History of Film
Modality: MDC Live Synchronous
Lectures: Tuesdays and Thursdays
3:10 PM - 6:30 PM
Professor Agustin Gonzalez
Office: North Campus Room 2235
Best way to reach me: Agonza29@mdc.edu *
*If you reach me with a question answered in the syllabus, I will reply with a link to the syllabus.
Office Hours
Mondays and Wednesday 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM (Remote Only)
Office hours help students seek clarification and support on assignments, discussions, lectures, and projects. Office hours are not, however, a substitute for missed classes. Though these are my official office hours, the remote environment affords me much additional flexibility throughout the week; if these hours do not work, please contact me, and I would be happy to accommodate you at a different time.
You can schedule an appointment using the following Calendly link: Schedule an appointment
I am here to help you and support you. Please talk to me should you have problems keeping up with the class.
Course Description and Competencies
An introductory level course in the history of the narrative feature-length motion picture, emphasizing American and European films.
Competency 1: The student will be able to identify and discuss major films in the medium's history.
Competency 2: The student will be able to identify and discuss major film movements in the U.S. and Europe.
Competency 3: The student will be able to critique films within their historical and cultural contexts.
Through the academic disciplines and co-curricular activities, MDC provides multiple, varied, and intentional learning experiences to facilitate the acquisition of fundamental knowledge and skills. MDC's Ten Learning Outcomes foster effective citizenship and life-long learning.
In addition to the competencies listed above, this class will require that you:
Learning Outcome 1: Communicate effectively using listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.
Learning Outcome 5: Demonstrate knowledge of diverse cultures, including global and historical perspectives.
Learning Outcome 9: Demonstrate an appreciation for aesthetics and creative activities.
Textbook
A History of Film by Agustin Gonzalez
Our textbook for this class is an online learning resource, and it is mandatory. The reading and in-book exercises are part of your grade and weekly assignments. You will have three weeks to purchase the book before you have weekly deadlines for reading and in-book exercises. The faster you purchase it, the sooner you can catch yourself up with the material.
There are two ways to purchase the textbook.
You can purchase the access code directly from the MDC bookstore.
Or
You can purchase access directly from the publisher.
OPTION 1: Purchase Access Code From MDC Bookstore (North or Kendall).
Once you have a code from the bookstore, visit the publishers website: GRL Content
On the landing page you can register your code at the prompt pictured.
You will then be prompted to create an account. Make sure that you select the correct course section.
This option is more expensive, but it is covered by Financial Aid if you qualify.
I strongly suggest that if you take this option that you go to the bookstore at North Campus in person. Do not order online as it is not particularly efficient.
OPTION 2: Purchase Book Directly from the Publisher.
Visit the publishers website: GRL Content
On the landing page you can begin the purchasing process at the prompt pictured.
You will then be prompted to create an account. Make sure that you select the correct course section.
This option is cheaper, but Financial Aid will not cover the purchase.
OPTION 3: You Are Repeating This Course.
If you have previously purchased the textbook and are repeating the course, please follow the instructions in the pdf at this link: PDF Instruction Link
Technology
For this class you are required to have a computer with an internet connection in order to access Canvas, Zoom and your textbook.
Attendance
Attendance is mandatory. This class is MDCLive with blended elements. We will meet on Zoom for lecture and you will watch films at your convenience during the week.
Generally, absences in 3 or more classes result in a course failure.
Course Withdrawal
It is your responsibility to withdraw from the course. However, I reserve the right to withdraw students from the course if:
-
They are absent more than three times before July 6.
or
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They have not completed the majority of the required work before July 6.
Students who meet the above criteria will receive an email stating that they will be withdrawn from the course by July 3. Students can be withdrawn earlier than July 6.
Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. If students are suspected of classroom cheating, plagiarism, or otherwise misrepresenting their work, they will be subject to procedural due process as laid out in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, the following:
• cheating on an examination;
• receiving help from others in work to be submitted, if contrary to the stated rules of the course;
• plagiarizing; that is, the taking and claiming as one's own the ideas, writings, or work of another, without citing the sources;
• submitting work from another course unless permitted by the instructor;
• stealing examinations or course materials;
• falsifying records;
• assisting anyone to do any of the above.
The written assignments in this class are designed to engage critical thinking and help you associate history to the present. Though the facts of the History of Cinema might seem detached to who you are and what you aim to do, they are not. Once you begin your career you will be expected to know and understand this history. It will make you more competitive as an individual and it will inform the work that you do. I cannot prevent all cheating from occurring, but I hope you understand that depriving yourself of the opportunity to think will result in your own detriment. I expect you to generate your own work in this class. When you turn in work, you are guaranteeing that its content is generated by you unless you indicate otherwise. Turning in assignments that have been generated by AI tools will be considered a violation of student responsibilities, even if you have paraphrased it.
Disability Statement
Students who have a disability that might affect their performance in the class are encouraged to contact Access Services in confidence as soon as possible. The office will aid in appropriate accommodations for the student. This is in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Please inform me during the first week of classes if you need special accommodations due to a disability that might otherwise affect your performance in our class.
Success In This Class
Book Checkpoints and Quizzes: Complete all exercises and quizzes every week. It will help you study for the exams, and it will help you accumulate points to buffer your grade.
Tests: Do not underestimate them. Reading and being prepared is essential, even when they are at home and open book. Please do not leave them for the last minute.
Watching screenings: Be curious! You will be challenged to watch films you probably have not in this class. Watch and learn. It is the easiest thing that will be asked of you and what will add the most value.
Being on time for the lecture: Taking notes is essential. My lectures are outlines of the material you will need to know. I start lectures at class start time, and I tend to go off-book.
Weekly Assignment #1: Screenings
You will be watching films every week this term. I will provide the films through Canvas, and you can access them through the Kanopy or Swank library databases. You can log into the library with the same information used to access your school email account.
Your midterm and your final will have questions about each of the films screened this term.
I will provide a prompt sheet for you to take notes on the films you watch and use these sheets to help you study and prepare for your examinations.
Weekly Assignment #2: Textbook Activities
Each chapter in your textbook contains activities and quizzes that must be completed by class start time every week. (The first three chapters will have a grace period.) Please be aware that some activities are short answers and will require time.
These activities are crucial to your preparation for course examinations. Quizzes will give you a total of three chances to answer questions correctly. You must answer the questions correctly to receive points.
Throughout the term, you can accumulate a maximum of 149 points for these assignments.
120 points come from quizzes.
29 points come from checkpoints.
Only your quizzes will count towards your grade. 120/120 = 100%
The checkpoints are this course's extra credit and can amount to 10% of your final class grade. The percentage extra credit will be based on correctness and completion. 29/29 = 100% of 15% Extra Credit.
However, you are advised that the checkpoints and the quizzes are an important tool at your disposal to review for the midterm and the final and I strongly suggest that you complete them all.
Exams: A Midterm and a Final
There will be a midterm and a final exam. The exams will have various questions drawn from your textbook, lectures, and films. Exams will be taken directly on Canvas. The final is not cumulative.
The exams are both timed at 2 hours with auto-complete enabled. (Meaning that once you open the exam, you must complete it). The exams will be open for a number of days and are due at 11:59 PM on the assigned day; please see the schedule below for details. It is your responsibility to complete the exam on time. I will not accept exams after the due date.
I can provide tests with extra time with the appropriate ACCESS services paperwork.
You may use your textbook and notes during the exams, but you will want to be prepared because they are timed.
On my various syllabi you will find pictures and trailers for the films that defined my love of cinema. Among many things, Yentl (1983) by Barbra Streisand is a film about having to pretend. A woman who must pretend to be a man in order to study, and the complications that ensue. She must pretend in order to reach her full potential; she must pretend in order to be happy and find the person who will accept her for who she is. I had a lot to identify with.
Term Calendar
June 18 - Introduction to the course
Agenda: intro to course and Chapter 1 Lecture
Due: Read and complete Chapter 1 Activities, including a quiz by class start time. (Extended deadline of June 27)
June 20 - Ending the Era of Discovery
Agenda: Chapter 2 Lecture
Due: Watch Hugo
Due: Read and complete Chapter 2 Activities, including a quiz by 3:10 PM . (Extended deadline of June 27)
June 25 - Two Visions of a Country
Chapter 3 Lecture
Due: Watch Birth of a Movement
Due: Read and complete Chapter 3 Activities, including a quiz by 3:10 PM (Extended deadline of June 27)
June 27 - German Film from War to War/ Revolutionary Soviet Cinema
Chapter 4 and 5 Lecture
Due: Watch Metropolis
Due: Watch Cutting Edge
Due: Read chapters 1 - 5, all textbook activities and quizzes due by class start time.
July 2 - Laughter is the Best Medicine
Chapter 6 Lecture
Due: Watch City Lights
Due: Read and complete Chapter 6 Activities, including a quiz by 3:10 PM
MIDTERM EXAM OPENS
July 4 - Independence Day (No class)
July 8 - Midterm Exam due by 11:59 PM
July 9 - A New Power Structure Emerges
Chapter 7 Lecture
Due: Watch Sunset Boulevard
Due: Read and complete Chapter 7 Activities, including a quiz by 3:10 PM
July 11 - Warner Brothers and The Transition to Sound / Disney & Dali
Chapter 8 Lecture
Due: Watch Singing in the Rain
Due: Read and complete Chapter 8 Activities, including a quiz by by 3:10 PM .
July 16 - The Minor Studios
Chapter 9 Lecture
Due: Watch Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Due: Read and complete Chapter 9 Activities, including a quiz by 3:10 PM
July 18 - The End of The Golden Age/ Hitchcock
Chapter 10 Lecture
Due: Watch Citizen Kane
Due: Watch North by Northwest
Due: Read and complete Chapter 10 Activities, including a quiz by 3:10 PM
July 23 - Oppositional Cinemas
Chapter 11 and 12 Lecture
Due: Read and complete Chapter 11 & 12 Activities, including a quiz by 3:10 PM
Due: Watch 400 Blows
Due: Watch Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
FINAL EXAM OPENS
July 25 , Final Exam Due by 11:59 PM
All Book checkpoints are due by 11:59 PM
Grading
Textbook Quizzes 30%
Midterm 34%
Final 34%
Attendance 2%
Extra Credit textbook Checkpoints 15% Possible
Resources
Library: Nine libraries and several statewide resources comprise the Learning Resources at Miami Dade College, providing a stimulating learning environment that enhances the classroom experience through various services such as in-person tutoring, information literacy instruction, and informative workshops. Link to Library Website
Virtual Tutoring: Learning Resources offers students and faculty a wide array of supplemental assistance to ensure academic success Link to Virtual Tutoring.
Single Stop: Single Stop offers students a wide array of services, including public benefits screening, financial coaching, individual counseling, tax preparation, access to a food pantry, and various other services. All of our services are free to Miami Dade College students and their immediate family members. Link to Single Stop Website.
Mental Health Counseling: Counselors are available on campus during the day and after-hours throughout the week, including Saturdays. Students may receive up to 10 free hour-long sessions where they can speak confidentially with a licensed counselor. Sessions during the day may be held in person (on campus), by phone, or virtually. When filling out the form, please select either daytime or after-hours counseling. Link to Mental Health Counseling Website.
SEDT Academic Advisors: Even as I am available to advise you on classes, SEDT offers in-depth academic planning through our two counselors.
James Van Voris: jvanvori@mdc.edu and Raphael Claude: rclaude@mdc.edu
Both can also be reached at 305-237-1696