This course explores the world of film, emphasizing aesthetics, film theory, and critical analysis. Students will examine film as a medium for communication, as an art form, and as a form of entertainment. IAI: F2 908.
Appropriate assessment score or ENGL 1422 with a grade of C or better - Must be taken either prior to or at the same time as this course.
Course Alignment
General Education Outcomes are the knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, and behaviors that students are expected to develop as a result of their overall experiences with any aspect of the college, including courses, programs, and student services, both inside and outside of the classroom. The General Education Outcomes specifically learned in this course are:
- Critical Thinking
Faculty Contact Information
In-person in my office on T/Th 9:30-11 AM
Course Information
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Critically analyze film as entertainment, art, and medium
- Demonstrate an understanding of the aesthetic and production elements of film
- Summarize the origins and progression of film
- Identify and analyze the narrative structure of film
- Identify and analyze the use cinematography and mise-en-scene in films
- Determine how the elements of film work together to create meaning
- Situate individual films and genres within the context of ideology
- Analyze and evaluate an individual film, auteur, or genre
- The Purposes of Film: Art, Entertainment, and Medium
- Identifying and proving one primary purpose
- Narrative
- Aristotle's Three Act Structure and variances on the 3-act structure
- Narrative elements: diegetic and non-diegetic elements, fabula and syuzhet
- Common Narrative Conventions
- Unity, Clarity, Characters, Closure, Unobtrusive Craftmanship
- Violations of Common Narrative Conventions and Effect on Meaning
- 3. Visuals of Film: Cinematography
- Elements of cinematography: distance, height, angle, movement, focus
- Shots: close-ups, establishing shots, long shots, pov shots, etc.
- Angles: high angle, low angle, canted or Dutch angle
- Movement: pan, tilt, tracking, dolly shot, crane shot, zoom, handheld
- Focus: deep focus, shallow focus, rack focus
- Visuals of Film: Mise-en-scene
- Elements of MES: settings, props, acting and blocking, lighting, costumes, line composition and shapes, use of color
- Visuals of Film: Building Blocks of Film
- Frame, shot, scene, sequence, film
- How each building block works together to create the whole
- Film Theory
- Genre Theory
- At least two other film theories
- Analyzing from the perspective of a particular theory
- How to write using a film theory methodology
- Film Criticism
- Evaluation of film's effectiveness
- How to write film criticism
- Film Reviews
- A. Evaluation of enjoyment of a film
- B. How to write film reviews
- Film History
- Origins of film
- The Persistence of Vision
- The Phi Phenomenon
- Technological Advancements: zoetrope, camera obscura, kinetograph, cinematographe, etc.
- Big names in Cinema: Edison, Dickson, Daguerre, Muybridge, Lumiere, etc.
- Staged performances
- Actualites
- Evolution of film
Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film by Dave Monahan and Richard Barsam, 8th ed., W.W. Norton and Co., 2025. ISBN: 978-1-324-08794-6 (paperback) or 978-1-324-08799-1 (eBook) [The student may choose whether to purchase a print or digital copy of this textbook.]
The final grade in this course is determined by the successful completion of all assignments (including but not limited to papers, quizzes, discussion posts, projects, and presentations) as well as active participation in the course. A list of assignments, along with their point values and due dates, will be available in Canvas. A student's final letter grade is determined by the percentage of points earned throughout the course.
Grades are assigned based on the following percentages:
- 90-100% = A
- 80-89.9% = B
- 70-79.9% = C
- 60-69.9% = D
- 0-59.9% = F
Rounding up of final grades by less than 1% will be determined by a student's active and meaningful participation in class throughout the semester, per the instructor’s discretion.
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Dean, Jennifer Huggins; 815-802-8484; R310; jhuggins@kcc.edu; Division Office- W102; 815-802-8700
Attendance: In this course, “attendance” is measured both by attendance of our in-person class meetings and meaningful participation online (course-related communication with the professor and submission of assignments in Canvas). Students who don’t submit work or communicate meaningfully with me throughout the course may be marked as “absent” or “inactive” on the Census Day and Midterm reports I am required to submit to the college, which may impact these students’ financial aid.
Late Work: Due dates are designed to help you stay on track with course content and be fully engaged with class activities and discussions. Meeting deadlines ensures you are receiving feedback from me to improve understanding and prepare you for the next unit. Submitting late work not only affects your own progress but can also disrupt activities like peer reviews or group discussions. Larger-point assignments such as reflections and papers are not considered late until I begin grading them. While I reserve the right to begin grading immediately following the due date, it is more typical for grading to occur a day or two later. This gives some wiggle room for last minute emergencies. Assignments such as discussion boards, in-class activities, and quizzes, however, must be submitted by the due date to receive points. If you foresee challenges meeting a deadline, please communicate with me in advance. Together, we can explore options to support your learning while minimizing disruptions.
Technology: All assignments must be submitted in their appropriate place in Canvas. Lost or accidentally deleted files will not be an acceptable excuse for not submitting work. Be sure back up your work. Students are expected to have sufficient technological skills to complete the requirements of the course, which include using Canvas features, formatting and typing written work, etc. A due date is the LAST POSSIBLE MOMENT you can submit an assignment, not the exact time an assignment must be submitted. Submit in advance to minimize last-minute problems.
Minimum Requirements: Be aware that papers that fail to meet minimum requirements (i.e., minimum word count or full page length, number and types of sources, paper type, or paper subject determined by the instructor), may receive a failing score of 0%. Thus, a paper that is too short, missing the correct number and type of sources, or off-topic assignment-wise will fail with a 0. You are in college—partial work does not always receive partial credit. Also note that works cited pages do not count toward minimum length requirements and block quotes (quotes of four lines of text or longer) may not be used in papers for this class. Simply meeting the minimum length and source requirements does not guarantee a passing grade.
Required Document Format: All papers submitted for this course must be typed with 1-inch margins in Times New Roman 12-point font (you may have to make changes in Word's default page setup). They must also adhere to 2016 8th edition MLA (Modern Language Association) style guidelines where specified. Any differences will be noticed. Failure to adhere to these requirements may result in point deductions or even failure (0%) on an assignment if the problem persists.
Note: Although MLA style guidelines suggest that documents should be double-spaced (and many other instructors following MLA will require you to adhere to this guideline), I personally much prefer that you format your documents to be single-spaced. It’s much easier for me to read single-spaced documents when I’m grading digitally, within Canvas. Please single-space your writing for this particular class. Thank you!
Mandatory File Type for Assignments: Current KCC students may freely use Office 365 products. It’s also very easy to download a Google Doc as a Word file, which you could then upload to the Canvas assignment (this 30-second video tutorial shows you how). Because not all file types are adequately accessible within Canvas, I require all students to submit Word document files for writing assignments.
Communication: The best way to know what to do for class is to consult the syllabus, course calendar, and our Canvas course. If you have a question about what's due, consult these resources first. If neither the instruction materials nor your classmates can answer your questions, then you may email me. There are two ways to email me: through Canvas (preferred) or through KCC’s email. If you email me through Canvas, no worries. If, however, you email me through KCC’s email, be sure to include the following: your full name and what course you are taking with me (also, if you email me at jpecora@kcc.edu, then you should use your KCC student email address; other email addresses may be filtered and I won’t even see them). I will communicate important course-related info via Canvas email or Canvas announcements. Check your email often—at least every 2 days. I will typically respond to emails within 24 hours, though sometimes it may be longer.
Title IX: Students sometimes choose to share private information with their professors. We appreciate your trust! Nonetheless, students need to be aware that KCC faculty and certain staff are required to report any incidents of sexual harassment and/or violence that we may hear about. Specifically, we will contact KCC’s Title IX Coordinator, the Dean of Student Development and Services. Please don’t feel like you can’t reach out but be aware of our requirement to report. If you want to speak with someone who is not required to report, please know that you are very welcome to call the county’s confidential sexual assault hotline (no referral is necessary, and your anonymity is guaranteed unless you choose to share your name): 815-932-3322 (Kankakee) or 815-432-0420 (Iroquois).
Academic Honesty: Students are expected to do their own original work in this class. From brainstorming ideas and reading assigned texts to communicating their ideas in their own words – all the work students do in the process of completing assignments should be their own. If students are struggling with any part of an assignment, I would encourage them to request support from a KCC writing tutor and/or me (the instructor). Tutors and the instructor will help guide students through the process without doing the work for them. While AI-assisted tools might be tempting to use (and even appropriate for these tasks in other circumstances), using them for assignments in this class is prohibited and will be considered a form of cheating or plagiarism. Cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation, fabrication, etc. are all forms of academic dishonesty and they will not be tolerated in this class.
Cheating can take many forms in this class: copying or using another student’s work, adjusting format to make papers appear longer (a form of misrepresentation), working in groups on individual assignments (whether openly or in secret), sharing or stealing answers for tests or assignments, using AI to develop part (or all) of an assignment, making up “research” (a form of fabrication), etc. Section 17.6B of the Student Code of Conduct explains that cheating also includes, “Submitting the same paper, report, or other assignment for more than one course without the expressed permission of the faculty member. If a student believes that he/she can complete an assignment that meets the requirements of two or more faculty members, he/she should obtain prior approval from all faculty involved.”
Plagiarism is also defined in section 17.6B of the Student Code of Conduct: “Taking, reproducing, and/or using as one’s own, without proper attribution, the ideas, writings, paraphrases, data, reports, graphic designs, or computer codes of published or unpublished work of another person in completing an academic assignment. Prohibited conduct may also include the unauthorized submission for credit of academic work that has been submitted for credit in another course.”
Plagiarism in this class includes but is not limited to:
- submitting someone else’s work and/or AI-generated or AI-assisted writing (this prohibits tools like Grammarly!)
- using published material (including materials published online) without proper attribution
- paraphrasing or quoting someone without attributing the quote in your paper with a correct in-text citation, even if the source is included on the works cited page; improper paraphrase (sometimes referred to as “synonym swapping”) may also be plagiarism if the attempted paraphrase too closely imitates the writing style (including syntax) of the original source
- failing to clearly indicate when you are using quoted materials by not including (or properly formatting) quotation marks
- working with someone (without my permission) to write your paper and presenting it as your own
If you are in doubt, ask me or visit the KCC Writing Studio before you submit your assignment.
No form of academic dishonesty is acceptable. Cheating, plagiarizing, misrepresentation, and/or fabrication on any assignment in this class will have consequences and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. The severity of consequence (from automatic failure on the assignment to possible immediate failure of the course with no opportunity for the student to withdraw) depends on the instructor's judgment of intentionality. The violation of this course policy will be reported to the Director of Student Success. If the student has a repeated instance of academic misconduct reported to the Director of Student Success, the student may be suspended from the institution.
Expectations for Behavior: To ensure an enjoyable, inclusive, and engaging learning environment, you are expected to openly share your ideas and express your opinions in the face-to-face and online environment – whether through in-person discussions, asking questions, online discussion forums, etc.; you are expected to respect the opinions, values, and identities of your classmates, instructors, and guests; and you are expected to honor the open environment of the class by respecting confidentiality when appropriate. You are expected to do your best work, meet assignment deadlines, engage regularly in class discussion and activities, and treat other members of the class with courtesy and respect.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: I fully embrace the idea that an intellectual community is enriched and enhanced by diversity along several dimensions, including race, ethnicity, national origins, gender and gender identity, sexuality, social class, and religion. I am committed to increasing the representation of those populations that have been historically underserved and underrepresented in higher education in all areas and disciplines. It is my intent to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity and inclusive in their construction. To that end, we may engage with films or readings that highlight a way of being which is different from your own. My goal is to create an environment in which each student can openly hear and respect each other, offering their opinion, insights, and analysis of course content without fear of inflammatory feedback or ostracism. It is critical that each class member show respect for all ideas and perspectives expressed in class. Working together, we can come at a better understanding of course content.
16-week Intro to Film Study Course Calendar
The following is a schedule to outline the scope and direction of the course. A more detailed modular calendar is provided in our Canvas course for each module.
This hybrid section of the class meets once a week on Tuesdays. In addition to in-class activities during these in-person meetings, students will complete work outside of class as well: e.g., watch films, read assigned textbook chapters, and complete online assignments.
Module 1: Intro to Film Study – The History and Purposes of Film (Weeks 1-3)
In this module, the class will study the early history of film, with attention primarily paid to the origins of film (including early technological advancements and significant people involved in the development of cinema). We’ll also learn about identifying, analyzing, and proving the purposes of particular films (art, entertainment, and medium).
Required readings from the textbook: Chs. 1 (“Looking at Movies”), 11 (“Film History”), and 12 (“How the Movies Are Made”)
Required films: Singin’ in the Rain (Donen and Kelly, 1952), Pan’s Labyrinth (Del Toro, 2006), and various short films
Module 2: Film Form, Types, and Narrative (Weeks 4-7)
In this module, we’ll learn about the principles and fundamentals of film form, types of movies, and elements of narrative. We will discuss the difference between film’s content and its form. We’ll further discuss movie types, genre conventions, hybrid movies, and the evolution of genres. We will study narrative elements and common narrative conventions; we will further practice analyzing different narrative structures in films.
Required readings from the textbook: Chs. 2 (“Principles of Film Form”), 3 (“Documentary, Experimental, and Animated Movies”), 4 (“Movie Genres”), and 5 (“Elements of Narrative”)
Required films: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Leone, 1966), The Batman (Reeves, 2022), Get Out (Peele, 2017), and Hero (Zhang, 2002)
Module 3: Other Elements of Film: Visuals, Acting, Editing, Sound (Weeks 8-12)
In this module, the class will learn about other significant elements of film: visual design (the specific elements of both mise-en-scene and cinematography), acting, editing, sound design, and production. We’ll discuss and analyze the building blocks of film and how they work together to create the whole.
Required readings from the textbook: Chs. 6 (“Mise-en-Scéne”), 7 (“Cinematography”), 8 (“Acting”), 9 (“Editing”), and 10 (“Sound”)
Required films: Rear Window (Hitchcock, 1954), The Social Network (Fincher, 2010), The Shining (Kubrick, 1980), Snatch (Ritchie, 2000), and A Quiet Place (Krasinski, 2018)
Module 4: Film Theory, Criticism, and Review (Weeks 14-16)
In this module, we will learn about various film theories and how to analyze a film by applying a particular theory. We’ll contrast film criticism and film reviews, learning more about how to write both.
Required readings: provided by the instructor
Required films: students will individually choose the films that they’ll watch for this module
Note that we will not have final exam or class meeting for this course during KCC’s finals week (Week 17).
College Policies, Resources and Supports
For information related to the Student Code of Conduct Policy, Withdrawal Policy, Email Policy, and Non- Attendance/Non-Participation Policy, please review the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations webpage, which can be found at catalog.kcc.edu under the Academic Regulations & Conduct Guide.
KCC offers various academic and personal resources for all students. Many services are offered virtually, as well as in person. Please visit Student Resources - Kankakee Community College to access student resources services such as:
- Clubs and organizations
- Counseling and referral services
- Office of disability services
- Student complaint policy
- Transfer services
- Tutoring services, etc.
The materials on this course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course. Further information regarding KCC's copyright policy is available at https://kcc.libguides.com/copyright.
|Course syllabus/calendar is subject to change.