Final Exam

I wanted to give you an idea of what to expect in regards to the Final Exam.

I just wanted to give you an idea of what to expect on the Final Exam.

The Final Exam will be a combination of True/False, Multiple Answer, Multiple Choice, Fill-in-the-blank(s), and Matching questions.

I'm still in the process of creating the exam.  However, I expect it to be between 60 to 75 questions and you will have somewhere between an hour or an hour and fifteen minutes to take the exam.

To do well on the exam, you will need to know the films well, understand the characteristics and causes leading to the French New Wave, know the directors, the themes of the films, important scenes, characters, dialogue, plots, cinematography, etc.  While your textbook covers many different films, the exam will focus on those films we watched in the class.  

The exam is open book; however, given the time pressure involved, you will not have much time to look for answers.  So be sure to study for the exam and to prepare your own study guide. Given the time limitation, it is much easier to refer to your study guide than to try and search through the text.

Good luck!

Extension for Posting Discussion on My Night at Maud's and Le boucher

Because people had problems obtaining the last two films, I am extending the deadline for posting to both Discussions 5a and 5b until 11:59 p.m. Sunday, October 3.

La Jetée

FYI, La Jetée is available on YouTube.  Here's the link to Part 1 of 3 (narrated in English).  You can also find it on YouTube in French or with English subtitles, if you prefer. Click here.  And by the way, the entire film is less than a half hour!

Course Feedback

Seeing as we are fast approaching the midpoint of the course, I would like some feedback.  This is the first time I've taught ENG 466 using the French New Wave as a theme.  I also teach it as a survey course, where we look at films from a number of countries and from the beginning of film to more modern films.  By the way, you can re-take this course for credit (if anyone is interested) if you are taking it with a different approach and content.

Okay, so what I'm wondering is the following:

1) Do you like the theme of the French New Wave? What do you think of the films so far?  

2) What about the textbook?

3) Am I giving you enough supplementary material?  

4) A 7 week course is inevitably intense, but is it too much?  too little?

5) I tend to stay out of the discussions, so that people don't end up just trying to respond to me.  I prefer this to be your chance to discuss the film.  However, would you like to see me post more during the discussion?  

6) Would you like to see me post a re-wrap of the film post discussion?

7) Any other suggestions?

I'm always looking for ways to improve the course, so I really appreciate your feedback.

Critical Analysis/Syllabus Update

The link to the Critical Analysis (on the top menu) is now active, so take a look at the assignment.

Based on the nature of the Critical Analysis assignment, I have revised the Syllabus to move the due date for the Critical Analysis to Tuesday October 5th.  Basically, I have shifted things so that you will have watched all of the films and completed your last discussion by Wednesday September 29th.  That will give you almost a full week to write the Critical Analysis.  

Since the Critical Analysis requires you to analyze the assigned films for the course, it only makes sense to make the Critical Analysis due after you have seen all of the films.  In addition, I believe that analyzing the films to write your Critical Analysis will also help you prepare for the Final Exam, which you will take online on Thursday October 7th.  

I will give you more details regarding the Final Exam as it draws closer.  But basically the Final Exam is an objective exam that will consist of True/False, Multiple Choice, Fill-in-the-blank(s), and Matching questions that will cover the films and assigned readings.

Breathless

So we move on to the most iconic French New Wave film of them all.  There's a lot to talk about in regards to this film.  I am anxious to read what you have to say.

Les bonnes femmes

I'm very curious to see your responses to Les bonnes femmes.  What did you think of the story? the cinematography? the acting? the directing?  the sound?  Do you think it is nouvelle vague?  How would you compare this film to the previous two?  What do they have in common?  What's different?  Which did you like most? least? Which director were you most impressed with?

Begin posting anytime.

Syllabus Update

FYI, I've re-numbered the Weeks on the Syllabus.  Since this is a 7 Week course, I re-numbered the weeks to avoid confusion.  So we are now beginning Week 2.

Hiroshima mon amour and Discussion 1b

For any of you that did not receive your copy of Hiroshima mon amour prior to the Discussion 1a deadline, feel free to discuss it AND The 400 Blows in Discussion 1b to maximize your Discussion points.

Discussion 1b - Starts Now

Discussion 1b should focus on The 400 Blows.  You access it on Learning Studio by clicking on Discussion1 and then on Discussion 1b.

Feel free to begin posting anytime!

LearningStudio/MyASU Problems - Discussion 1a Deadline extended to midnight tonight

I am aware of the problems last night with MyASU and LearningStudio.  So if you emailed me your post or simply were unable to post, I am extending the due date for Discussion 1a until midnight tonight.  Even if you emailed me your post, please put it on LearningStudio today as I received numerous posts and am not going to attempt to match them all up.  

So again, the deadline has been extended 24 hours.  Make sure your posts for Discussion 1a are up by midnight tonight.

Advice re Discussion 1a

While you are only required to make two posts a week: one by 11:59 p.m. Wed and another by 11:59 p.m. Sat, I recommend that you make, at least, two posts before midnight tonight.  One should be your own topic and, at least, one should be a response to someone else's post.  Reading your classmates' posts and engaging in discussion with one another is an important part of the learning that goes on in the course.

Update re "How the Class Works" Post and the "Discussion" Link

The "How the Class Works" post is now up.  It should have been posted last Thursday, I apologize for the delay.  Also, the  Discussion link is now working and tells you how to access the discussion board as well as how discussions are graded. Thanks to those who brought the problems to my attention and again I apologize for the confusion.

How the Class Works

I wanted to begin the course by giving you an overview of how this class works, so here goes:

• First off, you should begin each day by accessing our class website here and checking to see if I have posted anything new. This should always be your starting point for our class each day.
• The Syllabus will give you an overview of the Assignments for each Week. You should review it at the beginning of every week, so you can judge how you will need to budget your time.
• This is NOT a self-paced course. As you can see by the syllabus, there are specific due dates and times when assignments are due. Generally, the deadline for assignments will be 11:59 p.m. Arizona time on the date listed, unless otherwise specified.
• As you can see by the Grading Breakdown (click on the Grading link), Discussion is the most heavily weighted factor (40%) in calculating your final grade. That is because Discussion is the primary learning activity you will be engaged in on a regular basis throughout the semester. I cannot emphasize enough how important Discussion is in this class. This is where you synthesize the knowledge you've gained from the readings and watching the films. Semester after semester I have found that the students who do the best job of truly engaging in the Discussions learn the most, enjoy the course the most, score highest on the exams, and are the ones who earn A's for the course.
  
  Generally, you will have a Discussion due each week and I'll want you to post at least once before midnight Wednesday and at least once again before midnight Saturday. The purpose underlying the two times for posting is that I want you to read what your classmates have posted and to respond to each other. Do not be a hit-and-run poster who only makes their own posts but does not truly engage in the Discussion. Hit-and-run posters learn the least and miss out on the fun of the discussion.
  
  
  Be sure to read the overview on Discussion (click on the Discussion link) which explains the requirements and mechanics of the Discussion in far greater detail as well as how Discussions are graded.
• The Critical Analysis is worth 30% of your final grade. Click on the Critical Analysis link above for an explanation of the assignment.
• The Final Exam is also worth 30% of your final grade and will be cumulative. You take the Final on LearningStudio. The exams will include True/False, Multiple Answer, Multiple Choice, Fill-in-the-blank(s), and Matching questions. The exam covers the readings as well as the assigned films.
• You must also know the assigned films well. I recommend that you watch each assigned film at least twice—the first time simply for pleasure and the second time in a more analytical manner. Some of the exam questions simply test whether or not you actually watched the film closely. For example, in another version of the Studies in International Film course, we watch Renoir's The Rules of the Game. In this film, Octave (a major character) dresses up as a bear during a party. In the past, I've asked students a fill-in-the-blank question asking what costume Octave wears at one point during the party scene. Anyone who watched the film should be able to answer this question easily. When someone cannot, it sends up a red flag for me. Other questions regarding the films are much more analytical and serious in nature. For example, you should know why the cinematography in films like Breathless were considered revolutionary.
  
  
  The Final is an open book/open note exam; however, there will be a time limit which means you will not have much time to look for answers. What I am saying is that you need to study for the exam to do well. I know it seems silly to have to say that, but for some reason each semester there are some students who think that because this is a film class the exams will be easy. Trust me, that is NOT the case.
• Email –yours and mine. The best way to reach me is via email. I check it several times a day and will almost always get back to you within 24 hours at the latest during the week and 48 hours on weekends. My emails to you will use your ASU email address. It is up to you to check your ASU email (or have it forwarded to the email server you use most). But again, I want to emphasize that my emails will go to your ASU email. Do not ask me to send it to another account.
• Late work. I do not accept late assignments unless they are cleared with me ahead of time.
• Getting the films. As noted in the Films link, it is up to you to acquire the films for the course. If you are using a rental service, as I recommend you do, be sure to plan ahead so that you have the films when you need them. Refer to the Syllabus to see when we will be studying each film.
  
  Hopefully, this overview has given you a general idea of what to expect from the course. As always, should you have any questions, please email me. And again, welcome to the class.

Welcome to Week 2 - Hiroshima mon amour & Discussion on LearningStudio

This week we begin with Hiroshima mon amour, one of the catalysts for the Nouvelle Vague (New Wave). Known for his documentaries (his 1955 film Night and Fog was one of the first documentaries about the Holocaust and was praised by Truffaut as the greatest film ever made), Resnais was originally commissioned to make a short documentary about the atom bomb. However, believing that he couldn't do a better job than the documentaries the Japanese had already made, Resnais decided to make a fictional film instead. 

Eventually, Resnais was introduced to a young writer named Marguerite Duras. They spent an afternoon discussing a potential film about the atomic bomb and ultimately decided that the film should focus on a love story with Hiroshima serving as backstory. Duras then developed the narrative. For any of you that are interested, here's a link to a recent article about the collaboration between Resnais and screenwriter (and later famed novelist) Marguerite Duras.

This semester we are part of a pilot study that is using LearningStudio instead of blackboard. So our discussions will take place on LearningStudio.  To access it, follow the Instructions below:

1) Go to MyASU, then click on the title of our course (Studies in International Film).  
2) That will take you to LearningStudio.  On the left side of the page, you will see a link entitled "Discussion". Click on it.
3) Then click on "Discussion 1".  
4) Once you've clicked on "Discussion 1", you will see my prompt "Discuss Hiroshima mon amour and/or the assigned readings here".  Click on "Respond" and begin your post.  And, of course, once people have responded to my initial prompt, you can respond to their posts as well.

Remember, you can begin posting anytime.  And I advise that you check the Discussion at least once a day to read your classmates' posts.

Welcome

Welcome to ENG 466! Please click on Follow over on the right to join our class website as a follower.

As you can see from the blog title, we will be focusing on the French New Wave this semester. The website is still under construction; however, many of the links above are already active. Be sure to check out the links to the required text and films for the class.  

I hope you'll enjoy the class. 

-srb