Fall 2015 - FPA 337 E100
Intermediate Selected Topics in Film and Video Studies (4)
Class Number: 8230
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 8 – Dec 7, 2015: Wed, 5:30–9:20 p.m.
Vancouver -
Exam Times + Location:
Dec 16, 2015
Wed, 7:00–10:00 p.m.
Vancouver
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Instructor:
Martin Gotfrit
gotfrit@sfu.ca
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Instructor:
Patricia Gruben
gruben@sfu.ca
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Prerequisites:
6 credits in film studies or 9 credits in FPA courses including FPA 136 or 137.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
An intermediate course in critical studies in film addressing a variety of topics. This course may be taken twice for credit under another topic.
COURSE DETAILS:
POSSIBLE WORLDS: CONTEMPORARY SCIENCE FICTION FILM
This course will explore the development of science fiction as a genre, studying exemplary films first from a social/psychological/philosophical perspective: Where do we come from? Where are we going? What does it mean to be human? How can we use science for good? How can we create and maintain society? What anxieties and traumas are reflected in the film’s themes?
We will devote equal attention to concerns of style and technique. How are these alternate universes imagined? What narrative and formal strategies are used to portray a world radically different from the mundane? Particular attention will be paid to music and sound design.
COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:
Each week we will show an entire film or excerpts from films with common themes or formal approaches. The work shown will draw from contemporary popular and art-house films from North America and beyond.
Students will be expected to come to class prepared to participate in small-group discussions of films and readings. They will develop skills to discuss and write analytically about the genre and conduct close readings of films screened in class.
Grading
- Academic journals on films viewed in class 60%
- 2500 word essay 30%
- Participation 10%
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
Weekly readings will be posted on line.
Registrar Notes:
SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.
Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS