.jpg)
Film Business, Marketing, and Distribution
Modality: In Person
Lectures: Wednesdays 5:40 PM - 8:10 PM
North Campus, Room 2147
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
Tuesday 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM (North Campus, In Person or Remote)
Thursday 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM (Remote Only)
Wednesday 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM (North Campus, In Person or Remote)
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 introduction to the business of film. Students will learn about motion picture packaging, production, marketing, and distribution.
Competency 1: The student will comprehend industry-standard practices in setting up a professional film production.
Competency 2: The student will understand the contributing factors involved in film marketing.
Competency 3: The student will comprehend successful film distribution strategies.
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 3: Solve problems using critical and creative thinking and scientific reasoning
Textbook
There is no textbook for this class.
Technology
For this class, you are required to have a computer with an internet connection to access CANVAS.
Attendance
Attendance is mandatory. This class is in person with blended elements. We will meet weekly in person for lecture and you will complete additional assignments online on a weekly basis.
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 the last day to withdraw from courses with a “W” grade per the Academic Calendar
-
They have not completed the majority of the required work before before the last day to withdraw from courses with a “W” grade per the Academic Calendar
Students who meet the above criteria will receive an email stating that they will be withdrawn from the course.
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.
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
1. Be Present:
-
Attendance is crucial to success in this class. While the class is not overly difficult, the material might seem intimidating. Being present allows students to ask questions and understand the material.
2. Turn in All Assignments:
-
Consistent completion of assignments is required. Neglecting them can accumulate into a significant deficit over the course's length.
3. Complete Your Exams:
-
A consistent preparation strategy is crucial to doing well.
Exams
Midterm and Final Exams:
-
Content: These exams will focus on material covered during lectures.
-
Platform: Exams will be administered through Canvas.
-
Timing: Each exam is timed at 3 hours, and must be completed in one sitting.
-
Availability: The exams will be available for a week.
-
No In-Person Class: We will not convene for our regular class meeting on exam days
Assignment Philosophy
The assignments for this semester are designed to be accessible but will demand consistency and effort. Your success in the highly competitive entertainment industry, where over 2 million Visual & Performing Arts graduates emerge annually in the United States, depends on these principles.
Understanding the Competition:
-
Among these graduates, around 60,000 specifically pursue degrees in Film, with many more in hybrid Film & Television programs.
-
Your education is an integral part of your preparation for this competitive landscape.
Keys to Success in the Field:
Over your time as a student in this program, you will need to:
-
Develop High Literacy: This includes both written and verbal skills in the medium.
-
Appreciate All Movies: Cultivate a broad and deep understanding of the genre.
-
Build Industry Friendships: Network with peers and professionals for future collaboration.
-
Cultivate Impeccable Work Ethic: Be diligent and committed in all endeavors.
-
Establish a Reliable Reputation: Prove yourself as someone who consistently delivers quality work.
These foundational qualities will enable you to compete in the industry. While they may not guarantee success, they will pave the way for your pursuit of it.
Course Expectations and Policies:
-
No Late Work: Assignments must be submitted on time.
-
No Sloppiness: Your work should reflect the standards of the industry.
-
No Plagiarism: Originality and integrity are paramount.
I view your work as a reflection of how you're building these essential skills, and as a testament to your ambition for success. I expect the best from you, and I'm here to support you. If life's challenges interfere with your work, please reach out so we can find a way to accommodate your situation.
Your success is our shared goal, and these guidelines are a roadmap to help you achieve it.
Assignment #1: Resume
Craft a professional film resume that highlights your skills, experiences, and achievements relevant to the chosen role. Your resume should be tailored to the industry standards we discussed in class.
Turn in your resume in person (typed) on the date listed in the calendar below.
You will receive full credit for completing the assignment.
Assignment # 2: Professional Biography
Craft a professional biography that highlights your skills, experiences, and achievements relevant to your chosen career. Your biography should be tailored to the industry standards we discussed in class.
Turn in your biography in person (typed) on the date listed in the calendar below. Please bring an extra copy for yourself.
You will receive full credit for completing the assignment.
Weekly Assignment: PACKBACK
Participation in class discussions is an essential component of this course, and we'll be utilizing the Packback Questions platform to facilitate these interactions. This online community encourages curiosity, inviting you to ask open-ended questions and engage in conversations that expand on our class materials and connect them to real-world applications.
Packback Requirements:
-
Participation Weight: Your engagement on Packback will constitute 20% of your overall course grade.
-
Weekly Deadline: Submissions are due at class start time every week, including holidays. To receive full credit, please ensure that you:
-
Ask 1 Question
-
The question can be about:
-
An article from one of the following trade magazines: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline Hollywood.
-
The article cannot be a review, casting notice, hiring notice, or box office report. It must be news.
-
-
-
Respond to 2 conversations with either a response, your agreement, or a counterpoint.
-
How to Register on Packback (via CANVAS only):
-
Access “Packback” within CANVAS to join the community.
-
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your registration.
-
Please remember to only access Packback via CANVAS to ensure proper grade synchronization.
Need Assistance with Packback? The Packback Team is readily available to assist with any questions or concerns throughout the semester:
-
FAQ: Visit help.packback.co for commonly asked questions.
-
Customer Support: For more personalized assistance, email their support team directly at help@packback.co.
This collaborative platform offers an excellent opportunity to deepen your understanding and engagement with our course topics. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you need further support or clarification.
Understanding Packback: A Guide to Curiosity-Driven Discussions
Packback serves as a platform for engaging with your course material through questions that truly intrigue you. It's not just about seeking correct answers, but about exploring connections between subjects and real-world applications. This process fosters a deeper understanding of the content.
Creating Quality Packback Posts:
Here are some guidelines to ensure that your posts on Packback are both thoughtful and engaging.
What Makes a Good Packback Question?
-
Ask Open-Ended Questions: Seek out questions without a singular "right" answer. Encourage your classmates to think about practical applications and solutions.
-
Be Specific: Specificity yields better responses. Instead of general inquiries, present a detailed scenario to provoke more targeted answers.
-
Make Connections: Explore connections between different subjects, a technique known as Combinatorial Thinking. This approach often leads to innovative insights.
Remember, an excellent question is one that piques interest beyond mere class requirements.
What Makes a Good Packback Response?
-
Write Thoughtfully: Consider each answer as a mini-essay, providing a thesis and supporting it with examples and data.
-
Fully Explain Your Ideas: A comprehensive response should extend beyond short answers. Your insights should contribute new value to the collective understanding.
-
Incorporate Multimedia: Using the Rich Text Editor, embed images, videos, or sources that enhance your response, make it engaging, and offer additional resources for exploration.
Embrace Your Curiosity
Packback encourages you to think beyond the classroom, connecting ideas and fostering innovation. Make use of these guidelines to spark engaging discussions and contribute to a community driven by curiosity and exploration.
Should you have any questions or need further guidance, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Understanding Your Curiosity Score on Packback
The Curiosity Score is an integral part of the Packback experience, reflecting the quality and depth of your engagement with the platform. It's not only a measure of participation but an indicator of your thoughtful exploration of topics. This score is translated into a weekly grade and consists of the following components:
Curiosity
The Curiosity category includes AI feedback on the effort, interest, and “discuss-ability” of the students’ post, including feedback on:
-
If a question is open-ended or closed-ended
-
The length and depth of the description
-
The repetitiveness of the text
-
If their post may be flagged due to Community Guidelines
Credibility
-
The Credibility category includes AI feedback on the presence of a cited source. Unsupported opinions don’t make for good answers.
Communication
The Communication category includes AI feedback on how effectively the student is communicating in their post, including feedback on:
-
Formatting: Make use of indentations, bolding, underlining, or italicizing portions of your post. It is also helpful to break the post up into paragraphs to engage your classmates even further.
-
Question Quality: Make sure your question is open ended. An open-ended question is one that can only be answered by a unique thought or statement in someone’s own words. Unlike a closed-ended question, it cannot be answered in one word, or by yes/no, or through a quick Google search. Your question should be at a good length to balance both specificity and clarity.
-
Media: Including images or videos to support the content. You can embed images, animated gifs and videos right into your post. If you can, always include at least one video, image or source with your answer that helps to explain your perspective, make your response more interesting, and provide an additional resource for extra exploration if your response sparks.
Convention
The Convention category does not impact a Curiosity Score to ensure ELL students are not penalized. The Convention category includes AI feedback on:
-
Grammar (Grammar does not have a bearing on the curiosity score, to avoid bias against ESL students.)
-
Spelling
-
Sentence fluency
-
Post Language
-
Plagiarism (While Plagiarism falls under the “Convention” category of feedback, plagiarism is checked only after submission)
In essence, your Curiosity Score is a multidimensional reflection of the effort, creativity, and intellectual rigor you bring to the Packback community. It motivates you to move beyond basic participation and truly engage with the subject matter.
Flagged Posts and Moderated Posts
Packback is an AI moderated and human supported app. The AI will look for specific red flags. in your posts and take one of two actions if your post violates community standards depending on the severity of the violation.,
In general you should avoid the following:
Questions that are phrased as a statement, not a question
Closed-ended questions
Questions or answers that contain profanity or offensive language
Class-specific questions rather than concept focused
Questions or answers that have no relation to the subject of the class
Duplicates of other questions or answers already posted
Questions or answers that are intended for cheating
Plagiarized questions or answers
AI generated questions or answers
If you do any of these things Packback AI will either Flag your post or Moderate it.
If your post is flagged, your post will remain in the community and you will be able to correct it and repost it.
If your post is moderated, your post will be removed from the community and you will receive an email from the Packback moderator. You will need to work with them to correct your post and resubmit it. It will be marked as not completed until you resubmit it.
Other students can also flag your post if they violate the community guidelines.
On my various syllabi you will find pictures and trailers for the films that defined my love of cinema. Casablanca (1942) directed by Michael Curtiz is a masterclass in screenwriting. Every word is purposeful, opening the doorways of meaning in truly interesting ways. It works as a classic romance and as one of the best pieces of pro-war propaganda ever made by Hollywood. It is when viewed in this second context that I began to truly appreciate how powerful movies can be.
Term Calendar
January 3 - Introduction to the Course
January 10 - Resumes
Packback due by 5:40 PM
January 17 - Bio and Resume Presentation
Resume and Bio due. Submit via Canvas & bring typed and printed to class. Due by 3:00 PM
Packback due by 5:40 PM
January 24 - Industry Structure Part 1
Packback due by 5:40 PM
January 31 - Industry Structure Part 2
Packback due by 5:40 PM
February 7 - Contracts and Options Part 1
Packback due by 5:40 PM
February 14 - Contracts & Options Part 2
Packback due by 5:40 PM
February 21 - No Class
February 28- Financing Part 1
Packback due by 5:40 PM
Midterm Opens 8:00 AM
March 6 - Financing Part 2
Packback due by 5:40 PM
Midterm due by 5:40 PM
March 13 - Financing Part 3
Packback due by 5:40 PM
March 20 - MDC Student Film Festival (No Class)
Packback due by 5:40 PM
March 27 - Spring Break (No Class, Video Lecture)
Watch Felicia Day Day Lecture
Packback due by 5:40 PM
April 3 - Marketing
Complete Felicia Day Career Vision Statement Assignment by 3:00 PM
Packback due by 5:40 PM
April 10 - Miami Film Festival (No Class)
Packback due by 5:40 PM
April 17 - Distribution
Packback due by 5:40 PM
Final Exam Opens
April 24 - Final Exam Due by 5:40 PM
Grading
Packback 30%
Midterm 33%
Final 33%
Attendance 1%
Professional Bio & Resume: 1%
Career Vision Statement: 2%
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 either 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
He can also be reached at 305-237-1696