Film History: Modern Times

Modern Times- Paper (2 pages, typed, double-spaced)
Due: Tuesday March 31 2009

"I remain just one thing, and one thing only, and that is a clown. It places me on a far higher plane than any politician."

In this paper you should address two major topics:
• The physical comedy of Charlie Chaplin and how it translated to different audiences
• The political and social effects and repercussions of the film.

Discuss these two topics to the best of your knowledge using the sources viewed in class as well as any outside sources you want to include. Why did Chaplin decide to use sound the way he did in the film? What is the theme of the film, and how was it shown? Why do you think Chaplin wanted to address the social themes and industry? Please do not include a great deal of plot outline, rather tackle the two topics at hand and give your comment on them in an intelligent way.

If you base any of your information on outside sources (including the internet) you must include quotes and a bibliography. The paper should be two pages, typed, and double-spaced.

Film History: The Jazz Singer

"Toot, Toot, Tootsie" Al Jolson 1927


Paper due: Tuesday March 24, 2009 (2 pages, typed, double-spaced)

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, you ain't heard nothin' yet!"

In this paper you should focus on discussing the core themes of the Jazz Singer in addition to critiquing the basic elements of the film. Please discuss the main themes of the film and give your comment on them in an intelligent way making sure to talk about the filmmaker’s choice of using blackface for the main character at times. The film was as big a technological achievement as the film was a commercial and critical success- how did you feel about the film? In modern day elements how might the film be handled? What type of performer would the main character be? Is the theme still relevant today?

If you base any of your information on outside sources (including the internet) you must include quotes and list your sources in a bibliography.

Strictly Students Film Festival Call for Entries 2009

Typography Animation

This week we will be working on an animation using only typography. Each of you will create your own font and use it to create an animated 30 second film. Here are a few films for inspiration.


Kinetic Typography created by Johnny Lee


Haiku- "The Morning Paper Harbinger of good and ill I step over it"


Ratatat music video by Olivier Beaudoin


"abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz" by Roel Wouters

More student pixelations

Here's a few more great examples of student pixelations.

Student Pixelations

Here's a good example of pixelations from students.

Media Arts- Project 1: Pixelation

Welcome to all the incoming media art and film students! Our first assignment is a Pixilation that needs to be at least 30 seconds and it will be due Friday February 13. The final films can be handed in on disk, DVD or CD or you can post them on Youtube of Vimeo if you want. Below are some cool examples for inspiration.


This is a cool example for anyone who loves old school video games.


This is an insane example that appears to be done with cloth.


Here's the classic video by director Stephen R. Johnson for Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer. It features animation from Aardman Animations and the Brothers Quay.


This is a cool video from Radiohead (you have to give them credit for always putting out interesting videos).