History of American Film I--50:512:389

The URL of this page is: http://crab.rutgers.edu/~awoll/amfilm1.html

Professor Allen Woll
Robeson Library 298
Ex. 6671 or awoll@camden.rutgers.edu

Readings: William K. Everson, American Silent Film
Neal Gabler, An Empire of Their Own
Jeanine Basinger, Silent Stars

Readings from books in red below; web readings in blue below:

June 28	Introduction -- The Dilemma of Silent Cinema Eadweard Muybridge I and Eadweard Muybridge II Étienne-Jules Marey and read and watch films--see bottom to navigate Week I readings: Everson, Chapters 1-4 Gabler, Intro, 1-3
June 29	The Lumiere Brothers and Early Cinema
June 30	Thomas Edison and American Cinema
July 1	Edwin Porter
July 5 (no class)
July 6	Early Griffith Week 2 readings: Everson, Chapters 5-7 Gabler, Chapters 4-5 Basinger, 3-136
July 7	Late Griffith
July 8	TEST I
July 12	Birth of the Studio Week 3 readings: Everson, Chapters 8-12 Gabler, Chapters 6-10 Basinger, 265-475
July 13	Independent Cinema (Pickford and Fairbanks)
July 14	Silent Comedy--I
July 15	Silent Comedy - II
July 19	The Coming of Sound Altman article Dickson 1895 Experiment Week 4 readings: Everson, Chapters 13-19 Complete Basinger
July 20	The Legacy of Silence
July 21	TBA
July 22	TEST II

Grades: Midterm (7/8) 100 points
Final (7/22) 100 points
For extra credit: You may create a film blog (worth up to 10 points)--see below

***Attendance will be taken at 8:00. Those arriving late three times or more will receive a 5% penalty. Those absent three times or more will receive a 10% penalty.
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Creating a blog?

Blog Instructions:

Create a blog and mail me the address at awoll@camden. The first entry should be posted on June 30.

The blog should provide a daily diary (except the day before tests) of your thoughts about the films we see in class and the readings. The grades will be based on intelligent thought and criticism of the issues we consider in class. For sample blogs from two Rutgers students, see: http://burgerideas.blogspot.com/ or http://cmetzger.blogspot.com/

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Classroom blogs and test information: