RE: [Videolib] West Virginia course on documentary films - using Les Blank films, etc.

Threatt, Monique L (mthreatt@indiana.edu)
Fri, 9 Mar 2007 14:02:49 -0500

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Thanks for sharing, Steve.
=20
Mo

________________________________

From: owner-videolib@lists.berkeley.edu =
[mailto:owner-videolib@lists.berkeley.edu] On Behalf Of Steve Fesenmaier
Sent: Friday, March 09, 2007 1:34 PM
To: videolib@lists.berkeley.edu
Subject: Re: [Videolib] West Virginia course on documentary films - =
using Les Blank films, etc.

MS 676 Seminar: Documentary Film
History and Theory
Syllabus Spring 2007

Instructor: Dr. Marc Porter Office Hours:
W: 7-10:00pm, Davis 103 M: 10-11:45am, 2:30-4:30pm
email: porterma@wvstateu.edu T: 2:45-5:00pm
Office: 232 and Cole "315 W: 10-11:45am
Office phone: 766-4178 R: 2:45-5:00pm
and by appointment

=20

SCHEDULE

Use Table of Contents and Index in the Ellis and McLane text for basic =
informationall on all filmmakers whose films are screened in class and =
the films screened in regular class sessions and those assigned to be =
screen in out-of-class screenings: on your own. In class discussion will =
focus on considerations of theory.

Week Topic Reading Screen=20

1st 1/17 Overview, syllabus review, I.D. documentaries TBA in class =
excerptsTBA
Define "documentary," origins Porter HOs:=20
(1),(2)

2nd 1/24 Theory history, foundation, alternatives, 1920s Porter HOs: =
Nanook of the North=20
Kracauer, Andrew and selected textbook authors (3),(4),(5),(6) Grass,Man =
of Aran=20
The Realist Tradition
Directors: Robert Flaherty, Merriam Cooper

3rd 1/31 Theory resources, challenges to Realism Porter HOs: Earth=20
Directors: Alexander Dovzhenko, Dziga Vertov (3) -- (6) The Man with the =
Movie Camera

4th 2/7 US&GB: 1930s, Contemporary Theory, Bill Nichols Porter HOs The =
River=20
"How Did Documentary Filmmaking Get Started?" (7), (8) same as Night =
Mail=20
Producer: John Grierson (1st used "documentary" ) Nichols Intro&5) Our =
Daily Bread (35) clip=20
Directors: Pare Lorenz, Harry Watt & Basil Wright=20

5th 2/14 "What Are Documentaries About?" Propaganda N: Ch.4 Olympia
Director: Leni Riefenstahl Triumph of the Will
The Wonderful, Horrible Life of=20
Leni Riefenstahl

6th 2/21 "How Do Documentaries Differ from Other Types of Film" N: =
Chs.1&2 Why We Fight, The Battle
Documentary in World War II, 1940s-50s, NeoRealism, Fr. New Wave of =
Midway, The Memphis
Directors: Frank Capra, John Ford, William Wyler, Alain Resnais Belle, =
Night and Fog

7th 2/28 "What Types of Documentary Are There?" N: Ch 6 Salesman=20
Direct Cinema / Cinema verite: 1960s Primary
Drew&Assoc, Maysles bros., R. Leacock=20

8th 3/7 "What Gives Documentary Films a Voice of Their Own?" N: Ch 3 =
Don't Look Back=20
Direct Cinema cont'd; British docudrama, the late 60s The War Game
Directors: D.A. Pennebaker, Peter Watkins Culloden,=20

9th 3/14 "How Have Documentaries Addressed Social and N: Ch 7 The Sorrow =
and the Pity=20
Political Issues?" US.70s music; France, director: Marcel Ophuls =
Monterrey Pop, Woodstock

SPRING RECESS (3/18-25)

10th 3/28 Assessment of student-understanding of Nichols theory Gimme =
Shelter, Hot Pepper,
Later Maysles Bros.; Les Blank with Maureen Goslin 1970s cont'd Grey =
Gardens, Always for
Pleasure

11th 4/4 Determining criteria for analyses of documentary films Great =
Ecstasy of the Wood-
More Les Blank and Werner Herzog 1970s 80s cutter Steiner, Fitzcerraldo
Burden of Dreams
My Best Fiend

12th 4/11 Application of analytical criteria to documentary films Atomic =
Caf=E9, Tokyo-Ga,
Wim Wenders; compilation for humor and social issue 1980s Harlan County, =

Lightning Over Water

13th 4/18 Application of analytical criteria to documentary films Werner =
Herzog Eats His Shoe
Errol Morris; more Les Blank, 1980s The Thin Blue Line, Gates of=20
Heaven, A Brief History of
Errol Morris

14th4/27 Application of analytical criteria to documentary films =
Sherman's March, Crumb,
The reflexive documentary, Ross McElwee Bright Leaves,Dancing Outlaw

15th 5/2 Application of analytical criteria to documentary films Sans =
Soleil, A Day in the Life=20
What is he doing? French contributions, Chris Marker of Andrei =
Arsenevich (Tarkov-
sky), The Koumiko Mystery,
In Memorium, NYC/911

16th 5/9 First part of final exam

Final Exam 5/16 7:00pm: second part of final exam

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Thanks for sharing, Steve.
 
Mo

From: = owner-videolib@lists.berkeley.edu=20 [mailto:owner-videolib@lists.berkeley.edu] On Behalf Of Steve=20 Fesenmaier
Sent: Friday, March 09, 2007 1:34 PM
To:=20 videolib@lists.berkeley.edu
Subject: Re: [Videolib] West = Virginia=20 course on documentary films - using Les Blank films, = etc.

MS 676 Seminar: Documentary Film
History and Theory
Syllabus = Spring=20 2007

Instructor: Dr. Marc Porter Office Hours:
W: 7-10:00pm, Davis 103 M: = 10-11:45am,=20 2:30-4:30pm
email: porterma@wvstateu.edu T: 2:45-5:00pm
Office: = 232 and=20 Cole =93315 W: 10-11:45am
Office phone: 766-4178 R: = 2:45-5:00pm
and by=20 appointment

 


SCHEDULE

Use Table of = Contents and=20 Index in the Ellis and McLane text for basic informationall on all = filmmakers=20 whose films are screened in class and the films screened in regular = class=20 sessions and those assigned to be screen in out-of-class screenings: on = your=20 own. In class discussion will focus on considerations of = theory.

Week=20 Topic Reading Screen

1st 1/17 Overview, syllabus review, I.D.=20 documentaries TBA in class excerptsTBA
Define =93documentary,=94 = origins Porter HOs:
(1),(2)

2nd 1/24 Theory = history,=20 foundation, alternatives, 1920s Porter HOs: = Nanook of the=20 North
Kracauer, Andrew and selected textbook authors (3),(4),(5),(6) = Grass,Man of Aran
The Realist Tradition
Directors: Robert = Flaherty,=20 Merriam Cooper

3rd 1/31 Theory resources, challenges to Realism = Porter HOs: Earth
Directors: Alexander Dovzhenko, = Dziga=20 Vertov (3) -- (6) The Man with the Movie Camera

4th 2/7 = US&GB: 1930s,=20 Contemporary Theory, Bill Nichols Porter HOs The = River=20
=93How Did Documentary Filmmaking Get Started?=94 (7), (8) same as = Night Mail=20
Producer: John Grierson (1st used =93documentary=94 ) Nichols = Intro&5) Our=20 Daily Bread (35) clip
Directors: Pare Lorenz, Harry Watt & Basil = Wright=20

5th 2/14 =93What Are Documentaries About?=94 Propaganda N: Ch.4=20 Olympia
Director: Leni Riefenstahl Triumph of the Will
The = Wonderful,=20 Horrible Life of
Leni Riefenstahl

6th 2/21 =93How Do = Documentaries=20 Differ from Other Types of Film=94 N: Chs.1&2 Why We Fight, The=20 Battle
Documentary in World War II, 1940s-50s, NeoRealism, Fr. New = Wave of=20 Midway, The Memphis
Directors: Frank Capra, John Ford, William Wyler, = Alain=20 Resnais Belle, Night and Fog

7th 2/28 =93What Types of = Documentary Are=20 There?=94 N: Ch 6 Salesman
Direct Cinema / Cinema verite: 1960s=20 Primary
Drew&Assoc, Maysles bros., R. Leacock

8th 3/7 = =93What Gives=20 Documentary Films a Voice of Their Own?=94 N: Ch 3 Don=92t Look Back =
Direct=20 Cinema cont=92d; British docudrama, the late 60s The War = Game
Directors: D.A.=20 Pennebaker, Peter Watkins Culloden,

9th 3/14 =93How Have = Documentaries=20 Addressed Social and N: Ch 7 The Sorrow and the Pity
Political = Issues?=94=20 US.70s music; France, director: Marcel Ophuls Monterrey Pop,=20 Woodstock


SPRING RECESS (3/18-25)


10th 3/28 = Assessment of=20 student-understanding of Nichols theory Gimme Shelter, Hot = Pepper,
Later=20 Maysles Bros.; Les Blank with Maureen Goslin 1970s cont=92d Grey = Gardens, Always=20 for
Pleasure

11th 4/4 Determining criteria for analyses of = documentary=20 films Great Ecstasy of the Wood-
More Les Blank and Werner Herzog = 1970s 80s=20 cutter Steiner, Fitzcerraldo
Burden of Dreams
My Best = Fiend

12th=20 4/11 Application of analytical criteria to documentary films Atomic = Caf=E9,=20 Tokyo-Ga,
Wim Wenders; compilation for humor and social issue 1980s = Harlan=20 County,
Lightning Over Water

13th 4/18 Application of = analytical=20 criteria to documentary films Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe
Errol = Morris; more=20 Les Blank, 1980s The Thin Blue Line, Gates of
Heaven, A Brief = History=20 of
Errol Morris

14th4/27 Application of analytical criteria to = documentary films Sherman=92s March, Crumb,
The reflexive = documentary, Ross=20 McElwee Bright Leaves,Dancing Outlaw

15th 5/2 Application of = analytical=20 criteria to documentary films Sans Soleil, A Day in the Life
What is = he=20 doing? French contributions, Chris Marker of Andrei Arsenevich = (Tarkov-
sky),=20 The Koumiko Mystery,
In Memorium, NYC/911

16th 5/9 First part = of final=20 exam

Final Exam 5/16 7:00pm: second part of final=20 exam
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