Spring 2005

COM FT 533 A1 (undergraduates)

COM FT FT723A1 (grad students)

American Independent Film

Mr. Carney

Room B5

9:00㪣:30 AM Tues. and Thurs.

Mr. Carney’s office hours (College of Communication Room 223C):

Tues. and Thurs. 12:00㪤:30 P.M.

Tues. and Thurs. 5ס:45 P.M.

and by arrangement

Tel: 353�

Teaching Assistant: Matt Portner

His office hours in College of Communication Room 223C (Mr. Carney’s office) will be announced.

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Required reading

Bryan Garner, A Dictionary of Modern American Usage, Oxford University Press (available in the bookstore)

Essays and readings handed out in class

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In the past four decades, American feature filmmaking has undergone an artistic Renaissance. It has seen the birth and flowering of one of the greatest movements in the history of film: the off-Hollywood filmmaking movement.

This course will consider a small number of alternatives to commercial Hollywood “entertainment” moviemaking. The concept of “art film” and the difference between art and entertainment will be explored.

A number of lesser known works will be screened, all made more or less outside “the system.” We will consider the work of the following filmmakers: Tom Noonan, Charles Burnett, Caveh Zahedi, Barbara Loden, Andrew Bujalski, John Korty, Bruce Conner, Mark Rappaport, Jay Rosenblatt, Su Friedrich, Todd Haynes, Sean Penn, Vincent Gallo, and Harmony Korine.

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CLASS SCHEDULE

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The Rules of the Game:

Attendance is required. Attendance will be taken. (If you are unable to make a class for an exceptional reason, you must speak to the T.A. at least one class prior to the absence and receive permission.) Please do not leave messages on my office machine or email me about absences. Each absence that is not officially approved and authorized will result in your final evaluation being lowered.

Promptness at all classes is absolutely mandatory to avoid disrupting screenings.

There will be no mid-term or final exam.

You will have two major outside-of-class duties/responsibilities:

1) You are responsible for writing a number of formal papers. Topics will be discussed and distributed during the course of the semester, based on subjects that come up in class discussions (or subjects that we do not have time to deal with adequately in class). No extensions may be given. This will count for two-thirds of your final grade. (But note the final paragraph.) The marking of the papers will be based on and keyed to the symbols used in Bryan Garner’s A Dictionary of Modern American Usage.

2) You are responsible for a number of outside reading, writing, and viewing exercises which will be assigned during individual classes for completion by the next class. Many of these assignments will be based on material handed out in the previous class. Others will require viewing tapes of major independent masterworks in the viewing area in the basement area of Mugar Library. Some of these exercises will be collected on the day they are due, others will not. However, all exercises should be retained in a folder  throughout the semester and turned in at the end of the semester. These exercises will count for one-third of your final grade. (But note the final paragraph.)

With regard to these duties: If you miss a class, be certain you have contacted the teaching assistant or another student to familiarize yourself with what has been handed out or assigned for the following class. This will be an important component in your final grade and must be done in time for the appropriate class. There will be no opportunity to make up this work if you do not do it on time and no extensions may be given.

The final evaluation will be based on your attendance, promptness, quality of class participation, responses to assigned exercises and viewing assignments, and papers. Any wit, wisdom, and passion you bring to class will count as “extra credit” to raise your grade. The reverse is also true: Missed classes, tardiness, and lackluster class participation will lower your grade.