After World War I, the American film industry became the dominant cinema throughout the world, dwarfing national cinemas in number of productions and in box office revenues. Since then, the industry vertically integrated into the Hollywood studio system, was broken up by the US courts, threatened by television and new media, acquired by global conglomerates, and challenged by emerging cinemas in East and South Asia.
By most measures, however, the American film industry remains a dominant force in the culture industries of the world. This course examines the economic history of the American film industry since 1912. We will also focus on the technological and cultural changes of the industry, and pay special attention to how film has responded to successes and challenges of the US film industry and the changes to its business practices.
Juan Monroy
The following textbooks are available at the Queens College Bookstore, Student Union Building, Phone: (718) 997–3573, through online retailers, and on reserve at Rosenthal Library.
Required course materials qualify for a tax credit. For more information, see the National Association of College Stores.
Required course readings not found in the above textbooks are available electronically as PDFs. Point your web browser to our ERes site and, when prompted, enter the password.
There is a course website that will be the primary online presence for this course. Here, you will find important announcements, course schedule, lecture summaries, assignment guidelines, exam study guides, links to relevant resources, and the most current version of the syllabus. Everyone’s blog entries (see Assignments below) will be posted on this website.
We will be using Blackboard for the parts of the course that involve your grade. You will use Blackboard to submit each assignment, except for the blog posts, and you can view your grade in the class for tracking your individual progress.
The requirements for this class are fairly simple: attend class, pay attention in class, complete the assigned readings, and complete every assignment on time and on your own.
Please respect the classroom environment. You should pay attention to the lecture, take notes, and avoid distractions, such as web browsing and using your mobile phone. Studies have consistently shown that students using laptops and mobile phones tend to perform about 11% worse than students who are not distracted by these devices. That’s equivalent to a full grade!
On a personal note, it’s very difficult to stay motivated as a teacher if I see students seemingly disinterested in their own education. If I find you engaging in disruptive behavior, such as watching online videos, passing notes, instant messaging, chatting, or texting, I will remove you from the classroom and require you to withdraw from the class.
Attendance at all class session is of paramount importance. I expect you to take responsibility for attending all classes. While there are no formal consequences for missing class, absenteeism almost always results in a lower grade because you will be missing important lecture information, in-class presentations, and announcements.
Please complete the required readings before our class session. We will cover material that assumes you have completed the assigned readings. I invite you to re-read certain chapters or articles after the class to reinforce the material covered in our sessions.
Although I understand that textbooks are expensive, you are required to buy the required books as they are a necessary part of your education. The books will be available on reserve at Rosenthal Library. Some books may also be available as a more affordable e-book, and required books now qualify for a tax credit.
Here’s the deal: If you do your own work, write thoughtful work, properly cite your sources, and submit your work on time, you should do very well in this course.
All written work must be submitted on time. Assignments must be submitted through Blackboard as an electronic file (PDF, RTF, or Microsoft Word) and as a hard copy. Your assignment will not be considered submitted until you have tendered both versions. Please do not email me your assignments.
All written work must be formatted according to the directions specified on the assignment guidelines. In addition, please number your pages, double space your text, and make a cover page that includes your name, the course title, the title of your assignment, and the assignment’s due date. Please print your paper and proofread it for grammatical and typographic errors before submitting it. Excessive errors will result in a lower grade.
You must cite your sources according to the specifications outlined in one of the following guides:
It is absolutely crucial to properly cite sources for any information you give that is not common knowledge. Not doing so is considered plagiarism and will result receiving a reduced grade, a failing grade for the assignment, or a failing grade for the course, depending on the severity of the offense.
Academic Dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion, as provided herein.
Cheating is the unauthorized use or attempted use of material, information, notes, study aids, devices or communication during an academic exercise. Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research or writings as your own. Internet plagiarism includes submitting downloaded term papers or parts of term papers, paraphrasing or copying information from the internet without citing the source, and “cutting & pasting” from various sources without proper attribution. Obtaining Unfair Advantage is any activity that intentionally or unintentionally gives a student an unfair advantage in his/her academic work over another student. Additionally, falsification of records and official documents constitutes academic dishonesty.
All students are invited to read the CUNY policy.
Please submit your work on time. Late work will be penalized by a 10% reduction for each 24-hour period it is late. After one calendar week, the assignment will not be accepted and you will likely fail this class.
There will be no incomplete grades for this class except in the case of a documented emergency in the final weeks of the semester. If you experience such an emergency, please contact me immediately, and we will work out a schedule for you to complete the outstanding work before the beginning of the following semester.
But aside from these circumstances, no late work will be accepted and no “incomplete” grades will be granted. If you have difficulty keeping up with coursework, consider giving yourself extra time to complete assignments, reducing your overall course load, and/or taking this class at a later semester.
Please check your QC email account (student@qc.cuny.edu) on a daily basis, if not more frequently.
Also, signup for the class email list.
This list will be used as a backup to the often unresponsive QC email system. I will broadcast announcements and send point-to-point communiques using your official email address and the mailing list.
Please silence and turn off the radio in your mobile phone (power down the phone or set to “Airplane” mode). Not only do ringing phones disrupt class, most phones will also interfere with the media equipment in the room.
Queens College has a history of commitment to the enhancement of education of students with disabilities. The Office of Special Services for Students with Disabilities was established in 1974 to provide equal opportunities for a college education to academically qualified students with physical disabilities. The office offers comprehensive support services to students with various disabilities. Queens College prohibits discrimination against students with disabilities and it ensures full access and equal opportunity to qualified students with disabilities to all academic programs and social activities on campus.
To receive these services, a student must first register with the office in Kiely 171. To do so, you must bring proper documentation pertaining to the nature of your disability from a qualified professional. To learn more about CUNY Assistive Technology Services and the office located at Queens College, call (718) 997–3775 or visit Kiely Hall 173.
I will give you twenty-five (25) events relevant to the history of American film and culture. Give the four-digit, numerical year in which this event occurred. You are welcome to use to any sources to complete this assignment, including standalone Internet sources.
The assignment will be administered on Blackboard, and you must complete the assignment prior to class.
Due: September 23, 5:00 PM on Blackboard
Select one of the events from the Timeline of Historical Events assignment, and write a four-hundred word summary of that event and its relevance for the US film industry. We will work on writing a thesis sentence for this assignment in class in preparation for this assignment.
To research your assignment, you must consult at least four research sources. Two must be primary sources, and two must be secondary sources. None of these can be standalone Internet sources. You must cite your sources, according to MLA or Chicago.
You may also post your summary on the course website for five (5) extra credit points.
Due: October 3, in class and on Blackboard
In the third week of class, each student will be randomly assigned a film to screen and research with a specified deadline. Before your assigned deadline, post a 750-word review of the film that connects the film to its historical moment and reflects on its importance on the American film industry. You should consult at least four research sources and include a graphic illustration in your post. Your blog post should answer the following questions:
Due: November 28, in class and on Blackboard
The exam will consist of true/false, multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and short essay questions. The questions will be based on the material we covered in the first-half of the course, corresponding to the American film industry under the Studio System.
October 31, in class
During finals week, you will complete an in-class final exam. The exam will consist of true/false, multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and short essay questions. The questions will be based on the material we’ve covered during the entire course with an emphasis on the material we covered in the second-half of the course, corresponding to the American film industry after the advent of television.
December 19, in class
Our class is cancelled due to the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene and the attendant flooding, transit disruptions, and road closures.
Buy the required textbooks, download the syllabus, join the course website, login to Blackboard, browse our ERes site, and subscribe to the email list. Also, begin the Timeline Assignment.
Timeline Assignment due September 23, at 5:00 PM on Blackboard.
Photophone shorts listed on course website.
Vitaphone shorts; Sunrise (F. W. Murnau, 1927, 95 min.)
Historical Event Summary due in class and on Blackboard.
You will select a film for American Film and Industry Blog Post today in class.
We will take our midterm exam in class. You need not supply any paper, blue books, or any exam form.
American Film and Industry Blog Post due on the Course Website before class.
We will take our final exam in class. You need not supply any paper, blue books, or any exam form.