Certificate Course in Film Analysis

Department of Media Studies

Christ College, Bangalore

Certificate Course in Film Analysis

Course instructor: Darshin Naidoo

Course fee : Rs 1000.00

Dates: Dec 9, 16; Jan 6 13, 20, ..
Time: 9 am to 7 pm (with breaks)

Max intake: 30 (First come first serve basis)

Course Description

An introduction to film as an art form, emphasizing a study of the aesthetic and production elements of the medium, including narrative genres, directorial style, cinematography, acting, and editing with a focus on screenplay and story structure.

The course is grounded in the belief that movies are much more than entertainment, they’re stimulants, motivators, depressants, and in some cases, medication. Film's ability to convey the riches of the human experience at its best and worst. The intent of this class is to teach the student to appreciate the artistic and narrative quality of film as one of our most endearing art forms. Primary focus will be on film criticism and analysis. Numerous genres of film will be studied.

Course Objective

At the end of the course students should be able to:

1. Understand the historical and cultural context for films.

2. Compare and use the various styles and techniques of film.

3. Identify the elements of narrative.

4. Be able to identify visual components of various genres of film.

5. Be able to conduct an original in-depth critical analysis of film from an academic, literature standpoint and production standpoint (including cinematography, acting, editing, sound and narrative)

6. Employ academic and literary standards to the research paper, including bibliography. Critique film form and content.

7. Analyze and evaluate a film's cinematography, acting, editing, sound and writing components.

8. Produce critical analysis and journalistic reviews.

Assessment: Students must demonstrate a proficiency in understanding of the language of film through a series of written assignments.

Course Objective for screenplay and story

Structure, Format & Action

• 3 Act Structure - breaking a story into beginning, middle and end
• Turning Points – take the action in different directions
• Proper Formatting – learn industry standards and techniques
• Writing Action/Description – the greatest mark of an experienced writer

Character & Conflict

• Building Your Protagonist – explore background, need(s), character flaw(s), and transformation
• Building Your Antagonist – make your protagonist real, explore need(s) and downfall
• Types of Conflict – the three major human strains
• Hallmarks of Great Conflict – techniques to building greater conflict

Plot & Subplot

• The Functions of Subplot – how to use subplots to enhance your story
• The Structure of Subplot – usually the source of most loose-ends in a story
• Good Dialogue – techniques for improving your dialogue

List of Films to Source Final 20 From

1		Crash
2		American Beauty
3		Seven Samurai
4		Shawshank Redemption
5		Seven
6		Die Hard
7		Casablanca
8		Raise the Red Lantern
9		The Godfather
10		Children of Men
11		Matrix
12		Bladerunner
13		Cinema Paradiso
14		Chinatown
15		Mystic River
16		Lives of Others
7		Silence of the Lambs
18		Bin Jip
19		21 Grams
20		Hustle and Flow
21		One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest
22		Citizen Kane
23		The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
24		Thelma and Louise
25		Terminator 2
26		Lethal Weapon
27		Mississippi Burning
28		The Killing Fields
29		Exorcist
30		When Harry Met Sally
31		Sleepless in Seattle
32		You've Got Mail
33		When Harry Met Sally
	34		Addicted to Love
	35		Point Break
	36		Mad Max
	37		Invasion of the Body Snatchers
	38		Beverly Hills Cop
	39		The Untouchables
	40		A Fish Called Wanda
	41		Il Postino/ The Postman
	42		Good Fellas
	43		Fargo
	44		American Graffiti
	45		Life is Beautiful
	46		Saving Private Ryan
	47		Aparajito
	48		Bhuvan Shome
	49		A Few Good Men
	50		Saturday Night Fever
	51		The Jewel of the Nile

Optional English Elective - Cultrual Studies

Department of Media Studies

Christ College, Bangalore

Subject: Optional English

Paper VI: Cultural Studies (Elective)

1.1 Paper Description:

The elective paper in Cultural Studies is designed to help students update their knowledge and critical debates within Cultural Studies. The paper will expose the students to the various forms of culture surrounding us at every moment which in addition to entertaining us or enticing us, carry implied messages about who we are, what world we live in, and what we should value. This course proposes to help them learn to decode these messages. Students will analyse and write about cultural forms as texts to be read for what they tell us about men and women, wealth and power, nation and technology and so on. Students will also learn basic semiotics, the study of how meaning is produced, directed and circulated through texts, a process which also produces subjectivities and identities.

1.2 Objectives of the Paper

The paper intends to provide students with the opportunity to develop and critically apply their knowledge and understanding of theoretical and critical debates in Cultural Studies, as well as of key historical developments in intellectual debates. Further, it will help them develop a range of skills in independent research, critical analysis, verbal and written communication and other advanced transferable skills.

1.3 Paper content

Understanding Cultural Studies

• Mrinalini Sebastian “Understanding Cultural Studies”
• Raymond Williams “Culture”, “Popular”
• Henry Giroux, et al. “The Need for Cultural Studies: Resisting Intellectuals and Oppositional Public Spheres”
• Pramod K Nayar. “Reading Culture”
• Richard Howells “Semiotics”
• Roland Barthes. “Myth Today”.
• A.K Ramanujan, “Introduction,” Folktales from India
• Jean-Francois Lyotard. The first four chapters of The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge
• Richard Howells “Ideology”
• CSCS. “Femininity – Masculinity”
• CSCS. “Legal Identity and Culture”
• CSCS. “Imagining the Nation”
• Ajay Gudavarthy. “The Identity Question”
• Simon During “Introduction” from Cultural Studies Reader 3^rd ed
• Stuart Hall. “Encoding/Coding”

City

• Ravi S. Vasudevan. “The Cities of Everyday Life”
• Nitin Govil. “The Metropolis and Mental Strife: The city in science fiction cinema”
• Joy Chatterjee. “Long Bus Drive”
• Veena Das. “Violence and Translation”
• Ole Bouman. “Hyper-architecture”
• Rana Dasgupta. “The Face of the Future: Biometric surveillance and progress”
• Shuddhabrata Sengupta. “Everyday Surveillance: ID cards, cameras and the database of ditties”
• Sam de Silva. “Blind Intelligence”
• David Lyon. “Surveillance: After September 11, 2001”
• Lawrence Liang. “The Black and White (And Grey) of Copyright”
• Lawrence Liang. “Urban Transformations and Media Piracy”
• Lawrence Liang. “Obscenity, Decency and Morality”

Cinema

• Pramod Nayar “Screen Culture”
• Laura Mulvey. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”.
• Ravi S Vasudevan. “Urban Action Films”.
• Ashis Nandy. “Introduction: Indian Popular Cinema as the Slum’s Eye View of Politics”

Cyberculture

• Tony Thwites, Lloyd Davis, Warwick Mules. “Cyberculture”
• Mark Poster. “Postmodern Virtualities”
• Manuel Castells “The Network Society and Organizational Change”
• Manuel Castells “Identity in the Network Society”

1.4 Bibliography

Barthes, Roland. Mythologies. Trs Annette Lavers. London: Vintage, 1993.

Castells, Manuel “The Network Society and Organizational Change.” Conversations with History; Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley, 2001

--- “Identity in the Network Society.” Conversations with History; Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley, 2001

CSCS. “Femininity – Masculinity”

--- “Imagining the Nation”

---. “Legal Identity and Culture”

Durham, Meenakshi Gigi, and Douglas M. Kellner. Ed. Media and Cultural Studies Keyworks. Malden: Blackwell, 2001.

During, Simon. Cultural Studies Reader 3^rd ed New York: Routledge, 2007.

Giroux, Henry, David Shumway, Paul Smith, and James Sosnoski, “The Need for Cultural Studies: Resisting Intellectuals and Oppositional Public Spheres” http://theory.eserver.org/need.html

Howells, Richard. Visual Culture. Cambridge: Polity, 2003.

Lawrence Liang. “Obscenity, Decency and Morality”

Lawrence Liang. “The Black and White (And Grey) of Copyright”

Lawrence Liang. “Urban Transformations and Media Piracy”

Liang, Lawrence. “The Black and White (And Grey) of Copyright.”. ‘World Information City’. Bangalore: 14-20 Nov 2005, p 2

Lyotard, Jean-Francois. The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge. University of Minnesota Press, 1985

Mark Poster. The Second Media Age Blackwell 1995 http://www.hnet.uci.edu/mposter/writings/internet.html

Mulvey, Laura. “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” (1975) http://www.nwe.ufl.edu/~lhodges/vpnc.html

Nandi, Ashish ed. The Secret Politics of Our Desires: Innocence, Culpability and Indian Popular Cinema. Delhi: OUP, 1998.

Nayar, Pramod K. Reading Culture: Theory, Praxis, Politics. New Delhi: Sage, 2006.

Ramanujan, A.K “Introduction” Folktales from India, New Delhi: Penguin, 1994.

Thwites, Tony, Lloyd Davis, and Warwick Mules. Introducing Cultural and Media Studies: A Semiotic Approach. New York: Palgrave, Rpt 2005.

Vasudevan, Ravi S. et al. SARAI Reader 02. Delhi/Amsterdam: SARAI, 2002.

Williams, Raymond. Keywords Rev. Ed. NewYork: OUP, 1983.

1.5 Teaching Methodology

It is important that the students should come to class having read the essays. And therefore prior reading of the essays should be insisted upon on part of the students. The class should be used to discuss the issues raised by the essays and not go through in detail. Print and visual texts could be used during the classroom discussion. Total no. of teaching hours: 60.

1.6 Testing Pattern

Students need to write two research papers on which they should work throughout the course. The students may be allowed to choose their areas of interest within the broad framework of the papers.

Paper 1. The paper length for the first paper could be of 7-10 pages. The first submission of the paper could become CIA-1 and the final submission could fulfil the requirements of mid-semester examination.

Paper 2. The length of this paper could be 15-20 pages. The first submission of the this paper could become CIA-2. The final submission could fulfil the requirements of mid-semester examination.

For both the papers, before the student submits the final paper, the draft papers should be circulated for peer review. The final submission should include the first corrected draft, peer marked drafts (minimum of two) and the final paper. At least 40% of the paper should be reworked based on peer review and teacher’s comments in both the cases.

Both the papers should adhere to the standard formats of writing research papers.

*****

Philosophy course on Thinking

Hi

We are planning to organize a workshop based course on Philosophy of thinking. It would focus on philosophical dimentions of creative and critical thinking. The first meeting cum class is organised on 24 Nov at Christ College. The suceeding classes are proposed to be held either at Indian Institute of Science or at some other conveniet place. It will also be decided whether the course will be part of college certificate programmes or not. The current feeling among the students is not to bring it under the certificate programmes. However we can sort out these on 24 Nov at 2.00 pm in Room 109, Main block, of christ college.

Reg the fee, we will discuss on 24. All those are interested or those who wish to attend the first session and then wish to make up their mind are welcome.

The course will be taught by Prof Sundar Sarukkai, of National Institute of Advanced Studies(NIAS), IISC. He holds PhD in Philosophy from Purdue University, US and has been visiting prof at MIT,US and Stanford. He is a well-known scholar among all schools of philosophy in India. Above all he is a very good teacher and an approachable person. He taught an introductory course in Philosophy at Christ College last Jan Feb and Mar. It was well received and appreciated. It was amazing.

Please circulate this mail among your classmates, friends from Christ college and other colleges. Others are also welcome but do consult me.I will be happy if you can post it on your respective class orkut/face book communities or blogs for the sake of wider publicity. You may also display the print outs of this mail in your classrooms.

Please do email me if you are planning to attend. However, you may also drop in without emailing me.

Certificate Course in Indian music and dance

Certificate Course in
Indian Music and Dance

No of hours 60

Selection test
Audition: Friday, 6 July 2007
Criteria for selection: aptitude, performance ability, commitment
Place: 209 Main Block
Declaration of Results: 9 July 2007

Max student intake: 20

The Course
Classes begin on 9 July 2007
Classes: Mon – Fri – 4.00 to 5.30 pm
: Sat: 2-4pm
Course fee: Rs 800


For further information contact
Anil Pinto, Dept of Media Studies -
Prsasnna Kumar (Student Welfare Office)
Deepa K Narayanan (Dept of Media Studies)

Or visit

Certificate Course in Indian Music and Dance

Semester III
Department of Communicative English
Certificate Course in Indian Music and Dance

Code: 301 No of hours 60
2 Hours / week/ 2 credits

Objectives:
• To introduce students to music and dances in India
• To enable students to theoretically as well as practically understand appreciate music and dances in Indian

Description:

Module 1
Introduction to Music Carnatic & Hindustani
Theory:
Carnatic:
Swaras
Thalas
Ragas
Life and works of great musicians
Musical instruments

The students will also be trained in classical music and they should be able to sing a few geethams,varnas and keertanas by the end of the course.

Hindustani:
Swaras
Ragas
Difference between Hindustani and carnatic music

Module 2
Dance forms
Bharanatanatyam
Kathak
Kathakali
Kuchipudi
Manipuri ( 'Meitei Jagoi' or 'Raas Lila')
Mohiniattam
Odissi

Module 3
Natyashastra, The Guru-sishya Parampara
Hastas
Nritta, Nritya, Natya
Nayaka, Nayika and Sakhi
Costumes
Musical Accompaniment

Module 4
Devadasi
Navarasas and Abhinaya
Arangetram
Dance festivals
Folk Dances

Module 5
Practicals

Note: Students will be taught with one folk dance and few other dances

Bibliography:
Khokar, Ashish Mohan. Bharatanatyam. New Delhi.
Khokar, Ashish Mohan. Classical Dance. Eastern Book Corporation, 2004.
Khokar, Mohan. Dancing Bharata Natyam: A Manual on Adavus- The Basic Dance-Units of the Art. Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1979.
Narayanan, Kalanidhi. Aspects of Abhinaya. The Alliance Company, 1998.
Ram, N. ed. Hindu Speaks on Music, Kasturi and Sons, 1998.
Sarabhai, Mrinalini. Understanding Bharata Natyam. Rpt. Ahmedabad: Darpana Pub, 2005


Selection test
Audition: Friday, 6 July 2007
Criteria for selection
Place: 209 Main Block
Declaration of Results: 9 July 2007

The Course
Classes begin on 9 July 2007
Classes: Mon – Fri – 4.00 to 5.30 pm
: Sat: 2-4pm
Course fee: Rs 800

Course Teachers
Prsasnna Kumar (Student Welfare Office)
Deepa K Narayanan (Dept of Media Studies)
Tana Trivedi Joshi (Dept of Media Studies)

Dept of Media Studies

Christ College (Autonomous)

CIA 2 and 3

Optional English

I semester

FEP, JPENG, PSENG

CIA 2 – Deepa

CIA 3 - Anil

III Semester

FEP, JPENG, PSENG

CIA 2 – Padma Kumar

CIA 3 - Tana

V Semester

FEP, JPENG, PSENG

Indian Literature in Translation

CIA 2 – Abhaya

CIA 3 – Padma Kumar

Literary Theory

CIA 2 – Anil

CIA 3 - Shobhana

Communicative English

I semester

Introduction to Mass Communication – John Thomas

Computer for Communication – Vinay

III semester

Writing for print – Shaila

Creative writing – Abhaya

V semester

Films and television – Shaila

Media laws and ethics – Roja

Additional English – BA

Section A

CIA 2 – Deepa

CIA 3 – Padma Kumar

Section B

CIA 2 – Biju

CIA 3 – Alex

III Semester

CIA 2 – Padmakumar

CIA 3 - Deepa

General English

I semester - FEP

CIA 2 – Kennedy

CIA 3 – Biju

I semester - JPENG

CIA 2 - Tana

CIA 3 - Abhaya

III semester – FEP

CIA 2 – Anil

CIA 3 – Biju

III semester – JPENG

CIA 2 – Abhaya

CIA 3 – Kennedy

I semester – DV/BT

CIA 2 – Abhaya

CIA 3 - Kennedy

Dept of Media Studies

Christ College (Autonomous)

ON THE JOB REPORTS

First Draft – 25 June 2007

Drafts should be returned by: 7 July 2007

Second draft due: 14 July 2007

Final copy should be ready by: 31 July 2007

The respective guides will have to meet their groups to brief them the method of preparing the report and announce the dates.

Present III semester

Shobhana – 3001 – 3014

Felix – 3015 – 3028

Anil – 3029 – 3041

Padma Kumar – 3044 – 3056

Biju – 3057 – 3070

Tana – 3071 – 3077

Present V Semester

Deepa – 2201 – 2232

Shaila – 2233 – 2252

Abhaya – 2253 - 2275

Postgraduate Department of Communication

Christ College (Autonomous), Bangalore

MS Communication - I Semester

Communication and Media Theories

Course Plan 2007

Name of the Teacher : Anil Pinto

Total No of hours (approx) : 71

Paper : Communication and Media Theories

Week One

Lexio bevis

Defining meaning and scope of communication – Processes and functions of communication – Types of communication: Intra-personal, interpersonal and groups communication

Week Two

Media, public and mass communication and its types – Non-verbal communication - Nature of communication - symbolic, social, individual processes

Week Three

Models of communication – HUB model – Models of Aristotle and Shannon and Weaver

Week Four

David Berlo – Harold Lasswel – Charles Osgood – Wilber Schranm – Defleur – Gerbener – Newcomb

Week Five

Models of media systems – Structure and functions of mass media – The media Systems paradigm – Mass media and the critical consumer – Typology of audiences.

Week six

Week Six

Technological determinism - Normative media theories and society - Levels of communication –

Week Seven

Communication flow models – Four theories of the press and beyond. - The two step model and multi-step flow models – Opinion leadership

Week Eight

New media and rise of information society- New media and new theories - Variables for evaluating the effectiveness of communication.

Week Nine

Audience theory- Concept, mass to market - Types of audiences - Audience effects - Uses and gratifications - Cultivation theory - Individual differences theory -

Week Ten

Four phases of media effects - Diffusion - Functional approach to mass communication theory - Agenda setting and public opinion - Knowledge gaps - Spiral of silence

Week Eleven

Cultural theory in media research – Marxist theories – Neo-Marxist – Feminist – Political economy theory

Week Twelve

Marshall McLuhan – Baudrillard: The consumer society – Castelles: The information society – Van Dijk : Cultural theory of communication

Review/Feedback

Select Bibliography

· Wood. Julia. T: Communication theories in action - An introduction. Wadsworth Publishing Company. 1997.

· Mc Quail, Denis: McQuail's Mass Communication theory. (4th ed) - Sage, N.Delhi. 2000.

· McQuai, Denis: Mass Communication theory. (3rd ed) - Sage.

· Andal. N : Communcation theories and Models - Himalaya Publishing House. 1998. Bangalore.

· Infante Dominic. Andrew S. Rancer. Deanna F. Womack : (3rd ed) Building Communication theory - Waveland press Inc. 1990.

Assessment

End Semester Examination (ESE) - 50 marks

Continual Internal Assessment (CIA) – 50 marks

End Semester Examination (ESE)

ESE is for three hours which carries 50% of the maximum marks. Examination is conducted for 100 marks.

Question Paper Pattern:

Part	Type	No of Questions	No. of Qs to be answered	Marks	Total
A	Short Answer ( 200 words)	8 (2 each from every module)	5	5 x 8	40
B	Descriptive (500 words)	5 (At least one from each module)	4	4 x 15	60

Continuous Internal Assessment (CIA)

	Type	Time	Share
CIA 1	Written Mid Semester Examination (MSE)	Immediately after 30 hours of lecture	50% i.e., 25 marks
CIA 2	One-Act Play production, presentation	Last week of July and first week of August	20% i.e., 10 marks
CIA 3	Written Assignment	First week of September	20% i.e., 10 marks
CIA 3	Attendance		10% i.e., 5 marks

Mid-semester Examination (MSE)

MSE is for two hours which carries 25% of the maximum marks (50 % of the CIA). Examination is conducted for 50 marks.

Question Paper Pattern:

Part	Type	No of Qs	No of Qs to be answered	Marks	Total
A	Short Answer ( 200 words)	6	4	4 x 5	20
B	Descriptive (500 words)	3	2	2 x 15	30

One-Act Play Production

You will be divided into four groups of 10. Each group will direct, act and produce a given play, do the publicity and get the audience. The play will be given in the first week of July and will have to be performed in the last week of July. The practice will have to be done after or before the class hours or during free time. No financial assistance will be given by the college. Use minimum props and stage property to keep the cost low.

The groups will have to submit a written assignment and make a presentation in class in the first week of August using the communication theories learnt.

The assessment will be based on your involvement in and contribution towards the entire process.

Methodology

The classes will follow lecture method. The lectures will as far as possible be PowerPoint based and will draw upon visual material namely painting, films, advertisement and literary works. There will also be scope for student presentations. As far as possible, emphasis will be given to practical understanding of the theories.

Guidelines for Submission:

· The written assignment should be based on extensive library research and analysis. The typed assignment should adhere to the following specifications: A4 size paper, 12 font size, 11/2 line space, font: Times New Roman, Book Antiqua, or Garamond

· Assignment details - your name, reg. no, class, semester, assignment code, name of the College, name of the teacher in-charge and date of submission- should be mentioned on the top right-hand side of the first page. Do not use a cover page.

· You are free to take the assignment beyond the expected criteria. Such efforts will be appreciated

· Those who are going to be out of town can submit the assignment online with prior permission

· No late submission is entertained

· Evaluation will be based on the research done, quality of analysis, writing style Plagiarism may amount to rejection of assignment

· Remember to give the reference at the end of your assignment of the books, articles and websites that you have referred to. The following pattern may be followed: Author’s name with the last name first, a period, name of the book underlined, a period, Place of Publication, colon, name of publication, year of publication, page no

o E.g.: Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand, My Experiments with Truth, New Delhi: Penguin, 1998.

o In case of a website give the complete URL of the site referred to along with the above details

o If you are directly lifting some lines quote them. If you are using some idea write it in your words but acknowledge it.

· Evaluation will be based on the research done, quality of analysis, writing style

Note:

Ø Attendance is compulsory for all the sessions.

Ø Please be punctual. If you are late, you will not be allowed to attend the class. However, should there be any serious issue, do discuss with me or bring to my notice through the counsellors.

Ø I expect you to come to class having read the required texts. Failing to which you will not allowed to attend the classes.

Ø Please feel free to clarify your doubts, ask questions or give feedback in the class, department or through email.

Ø While emailing please mention your name and class.

Ø If you are absent for any of the classes please get the help of your classmates to get updated, before you approach me for help.

Ø If you wish to make classroom presentation on any topic or idea within the framework of the syllabus, you will be given encouragement and guidance.

Ø Visit my blog for notices and announcements regularly

Ø I reply to emails within 24 hours. If you do not receive reply within that time, you may assume that I have not received your email.

Ø As far as possible avoid calling me on my mobile phone.

Ø All the best. Let us grow together.

Anil Pinto

Email: anil.pinto at christcollege.edu

Blog: http://anilpinto.blogspot.com