Course details

Name: ENFL - 251

Title: SPECIAL TOPIC: FILM PERFORMANCE

Section: 01

Semester: Spring - 2022

Credits: 3

Description:
This course will explore various approaches to performance across a range of different forms and styles of film. We will pay particular attention to the contribution of the actor to narrative cinema traditions from early to contemporary film. We will study the collaborative nature of performance in regards to the actor-director relationship, as well as its integral role within film, which shapes and is shaped by elements of cinematography, sound design and editing. The course will also examine performance in other filmmaking traditions, such as the employment of “non-actors” portraying “types”, subjects featuring as themselves in documentary films, or performers and artists embodying concepts in experimental films. You will be introduced to a range of practical methods and techniques ranging from improvisation to motion capture, which you will relate to theoretical concepts such as collaboration, authorship, authenticity and realism. You will also engage with a number of related critical issues, including the performance of gender and sexuality. Classes will be based around different film performance topics, with related lectures, screenings and discussions. Films to be screened include City Lights (Charlie Chaplin, 1931), On the Waterfront (Elia Kazan, 1954), A Woman Under the Influence (John Cassavetes, 1974), The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980) and Avatar (James Cameron, 2009), with other works from filmmakers such as Chantal Akerman, Robert Bresson, Maya Deren, Abbas Kiarostami and Lars von Trier.

Last updated on 2021-10-03 By Lykidis Alexios (lykidisa)

Schedule: Monday From 2:30 pm To 5:15 pm

Graduation requirements:

• Genre Study (Film)

Teaching Faculty: Morgan Michael (morganm)

Is course canceled: No