School of Communications. Undergraduate Course Syllabus

Transcription

1 School of Communications Undergraduate Course Syllabus COURSE: FLST 3160 TOPICS IN FILM STUDIES: THE ANIMATED FILM Location: Leiden Term: Spring semester 2014 Day(s): Tuesday Time: 15:00 17:30 hours The Instructor: Name: Availability Dr. Daniel North for appointment Mobile Phone: Office Phone: About the instructor Dr Dan North is a writer and academic, specializing in media and film studies. He has taught in the Department of English at the University of Exeter, UK, for over a decade, delivering courses on media, film, literature and critical theory at BA and MA level, in addition to supervising postgraduate research students in a range of disciplines, including digital filmmaking and media production. He is the author of Performing Illusions: Cinema, Special Effects and the Virtual Actor (Wallflower Press, 2008), and has published essays in a range of international books and journals. He blogs at Spectacular Attractions.

2 THE COURSE Course Definition (source: Webster University Undergraduate Catalogue) This course deals with topics related to film theory and criticism. Classes may focus on genre, individual artists, specific studios, historical eras, and film in other cultures. May be repeated for credit, if content differs. Prerequisite: FLST 1800 OR FLST 2060 Course Content This module will introduce students to the study of animated film, promoting analysis of animation in its cultural, historical, political and aesthetic contexts. Through the discussion of key films and correlative writings, a range of approaches to the techniques, styles, meanings and history of animated cinema will be featured. Animation has often been thought of as a subsidiary or genre of cinema, but this module will demonstrate that it offers distinctive modes of expression, incorporates work by a number of important artists, and has attracted its own discourses and critical methodologies in a prolific body of scholarship on the subject. The syllabus mixes weeks themed around particular historical periods, production techniques, animator case studies and theoretical concepts to cover the diversity of practices and concepts incorporated within the term animation. Students will watch one feature film prior to class, and read contextual texts related to the film. Seminar discussions will place the film in its historical and artistic contexts, and analyse its form, style, and thematic content. 1. Defining Animation: Theory & Techniques 2. Rituals of Incarnation: Early Years & Pioneers 3. Disney Time I: Crafting a House Style 4. Norman McLaren s Experimental Animation 5. Looney Tunes and the Anarchic Cartoon Body 6. Animator Case Study: Caroline Leaf 7. Animator Case Study: Jan Švankmajer 8. Mid-Term Exam 9. The Anime Industry I: Bodies and Technology 10. Disney Time II: The Animation Corporation 11. The Anime Industry II: The Case of Studio Ghibli 12. The Pixar Effect: Digital Animation Aesthetics 13. Animating History: Documentary & Biography 14. Animated Futures Incoming Competency Enthusiasm and some basic familiarity with literary and/or filmic terminology. An accessible glossary of terms related to the formal analysis of film can be found at the Yale Film Studies website. Further advice on film analysis will be given in the introductory lecture, but links to more information will be made available on the Connections site for the module. Learning Outcomes 1. Exhibit an awareness of the critical debates around issues of techniques, history and theory related to the study of animated film. 2. Relate a range of animated film texts to the techniques and styles used in their production. 3. Display an understanding of the relationship between technique, form, meaning, and content in animated film. 4. Analyze film texts using appropriate formal and critical terminologies. 5. Connect the formal analysis of animated film to the broader conceptual questions raised by the module.

3 Personal and Key Skills: a) through seminar work and presentations, demonstrate advanced communication skills, and an ability to work both individually and in groups. b) through essay-writing, demonstrate appropriate research and bibliographic skills, an advanced capacity to construct a coherent, substantiated argument, and a capacity to write clear and correct prose. c) through research for seminars, essays, and presentations demonstrate advanced proficiency in information retrieval and analysis. d) through engagement with online media, including blogs, e-journals, podcasts etc., demonstrate facility with accessing, evaluating, and/or creating digital content. Discipline Specific Skills: a) demonstrate an advanced ability to analyze animated films of different periods and to relate their concerns and their modes of expression to their historical context. b) demonstrate proficiency in the close formal, thematic, generic and authorial analysis of different kinds of animated films. c) demonstrate advanced skills in the research and evaluation of relevant critical and historical materials for the study of animated films. d) demonstrate an advanced ability to understand and analyze relevant theoretical ideas, and to apply these ideas to the study of animated films. General Skills - where applicable all Webster courses will address: Writing skills. Presentation skills. Team working skills. Multicultural skills. Note: Webster has adopted the APA style for citations in all papers and in all departments. All students are encouraged to be consistent with this in their writing. Materials (Textbook) - Fulltime students on flat fee will get their textbook for free at the start of the course; part-time students must source the textbook themselves or place on order with the Webster Librarian at least two weeks before term begins. Maureen Furniss, Animation: Art and Industry. A Reader. John LIbbey, Paul Wells, Animation: Genre and Authorship. Columbia University Press, Required Material Additional Readings will be provided in digital copies via Canvas Recommended Reading Material For recommendations for further reading, consult the course syllabus.

4 Letter Grades: GRADING Instructor s guidelines for percentage equivalent of the letter grade: A (4.0), A- (3.67) A (96-100), A- (91-95) Superior work. B+ (3.33), B (3.0), B- (2.67) B+ (86-90), B (81-85), B- (76-80) Good work. Letter grades mean that in the opinion of the instructor the work was: C+ (2.33), C (2.0), C- (1.67) C+ (71-75), C (66-70), C- (61-65) Satisfactory work. D+ (1.33), D (1.0) D+ (56-60), D (51-55) Passing, but less than satisfactory. F (0.0) F (0-50) Unsatisfactory. No credit is granted. Other Designations: I Incomplete work ZF An Incomplete which was not completed within one year of the end of the course. IP Course in progress. W The student withdrew from the course NR Not reported for the course. A temporary designation given by the registrar indicating that the final grade has not been submitted by the instructor. When the final grade is filed in the office of the Registrar, that Z grade will replace the Z. ASSESSMENT: the Instructor will evaluate students work as follows: Description: Percentage: Date due Active Participation (inc. homework tasks, presentations and reports) 50 Continuous Mid-term Exam 20 In class Final paper 30 8 May Students and Instructors will be asked to evaluate the course in a form to be handed out during week 15 of the term.

5 Assessment Tool (++ = key tool; + = secondary tool) Active Participation 50% MidTerm Exam 20% Final Paper 30% Learning Specifics Learning Outcome Learning Outcome Learning Outcome Learning Outcome Learning Outcome General Skills Presentation skills Writing skills Team work skills Cross-cultural skills Activities Case studies, Film Screenings, Videos, Group activities, Internet searches, Student presentations, Mid-term Exam, Final Paper.

6 ACADEMIC POLICIES University policies are provided in the current course catalog and course schedules. They are also available on the university website. This course is governed by the University s published policies. Please use the following link to see a complete overview of Webster Leiden s Policies and Procedures: policies Academic Honesty: The University is committed to high standards of academic honesty. Students will be held responsible for violations of these standards. Please refer to the university s academic honesty policies for a definition of academic dishonesty and potential disciplinary actions associated with it. Drop / Withdraw: Please be aware that, should you choose to drop or withdraw from a course; the date on which you notify the University of your decision will determine the amount of tuition refund you receive. Please refer to the university policies on drops and withdrawals (published elsewhere) to find out what the deadlines are for dropping a course with a full refund and for withdrawing from a course with a partial refund. Special Services: If you have registered as a student with a documented disability and are entitled to classroom or testing accommodations, please inform the Instructor at the beginning of the course of the accommodations you will require in this class so that these can be provided. Disturbances: Since every student is entitled to full participation in class without interruption, disruption of class by inconsiderate behavior is not acceptable. Students are expected to treat the instructor and other students with dignity and respect, especially in cases where a diversity of opinion arises. Students who engage in disruptive behavior are subject to disciplinary action, including removal from the course. Student Papers Retained: Student assignments and/or projects will be retained by the University for the purpose of academic assessment. Contact Hours: It is essential that all classes meet for the full instructional time as scheduled and that is: 43 contact hours for undergraduate semester classes (includes 8 hours project work); 32 contact hours for undergraduate term classes; 36 contact hours for graduate level classes. A class cannot be shortened in length. If a class session is cancelled for any reason, it must be rescheduled. Study Load per course: 8-week classes - students are expected to spend approximately 17 hours per week (21 hours including class time). 16-week classes students are expected to spend approximately 7,5 hours per week (10 hours including class time). Attendance, Participation, Assignments: Students are required to attend all classes and participate actively. Grading will partly reflect this. Class participation accounts for roughly 20% of the total grade. All classes include assignments (such as presentations or papers). Students must report to the instructor all assistance they received and all sources they used in carrying out their assignments. Otherwise they will fail the course and may also face other penalties. Auditors: are expected to attend all classes and actively participate in all aspects of the course, including mid-term and final exams, and will be provided with a Certificate of Achievement. First Class: The first session of a course is very important and cannot be missed. Therefore, in accordance with student guidelines on attendance, the instructor can request that students missing the first class without valid reason, and without having obtained permission beforehand, be dropped from the course. For this course, the instructor has not requested that this rule is enforced. Partial Absence: At the discretion of the Instructor, grading can be reduced for students who regularly arrive late for class and/or leave class early. Pass/Fail Option (for undergraduate students only): In limited situations it is possible to take elective courses on a pass/fail basis rather than being graded with an A, B, C, D, or F grade. Students who wish to be graded on a Pass/Fail basis, and whose instructor agrees to this, must submit their request in writing ( is fine) to their advisor by the end of the second week of class. Exam Office Policy (for undergraduate students): The University applies strict deadline regulations. Deadlines are set by the instructor and are listed (date and time) in the course syllabus. All written assignments weighted 20% or more must be submitted not to the instructor but to [email protected]. Assignments received after the deadline will be subject to a penalty: if received after the deadline but within 24 hours, the University recommends instructors to downgrade the assignment by one letter grade. The Exam Office does not accept assignments in undergraduate programs that are submitted more than 24 hours after the deadline, and consequently these will receive a failing grade. Faculty may, under documented circumstances and with the consent of the academic director, accept late work to be graded. If students cannot meet the deadline for valid reasons (beyond the student s control, such as illness or other extenuating circumstances), the student must submit a Request for Extended Deadline form which can be downloaded from the student section on the website. Based on the reason and evidence given, the instructor is alerted and decides, in consultation with both the advisor and Head of Department, on a new deadline. Normally extensions are approved for a maximum of two weeks. Exams: Students must seek permission from the Academic Director in order to take either mid-term or final exams on a date other than that set by the Instructor. Incomplete Work Incompletes (grades of "I") will only be allowed if agreed with the instructor and officially documented with an Agreement to Complete form (available from your advisor). If no such agreement has been documented, incomplete grades will automatically revert to F two weeks after the end of term. Instructors are actively encouraged not to accept students' work after the end of term. If a student's work has been delayed by causes beyond his/her control, an agreement to complete will normally be for a period of two weeks. Further extensions require the approval of the academic director; graduate-level integrated studies (coded 6000) will be exempt from this rule. It is the student's responsibility to complete the course within the specified time. Plagiarism is using another person s words or ideas without telling the reader. This applies not only to books and articles, but also to sources from the internet, or copying work from your fellow students. Those who are discovered cheating or plagiarizing will normally receive a failing grade for the entire course and may even be subject to dismissal. Please don t fall into this trap. Use in-text citations and include a bibliography in all your papers. (For more information, use the link to Policies and Procedures above). Please respect your sources, your audience and yourself. Note: WIKIPEDIA is NOT a source for academic referencing and can only be used in conjunction with other source referencing.

7 WEEKLY SCHEDULE Homework, subjects to be dealt with in the lesson, assignments, presentations, and examinations Total study load for a semester course is 10 hours a week, with approx. 7,5 hours a week for self-study. Term courses (8 weeks) require 21 hours a week, with approx. 17 for self-study. Public holidays in Spring 2014: Good Friday Friday 18 april 2014 Easter Monday Monday 21 april 2014 Liberation Day Monday 5 mei 2014 Date: 14 January 2014 Time: 15:00 17:30 Lesson 1 Defining Animation: Theory & Technique this session Paul Wells, Animation: Genre and Authorship (London: Wallflower Press, 2002), Chapter 1 What is Animation? / Chapter 2 The Animation Process, pp Date: 2 21 January 2014 Time: 15:00 17:30 Lesson Rituals of Incarnation: Early Years & Pioneers this session Donald Crafton, Before Mickey: The Animated Film, (London & Cambridge, Mass: The MIT Press, 1993), pp John Canemaker, Winsor McCay, in Maureen Furniss (ed.) Animation: Art & Industry (London: John Libbey, 2009), pp Date: 28 January 2014 Time: 15:00 17:30 Lesson 3 Disney Time I: Crafting a House Style this session Pinocchio (Luske, Roberts, & Sharpsteen, 1940) Bill Mikulak, Disney and the Art World, in Maureen Furniss (ed.) Animation: Art & Industry (London: John Libbey, 2009), pp Paul Wells, Animation: Genre and Authorship, pp Date: 4 4 February 2014 Time: 15:00 17:30 Lesson Norman McLaren s Experimental Animation this session Creative Process: Norman McLaren (Donald McWilliams, 1990) Bill Schaffer, The Riddle of the Chicken: The Work of Norman McLaren, Senses of Cinema, April Date: 11 February 2014 Time: 15:00 17:30 Lesson 5 Looney Tunes and the Anarchic Cartoon Body this session Each study group will choose a film made by Warner Bros. animation (either from the Looney Tunes or Merrie Melodies series) between 1930 and You will introduce your film, screen it, and then discuss its themes, style, technique, characterisation, and style (with particular emphasis on any one of these) in the context of at least one of the readings listed on the syllabus.

8 Date: Week of February 17-21, 2014 Time: TBA Project Week Activities per major, organized by your Department Head. this session Details to follow from the Head of your Department Date: 25 February 2014 Time: 15:00 17:30 Lesson 6 Animator Case Study: Caroline Leaf this session Handcrafted Cinema Animation Workshop with Caroline Leaf (Eric Roberts, 1998) The Street (Caroline Leaf, 1976) Two Sisters (Caroline Leaf, 1991) Aylish Wood, Re-Animating Space, Animation: An Interdisciplinary Journal 1.2 (2006): pp Paul Wells, Animation: Genre and Authorship, pp Date: 4 March 2014 Time: 15:00 17:30 Lesson 7 Animator Case Study: Jan Švankmajer this session Alice (Jan Švankmajer, 1988) Brigid Cherry. Dark Wonders and the Gothic Sensibility Kinoeye 2.1 (January 2002): Paul Wells. Body Consciousness in the Films of Jan Švankmajer, in Jayne Pilling (ed.) A Reader in Animation Studies, pp Date: Week of March 10-14, 2014 Spring break (no classes) Date: 18 March 2014 Time: 15:00 17:30 Lesson 8 Mid-Term Exam this session In this week s class, students will sit a two-hour exam on one of the subjects covered in the first half of the course. Further details and revision guidelines will be provided in due course. Date: 25 March 2014 Time: 15:00 17:30 Lesson 9 The Anime Industry I: Bodies & Technology this session Ghost in the Shell (Mamoru Oshii, 1995) Susan J. Napier, Anime from Akira to Howl s Moving Castle (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005), pp , Dani Cavallaro, The Cinema of Mamoru Oshii: Fantasy, Technology, & Politics (Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2006), pp

9 Date: 1 April 2014 Time: 15:00 17:30 Lesson 10 Disney Time II: The Animation Corporation this session Aladdin (Ron Clements & Jon Musker, 1992) Sean Griffin, The Illusion of Identity : Gender and Racial Representation in Aladdin, in Maureen Furniss (ed.) Animation: Art & Industry (London: John Libbey, 2009), pp Leslie Felperin, The Thief of Buena Vista: Disney s Aladdin and Orientalism, in Jayne Pilling (ed.) A Reader in Animation Studies, pp Date: 8 April 2014 Time: 15:00 17:30 Lesson 11 The Anime Industry II: The Case of Studio Ghibli this session Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001) Susan J. Napier, Anime from Akira to Howl s Moving Castle (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005), pp Rayna Denison, The Global Markets for Anime: Miyazaki Hayao s Spirited Away, in Alastair Philips & Julian Stringer (eds.) Japanese Cinema: Texts and Contexts (London: Routledge, 2007), pp Date: 15 April 2014 Time: 15:00 17:30 Lesson 12 The Pixar Effect: Digital Animation Aesthetics this session Each study group will choose a feature film made by Pixar animation studios. You will introduce a brief clip from a film and then discuss how the film develops its themes and ideas, with reference to the animation styles, characterisation, and plot elements. You should refer to at least one of the readings below, or any other secondary critical writings about Pixar you are able to find. J.P. Telotte, The Pixar Reality: Digital Space and Beyond, in Animating Space From Mickey to Wall-E (Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2010), pp Tom Porter & Galyn Susman, Creating Lifelike Characters in Pixar Movies, Communications of the ACM 43.1 (January 2000): pp Ken Gillam & Shannon R. Wooden, Post-Princess Models of Gender: The New Man in Disney/Pixar, Journal of Popular Film and Television 36.1 (Spring 2008): pp Date: Week of April 21-25, 2014 Time: TBA Project Week Activities per major, organized by your Department Head. this session Details to follow from the Head of your Department Date: 29 April 2014 Time: 15:00 17:30 Lesson 13 Animating History: Documentary & Biography this session Waltz With Bashir (Ari Folman, 2009) Katrina Schlunke, Animated Documentary and the Scene of Death: Experiencing Waltz With Bashir, The South Atlantic Quarterly 110:4 (Fall 2011): pp Garrett Stewart, Screen Memory in Waltz With Bashir, Film Quarterly 63.3 (Spring 2010): pp

10 Date: 6 May 2014 Time: 15:00 17:30 Lesson 14 Animated Futures this session Beowulf (Robert Zemeckis, 2007) Yacov Freedman, Is it Real or is it Motion Capture? The Battle to Redefine Animation in the Age of Digital Performance, The Velvet Light Trap 69 (Spring 2012): pp Final papers are required to be ed directly to: [email protected] by 8 May and by 17:00 hours. Additional Information on the course: The schedule may be adjusted to meet the needs of the students The syllabus may be revised at the discretion of the instructor CONNECTIONS: A Webster.edu account is set up for each student and all Webster correspondence to students will be sent to students Webster.edu addresses.