Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

ENG 197 Course Overview

• In ENG 197 Film Themes and Genres, we will be focusing on one genre in particular for the entire term--Science Fiction films. This means that all of the films we will watch and discuss will be from the Science Fiction genre. I promise that you do not need to be a Science Fiction expert or aficianado to take this class!

If we’re not on campus, how will I be expected to attend this class?

• The class is a half remote/half online class, which means that part of the class happens during required once-a-week Zoom sessions and the other part of the class happens online in our D2L Brightspace classroom site. 
• Here is more information about what a D2L Brightspace site is. 

• The once-a-week required online Zoom class meetings will take place on Thursdays from 10:00 to 11:50am. Here are instructions on how to access and participate in a Zoom session.
• Other than the once-a-week Zoom sessions, the rest of the class will take place on the D2L Brightspace site asynchronously, which means that work and activities do not have to happen in real time or face to face. Instead, you can participate whenever is convenient for you--as long as you post or participate by the established due dates. 
• Having internet access will be critical for taking this class. If you don't have stable internet access, you should consider taking an in-person class.
• You will need to attend class by logging in to our D2L Brightspace class site (check out this online tools page for more D2L info. and a Sample D2L course you can visit). This will be our classroom for the whole term.
• Remember that if you don’t participate in the D2L Brightspace class site by the end of the first week, this would be the same as not showing up to the first week of classes in a face-to-face class, and, in the same way, you would risk being dropped from the class.
• Here are some Online tools you’ll want to familiarize yourself with to prepare for the term.

Do I have to order a textbook?

• All readings will be posted online, so there is no textbook required for the class.

This is a film class, so how will we watch the films?

• We will be streaming the films online through the PCC library.

What will we be doing every week? (Many of these activities listed below do not have to happen in real time or face to face. Instead, you can watch, post, and participate whenever is convenient for you--as long as you post or participate by the established due dates). 

Every week, students will be expected to:

• read the articles on the film term that we’re covering that week. The film terms are: Genre, Lighting, Narrative, Cinematography, Style, Mise en Scene, Sound, Editing, and Animation.
• watch the film we’re discussing that week by a certain date, 
• fill out notes about the film, 
• and then participate in discussions and small group projects in response to the films. 

(The idea is to have fun discussing the films and sharing ideas, while we also build up a technical vocabulary and bolster your film scholar chops.)

I will also post brief lectures and informative videos that students are expected to review.

What is the instructor’s approach to the class? 

Here is the syllabus from the last time I taught this class. There may be changes but the basic course structure should be the same.

Please reach out with any questions you may have (melissa.manolas@pcc.edu[opens in new window]). 

Warmly,

Melissa

• Here are some Online tools you’ll want to familiarize yourself with to prepare for the term.