Fri, Sep 3 2010 01:58 | Permalink
Friday, September 3
Students received the closest thing to a textbook we will have in the course: a packet entitled "Classical Hollywood Cinema: Style," which explains fundamental techniques of filmcraft in the classic era of American film.
We watched three amusing short films: a 1906 special effects masterpiece "The Dream of a Rarebit Fiend," based on a comic strip by Winsor McCay; a film of Winsor McCay himself demonstrating the making of an early animated film; and "Onesime the Clockmaker," a French film from 1912 showing life in fast forward.
HW due Wednesday:
Read (if you're wise, well before Tuesday night) today's packet and come to class prepared to take a quiz over it.
Students received the closest thing to a textbook we will have in the course: a packet entitled "Classical Hollywood Cinema: Style," which explains fundamental techniques of filmcraft in the classic era of American film.
We watched three amusing short films: a 1906 special effects masterpiece "The Dream of a Rarebit Fiend," based on a comic strip by Winsor McCay; a film of Winsor McCay himself demonstrating the making of an early animated film; and "Onesime the Clockmaker," a French film from 1912 showing life in fast forward.
HW due Wednesday:
Read (if you're wise, well before Tuesday night) today's packet and come to class prepared to take a quiz over it.
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Thu, Sep 2 2010 02:42 | Permalink
Thursday, September 2
Students took an "open packet" quiz over Tuesday's handout on early cinema, after which we graded it together.
Nest we watched "Reve and Realite," a short comic clip whose title ("Dream and Reality") sums up the two major vectors of early film: photographic journalistic realism and pure fantasy. As a further example of the latter we ended the period by watching part of "The Dream of Aladdin," a pre-Disney (1907) rendition of the classic Arabian tale.
Students took an "open packet" quiz over Tuesday's handout on early cinema, after which we graded it together.
Nest we watched "Reve and Realite," a short comic clip whose title ("Dream and Reality") sums up the two major vectors of early film: photographic journalistic realism and pure fantasy. As a further example of the latter we ended the period by watching part of "The Dream of Aladdin," a pre-Disney (1907) rendition of the classic Arabian tale.
Wed, Sep 1 2010 04:15 | Permalink
Wednesday, September 1
We reviewed the syllabus briefly together, and Mr. P responded to student questions.
Afterward, Mr. P lectured very briefly about the fundamentals of film technology, and how "persistence of vision" and frame-by-frame construction allows for all the wonders of film editing.
Next we watched the sizzling "May Irwin-John C. Rice Kiss," Sandow the Strong Man some of Eadweard Muybridge's series photographs (on the cusp of cinema) and one or two other early films, including the beautifully colorized "Golden Beetle."
HW due Thursday:
Read the packet on early cinema you received yesterday in preparation for a quiz thereover.
We reviewed the syllabus briefly together, and Mr. P responded to student questions.
Afterward, Mr. P lectured very briefly about the fundamentals of film technology, and how "persistence of vision" and frame-by-frame construction allows for all the wonders of film editing.
Next we watched the sizzling "May Irwin-John C. Rice Kiss," Sandow the Strong Man some of Eadweard Muybridge's series photographs (on the cusp of cinema) and one or two other early films, including the beautifully colorized "Golden Beetle."
HW due Thursday:
Read the packet on early cinema you received yesterday in preparation for a quiz thereover.
Tue, Aug 31 2010 07:08 | Permalink
Tuesday, August 31
Day 1
Students received the course syllabus. We discussed some key points in it, and students were asked to read through it tonight and come to class Wednesday with questions about it.
Mr. P introduced the course briefly, stressing that we will not be watching recent films, but rather classics from the earliest cinema on up, most of them black and white, many of them silent.
Mr. P set the stage by reading to the class about a signal event in cinema history: the screening of selected shorts by the Lumiere brothers at the Grand Cafe, Paris, on December 28, 1895. We watched two of those "actualities" and then a couple of slightly later films which exploit film's capacity for creating illusions. The two poles inherent in the medium -- photographic realism and illusionistic fantasy -- went hand in hand from cinema's earliest days.
Students received a small packet of readings on early cinema.
HW due Thursday:
Read the packet handed out today and prepare for a quiz over it in class Thursday.
Day 1
Students received the course syllabus. We discussed some key points in it, and students were asked to read through it tonight and come to class Wednesday with questions about it.
Mr. P introduced the course briefly, stressing that we will not be watching recent films, but rather classics from the earliest cinema on up, most of them black and white, many of them silent.
Mr. P set the stage by reading to the class about a signal event in cinema history: the screening of selected shorts by the Lumiere brothers at the Grand Cafe, Paris, on December 28, 1895. We watched two of those "actualities" and then a couple of slightly later films which exploit film's capacity for creating illusions. The two poles inherent in the medium -- photographic realism and illusionistic fantasy -- went hand in hand from cinema's earliest days.
Students received a small packet of readings on early cinema.
HW due Thursday:
Read the packet handed out today and prepare for a quiz over it in class Thursday.
Thu, Jun 10 2010 03:03 | Permalink
Thursday, June 10
We finished Bonnie and Clyde and briefly discussed the film and the real Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrows, focusing on the film's depiction of the self-mythologization of the pair and the painful contrast between the heroic myth and the brutal reality.
We finished Bonnie and Clyde and briefly discussed the film and the real Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrows, focusing on the film's depiction of the self-mythologization of the pair and the painful contrast between the heroic myth and the brutal reality.
Tue, Jun 8 2010 03:09 | Permalink
Tuesday, June 8
We watched more of Bonnie and Clyde, which we will finish on Thursday.
Final exam on Wednesday. See yesterday's log entry.
We watched more of Bonnie and Clyde, which we will finish on Thursday.
Final exam on Wednesday. See yesterday's log entry.
Mon, Jun 7 2010 02:45 | Permalink
Monday, June 7
Mr. P announced that he would sign all Senior check-out forms on Wednesday while students are taking the final exam. That exam will take the form of three or four short clips from films, some of which students have seen, which students will analyze in terms of certain specified elements of filmcraft (cinematography, mise en scene, film editing, etc.). To prepare for the exam students should review the original "Classical Hollywood Cinema" packet one final time.
We watched more of Bonnie and Clyde.
Mr. P announced that he would sign all Senior check-out forms on Wednesday while students are taking the final exam. That exam will take the form of three or four short clips from films, some of which students have seen, which students will analyze in terms of certain specified elements of filmcraft (cinematography, mise en scene, film editing, etc.). To prepare for the exam students should review the original "Classical Hollywood Cinema" packet one final time.
We watched more of Bonnie and Clyde.
Fri, Jun 4 2010 02:03 | Permalink
Friday, June 4
The class and Mr. P debated whether Night and the City conformed to the "Characteristics of Film Noir" listed in the worksheet.
At the end of class we watched the very beginning of our last film, Bonnie and Clyde.
The class and Mr. P debated whether Night and the City conformed to the "Characteristics of Film Noir" listed in the worksheet.
At the end of class we watched the very beginning of our last film, Bonnie and Clyde.
