Photography: We will go over the first worksheet which was due on Monday. We will also have our first quiz of the year which we will go over on Tuesday. Wednesday will be the start of a new chapter, along with a brief assignment, and the quiz it self will be on Thursday.

 

Cinematic Arts: We will have homework on Monday which will be focused on writing out the first ten terms from our glossary, which can be accessed through filmsite.org, we will go overt the terms on Tuesday along with starting a new chapter, we will due a brief group assignment on Tuesday and Wednesday which has to do with matching old silent film clips with music. We will go over the clips on Wednesday, continue our powerpoint on chapter two Wednesday/Thursday, and be given a new worksheet on Thursday/Friday.

Find at least six devices that were used as a form of entertainment via motion pictures.

 

State the name of the device, the name of the inventor, and a brief description as to how the device works.

 

 - here is an example of what one should look like:                                                 

 

  Name of device: Zoopraxiscope

  Name of Inventor: Eadweard Muybridge

  Brief description: An early device for displaying motion pictures, it projected images from rotating glass disks in rapid succession to give the impression of motion.

This being the first week of the new school year, will be an introductory week. We will go over the syllabus, start our first chapter (The Advent of Early Cinema), we will go over the chapter via power point, we will perform a research project on the first motion picture devices, we will also have our first worksheet assignment.

 

PLEASE HAVE ALL SYLLABUS SIGNED BY WEDNESDAY AT THE LATEST.

Cinematic Arts
Mr. Howard Paul Pridgeon
Email: [email protected]
"Cinema is the most beautiful fraud in the world." .- Jean-Luc Godard

"There are no rules in filmmaking. Only sins. And the cardinal sin is dullness". - Frank Capra

 

Required Readings/Texts
There are no required books for this class; however, I will put together an array of power points that I will post on my class website “Edlio” which you can find on the Damien website. All you have to do is go on the website, go onto the section entitled “About DHS” from there you will find a tab entitled “Contact Directory” from there you can search my name, and it will take you to the class Edlio website. I will require all students to subscribe to the class website. I will show you how to do so during our class time.
About the Course
This is an introduction to the Art of Film Study AND Production. We will study film history, from its origins to the modern day blockbusters, with a specific focus on the Hollywood system, as a precursor to the production aspects. If you ask any of the great present day filmmakers, such as Martin Scorcese, The Coen Brothers, or Quentin Tarantino, you cannot be a great filmmaker without having a great sense of history and theory. It is the basis for cinema and will truly help you get the most out of your creativity. By the time you leave this class, I hope that you will not only have a great grasp on the bare essentials of film history, but also become accustomed to working in teams to really bring out the best in you both as a person and a capable filmmaker.
The course will also include three film projects that you, along with your team mates (classmates) will complete during the second semester. These projects will include the usage of a video camera, editing software, audio equipment, props, costumes, actors, scripts, story boards, etc. These projects will help show you what it takes to make a movie, and most of all how to become a great film maker.
In class workshops are absolutely crucial to your success as a filmmaker. It will afford you the opportunity to gain critiques and learn what you are very good at and what you may need work to work on. It is important to be very attentive during these sessions.
We will be viewing an assortment of different movies and clips. I will be showing CLIPS and feature length films from some R-rated movies, ranging from the films of Stanley Kubrick to Martin Scorcese. Some of the greatest films in history have an “R” rating, such as “The Godfather” “Psycho” or even “Apocalypse Now” and although this is a catholic high school, I feel as if I would be doing you a disservice by limiting some of the content we see in class. Having said that, I will never show anything too over the top in sexuality and/or violence. entire films.
If you have any questions about the course refer to the syllabus, the handbook or just come up and ask me. I am someone you can come up to for ANYTHING, so please do not hesitate to do so. After all, I was a Damien student at one time.
Student Expectations and Rules
Though this is an elective, this is NOT a blow off course. There will be a tremendous amount of time watching clips from various films. Some, you may find boring and out of date, others you may not stop laughing for a while, but you will RESPECT our class time together and the thoughts and critiques of each other. This means some of the most basic principles of classroom etiquette, which you have been taught throughout the years. They become even more essential in a class like this with people’s creativity and artistic visions in front of peers to see. Disrespect to your classmates or their ideas will absolutely not be tolerated in any way shape or form. It is crucial for you to understand this. Our classroom motto is as follows: “Everybody Love Everybody.” E.L.E.
Remember, the equipment we are using is NOT cheap. I want you to experiment and be as creative as you can be, but DO NOT horse around with the equipment. I have been around enough student film sets to know when you are working and when you are playing around.
We will do our best to get all production and post-production done in class, but be aware that it will often times require you to do your own or group work outside of class.

 

Grading
Though this will be many of your first times using cameras and equipment, there is no excuse for a lack of effort after proper instruction. Your grade will not only be determined on your grasp of the techniques, but also on the amount of effort you put into succeeding.
Classwork 15%
Homework 15%
Test 50%
Class Participation 20%

 

Extra Credit
I will accept movie, sports, and music posters throughout the year as a form of extra credit. I will hand out ten points extra credit per poster. YOU CAN ONLY RECEIVE EXTRA CREDIT ONCE A SEMESTER, SO PLEASE DO NOT TURN IN 10 POSTERS AND EXPECT 100 POPINTS EXTRA CREDIT. ONLY ONE POSTER PER STUDENT.
A new grading scale will be released for the second semester, as the introduction of projects and individual work towards projects will be introduced. I will be sure to hand out the new syllabus when the second semester begins.
Absolutely NO projects will be accepted late. You are expected to have your films ready to view on the due date. Homework or Classwork that is turned in late will have a point deducted each day it is late. I expect honest work that is done on your own. Caught cheating on a quiz will result in an automatic 0. Be influenced by filmmakers, but do not steal their ideas. BE CREATIVE!
This class will be only as good and as fun as the effort you put into it. I’m here to guide you, but this class depends on you and what you want to bring to the table. Let’s see your artistic vision on the screen!
Parent Signature______________________________