>From:         [log in to unmask]
 
>I am planning for my first film class.  (Heh, heh, shall I announce that I'm
>new to all this a little more clearly?)  I am looking for opinions on
>the advantages and disadvantages of showing the whole film in class, making
>the students see it on their own, making them do both, or something in
>between.  The class I am teaching is a film/literature class (Junior level).
>Based upon my experiences as a film student, I would guess that.... well,
>I'd rather not give my unformed opinions out at this point....  What do
>you do in an undergraduate film class; what do you expect of your
>students?
 
Making the students see the films on their own pretty much limits you to
the films currently playing in your local theaters.  That would hamper
you in drawing up your syllabus, I would think.  And it can get expensive
for the students.
 
Of course, showing the films in class requires at least one two hour
block of time.  What is your class's schedule; i.e. how often a week
do you meet and for how long each time?
 
The one thing I would stress is to have each student see each film at
least twice.  The first time they should just enjoy it as a movie,
reserving their critical thinking for the second showing.  I had one
class that met three times a week for two hours each time.  We would
watch the movie the first two sessions and the third session would
be devoted to discussion.  I also rented every movie on the syllabus
that I could find for additional viewings.  It's a real plus if the
movies are available on videotape, especially if they're available
at your school library.  Of course, restricting yourself to films
available on videotape rules out having the students going to the
local theater on their own time.
 
It's not an easy choice.  Please let us know what you decide to do.
 
John McIntyre
Physics - Astronomy Dept
Michigan State University