Comedy, Tone, and Left Field Cinema

Comedy is the focus for today's class. While many might see Comedy as something that shifts as time and culture shifts, the virtues of the Comedy genre do not change. Consider the main characteristics of Shakespearean Comedies (from Wikipedia with my annotations):

A Shakespearean comedy is one that has a happy ending, usually involving marriages between the unmarried characters, and a tone and style that is more light-hearted than Shakespeare's other plays. Patterns in the comedies include movement to a "green world", both internal and external conflicts, and a tension between Apollonian (wholeness) and Dionysian (individualistic) values. Shakespearean comedies tend to also include:

* A struggle of young lovers to overcome difficulty, often presented by elders
* Separation and re-unification
* Mistaken identities
* A clever servant
* Heightened tensions, often within a family
* Multiple, intertwining plots
* Frequent punning

We can think about the structure of the two shows we are watching today as the carriers of these main attributes. Pam and Jim can be seen as the struggling lovers in the Shakespearean sense. Mistaken Identities can be shown by Amy's revelation of her true identity and Ken's questioning his own identity based on this revelation. Heightened Family tensions can be seen in the Weir's household as they're going to meet George Bush or from the upcoming job interview that might disrupt their "office" family. Even the punning (or clever word play, where words have more than one meaning) can be seen throughout the Office and Freaks & Geeks ("How are you doing, guys.").

While even some of the tragic shows display similar attributes, one of the things that separates comedy from tragedy is the tone, which is something that we'll discuss in today's class as we try to link these shows with the previous shows we've watched together.

Modern television is the inheritor of Shakespearean tradition, especially current American television which is based on British Television's finite series formulas and character-intense plots.

HOMEWORK:
READ/LISTEN to episodes of "Left Field Cinema." This an excellent example of film criticism which attaches a theme or idea to a film(s) and uses the film(s) (as well as an understanding of the film creator's style and tone as gleaned through interviews) as an attempt to understand the underlying message of the piece of film. Listen or read a few of the episodes (2-3) before next week's class and come prepared to talk about ideas for your paper.

READ the Wikipedia entries for "Kings TV Show" and "Battlestar Galactica TV Show" Click Here to Read More..

Introduction to Project 3, Project 4, and Drama...(Updated with Homework Clips 7-28-09)

So far, we've discussed three different media forms:

1. In our first section, we discussed how comics relate theme, mood, characters and settings through a combination of words and pictures in order to create a story that talks about broader ideas.

2. In our second section, we discussed how music and lyrics can be translated into music videos, and how these changes can affect our own view of the overall message the piece is trying to convey.

In our third section, we are going to look at the concepts of theme, mood, characters and setting in a plot as it translates into the visual medium of television:

Project 3: Comparing and Contrasting Television Shows

In keeping with our focus on drama, I will focus on how each of these shows relate to specific Shakespearean categories of Tragedies (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Mad Men), Comedies (Freaks and Geeks and Mad Men), Histories (Battlestar Galactica and Kings), and Romances (United States of Tara and Pushing Daisies).

Remember, your paper will be about two of these shows. I have most of these shows downloaded onto my flash drive or I can point you to where you can view these shows online. It is in your best interest to watch these shows, or to be familiar with these shows, before the presentation so you can ask relevant questions and begin to write your paper as soon as you can.

Along with our examination of these shows, you will quiz your fellow students, give brief presentations, and hold a discussion after the show is viewed.

Project 4: Mixed Media Presentations

By the end of class, it is up to you to grade your fellow classmates on the poll listed in our website. Make sure you vote only once. If there are more votes than there are students in the class, I will take this part of the grade out of the equation when figuring your final grade.

HOMEWORK:
READ:
1) The background section of the wikipedia article on The Office (U.S. TV Series)and the summary for "The Job" episode (located on the sidebar)

2) The background section of the wikipedia article on Freaks and Geeks and the summary for "The Little Things" (located on the sidebar)

3) The background section of the wikipedia article on Shakespearean Comedy

Expect a quiz on each of these sections by next class. Click Here to Read More..

Addendum: Check Your Citations Before Class...

Many of your received your papers with points taken off because of citations and format of sources. Here are some sources to help you correct your MLA format before you come to class:

1. Proper Paper Format for MLA
2. Proper In-text Citations for MLA
3. Proper Works Cited Page for MLA

It is up to you to ensure that your MLA format is correct. Please check these sources before you turn in your next paper. Click Here to Read More..

Thinking, Feeling, and the School of Rock

Quiz #3
- What does Chuck Klosterman think about Chinese Democracy?
- How does Lester Bangs feel about Astral Weeks?
- How does your song/music video make you feel?
- What do you think about your song/music video?

Thinking and Feeling are two terms that are both tough to wrap your head around when contemplating music, but they are the two essential points your paper must convey. They provide the direction of your paper and also how you wish to express your ideas through this paper.

Remember that this is still an analysis, not a review. You are to examine how this song/music video reflects eachother as well as American culture as a whole. Don't lose sight of those two points.

Other things to take into account when discussing the song:

1) You should know how your music fits into a specific genre/place/band. What songs came before it? What songs came after it? What is the history of the artist? Klosterman makes it a point to really delve into the history of the album and what he thinks about the band is parsed out by what details he gives describing the history of the band up until this album.



2) You should also know who is in the band. Lester Bangs takes into account a lot of different aspects when he talks about Van Morrison. He talks about how the band is portrayed and who plays what in the band. He is very meticulous on this point and drives home his feelings by describing how the music and the band interacts on the album and on stage.

You don't need to write "I think" or "I feel." Let your information and your descriptions give us those components in your paper.

HOMEWORK
WRITE your final paper. You will need 3 quizzes, your outline, your rough draft, and your final draft in your packet. Make sure you have your works cited.

READ (GROUPS 1&2, please let me know if you want me to add onto you homework by noon on Friday)
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer Homework: Read over the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (tv series) wikipedia entry.
- Mad Men Group Homework: Check out advertising of the 1960s (bring 2 examples for class) and read over the Wikipedia entry on Mad Men tv show.
- The Syllabus to Project 3 Click Here to Read More..

The Music Videos 2: Don't Call it a Comeback...

Some links for class today:

1. Music Video Tropes: A trope is a common theme or practice used in a particular artistic expression. In music, it can be a refrain. In short stories, it can be a "femme fatale." In movies, it can be the "muscular american hero." This is a list of common music video tropes that might be useful for identifying particular qualities in your music video.

2. Top 100 Music Videos of all Time: While there are many breakdowns of top 100 music videos, Stylus magazine gives a very interesting, and sometimes quirky, analysis of their top 100. You can probably find your music video here.

3. Lyrics Undercover: A historical breakdown of popular song lyrics.

_________


Influential Music Videoes:

Bob Dylan "Subterranean Homesick Blues"

Bjork's "Oh So Quiet"

Smashing Pumpkin's "1979"

Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg's "Next Episode"

Britney Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time"

__________________________

Homework:

READ:
- Lester Bang's review of Van Morrison's Astral Weeks
- Chuck Klosterman's review of Chinese Democracy
- Find a review for your song at Rolling Stone

WRITE:
- Outline your Paper for the rough draft you will write in class on Wednesday

BLOG:
- Find sources for your paper (music videos Click Here to Read More..

Clarification on the Schedule/Assignments and Class Cancelation

Hello Everyone,

HOMEWORK DUE AND CLASS CANCELED FOR WED:
Due to unforeseen circumstances, class is canceled this Wednesday. I have a family emergency that I must attend to and it will take me away from class.

Because of this, your assignment for this week is to post your song idea and music video idea underneath Monday's blog post. If you can, put a link to your music video below to youtube.com. Put the song title, the name of the artist, the music video, and the director of the music video below. This blog post is due by Wednesday by 9pm. Check for my replies on the blog to see if your music video/song has been approved.

Your assignment, due Monday, is filling out the questions in the Music Video section below. Remember, not all of the questions may apply, but answer them to the best of your ability. Don't go for short answers, try to be descriptive as possible.

(My absence does not excuse those of you who have late papers. Turn in your late paper at the office. Go to the front desk and ask them to stamp it and put in my mailbox).

PROJECT FOUR CLARIFICATION:
Check out the project 4 assignment sheet on the right. You are to create/join a group and present on one of the 8 different drama shows listed on the side-bar. Each of these drama shows will be used for writing about Project 3 (a paper about drama that compares and contrasts two television shows).

SCHEDULE CLARIFICATION(Important)

The Schedule for the remaining class is as follows:

July 15: No Class
July 20: Project 2 Work (due worksheet completed)
July 22: Project 2 Discussion of Lyrics and Song Criticism and Write Draft in Class
July 27: Project 2 due, begin Project 3 (Group 1&2 Presents)
July 29: Project 3: (Group 3&4 Presents)
August 3: Project 3: (Group 5&6 Presents)
August 6: Project 3: (Group 7&8 Presents)
August 10: Project 3 Rough Draft/Peer Review
August 12: Project 3 DUE/Last Day of Class

If you have any questions, please list them below (do not post your Music Video/Song under this message, post it on the Music Video Subject below). Click Here to Read More..

The Music Video:

Music Analysis Method: (print this out to use for your project)

1. Pre-Analysis
- Who are the musicians involved? Who wrote the song? When did the song come out?
- Who is the director of the music video? What have they done in the past?
- Based on these previous questions, List three concepts or ideas that you might
expect to see based on the title of the song/music video. List some people who
would be the audience for this music video.

1. The Song (both lyrics and instrumental)
- Form: What is the pattern? What Rhymes? What doesn't rhyme? What repeat? What
doesn't repeat?
- Imagery and symbolism: What is the story being told? What is the heart of the
lyrics?
- Diction/Connotation: What is the tone of the song? Words have meaning when
placed in a certain way. If a song uses "slither" and then "sneak", it
conjures up images of a snake. The connotation is snake, even if it doesn't
outright say "snake." What is the "feeling" of the song?
- Imagery and Visual: What images and what visuals does the song conjure when you
listen to the song?
2. The Music Video: (multiple viewings)
- What happens in the Music Video? (plot/summary)
- What is the overall theme (the implicit message) of the Music Video?
- Cinematography: What does the director show in the music video? What kind of
colors and shots does the director use in the music video? How does this reflect
the theme?
- Props/Scenery: What props, lighting, costuming, or scenery does the director use
to engage the audience? How does this reflect the theme?
- Editing: How does the director transition between scenes? What is the pace of
the scenes? Is the music video fast or slow?
- Gender: What are the men/women doing? (Dancing, sitting, swimming, etc.). How
are the men/women dressed? How much skin is revealed? Describe the body language of the men/women: are they sitting, standing, gyrating, mugging, etc.? Do the men/women have power? How do you know?
- Race: What races do you see represented? Are there any dark skinned women shown? How many? What is the race of the person at the focus of the video? What are the black/Latino/Asian/white/Native American/Pacific Islander people doing?
- Sexuality: Who is more sexualized – men or women? Both? Are there sexually explicit lyrics or messages? How are subjects of the music video dressed? Describe the relationships between the men and women: Are they long or short term?
- Materialism: Are any brand names shown? How is wealth defined in the video? Are products mentioned in the song lyrics? What’s the message of the song? What type of music is the song?
- Violence: Describe any violent body language. Describe any violent actions or weapons that are shown. Describe any self-mutilation or violence.

3. Post-Analysis
- List things that you mentioned previously that were validated by your viewing
of the motion picture.
- What is the central message(s) of this music video?
- Consider the effectiveness of this film in communicating its message.
As a tool of communication, what are its strengths and weaknesses?
- How do you think the band/director wanted the audience to respond?
- Does this music appeal more to the viewer’s emotion? How does it make you feel?
- List two things this music video tells you about life in the Untied States
at the time it was made.
- Write a question to the artist(s)/director that is left unanswered by the music
video
- What information do you gain about this event that would not be conveyed by a
written source? Be specific. Click Here to Read More..

Presentation Groups (2 Sections still Open)

Day One: Tragedies
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer: “The Body” (open)
- Mad Men: "The Pilot" (open)
Day Two: Comedies
- Freaks and Geeks: "The Little Things" (Jill, Julie, Mona & Brittany)
- The Office: "The Job" (travis gordon katie fast james barthel erik angerer)
Day Three: Histories
- Battlestar Galactica: "33 Minutes" (open)
- Kings: "Goliath (pt 1)" (Booty)
Day Four: Romances:
- United States of Tara: “The Pilot” (Charlene, Alina & Kyasha)
- Pushing Daises: “The Pie-lette” (Evy, Ronnie, Daron, Booty) Click Here to Read More..

Sources, Sources, Sources!!!

(NOTE: UPDATED on Friday, 10:00 am WITH THE CORRECT AUDIO CLIP under the HOMEWORK section)

I wanted to list a group of websites that might be helpful for your paper:

1. Newsarama has a lot of great interviews with creators (both artists and writers)
2. The Comics Journal has some great analysis of comics (great if you're looking for ways to analyze comics.
3. Comics and Comix and Comics Research is a listing of comic book research and resources on the web (pertaining to cultural studies)
4. WordBalloon and Fanboy Radio are both interview shows with a variety of comic book artists and writers.
5. Comics Foundry has great interviews with writers and artists.
6. Comic Book Resources has a list of links that, if you can't find what you're looking for in the previous sections, you can probably find resources here to help you with your paper.
7. Wikipedia has biographies of most of the artists and writers. DO NOT USE WIKIPEDIA AS A SOURCE!!!! But use the sources listed in their directory for your paper.

HOMEWORK:
1. WRITE your paper and make sure your folder is in order for next class. You need:
- Final Paper and Works Cited
- Outline
- Quizzes (4)
- Sources (3) with highlighted passages
If you're lacking for inspiration to write your paper, click here. Merlin Mann always kicks my butt whenever I need to get a paper written.

2. For Monday's class, LISTEN to The NERVE: Sentimental Journey (Music and Emotion episode 60 minutes) (right click, click save as)


xx Click Here to Read More..

Hellblazer is not on Packet Two...(Symbolism and Theme)

As many people have pointed out, Hellblazer is not in packet two. Don't worry about it. You can read it here. Since it was not in the packet, the questions I will present to you today about Shoot will be extra credit.

Before you come to class, make sure you read the Wikipedia entries on "Sandman", "Preacher", and "Ex Machina" (and, if you have the chance, Hellblazer).

I have also posted the PDFs for Packet Three and an alternative Packet Four. We won't be discussing Packet Four in class, but those readings will be available as alternative stories if you don't find what you like in the previous three packets.

More to follow... Click Here to Read More..

Plot and Character

Today we're going to examine the plot and the character of the four comics we read for today's class:

Freytag's Pyramid of Plot gives us the bare bones of how we should see plot.


Aristotle's idea of Character (both visual and story) give us the other component to how we should see these characters in the story.

The first third of our class will be dedicated to two of the readings (the story by Evan Dorkin and the story by Brian Wood/Becky Cloonan). The second third of our class will deal with the the other two readings (The Jaime Hernadez story and the Adrian Tomine story). Both deal heavily with plot and character, moving the characters up and down the plot in order to create a story.

The last third of our class will be dedicated to figuring out paper ideas. By tonight, I will have posted all of the story packets that we will be reading for class.

HOMEWORK:

READ:
1. The Second Packet and the Wikipedia Entries for: "Sandman, DC Comics", "The Preacher, DC Comics", "Hellblazer, DC Comics", "Ex Machina, DC Comics."
2. Skim the Third Packet (you will not be quizzed, but start looking at the last packet of stories so you can answer the blog post)

BLOG:
Part One:
From packet two, list 1) Questions that you had about the stories (one question per story) and 2) one thing you liked about each of the stories.

Part Two:

Choose at least 2-3 stories that you want to write about and post ideas (about one paragraph) in the blog. Consider what stories interest you and even if you haven't thought of what you wanted to write about, tell us what stories interested you and why.

Click Here to Read More..

IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT DOWNLOADS!

Hello Everyone,

I've made the first and second packet available for download. These downloads are in PDF form, for easier download. I'm going to try to find a faster service so you can download these packets easier.

The PDF comes out sideways, so make sure you go to view and click "rotate clockwise" in order to get the proper view. Also, the handy thing is that you can print out this whole packet with the PDF, but my suggestion would be to make sure that you are printing out "two a page" because if you don't, you'll be printing out about 114 pages.

See you in class!

- Professor Ancheta Click Here to Read More..