Writing Course Review Form (4/14)
I. General Education Review – Writing Course
Dept/Program
Subject
School of
Media Arts
Course Title
Visions of Film
Course
Number
MAR 300
(i.e. WRIT 200)
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office.
Please type / print name Signature
Date
Instructor
Michael Murphy
9.23.14
Phone / Email
michael.murphy
@mso.umt.edu
Program Chair
Mark Shogren
9.23.14
Dean
Stephen Kalm
III. Type of request
New
Renew
Reason for new course, change
or deletion
One-time Only
Change
X
Remove
There is a need in Media Arts to provide an approved writing
class for our students, but also one that we feel can serve those
in any area of the arts that can benefits from studying the
connection between the theoretical writings of filmmakers over
the last century and their application by subsequent generations
of creative artists in multiple fields of inquiry and practice.
Film theory’s ubiquity as a source of philosophical argument
and application in the arts offers students from many areas the
opportunity to interact with these ideas and communicate them
through writing. This is true whether their future is in the world
of artistic production or academia inquiry. Therefore, our
existing theory studies class, MAR 300, is being modified to
serve as an approved writing course.
IV. Overview of the Course Purpose/ Description:
Provide an introduction
to the subject matter and course content.
This is an upper-level Media Arts film studies/theory class that challenges students to
develop a deeper understanding of visual storytelling in movies and the theories that
have developed over the last century in regard to this medium. The course consists of
viewing seminal films from throughout the 20th and into the 21st century, reading
assigned essays about those films, and writing about the relationship of theory to
practice through different methods and for different audiences.
V. Learning Outcomes: Provide examples of how the course will support students in
achieving each learning outcome.
Use writing to learn and
 Yes
synthesize new concepts
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
YES.
Students use several writing methods to synthesize new
concepts, including one long form essay, two blog articles and
informal discussion boards. They are required to research
develop and apply research in all areas using materials from
library research beyond the materials provided directly in class.
Formulate and express written
opinions and ideas that are
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
 Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
developed, logical, and
organized
Each week has different and combined writing techniques for
development of ideas.
To move from opinion to analysis is the purpose of our
discussion boards, which are required for each week’s
materials.
Two blog articles are required to aid in synthesizing materials
and concepts covered over multiple weeks of the class. These
will be posted at the end of week six and week twelve of the
semester. To this end students will create there own Word
Press sites and subscribe to each other’s websites in order to
facilitate commentary, discussion and critique. The blog article
requires that the student:
 create a topic that brings together at least two
of the six week’s essays, finding synthesis
between the areas through study of an
additional film.
 Have at least one other outside source of
reading/viewing that contribute to the article.
 be approximately 1500 words in length.
One Academic Essay of approximately 5000 words in length
based on topics to be presented to or determined by the student
and faculty member by no later than the end of week five of
the class. The timeline for this paper will be as follows:

Week 6 Basic Outline/Presentation of preliminary
sources
 Week 7 Feedback Returned
 Week 9 Rough Draft/Presentation of final sources
 Week 10 Feedback Returned
 Week 12 Refined Draft
 Week 13 Feedback Returned
 Week 15 Completed Final Draft
Students will follow the conventions of citation, documentation and
formal presentation as outlined Sources, online address:
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~sources/index.html
Compose written documents
that are appropriate for a given
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
 Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
audience, purpose and context
YES.
Students will be working in each instance with the
identification of their audience and the context of their writing.
These audiences and contexts are modeled first by the teacher
and graduate students who are interacting with students in their
discussions, through the essays the students read in the class
and which they are required to expand through their research,
and finally through the discipline related blogs to which they
are required to subscribe. More specifics can be found on this
in the assignment descriptions below.
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
Revise written work based on
 Yes
constructive comments from the If yes, how will student learning be supported?
instructor
YES.
As stated above:
The timeline for the Academic Essay will be as follows:









Week 2 Assignment of Essay
Week 4 Review of Demonstration Essay/Blog/Discussion
Week 6 Basic Questions + Curiosities/Presentation of
Preliminary Sources (written)
Week 7 Feedback Returned
Week 9 Evolution Draft 1/Second Wave of Resources
Week 10 Feedback Returned
Week 13 Refined Draft/ Final List of Sources
Week 14 Feedback Returned
Final Class: Completed Final Draft
All blog articles receive critique from class and instructors
with revision required by the final class of the semester.
Find, evaluate, and use
information effectively and
ethically (click for a
description of information
literacy outcomes appropriate
for each class level)
Subject librarians are available
to assist you embed information
literacy into your course
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
 Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
YES.
Students will have an introductory class with Tammy Ravis, of
the Mansfield Library, during their second week of the
semester, dealing with access and ethical use of materials.
Students will be required to work with the Tammy in finding
materials and vetting those found outside of the library for the
Academic Essay. Her signature will be required for the
presentation of resources in weeks 6, 9 and 13.
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
Begin to use discipline-specific
writing conventions
 Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
Demonstrate appropriate
English language usage
YES.
Media Arts offers separate classes in Screenwriting and Coding
for Visual Literacy in our computer-based skills.
For the purposes of this class the discipline specific
conventions have to with the topics and industry specific
grammar used when discussing those topics. Student’s papers,
discussion and blog articles will be critiqued in relation to this
specific set of symbol systems and language.
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
 Yes
If yes, how will student learning be supported?
YES.
The Blog Articles and the Academic Essay receive critique on
English Language Usage and correction of problems is
expected in rewrites.
 No
If no, course may not be eligible
VI. Writing Course Requirements
Enrollment is capped at 25
students.
If not, list maximum course
enrollment. Explain how
outcomes will be adequately
met for this number of students.
Justify the request for variance.
Which written assignments will
include revision in response to
instructor’s feedback?
This class will have a qualified grader for every 25
students, whether that is the instructor of record or a TA
assigned to a specific group of students. The instructor
will meet weekly with and TAs in order to maintain the
quality of discussion board and feedback in relation to
other assignments
As stated above, the blog articles and the Academic Essay
will receive instructor feedback and require revision.
VII. Writing Assignments:
Please describe course assignments. Students should be
required to individually compose at least 16 pages of writing for assessment. At least 50% of the
course grade should be based on students’ performance on writing assignments. Clear expression,
quality, and accuracy of content are an integral part of the grade on any writing assignment.
WRITING REQUIREMENT 1—ACADEMIC ESSAY (40%)
Formal Graded Assignments
The Academic Essay, is meant to serve as an introduction to
more formal research and development over the majority of the
semester. The most important interactions in this assignment
are with the faculty and assigned librarian who work with the
student to help them understand the process of research for the
creating artist. This process goes beyond the first list of
materials for the topic chosen and should allow for
incorporation of lateral thinking and re-focusing of students on
how their topic/area is evolving. In this case the audience
might be other artists who are interested in the process of the
artistic research and investigation as much as the outcome. All
rules of citation and presentation will be observed.
WRITING REQUIREMENT 2—2 ONLINE BLOG
ARTICLES (30%)
The Blog Article involves the student in the next step of
moving their interactions with the outside world forward.
Writing is still the best way to develop and refine ideas and this
work of approximately 1500 words will be directed toward
sharing their curiosity and insights with other young
filmmakers and theorists who are involved in the world of
making work and who are using writing to further their
understanding of their craft.
Informal Ungraded
Assignments
WRITING REQUIREMENT 3—DISCUSSION BOARDS (20%)
The D-Boards, in which you audience is your classmates, is
informal but engaged, and the Moodle equivalent of a creative
“think-tank.” Lateral thinking is presented as the methodology
for this process encouraging inquiry and curiosity. The only
limit to your creativity is however much effort it takes to have
correct word usage and spelling as they are a part of the grade
for this area.
Paste or attach a sample writing assignment. Include instructions / handouts provided to students.
VIII. Assessment
I will participate in the University-wide Program-level Writing Assessment by
 Yes
requiring students in this course to upload a sample paper to the designated Moodle
YES
location. Please clearly communicate the requirement to your students and include
language on your syllabus (sample below).
This course requires an electronic submission of an assignment stripped of your personal
information to be used for educational research and assessment of the writing program. Your
paper will be stored in a database. A random selection of papers will be assessed by a group of
faculty using a rubric developed from the following writing learning outcomes.







Compose written documents that are appropriate for a given audience or purpose
Formulate and express opinions and ideas in writing
Use writing to learn and synthesize new concepts
Revise written work based on constructive feedback
Find, evaluate, and use information effectively
Begin to use discipline-specific writing conventions (largely style conventions like APA or
MLA)
Demonstrate appropriate English language usage
The rubric score points are: (4) advanced, (3) proficient, (2) nearing proficiency, and (1) novices
This assessment in no way affects either your grade or your progression at the university.

IX. Syllabus:
Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form.
The syllabus must include the list of Writing Course learning outcomes above.
MAR 300 VISIONS OF FILM (Approved Writing Course)
SCHOOL OF MEDIA ARTS
SPRING 2015 - The University of Montana, Missoula
Professor Michael Murphy - McGill 229
Office Hours: TR 10-12, W 3-5, or by appt.
EMAIL: michael.murphy@mso.umt.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This is an intermediate, upper division (300-level) Media Arts film studies/theory
class, during which students develop, synthesize and articulate in writing their
understanding of visual storytelling in movies and the theories that have developed
over the last century in regard to this medium. The course consists of viewing
seminal films and essays about those films and writing about the relationship
between the two, using different methods and for different audiences.
The major work of this class will be as follows:
1) You will thoroughly analyze filmmaker’s work as they and others who were
the seminal thinkers over the course of the development of the art form write
it about it. This will mean reckoning with 17 films (yes, 17) articulating how
the visual language of these films create (or allow) MEANING to be revealed.
How does visual STYLE relate to FORM and to CONTENT? What can a shot
composition, an edit, a camera movement, a play of light and dark, a visual
motif, a special effect—tell us about the filmmaker’s intentions and influences,
as well as help explain the film’s context (of production, exhibition, reception
by audience, influence on other filmmakers)
2)
You will investigate, through film theorists (sometimes that is the filmmaker
himself, sometimes not), how they view the nature of film and how their
theories be upheld or disproved by your analysis of the films we view? What
relationship does theory have to practice?
Many theory classes are developed for those who want to think and write about
films. This class is developed to assist those who wish to make films as well as those
who can find the language and study of cinema of use to them in other areas of
work and life. The class is meant to be a lively triangulation between the films
themselves, the reading and research materials, and the important third leg of the
stool, your minds. From that point you will interact with each other as you help
unearth what is most inspiring and useful in the work.
And you will do this all in writing.
WRITING REQUIREMENT 1—WEEKLY DISCUSSION BOARD (20%)
The D-Boards, in which you audience is your classmates, is informal but engaged, and the
Moodle equivalent of a creative “think-tank.” Lateral thinking is presented as the methodology
for this process encouraging inquiry and curiosity. The only limit to your creativity is however
much effort it takes to have correct word usage and spelling, as they are a part of the grade for
this area.
WRITING REQUIREMENT 2—TWO ONLINE BLOG ARTICLES (30%)
Two blog articles are required to aid in synthesizing materials and concepts covered over
multiple weeks of the class. These will be posted at the end of week six and week twelve of the
semester. To this end students will create there own Word Press sites and subscribe to each
other’s websites in order to facilitate commentary, discussion and critique. Each blog article
requires that the student:
 choose at least two of the six week’s essays, finding synthesis between the
principles espoused in those writings as illuminated by study of an additional
film.
 Acquire at least one other outside source of reading/viewing that contribute to the
article.
 be approximately 1500 words in length.
WRITING REQUIREMENT 3—THE SHARED ESSAY (40%)
The goal of this class is to widen your understanding of the practical and theoretical
work behind cinema creation and to allow you to apply it to a specific topic within
the world of media arts creation or in relation to another area of interest. The topic
for the paper will be generated by the student with faculty approval, subject to the
following requirements:

The topic must include one or more areas of theoretical inquiry based on an
essay or essayist from within the textbook for the class: Film Theory and
Criticism: Introductory Readings, Mast & Cohen, and editors. Oxford
University Press.

The topic must be able to generated research from varied and numerous
sources.

The topic must be conceived of in relation to the audience for which it is
meant. Since you are early in your exploration of these areas you audience
should be an ideal group of young artists with whom you want to share your
journey of thought and exploration down the topic’s path of discovery.

This “shared essay” model should be clear and concise in it’s use of language
and always be backed up by facts and relevant sources.

You must find, evaluate, analyze and synthesize information from diverse
source material effectively. Diverse is in bold to remind you that the Internet
is a convenient source, but not the only one. Your work with our library
professional, Tammy, will be critical to your success in this area.

You will work in multiple drafts so as to refine and develop your thinking in
relation to the questions unearthed by the process. Your thoughts on the
topic and the process will be part of your presentation. You will be required
to submit:

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







Week 2 Assignment of Essay
Week 4 Review of Demonstration Essay/Blog/Discussion
Week 6 Basic Questions + Curiosities/Presentation of Preliminary Sources
(written)
Week 7 Feedback Returned
Week 9 Evolution Draft 1/Second Wave of Resources
Week 10 Feedback Returned
Week 13 Refined Draft/ Final List of Sources
Week 14 Feedback Returned
Final Class: Completed Final Draft
You are expected to use correct grammar, sentence structure, spelling and
punctuation.

The clarity of your writing will be judged by structural cohesiveness in relation
to the topic and its evolution.

You will follow the conventions of citation, documentation and formal
presentation as outlined Sources, online address:
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~sources/index.html
WRITING OUTCOMES

Use writing to learn and synthesize new concepts. You are asked to understand and
articulate the materials you are given and then search out other sources to reach an
understanding not possible before the process.

Demonstrate through writing based in clear analysis of your topic(s) opinions and ideas
worthy of being part of an ongoing conversation in the world of your particular art or
major.

Compose written documents that are appropriate for a given audience or purpose

Revise written work based on constructive feedback. It’s not enough to get feedback, you
have to demonstrate in the rewriting process that you have understood and processed
this information.

Find, evaluate, and use information effectively. Your research will always go through the
librarian for the course in order help maintain your growth in this area.

Begin to use discipline-specific writing conventions. In our case, the disciplines include
the academic world, which you will deal with in your essay and the professional world of
filmmakers that communicate via blogs and e-magazines. You will be given samples of
these areas in order to have models from which to gain inspiration.

Demonstrate appropriate English language usage. We will be using a style book for the class,
The Deluxe Transitive Vampire,
ISBN-10: 0727820737
TEXTS:
Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings, Mast & Cohen, editors. Oxford
University Press. An introduction to critical writing on film—it will serve you well in
this class, as well as other film (and English, History, American Studies, etc.) classes.
This book touches on several major film theories, which I will do my best to elucidate
(and, sometimes, challenge). There will be readings from the text most weeks, but
we will also be reading several essays from other popular film criticism, as well as
essays/interviews by/with the filmmakers themselves.
The Deluxe Transitive Vampire, Karen Elizabeth Gordon,
ISBN-10: 0727820737
FILMS:
There will be one film screened each week and also reserved at the library for
additional viewings. YOU MUST ATTEND THE SCREENINGS—they count as class
time and credit hours. Library checkout is for further study—not initial viewing.
ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY: TWO ABSENCES, “excused” or otherwise, are
allowed. On the THIRD ABSENCE, your grade will drop ten points (one full letter
grade). On the FOURTH ABSENCE your grade will drop ANOTHER ten points, etc.
All students must practice academic honesty. Academic misconduct is subject to an
academic penalty by the course instructor and/or a disciplinary sanction by the
University. All students need to be familiar with the Student Conduct Code. The Code
is available for review online at http://www.umt.edu/SA/vpsa/index.cfm/page/1339
UNIVERSITY-WIDE ASSESSMENT
This course requires an electronic submission of an assignment stripped of your personal
information to be used for educational research and assessment of the writing program. Your
paper will be stored in a database. A random selection of papers will be assessed by a group of
faculty using a rubric developed from the following writing learning outcomes.







Compose written documents that are appropriate for a given audience or purpose
Formulate and express opinions and ideas in writing
Use writing to learn and synthesize new concepts
Revise written work based on constructive feedback
Find, evaluate, and use information effectively
Begin to use discipline-specific writing conventions (largely style conventions like APA or
MLA)
Demonstrate appropriate English language usage
The rubric score points are: (4) advanced, (3) proficient, (2) nearing proficiency, and (1) novices
This assessment in no way affects either your grade or your progression at the university.
Dates
Class Topics, Assignments, and Due Dates
FILM: IVAN’S CHILDHOOD (1:35) 1962, dir. Andrey Tarkovsky
Week 1
Also view: MIRROR (1:48) 1972 dir. Andrey Tarkovsky
Read: Sculpting in Time, Andrey Tarkovsky, Introduction/Chapter 1
“The Beginning,”
FILM: OCTOBER (1:43)1928, dir. Sergei Eisenstein
Read: From “Film Technique (On Editing)” by Vsevolod Pudovkin pg. 7
Week 2
“The Cinematographic Principle and the Ideogram” by S. Eisenstein pg.
13
LIBRARY USAGE WITH TAMMY RAVIS!
Assignment of Essay
Week 3
FILM: STORM OVER ASIA (2:05) 1929, dir. V.I. Pudovkin
Read: “Basic Concepts” Siegfried Krackauer pg. 147
FILM: LUMIERE & COMPANY (1895 & 1995)
Week 4
Read: “The Evolution of the Language of Cinema” Andre Bazin pg. 41
Assignment Due:
Review of Demonstration Essays/Blog Articles
Week 5
FILM: RULES OF THE GAME (1:47) 1939 dir. Jean Renoir
Discussion of Bazin Chapter online only!!!
Week 6
FILM: THE 400 BLOWS (1:39) 1959 Francois Truffaut
Read: “Notes of the Auteur Theory in 1962” Andrew Sarris pg. 451
“The Auteur Theory [Howard Hawks and John Ford]” Peter Wollen pg. 455
Assignment Due:
Basic Questions + Curiosities/Presenation of Preliminary Sources
FILMS: BRINGING UP BABY (1:42) 1938 dir. Howard Hawks
Week 7
MY DARLING CLEMENTINE (1:37) 1946 John Ford
Assignment Due:
BLOG ARTICLE 1
Read: “Genre: The Conventions of Connection” Leo Braudy pg. 535
Week 8
FILMS: SHALL WE DANCE (1:49) 1937 dir. Mark Sandrich
SINGING IN THE RAIN (1:43) 1952 dir. Stanley Donen/Gene Kelly
Read: “The Conventions of Connection,” Leo Braudy, pg. 535
Week 9
FILMS: SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1:48) 1943 Alfred Hitchock
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (2:10) 1946 Frank Capra
Read: “Ideology, Genre, Auteur” Robin Wood pg. 592
Assignment Due:
Evolution Draft 1/Second Wave of Resources
Week 10
FILM: KNIFE IN THE WATER (1:34) 1962 dir. Roman Polanski
Read: “The Art Cinema as a Mode of Film Practice” David Bordwell pg.
649
Week 11
SPRING BREAK!!!
Week 12
FILM: PERSONA (1:25) 1966 dir. Ingmar Bergman
April 11
Read: “Bergman’s Persona” Susan Sontag
FILM: THE CONFORMIST (1:47) 1970 dir. Bernado Bertolucci
Week 13
Read: “Film and Reality” from Film as Art, Rudolph Arnheim pg. 282
Assignment Due:
Refined Draft/Final List of Sources
FILM: THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY (2007) Julian Schnabel
Week 14
Read: “Issues in World Cinema”, Wimal Dissanayake, pg. 877
Assignment Due:
BLOG ARTICLE 2
Week 15
FILM: AVATAR (2:42) 2009 dir. James Cameron
Read:“Synthetic Realism and Its Discontents” From The Language of New
Media, Lev Manovich pg. 785
FINAL
CLASS
//FINAL PAPERS/REWRITES DUE //