CLIT1001
INTRODUCTON TO FILM STUDIES
FALL 2025
This course introduces students to the study of the moving image and teaches them to analyze and understand films. The course covers elements of technique, form, and aesthetics, such as framing, movement, editing, sound, and performance. It also covers topics in the history of cinema, genre, technology, culture, and theory. In addition to readings on these topics, weekly viewings will be required, of films from Asia, Europe, and the US, and from early to contemporary cinema.
Requirements:
In addition to the Friday lectures, there is a required weekly section meeting, schedule to be determined. Section meetings will begin in week 3 and end with week 12, with some skipped weeks in between.
Readings and viewings should be completed in advance of the Friday class meeting, so that you arrive prepared to share questions about and responses to the films and texts. All materials will be distributed on Moodle, including links to watch the films on your personal computers.
There will be a screening of each week’s film on Mondays at 6pm in RRST7.58. Attendance at this screening is optional; we set this up as an alternative for students who prefer to view films on a bigger screen and in a collective setting. Because of limited space, attendance at the screening is limited to students who are enrolled in the class.
The readings draw heavily on the textbook Film Art: An Introduction, by David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson, 12th edition. On Moodle you can find a link to the pdf version of this textbook (for online reading and/or download).
Regular attendance, occasional pop quizzes, and participation in class and sections will count towards the final grade. Students are expected to arrive to class on time and to be mentally present. Cell phones must be silenced and stowed away. Laptops and tablets are permitted in class for notetaking only. If you are more than 30 minutes late for class, you will be considered absent.
The midterm assignment is a SHOT LIST. This is a close analysis exercise that involves breaking down a short film clip into all of its component shots. You will create a graphic inventory of shots followed by a short written analysis. This assignment is due on 10 October.
There will be a handwritten FINAL EXAM on the last day of class, 28 November. The exam will consist of definitions and short essay responses. Answers will be graded on content and substance, with no deductions for spelling, grammar, or the mechanics of writing.
In addition, there will be occasional POP QUIZZES on the readings and films in section. There are no make-ups in the event that you miss the quizzes or final exam. The breakdown of grades is:
Attendance in lectures 10%
Section participation & quizzes 30%
Close analysis exercise 25%
Final exam 35%