1.  Attendance and Participation: 50%.  At the beginning of each class the TA and I will circulate about to ensure that you have your notebooks with you and that you have done the assignments.  We reserve the right to collect your notebooks at any time and in any sequence to better assess how much effort you are putting into the course.  We will look to see if your entries are:

1. timely,
2. serious,
3. respectful
4. and thoughtful

2. Midterm Examination: 25%. This will be a six page take-home exam on one or two broadly-framed questions that will cover the first six weeks of the semester.  I shall give you the question(s) on October 5 and the exam is due at the beginning of class on October 10. I expect this exam to exhibit quality writing and thinking.
Note:  If you are at all concerned about the quality of your writing, please seeme or the TA with a draft of your exam by Friday, October 7th.

3.  Research paper: 25%.  In lieu of a final exam, you will compose a 12 page paper examining one or two films in detail.  You may not write about any film covered over the course of the semester, but you may write about directors we have discussed.  I expect this paper to reflect college-level research and serious thought.

A draft of the paper is due on November 30.  This draft needs to show—at a minimum!—your opening paragraph with strong thesis statement, a list of sources you may use, and an indication of the direction of your argument.  I will not grade this draft, but I will not accept a final paper without your having done a draft and you therefore will receive a "0" for 25% of your grade.  The more you can write for this draft, the more feedback we can give you, and the better chance you have of producing a solid final paper.

The final paper is due on the date scheduled for the final exam for this course.