As a recent graduate I'd like to comment here. The intro to film class I
had as a freshman started with _The Terminator_ and _The Wizard of Oz_ and
then went to _Koyaanisqatsi_ to give us the extreme opposite. We also saw
such films as _Un Chien Andalou_, _Swing Time_, _Metropolis_, _The Bicycle
Thief_, _Yojinbo_, and _Orlando_ among others. I think an intro course
should be as varied as possible. If the students can begin with analyzing
familiar films and then move into unfamiliar territory applying what they
have learned, the students will probably learn much more than if you steep
them in unfamiliar films or only give them what they are used to seeing.
As for the introductory textbook, mine was Bordwell/Thompson's _Film Art_
3rd edition, and yes, I found it dry, but on the upside it is very
informative. Perhaps they van address this in the fifth edition.
Scott
----- Original Message -----
From: Mikel J. Koven <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, March 12, 2001 8:18 AM
Subject: Re: intro. textbook
> Just to briefly contribute to this discussion, in addition to Film Art, I
> also use Martin Barker's book, From Antz To Titanic, which speaks more
> directly to students and students' own experience of film going without
> insulting us as lecturers/professors (and challenges an awful lot of our
> jargonistic bs).
> The problem with most of this discussion is that we are no longer first
year
> film students anymore, and our interests and demands on textbooks are
coming
> from this perspective. We need to put ourselves in the position of the
first
> year student, who may or may not have any experience in film studies and
tie
> their experience of going to the movies, with our academic issue in
studing
> world cinema. I too find Film Art exceptionally dry, however, *in class*
we
> can use more recent and relevant comparisions for them to get their teeth
> into.
> Sadly, next to Barker's new book, my FAVOURITE Intro Text only went
through
> one printing - Sobchack and Sobchack's An Introduction to Film -
> particularly for their final section on 'How to Write a Film Paper' -
given
> the really poor global condition of student writing. Interesting to note
> that the Sixth edition of Bordwell and Thompson now includes a booklet on
> this subject - at least in the UK. The subject of good writing guides for
> film papers should be its own thread....
> And finally, just to be completely redundent, no single text book is going
> to satisfy or define even a single module/course - these books obviously
> need to be assisted by active pedegogy and a collection of photocopied
> readings from other sources.
> (Mikel now descends from his rickety soap-box.....)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> Dr. Mikel J. Koven
> Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies
> University of Wales Aberystwyth
> Parry-Williams Building
> Penglais Campus
> Aberystwyth
> Ceredigion
> SY23 3AJ
> (01970) 621938
> mobile (0777) 349-0188
> [log in to unmask]
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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