Update 08 August 2008
CyberCinema Students say (2008) . . .
I used to think it was easy for the actors, directors, and all the others on set. What I didn't realize is how much work, dedication, and education that goes into each individual film. I never knew what a cinematographer was or that they have a large impact on a film. I never understood sets and how much creativity goes into building the perfect sets. I never realized story lines and never paid attention to how sound could effect my emotions. My changes toward film have been very positive. I've actually changed my thoughts on life. I think that films help us interpret who we are as human beings. I would also like to include I never paid attention to how the directors manage to get every little detail and how the lighting can be just perfect so the image we see is perfection. Film 101 is a great way to open anyone's mind on the power of film.
I think this class opened my eyes to a new way of learning. I try to be fully aware and open minded when learning new material, but the analysis of films is a different way of learning than I am used to. My attitude towards film changed in a way that I now appreciate films and filmmakers more. I learned to look for certain things I would otherwise not know how to look for, and some things greatly impress me. Making movies isn't easy, and those who do it well deserve praise. Everybody learns in their own way and it was interesting to read other peoples posts and their drastically different opinions on movies and concepts. I also realized where my main flaws lie in time management and study habits, and if I can master those, I think that everything else will fall into place.
First of all, I want to say thank you for your instruction. I am so glad that I picked this class. It was the most interesting of my classes this semester, and it's a tough task to motivate students online. The most noticeable change that I went through this semester concerned my open-mindedness. As I mentioned above, after Citizen Kane , I am more open to old movies that I had previously sworn off. I didn't dread screening North By Northwest , and really enjoyed that as well. Now I look outside of my genre when I peruse the shelves at the video store. I think that my perception of film has changed as well. I look at it as a variety of elements, not a single unit. There is sight, sound, theme, skill, and immense work behind the camera that I didn't previously consider as deeply. I used to really only consider plot. Now I take pleasure in critiquing a film on much more.
From taking this course I have broadened my appreciation for every film, I now love dissecting the mise en scene, staying for the credits, and picking out the film flaws. I have also come to the understanding that the media (films) not only entertains, but influences and shapes peoples views. I now love films that are not just “new releases” and praised against the wall, I appreciate old, new, and every genre. This class has educated and inspired me to pursue a career in the film industry and although this business is very competitive, I am encouraged to become a cinematographer. I appreciate the personal insight Mrs. Flo gave in her weblectures and the detail Giannetti disclosed in his textbook. I recommend this class to anyone and I am glad I enrolled in it.
This class was truly a challenge for me as an average film viewer. I feel that with all the time demanded for this class, that having a positive attitude helped me the most. It is hard to change habits, and this class challenged me to look more deeply into films. I now notice certain styles and techniques used in film to help change the mood and perception of the audience. Like Orson Welles use of sound, or Ang Lees use of movement. When I watch films that I enjoy, I find myself with a better appreciation of the process that went in to making these films. I even find myself staying for the credits and looking for the names of the cinematographer,director, and other titles. Staying for the credits, I assure you is one thing I never did before I took this class. I'm trying to understand the ideology of the films more, and this is one thing that was the hardest for me to grasp but I am trying to make sense of it with each new film I watch. I would recommend this class to most film buffs experienced or not, for it opens your eyes to the world of film ten fold. Overall, film 101 was a positive learning experience.
Previously, when I would watch a movie, I would look and listen and that's pretty much it. Sure, I would appreciate a nice color scheme, or the way the music added to the scene, but not much more than that. Making myself analyze the different aspects of the movies we were required to screen really forced me to focus on a specific part of a given movie. I found myself analyzing all other movies and TV shows I watched in that week, focusing on the lesson we were covering. Now, I definitely find myself paying much closer attention to the little things that separate good movies from amazing movies. I still think that the mise en scene lesson will stick with me more than any other lesson. As someone who has made a few short movies for school projects, I now want to go back and re-film all those projects, taking into account all that I know now. I can think of specific scenes in my movies that are so boring and could be so much more aesthetically pleasing. I shall continue to use what I learned in this class to appreciate movies in a different light.
This class has also made me a better at discussing things. By knowing the vocabulary, it has helped me to be descriptive and because I know the film material, I am not afraid that I sound foolish. I have confidence in what I say, and know that it is worthy of people hearing. I think knowing about film, it is something everyone can talk about, so I am able to start conversations more often with friends or strangers. Because it is a good communicative tool, I try to watch more movies and I find it relates to a lot of things in everyday life. Many television shows mock the movies that I have seen recently, and often when I watch "Jeopardy," I feel better when I know an answer that is movie related. I think pop culture can be such a handy tool, and film is one of the more important ones.
Firstly, I have changed in my listening manner. I began to listen to others opinion more carefully than before. In discussion forum, other classmates' postings remain throughout the semester, so I can go back to their postings when I wanted to read again. There are so many words, phrases, and ideas that I have never imagined before so that could be ignored. Since I have learned so many things from my classmates, I began to consider that listening to others' opinion is more important and efficient way to learn and understand the stuffs. In addition, I acquired the skills to see things from various view points. It sounds similar to the change I mentioned above, but listening to different opinion made me realized that I need to think more and feel more than one time. Also, things can be interpreted in different ways. For example, a movie that I did not find interesting makes others entertained. I have learned with my nice classmates who have different background and likes and dislikes of movie. Interacting with them told me a lot and I thank all of them and you, professor!!
I feel my view toward the sacredness of cinema has completely changed. I look at film before as special because specific people made it, or it just worked as a whole, but now, my reasons for seeing a film in such great esteem are much more grounded. I also feel slightly better at responding to other people's analysis or point of view in a critical way. My view that online classes are severely anonymous and without interaction has changed as well. For this class has been an example of quite the opposite!
Moodle is much easier to use than Blackboard.
This class has been very fun and a great learning experience.
Thank you for a great semester!
What do you think? At any time during the semester, let me know what's working for you, and feel free to make recommendations that will support your learning in this class (film101@miracosta.edu). Wherever possible, I will make changes to improve your learning experience. This course is for you.
CyberCinema Students say (1998-2007 archive) . . .
Film 101 Online proved to be a valuable learning experience for me. The text was not so lengthy that you got lost in piles of information. The class itself was very well organized, and I honestly feel the lectures you composed were very thought provoking and well done.
I really enjoyed reading the weblectures (far more than I did Giannetti's text). These were more interesting, far more personal, and definitely more concise. My favorites included those on writing, ideology, and theory. Please continue to use these!
I liked the text. It was easy to follow and well written. Not too simple, but not too hard. I felt the lectures complimented the text very well. The website was easy to navigate once I got the hang of where everything was. . . .
I think CyberCinema was perfect in that everything was clearly spelled out from the beginning, I knew exactly how much work was still ahead of me and could plan my semester out. Also, the workload was spread out very well because many times a class will have a very light workload throughout the semester, only to overload the student with work in the last 3 weeks or so. I did the same amount of work in this class as any other, but I was able to do it at a steady pace. This class was great, I really enjoyed it.
I liked Film 101 the best out of all the classes I have taken thus far. This is because of the higher participation by the students in the academic forum combined with the most reliable access to the professor.
One of the goals that I set for myself was to achieve a better understanding of films in general and the language used in discussing films. After the class began I added another goal: finish the class! Not that I wasn’t enjoying myself, but boy was there a lot of work involved! This was my first semester back at Mira Costa since I graduated in 1995. I took three very interesting but difficult classes and I continued to work full time. “What was I thinking?” became a recurring theme around my house. My boyfriend began to joke that the only way he could recognize me now was from the back of my head with the sound of keyboard keys clicking in the background. :-( I must say, however, that I have not had this much fun in school in a long time.
I wanted to learn the history of films and film making. I learned that and much more. I was able to learn about some of the greatest directors and about the talented actors in the past and present. . . . I feel like my life was enriched by this course. I take with me an appreciation of the hard work performed by the people in the business
When I first took this class I thought basically, I was just going to be watching movies and then write papers on what I’ve watched. I never really thought I was going to learn as much as I did and in all honestly, I’m really glad I took this class. By doing so, I am now able to sort of get an inside perspective on what the directors and writers are doing while making the film. Everything in a movie is done for some sort of reason and I now feel like I’m part of some special club, because I actually know what’s going on now.
As a direct study, activity, and participation in this class, my expectations about the class began as being able to view films and discuss the social impact they have on society, then changed to what the class was really about and what was to be learned about in each feature of the art. I am in awe of this process and not apathetic to the importance film making has brought to us. I understand myself better as to my choice of which films I view. I love the cinematography of period films. I find that I am more open to watching films that I considered ‘unconventional’ for me. I chose “The Whale Rider” for the gender section of the curriculum and thoroughly loved it for the cultural aspects of the Maori that I never knew. I am more open to exploration and adventure.
I had no idea how much blood, sweat, and tears were put into the making and production of a film. How much thought, art, money and part of oneself is poured into an entire project of a film. I have learned to appreciate the story, sound, editing, acting and ideology behind a movie more than I ever could have before this class. I look at any movie I view in a different light and wonder how it came together and the ideas behind the story. The assignment that shows the highlight of my experience in this class would definitely be from lesson 10. The actual lecture of lesson 10 on ideology and identity really interested and stimulated something in me. So in turn, I was much more interested in the assignment for that chapter.
Throughout Film 101, I have changed in a few different ways. Above all, my perceptions have changed more than anything else. Many of my ideas about how people live and what they struggle with in different cultures were transformed. This change in me came directly from reading in the academic forums. Many of my fellow classmates are from different countries, and their explanations about how people act and what they go through made me go back and re-evaluate what I knew. After viewing “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (Ang Lee) and reading the forums my perceptions on what women in China had to go through was changed. I had no idea how difficult it was for women such as the characters in that film to make a name for themselves without being silenced by a man. I would have never learned that unless my classmate had explained his knowledge of Asian countries’ standards as he did. I now try to not let pre-conceived notions interfere with what is true. I also feel that my understanding has been altered. I had never thought about the motivation behind making film before, I had just accepted it as art and entertainment. After speaking with other passionate film-lovers and reading about the directors, screenplay writers, actors, and set directors who have devoted their lives to film, I understand that it is more than entertainment. It is what drives them to live and to continue. All of these people are extremely passionate and they seem to know what they love. I now understand that film is more than money and fame, and that many amazingly talented people go unnoticed in the industry. I understand that there is a balance between job and passion in film, and I hope that in my later life I will be able to sustain a balance between job and love as well. Lastly, I am more aware of my surroundings. Not only do I notice more detail in film, but also in life. For some reason learning about lighting and color has really stuck to me, and I have become much more conscious and aware of their presence. I am aware of how people react to sunlight and gray days; how it affects their mood and their energy. I am also more aware of my setting, especially indoors. I look at the shapes and curves in my walls and the color on them, the design on a carpet, how many people are in a room, etc. Generally I am aware less of myself and more of others and environments that go beyond what is directly in front of my face. I believe that this course was very well organized. The text book, online lectures, Web sites and the assignments all went hand in hand. I guess it's more important to stay more organized online than off-line--students might get lost in cyberspace (:-). The feedback response was faster than I imagined--sometimes I wondered if you have a lap top and you carry it wherever you go. . . . The one thing that I liked best about cybercinema is the involvement of students in the class. I think I was more involved here than in some of my campus classes.
I had many worries at the beginning of the semester and found myself many times feeling overwhelmed from the change of educational learning. I felt a good deal of pressure with meeting deadlines as well as obtaining the actual movie rentals. Over the course of the first month, many of those feelings minimized, and I found myself more able to enjoy the work and the class. . . . My mind is much freer to absorb and interpret ideas than it ever was before. . . . I would suggest to the next group of cyberstudents to hang in there through the first few weeks -- they are always the toughest. After my first few weeks, things simmered down and I started enjoying the assignments.
This was a great and challenging class. I learned a lot about film. I want to thank you for introducing me to Kurosawa. I love him and his movies!!!!
When you have a computer class, you're at home, everything is right there for you, and it is easy to get spoiled. I found that the majority of the films were easy to find. And for most of the time, the films were only 99 cents, and you get to keep the movie for 5 days. That really beats gas money and childcare when you have to go to campus twice a week. These classes are the Best!!!! Please don't change your format for this class. It allows plenty of time for work, great opportunities for extra points. Now that I have completed this class, I must say that I have learned a lot! . . . I am thrilled! I went to the college yesterday to pay for my music class, on-line, and the personnel there inquired if I had taken any on-line classes before. I said yes, and told them about your class; about the attention that the students received, the fairness of the class, GREAT lectures, and overall how much I enjoyed it.
I'm convinced I rented more movies on a whim while down at Kensington Video than I watched for the class. Between the films suggested by my French teacher and the random distractions I found myself wrapped up in because the jacket intrigued me, I'm surprised I got any of the assignments done at all. These distractions proved to come into use, however. I gave my dreaded ten minute oral presentation in my French class on the films of Francois Truffaut and the theories of Bazin and Godard. Having an idea of what I was saying before attempting to translate it into French helped the event run much smoother. In my English class, I used a documentary as a source (and topic inspiration) for a research paper I wrote on Adrienne Monnier and her Parisian bookshop, La Maison des Amis des Livres. I have to also note the improvement in my ability to access information via the Internet. The amount of exposure has made me very comfortable using it to compile research. I took this class knowing ahead of time that it wouldn't help me fulfill my [particular] general education requirements. I enrolled in it anyway because I knew, if anything, the subject of film would pull me out of my apathetic funk I've feeling towards school for so long. I hoped it would help me cultivate a sense of passion for what I'm doing here in getting this education. Guess what? It worked. Film is an extraordinary medium. I feel so lucky to know more about it. It will never match my affection for literature, but I now see (with much more clarity than at the onset of the semester) how comparing the two is like comparing apples and oranges. Art is beautiful. Art teaches. I'm in love.
I think the most important part was reviewing the lectures with attention. I used a pencil to mark the important concepts, and then I also wanted to read between lines and sense who Ms. Floren is. I thought that if she cares enough to pour her heart out (which she did generously many times), then we owed it back to her to do the same. I am looking through the (thick) notebook of printouts, and this particular enlightenment happened on page 3 of Lecture One. This paragraph she wrote is entitled “Light and love” and it reads, “we are the stars and the directors of our own films. How they will end, we do not know--but we can find joy in learning about and designing the quantity of light and love we put or will allow into them. . . .” Right there I knew I was going to be fine. After the initial difficulties of being able to understand the technicalities of the web and the geographical location of the video location, I concentrated on the gray area of the brain. . . . P. S. I wish this class wasn't over with. . .
The theory of the online class is that it has no set time. For some people, this is perfect. Another advantage to an online course is that it allows a sense of anonymity. This can be quite helpful to students who have a hard time speaking in a normal classroom setting. . . . Perseverance and time management are of utmost importance. Nuff said.
Before I took this class, I would often judge movies very superficially, in the terms of like or not like, which were mainly judged by the mood that I was in while watching it. I now am aware of the many jobs and the enormous effort it takes to actually create a film, which has helped me now judge movies in a more effective and honest way. I also now understand how every element in film (the costumes, lighting, makeup, set design, filming style, etc.) making helps reiterate the mood, idea or overall feeling of a movie. Everything is there for a reason. B. I want to be an actress and work in both stage and film, and I think that my new-founded knowledge of all of the elements it takes to create a production (such as: costumes, makeup, lighting, set design, etc.) will be extremely useful in furthering my career.
This film class opened up my eyes to many new things in film that I had not realized before. It also showed me what an influence film has on our society. I could see myself working in this field as a career and would like to find ways to do so.
I really enjoyed the class. I did not know I would be having such a good experience in film class. It brought out my creative side. I will miss the class.
I think this class has changed my perception of what is important in film. I am no longer impressed by flashy trailers and big names actors. I want to view films that challenge my thinking and my way of life. This class has also taught me that shorter is not easier. This class served as a refreshing challenge that reminded me that learning can be both fun and rewarding.
Thank you for your keen insight and for sharing your wealth of information with us.
Thanks for a stimulating semester and for pushing us over the top for learning the material in the class. I really enjoyed myself (even with all the work you gave us)!
This semester has transformed me into a true film enthusiast. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I will remember you as someone passionate about what she teaches. I will remember someone who really believes in the importance of teaching--someone who believes in the power of change, compassion, and love. These aren't subjects most teachers dare to tackle, but you have. And you have done it in ways that I won't forget.
I have to say this class has been such a pleasure! As much as I moan and complain as to how busy I was this semester I wouldn’t have had it any other way! Thank you so much for a wonderful introduction to CyberCosta! I really want to take more classes on the Internet. (What a wonderful thing this Internet beast is. The possibilities are endless. . . .) However, I do think that a lot of the pleasure of this class came from you. :-) You really seem to love your job. You seem to honestly love to teach and you are exactly the type of instructor I love to take classes from for that exact reason.
You are one of the main reasons that I took this class. I love your teaching style and I think even in CyberCosta your love of teaching comes across.
I really have very much enjoyed your class and do consider it to be one of the best I have had at Mira Costa. You are a DYNAMIC teacher; your style is one that sure did spark my creative side.
I think you are an amazing teacher. Your use of words and love for film really came through (even off the computer).
My advice.... Get memberships to as many local video stores as you can! You might be surprised by who carries what film. Take advantage of the Library at Mira Costa for the harder-to-find films. Yes, they have to be back the next day, but they are free and they are on reserve for this class. You might want to call ahead to make sure a film isn’t checked out but even if it is, since films are only one-day rentals at MiraCosta, you know it will be back soon. Get ahead if you can, but for goodness sakes don’t get behind! You are doomed if you do! Well, maybe not doomed, but it is tough if you get behind. If nothing else, read ahead. That helps. Take advantage of your CyberMates. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and take advice from your fellow Cyber students. And if all else fails, do the extra credit!
Here's an essay from a former student in Film101 Honors:
When I originally set out on my journey, back in the month of August, I naively envisioned that my adventure would be lackluster as I effortlessly and painlessly sailed through the lucid sea of CyberCinema. How far from the truth that perception would turn out to be. For little did I realize, back then, that numerous beasts would lurk within the depths, patiently anticipating the moment in which to cease and devour me, and sultry sirens would attempt to seduce me. Nor did I realize what fruitful and lustrous lands would await me just over the horizons—and, oh, the treasures that would award my quest!
Back at the beginning of the semester, I innocent picked goals that I believed would be basic to ultimately grasp. At the time, I merely stated that I wanted to have a more complete and well-rounded understanding of cinema and the entire filmmaking process. It seemed simple enough, after all we were only talking about film, for heaven’s sake. How difficult could this be?—I remember asking myself. Boy, what was I thinking? Film, as I soon discovered, is a whole other dimension and world (a deep silver sea, so to speak) that may even be more complicated and diverse than the one we typically call our very own. Nonetheless, I do actually believe that I was remarkably very fruitful in my journey, and I, further, believe I did actually accomplish basic premise of my goals, if I did indeed only begin to delve in film’s immense depths.
As it is, I now have a very broad and somewhat detailed understanding of the filmmaking process. I now, after thoroughly studying and applying the concepts I learned to various films, can articulately discuss and evaluate: the dichotomy of realism and formalism; the various shots, angles, lighting, and color aspects and techniques of photography; the framing, composition and design, territorial spacing, the forms, and proxemic patterns of mise-en-scene; the numerous traditions and schools of thought behind editing, sound, and acting; the depth and importance of drama; the different story narratives; the aspects and variations of genre and myth; the contribution and adaptations of screenwriting; and the various aspects of differing theories and ideologies and their importance to the filmmaking process and unity.
A specific moment that highlights my learning experience, came recently during the Thanksgiving break when I met with my older brother and sister over a couple pints of beer at a nearby pub. As I have mentioned earlier in the semester, my brother is a film major who has worked for Walt Disney as well as Industrial Light and Magic, and my sister is a theater major who now works for the San Francisco Opera. Both of them are well educated when it comes to film, and thus I have rarely delved into a debate on any particular film or concept of cinema with them because I had always felt outmatched. But, upon this outing, I finally was able to flex my educational muscles. We somehow got on the topic of Citizen Kane, and I began to go in to a manic analysis of different techniques that were used within the film. I touched upon the film’s flamboyant visual effects and photography with the startling clashes and abstract patterns that infuse the photographed images with a sense of wild visual exuberance. How, through the use of moving the camera far away Kane’s character, Kane appears distant, remote, and inaccessible as an older man. How, through the use of mise-en-scene, Welles would continually dwarf the character of Susan more and more when compared to the gigantic props that surrounded her, thus symbolizing her shrinking importance in the eyes of Kane. How the film used sound montage in the opera scenes to illustrate Susan’s confusion, terror, exhaustion, and despair. And I even mentioned how I believed that, from a feministic psychoanalytical view, the snow-globe represented a symbolized womb that was suppose to reflect Kane’s Oedipus complex and the unfulfilled castration complex, the term "rosebud" symbolically represents women and sex, and thus the love that Kane was never able to acquire. I must say this did impress both my sister and brother, and my brother even commented that I learned a lot from an undergraduate class. I have to admit that I felt proud, and, if nothing else, I can now participate in verbal karate with my siblings when it comes to analyzing film, when only months ago I wouldn’t have even gotten near the ring.
At first I was going to say, more humorously than anything that Songlian, in Raise The Red Lantern, best mirrors my learning experience in this class because, like Songlian, I often feel that I have been forced into my "marriage" with school and education, and, although I attempt to struggle for my dignity, my fury and resentment just continues to grow until all I am left with is my self-defeating rebellion—and utter insanity. But, all misguided and inappropriate jokes put aside, I truly believe that my learning experience most reflects the character of Rick Deckard (played by Harrison Ford) in Blade Runner. Like myself, Rick Deckard begins his journey very innocently—he merely believes he is doing his job by "retiring replicants." He, at first, believed that he could, basically, effortlessly glide through the day to day routines of his occupation. While he believed the work cut out for him (destroying all of the AWOL Nexus-6 Types) was going to be challenging and somewhat tough, he truly thought he was going to succeed at his goals without too much concern or obstacles. But as he becomes more and more immersed within his work, he realizes that he is actually becoming overwhelmed and quite affected by his occupational matters—both positively and negatively. Ultimately, Rick discovers that his work, or, more accurately, the subjects of his work are not quite what he first thought they were, and he actually begins to understand them better and learn from them. In the end, Rick actually has an epiphany in which he discovers that he actually is an android himself, and this discovery and self-realization seems to free his inner self as that side to him begins to metamorphose and emerge.
Similarly, I began this semester thinking that this Film class was going to be, basically, an effortless learning experience in which I would be challenged from time to time, but nothing that I could not handle with simple ease. As I have already said, that was one of the most misguided assertions that I have probably ever formulated, at least regarding school and education. But this discovery, even though I, like Rick Deckard, became extremely overwhelmed at times, was a most refreshing and pleasant surprise. As time went on in this course, I found myself becoming more and more challenged as I had to continually expand my knowledge of film techniques and apply the new concepts I had just learned onto the concepts I had previously learned—like building blocks. As I learned more about the various techniques of filmmaking, I started to have a better understanding and appreciation for the whole process. While I may have not had as much of an explosive self-realization as Rick Deckard, I have discovered that I truly love cinema and much of its aspects, and I would like to create a career that somehow involves film. Because I still love writing and would still like to pursue a career that involves the written word, I am currently flirting with the idea writing critiques of films (possibly with my wife as a "Husband vs. Wife Perspective"—who knows?). Thus, as Rick ran off with Rachel to pursue his life as an android, I believe I am going to run off and pursue more education within the field of cinema. (Professor Floren, do you have any suggestions?)
Gloria Floren, Letters Department, MiraCosta College, One Barnard Drive, Oceanside, California 92056. U.S.A.
Created 04 December 1997. Revised 08 August 2008
Contents Copyright 1997-2007 Gloria L. Floren. All rights reserved.
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