Allen, Daryl Hall, and John Oates) 
26. "Married Life" from Up (2009, Music by Michael Giacchino)
27. "Symphony No. 7" from The King's Speech (2010,Music by Ludwig van Beethoven)
28. "Skyfall" from Skyfall (2012, Music by Adele and Paul Epworth)
29. "Flight" from Man of Steel (2013, Hans Zimmer) 
30. "Hooked on a Feeling" from Guardians of the Galaxy (2014, Music and lyrics by Mark James)

Requirements:

• Must be in MLA Style
• Must be two full pages in length
  

Due: Wed 9.2

Movie News 8.25.15

The Real Reason Women Don't Direct More Action Movies from Funny Or Die

• Funny or Die examines why there aren't more female directors of action films (MTV News)
• Original Straight Outta Compton script featured female abuse (Rolling Stone)
• Lionsgate gives The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 gives a lush, new promotional banner (Empire)
  
• Ghostbusters reboot salutes its female crew (Dark Horizons)
• Because why not? Here is every punch Jason Statham has thrown on film (Sploid)
• Trailer of the week: Taissa Farmiga in The Final Girls

Reflection 1: Coming Soon—The (Lost?) Art of the Movie Poster

From the beginning, studios and filmmakers understood that the key to building anticipation for a film were the visuals associated with it. And since trailers hadn't yet been invented, silent era studios turned to the movie poster. Since then, movies and their posters (both good and bad) have been in inextricably linked. In fact, it's almost impossible to think about some films without also thinking about their posters. But what's the difference between a poster that makes you stop in a theater lobby to examine it further and one that you pass by? What makes a movie poster stand out? And can a poster actually make you look forward to a film's release? Likewise, can a poster turn you off to seeing a film? Finally, do you have a favorite movie poster?

Include at least two of the following in your discussion:

• "40 Worst Movie Posters Ever" (TotalFilm)
• "There are Only Three Ways to Design a Kids Movie Poster" (Imgur)
• "15 Over-Used Movie Poster Clichés" (Imgur)
• "7 Elements of a Great Movie Poster Design" (WebdesignerDepot)
• "The 75 Most Iconic Film Posters of All Time" (Complex)
• Spoiler Alert! 17 Movie Posters that Completely Blew the Ending (DigitalSpy)

Requirements:

• Must be in MLA Style
• Must be one full page in length
• Works cited page
  

Due: Wed 8.26

Week 2: Some Like It Hot (1959)

Week 2: Some Like It Hot (1959)
Mo 8.24/We 8.26
Class: Introductions; Syllabus review
Due: REFLECTION 1

Upcoming:

Week 3: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Mo 8.31/We 8.2
Class: DIAGNOSTIC; Presentation assignments; Lectures—“Building a Better Multimedia Presentation,” “Lectures—“MLA Style: An Introduction,” and “A Brief History of Film, Pt. I & II”
Due: REFLECTION 2

Week 1: Titanic (1997)

Week 1: Titanic (1997)  
NO CLASS MEETINGS

Welcome to English 1A