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Syllabus
The information contained on this page is designed to give students a representative example of material covered in the course. Any information related to course assignments, dates, or course materials is illustrative only. For a definitive list of materials, please check the online catalog 3-4 weeks before the course start date.
COMM 150N: The Art of Cinema (3 credits). The development of cinema to its present state; principles of evaluation and appreciation; examples from the past and present.
Description
Communications 150N: The Art of Cinema is designed to introduce students to a critical and analytic mode of viewing film. The course will focus on major trends and landmarks in the history of cinema that will be intertwined with important concepts and frames for viewing film as a cultural form. From early silent films to classic Hollywood, and from post WWII studio system to so-called post-modern films, we will examine significant exemplars of cinematic movements and styles. We will examine different narrative forms, such as Comedy, Tragedy and Melodrama, and relate these forms to their use in different genres, such as the Western, populist cinema and Horror. In each case, students will be encouraged to think critically about how films construct meaning, convey emotion and create patterns of audience identification with their message.
Cyber Etiquette
As an online class, students should be mindful of cyber etiquette. The instructors and graders are not anonymous customer service employees and should not be treated as such. Your communications should not be intimate instant message between friends; avoid email shorthand, use normal letter writing conventions and display a rudimentary knowledge of the English language. In the group forums, be respectful of others.
Course Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check the World Campus Course Catalog approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.
Using the Library
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Technical Requirements
| Operating System | Penn State's LMS, Canvas, supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems.
To determine if your operating system is supported, please review the Canvas Computer Specifications. |
|---|---|
| Hardware | For a list of required computer hardware specifications and internet speed, please review the Canvas Computer Specifications. |
| Browser | Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. We highly recommend updating to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. To determine if your browser is supported, please review the list of Canvas Supported Browsers. Please note that due to Instructure's reduction of support for Internet Explorer, students and instructors should choose another browser to use such as Firefox, Chrome, Edge, or Safari. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. |
| Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Students will need Adobe Acrobat, available through Adobe Creative Cloud. |
| Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers | Required |
| Monitor | Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Mobile Device | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
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Course Requirements and Grading
Communications 150N will combine film viewings with readings surrounding the films. Students will be required to view the films, keep up with the readings, watch and answer questions on the online lectures, complete responses in each lesson, and complete lesson discussions and quizzes. All readings will be available as E-Reserves through the university library. Each student’s grade for the semester will be based on the following components:
Assignments
- Lesson Responses
- Lesson Discussion Participation (Odd numbered lessons)
- Lesson Quizzes (Even numbered lessons)
- Engagement with lectures
Lesson Responses (15 total, lowest score dropped)
There will be Lesson Responses each week, consisting of a video clip and a question from the feature film of the week. Students should think about the question in relation to the clip and, in about 250 words, submit a text response. These responses will be graded based on a scale of 100%, 85%, 70% and 50%. At the end of the semester, the low score will be dropped before generating the average. The Lesson Responses will be open during the week that each response is due. All submissions received after the scheduled due date will be penalized one step in the grading hierarchy. The response average will be worth 40% of your final grade.
Lesson Quizzes (even numbered lessons, 7 total, lowest score dropped)
Lesson Quizzes will be a test of the students’ ability to recognize formal components of film. Students will be required to complete these quizzes. The lowest score from the quizzes will be dropped from the final average. The total quiz average will comprise 40% of the final grade.
Lesson Discussion Participation (odd numbered lessons, 8 total)
The Lesson Discussion Forums consist of a general question prompt to get the discussion started. Students are encouraged to engage in the discussion by drawing upon what is learned from the lesson Previews and Critic's Corner. You should not only respond to the question in a thoughtful way, but also engage the ideas of your fellow students by responding thoughtfully to at least two other students' posts. While critical engagement is encouraged, you should be respectful and constructive when interacting with one another.The total discussion participation average will be worth 20% of the final grade.
Please see the Grading Rubric, which outlines the expectations for the content quality of discussion posts.
Grading Rubric for Discussion Forums
Example Discussion Forum Question:
What is the relationship between the following clip and the idea discussed in the lecture about the difference between fantasy and realism in cinematic representation?
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"This scene isn’t real looking. U would have to be wacked to think this was real." (This doesn't address the question, doesn't refer to the idea in the lecture and uses poor grammar and texting conventions.) | 1 out of 4 points |
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"This clip is from the movie The Matrix, which is one of my favorite films. It is about a guy who thinks that his life is real, but it is really just a computer program that he is hooked into. It made me really think." (This is better, but still doesn't really address the question or refer to the concept as described in the lecture notes. Moreover, it is merely giving the opinion of the author about the movie instead of showing analytical thinking.) | 2 out of 4 points |
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“In the lecture, it talked about how realism and fantasy were two of the trajectories in cinema. Directors wanted to use the capacity of photography to look real and apply it to cinema. In some cases they wanted things that were trying to be accurate to life to be convincingly real. In other cases, they wanted things that were obviously make-believe to appear to look real so as to give film goers the experience of something different.” (This shows a good grasp of what we discussed in the lecture, but does not link the ideas to the clip. It is generally correct and well written.) | 3 out of 4 points |
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“In this clip, we see Trinity in what looks like a standard detective movie. The police are coming to get her and the viewer is given all the cues the movie can give to make it seem like a realistic picture. However, when the fighting starts, Trinity begins to defy gravity and move in ways that are completely fantastic. The film still looks real in many ways, but it is portraying things that transcend conventional representations of the world. So it seems to show both tendencies as discussed in the lecture. It is both realistic, in that it is trying to convince the viewer that it actually could happen, yet fantastic, in that it is obviously showing something that could only happen in the make-believe world of cinema.” (This discusses both the specifics of the clip and the concepts at stake from the lecture. It shows that the commenter is trying to integrate the concepts into the commentary in a way that shows a grasp of both the film and the material.) | 4 out of 4 points |
An additional point will be added for responding to other people's comments in a constructive manner.
Grading
Your grade will be based on the following:
| Assessment | Total | % of Grade | Where? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lesson Responses | 15 (drop lowest score) | 40% | Lessons 1 through 15 |
| Lesson Quizzes | 7 (drop lowest score) | 40% | Even numbered lessons |
| Lesson Discussion Participation | 8 | 20% | Odd numbered lessons |
Your final grade will be determined based on the scoring explained above, and will conform to the following:
| Percent | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 92 - 100% | A |
| 90 - 91.99% | A- |
| 88 - 89.99% | B+ |
| 82 - 87.99% | B |
| 80 - 81.99% | B- |
| 78 - 79.99% | C+ |
| 70 - 77.99% | C |
| 60 - 69.99% | D |
| Below 60% | F |
* To meet graduation requirements, students must earn at least a C for this course
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
Course Schedule
| Readings: |
No Readings for this lesson |
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| Feature Film: |
Night and Fog |
| Assignments: |
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| Readings: |
No Readings for this lesson |
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| Feature Film: |
Unforgiven |
| Assignments: |
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Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.
Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity—scholarship free of fraud and deception—is an important educational objective of Penn State. To learn more about academic integrity at Penn State, please visit the Penn State Academic Integrity site. Academic dishonesty can lead to a failing grade or referral to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to
- cheating,
- plagiarism,
- fabrication of information or citations,
- facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others,
- unauthorized prior possession of examinations,
- submitting the work of another person or work previously used without informing the instructor and securing written approval, and
- tampering with the academic work of other students.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to notify a student of suspected dishonesty before filing a charge and recommended sanction with the college. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If a disciplinary sanction also is recommended, the case will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page.
Additionally, World Campus students are expected to act with civility and personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and others, as well as a civil community.
For More Information on Academic Integrity at Penn State
Please see the Academic Integrity Chart for specific college contact information or visit one of the following sites:
- Penn State Senate Policy on Academic Integrity
- Turnitin (a web-based plagiarism detection and prevention system)
Accommodating Disabilities
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has resources for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contacts for disability services at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the SDR website.
In order to apply for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability resources office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation based on the documentation guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability resources office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Additional Policies
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Policies website.
Counseling and Psychological Services
Mental health services are available to help you maintain your academic success. Visit the student Mental Health Services website to learn more or to speak with a mental health advocate who can help you address concerns including anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, and stress. If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis situation, please call your local emergency service.
Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.