Tuesday, November 25
Students took a brief (seven-question quiz) over the handout on Citizen Kane distributed Friday, and we graded it.
Then Mr. Potratz spoke briefly about the Hays Code and the pre-code early sound films, after which we watched as examples two early Betty Boop cartoons and discussed racial images and attitudes in the second of the two, "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead, You Rascal You!"
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Friday, November 21
Mr. Potratz handed out printouts of the first four pages of the filmsite.org discussion of Citizen Kane and students offered examples of various items on Tim Dirks's list of the most significant characteristics of the film, from flashback narration to imaginative transitions to deep-focus compositions. At he end of the class we re-viewed the two different depictions of Susan's operatic debut, which we will discuss on Tuesday, after the Quiz over the handout.
Mr. Potratz handed out printouts of the first four pages of the filmsite.org discussion of Citizen Kane and students offered examples of various items on Tim Dirks's list of the most significant characteristics of the film, from flashback narration to imaginative transitions to deep-focus compositions. At he end of the class we re-viewed the two different depictions of Susan's operatic debut, which we will discuss on Tuesday, after the Quiz over the handout.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Thursday, November 20
Students wrote (1) notes (2) first draft (3) second draft of an answer to the question of 'What is the theme of Citizen Kane'?, then wrote about one element or technique used to express the theme, then wrote a bit about a second, subsidiary theme.
We then discussed what students had written and re-viewed the party scene from the film.
Students wrote (1) notes (2) first draft (3) second draft of an answer to the question of 'What is the theme of Citizen Kane'?, then wrote about one element or technique used to express the theme, then wrote a bit about a second, subsidiary theme.
We then discussed what students had written and re-viewed the party scene from the film.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Tuesday, November 18
We discussed the first half-hour of Citizen Kane, which we watched yesterday, and re-viewed the opening sequence, partly as an example of graphic matching.
Then we watched another half-hour of the film, ending with the image of Boss Gettys looking down on Kane at the election-eve rally.
We discussed the first half-hour of Citizen Kane, which we watched yesterday, and re-viewed the opening sequence, partly as an example of graphic matching.
Then we watched another half-hour of the film, ending with the image of Boss Gettys looking down on Kane at the election-eve rally.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Friday, November 14
Students turned in their single-scene analysis essays. Papers turned in Monday will be docked 10% of the grade.
Students took notes (which they turned in at the end of class) on the first twenty-five minutes of Visions of Light, the documentary about cinematography produced by the American Society of Cinematographers.
Students turned in their single-scene analysis essays. Papers turned in Monday will be docked 10% of the grade.
Students took notes (which they turned in at the end of class) on the first twenty-five minutes of Visions of Light, the documentary about cinematography produced by the American Society of Cinematographers.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Monday, November 10
The Politics of the Horror Film
We discussed the relationship of films like Nosferatu and Freaks to the real world. Are the films, for instance, Fascist or anti-Fascist? (We re-viewed a short excerpt from Universal Horror linking The Invisible Man and Adolf Hitler, and we looked at Prof. Kracauer's arument that Nosferatu is a Jewish caricature and that the Expressionist films in general prepared the German people for Nazism.) Are the real-world overtones supplied by the audience rather than the filmmakers? Are the films in question simply entertainment free of propaganda value?
The Politics of the Horror Film
We discussed the relationship of films like Nosferatu and Freaks to the real world. Are the films, for instance, Fascist or anti-Fascist? (We re-viewed a short excerpt from Universal Horror linking The Invisible Man and Adolf Hitler, and we looked at Prof. Kracauer's arument that Nosferatu is a Jewish caricature and that the Expressionist films in general prepared the German people for Nazism.) Are the real-world overtones supplied by the audience rather than the filmmakers? Are the films in question simply entertainment free of propaganda value?
Friday, November 7, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Thursday, November 6
Mr. Potratz passed out an article with information about the actual people featured in Freaks.
We settled on the scene in which Cleopatra gives Hans his medicine as the scene we would analyze in modelling the students' analysis of a single scene in the outside viewing essay due next Friday (November 14). We watched the scene twice, the second time while students took notes, then discussed techniques of lighting, composition and camera angles & movement which students found significant.
Word of the Day: chiaroscuro
Mr. Potratz passed out an article with information about the actual people featured in Freaks.
We settled on the scene in which Cleopatra gives Hans his medicine as the scene we would analyze in modelling the students' analysis of a single scene in the outside viewing essay due next Friday (November 14). We watched the scene twice, the second time while students took notes, then discussed techniques of lighting, composition and camera angles & movement which students found significant.
Word of the Day: chiaroscuro
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Monday, November 3
Mr. Potratz announced that since the class was unable to resolve the dispute over whether to watch Dracula or Frankenstein, we would watch neither, and instead finish the documentary we began Thursday about the Universal Studio's 1930's monster films, then watch Tod Browning's Freaks.
We then watched the second half of Universal Horror.
Friday, October 31
Mr. Potratz handed out an assignment sheet for an essay due November 14.
It is to be an analysis of a single scene in a film approved by the teacher but chosen by the student. Students then selected films to borrow or decided on films they would procure themselves.
Mr. Potratz announced that since the class was unable to resolve the dispute over whether to watch Dracula or Frankenstein, we would watch neither, and instead finish the documentary we began Thursday about the Universal Studio's 1930's monster films, then watch Tod Browning's Freaks.
We then watched the second half of Universal Horror.
Friday, October 31
Mr. Potratz handed out an assignment sheet for an essay due November 14.
It is to be an analysis of a single scene in a film approved by the teacher but chosen by the student. Students then selected films to borrow or decided on films they would procure themselves.
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