> I am slated to teach Introduction to Film and Film History courses next
> year.  I
> want to use the Bordwell and Thompson book, Film Art, for the first
> course and the B&T book,
> Film History, for the second.  However, these books seem so
> comprehensive that I am concerned
> about how to use class time in a way that will not seem redundant to
> the students.

Well, first off, don't assume that your students will actually do the
reading.  Second, there are *some* gaps in the books- for example, Film
Art has nothing to say about authorship, and Film History leaves out a lot
of detail about film industries which can be interesting (check out
Balio's The American Film Industry to fill in a few gaps on Hollywood, for
instance).

I use a lot of class time focusing in on certain issues in the reading I
want to highlight (including stuff in the course reader), bringing in any
outside material or issues, talking about the films themselves (most
especially in the case of that week's reading), and, by far most
importantly:  showing a lot of clips.  Students love clips, of course, but
they are also crucial material for the pedagogy of the course, and the
books will never substitute for that.  As long as copyright laws are the
way they are right now, there won't be a substitute for the lecturer
presenting loads of clips.

PBR

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