I too impress on my students that in-class films are as much "texts" as the assigned textbook, and also that the big-screen experience is uniquely valuable, but the most successful strategy for me has been to hinge written assignments to the films viewed. Typically, students watch a film on their own, chosen from a list of five or six related films that are relatively easily available, and then must compare that film's relevant historical or analytical issues with the in-class film. These are typically not ambitious assignments (although students can recycle some of the material into their final papers). In practice, they function somewhat like journals, keeping the students focused on thinking about what they are seeing rather than just passively absorbing it. (Our film courses are scheduled in four-hour blocks of classtime, which leaves plenty of room for lecture, viewing of film clips, discussion and even a break, leading up to the showing of a complete film). Robert Keser Fine Arts: Film National-Louis University 122 S. Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL 60603 1-312-261-3086 ---- For past messages, visit the Screen-L Archives: http://bama.ua.edu/archives/screen-l.html