COM 251 Course Schedule
Fall 2007

Return to COM 251 Syllabus

DateTopics Readings
Aug 22-24 It's All Fake: Creativity in the Media
Class Screening: The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
JRB, Chap. 2
Aug 29-31 Sounds and Images in the Creative Process:
The art of mass production

Class Screening: The Making of Master and Commander
Class Screening: "Shadow Play," Twilight Zone

    Study Questions:
  1. In what ways do the mass production technologies of modern media foster creativity?
  2. How might Benjamin respond to the digitization of mass media?

JRB, Chap 1

Benjamin, The work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction
Sep 3 Labor Day
Sep 5-7Digital Design
Meet in Neff B41

    Study Questions:
  1. What constitutes an effective" website?
  2. Is a web site ever "finished?"

JRB, Chap 10
Hall, Encoding/Decoding

NVU Webpage: Free Web Authoring Software based on Netscape Composer

Student Web Space at IPFW (ITS webpage)

Publishing To The Web (ITS webpage)

Dr. Dixon's Web Page Instuctions for NVU

Sep 12-14
Semiotics: Encoding/decoding
Case Study: Cell Phone in Your Face
Barthes, The rhetoric of the image
Robert Seiler, "Selling Patriotism/Selling Beer: The Case of the "I AM CANADIAN" Commercial" (Refer to pages 56-61 for an example of a semiotic analysis of a tv advertisement).
Molsen Ad (via YouTube)
Sep 19-21The Senses: Sound

The Senses: Sight

Class Screening: Narc-The Visual Trip
JRB, Chap 3-5, 7

Powerpoint Presentation: The Soundscape


Powerpoint Presentation: Sight

Production Elements Powerpoint Presentations:
Audio

Visuals

Sep 26-28
Oct 3-5
Narratives and Dramatic Structure

Class Screening: "Pilot," My Name Is Earl

Class Screening: "Nothing In The Dark," The Twilight Zone

Essay # 1 Due: September 28

JRB, Chap 8
Aristotle, Poetics (online edition)
Aristotle, Poetics (downloadable text edition)
Oct 8-9 Fall Recess
Oct 10-12 Film and Video
Class Screening : Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography
JRB, Chap 9
Oct 17-19 Sight, Sound, and Story: The Creation of the Illusion

Class Screening: The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing

Essay #2 Due: October 19
No readings
Oct 24-26 Storyboards/Group Project
The Responsive Chord: Media and Persuasion
Schwartz, The Responsive Chord
Oct 31-Nov 2Genres and Styles Introduction to Genre Theory (D. Chandler)
Film Genres (website)
Genre Character Halloween Costume
(20 points extra credit)
Nov 7-9News and Documentary: Representing RealityNovember 9:
CLASS MEETS IN
NEFF B47 COMPUTER LAB
Nov 14-16The Television Series
Class Screening: Quit Smoking (My Name Is Earl episode #2 Essay #3 Due: November 14
No readings
Nov 22Thanksgiving Holiday
Nov 28-30 Sound and Audio: It's All in the Mix
Class Screening: selections from Standing In The Shadows Of Motown
Tankel, Remixing as recoding
Dec 5 Final Examination and Class Screening: Frank's Place
Dec 7 My Media World Website DUE
In-class Presentations
FINAL ESSAY DUE
PSA Storyboard Presentations
Monday
Dec. 10
1-3 p.m.

Fall 2007

Date(s) Calendar Item
Aug. 20 Classes Begin
Aug. 20-24 Late Registration and Drop/Add
Aug. 24 Final Payment Deadline (late registrants)
Aug. 26 Last Day for Full Refund (for full-term classes)
Aug. 24 Weekend Classes Begin
Aug. 31 Labor Day Holiday Recess Begins at 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 4 Classes Resume
Sept. 17 Pass/Not Pass and Audit-to-Credit Deadline
Oct. 8-9 Fall Recess
Oct. 10 Classes Resume
Oct. 26 Credit-to-Audit Deadline
Oct. 26 Last Day to Withdraw from Classes (for full-term classes)
Nov. 20 Thanksgiving Recess Begins after Last Class
Nov. 26 Classes Resume
Dec. 10-16 Last Week of Classes and Final Exams
Dec. 16 Classes and Final Exams End
Holidays and Observances
Sep 3Labor Day
Sep 13Rosh Hashana (Jewish)
Sep 13Ramadan begins (Islamic)
Sep 22Yom Kippur (Jewish)
Sep 23Autumnal equinox
Sep 27First day of Sukkot (Jewish)
Oct 3Last day of Sukkot (Jewish)
Oct 4Shmini Atzeret/Simchat Torah (Jewish)
Oct 8Lailat Ul Qadr (Islamic)
Oct 8Columbus Day
Oct 9Leif Erikson Day
Oct 13Eid-al-Fitr (Islamic)
Oct 31Halloween
  
Nov 1All Saints Day
Nov 4Daylight Saving Time ends
Nov 11Veterans Day
Nov 12'Veterans Day' observed
Nov 22Thanksgiving Day
Dec 2First Sunday Advent (Christian)
Dec 5First day of Chanukah (Jewish)
Dec 12Last day of Chanukah (Jewish)
Dec 20Eid-al-Adha (Islamic)
Dec 22Winter solstice
Dec 25Christmas Day (Christian)
Dec 26Kwanzaa (until Jan 1)
Dec 31New Year's Eve

Calendar generated on www.timeanddate.com/calendar