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TCP 01 — Selecting Films
Early in the term, I create teams that are as diverse as possible based on gender, interests, analytic style.
Table of Contents of the TCP Web pages
*Click on the "go to instructions page" link to go to that page. If there is no link, the page has not yet been released.
TCP 00 - Overview (go to instructions page)
TCP 01 - Film selection (go to instructions page)
All members of a team, working as individuals and blind to one another's activities, select two possible films (one from each country) and report to me. The team then meets to narrow those possibilities down to the three films (one from each country) that everyone will use for analysis. The team reports the results to me, then says good-bye to each other for awhile.
TCP 02 - IA (Individual Analysis) Presentation (go to instructions page)
Working entirely in the blind, each team member submits film summaries to me. Upon receipt of sufficiently good summaries, I send that member the form for IA. She or he then begins work on the IA form, entirely in the blind to the other team members. She or he researches the three films (director, audience, reviews), develops some observations and perhaps conclusions, then shares those ideas with the class via a presentation. Ideas shared should be designed to help the class as a working unit advance thinking on the course goal and themes.
TCP 03 - IA (Individual Analysis) Submission (go to instructions page)
Each member then writes up his or her analysis, and submits to me.
TCP 04 - TA (Team Analysis) and Its Submission (go to instructions page)
The team meets to discuss the results of each team member's IA, and writes a report, the TA, to the class identifying convergences, divergences and emergences within the team that are relevant to the course themes and goals (audience is the full class).
TCP 05 - SAATA (Summary Analysis of All Team Analyses) (go to instructions page)
Each student analyzes the TAs, entirely in the blind to his or her team (in other words, this is just individual student activity not really team-related in any way whatsoever) in order to offer convergences and divergences relevant to the course goals, and perhaps also offering new emergences.
TCP 06 - Classwide discussion ALL WORK AND REPORTS LEAD TO THIS FINAL SESSION, YOU ARE RESEARCHING AND ANALYZING TO REPORT TO THE CLASS, NOT ME
Class has an open discussion to identify possible observations and conclusions that seem to be widely held, and matters that are in contention.
TCP 01 — Film Selection
Goal
The team decided upon three excellent films, one from each East Asian country which will be their objects of analysis for the remainder of the term. This is achieved through an intermediary step where each team member working on his or her own selects two possible films for consideration.
Grading rubric
This is an ungraded assignment. However, poor film selection at the level of the team will compromise the grade at later stages. Poor film selection at the level of the individual might compromise that student's score at a later stage. Not completing the assignment will block progress: until this portion is done the team is not allowed to move to the next step *By "portion" I mean ALL team members must submit to me their individual film choices. Even if the team has selected its three films the team cannot proceed to the next step until all members have submitted their individual choices. Late completion of this assignment might compromise grades of later steps (at the individual and/or team level, depending on where the lateness occurs). Weak film summaries might compromise the individual's later step grades.
Required (checklist):
- INDIVIDUAL WORK: Two films selected by each student before the team meets.
- INDIVIDUAL WORK: Ontime submission of the film summaries of the two films selected, sent to me using the appropriate form, before the team meets.
- TEAM WORK: Attendance of all team meetings.
- TEAM WORK: Ontime submission to me, using the appropriate form, of the three films, films that meet the course criteria.
Special note May 31, 2013: Please read this note I sent to one of the groups. I imagine it might be relevant to other groups:
Whoops, sorry folks. I wasn't too clear on the instructions. So, I get a sense that you are a very cooperative, exchange ideas group. This will actually work against you :-( It is OK to meet since you have set up the meeting but finding both films first is much much better since you are to bring to the meeting films you think will work, not films you think the group wants to work with. The selfishness aspect is built in to preserve the diversity of opinion .... and this is true all the way through the project. If you cross-communicate and harmonize, you will score low on the final step where diversity is valued and consensus, more or less, is not. Students sometimes try to get ahead of the game or be time-efficient by working towards and end point rather than going step by step. That is why I release steps only one at a time by the way. So, meeting is OK but please stand firmly by your own decisions based on the published rules. Also, by the way, films that seem to "work well together" sometimes gum up the process so just three high quality films following the rules is your best shot at a top score. And, when working in the blind, work absolutely in the blind, saying nothing about what you are doing except t communicate to set up meeting times. If you have instruction questions for example, ask me or anyone in the room who is not in your team.
.... On another issue: I perceive two strong leaders in your group. Leaders, please use your leadership positions to move the team forward, of course, but more than anything else use those skills to step back and make sure everyone contributes equally. Again, you best scoring opportunity is for the equally dynamic participation of all members. As that factor slides out of balance, the team score goes down. That also means, for those who are not leading but allowing others to do so, that allowing them to "get things done" can be a hindrance to the final grade. Just keep that in mind :-) .... The whole point is lively, equal, diverse communication, even if messy and even if it leads to a lack of clarity in final message to the room.
INDIVIDUAL WORK — Finding two or three films to present to your group
What to do
Work in the blind. (Read the definition of "blind" at Announcements Page > Key concepts or use the gray sidebar on this page to access it.)
Select for your team to consider two possible films for comparative analysis. Below you will find suggestions and advice on what films to select. However, you must view in full any film you plan to select. You cannot go by memory since it is very unlikely that you watched the film previously thinking "To what degree is Daoism relevant to the actions in this film?" or any other perspective that is relevant to the themes and goals of this course. *Extra credit for selecting three. Each film must be of a different East Asian country. (Read the definition of "East Asian countries" at Announcements Page > Key concepts or use the gray sidebar on this page to access it.) Do not tell your team about your film choices until the team meeting. You should not be discussing anything with them except to arrange meeting times. If you have questions about the instructions, ask me or consider asking a fellow student who is NOT a team member.
When you have chosen your films write a brief film summary. (Read the definition of "film summary" at Announcements Page > Key concepts or use the gray sidebar on this page to access it. The instructions describe two types of summaries: "brief" and "extended". This is the "brief" form.).
Required aspects of any film you select:
- Both the production date and story setting should be "contemporary". I have not defined this precisely, but I think 1990s onward is pretty good as a guideline. Still, one of my favorite films is 2046, set in the 1960s. And some films are set in the future, etc. So, ask yourself "Is this film so perfect that I need some flexibility on the 'contemporary' component, and can the team handle the 'not-quite-contemporary' aspect of this film, making the appropriate adjustments?" I'm not overly concerned about this requirement. Just some. Check with me if you want.
- It should be as much as possible "of" a certain country. For example, Korean director, film is in Korean, film was intended to be released in Korea, setting is in Korea, relevant characters are Korean.
- It must be accessible to all. (Read the definition of "access to films" at Announcements Page > Key concepts or use the gray sidebar on this page to access it.)
- Must take as one of its primary themes "love" (most films are multi-themed). However, "love" is broadly defined. (Read the definition of "romance (love)" at Announcements Page > Key concepts or use the gray sidebar on this page to access it.) I'm flexible on the point. Example: Audition (Japan, 1999) is about a woman using the weakness of man's sexual urges to capture and torture. That's love according to our definition in class :-)
- It must be a film that all team members are comfortable watching.
- Remember that by rule we are analyzing heterosexual romantic relationships.
Some general advice on selecting films
- Refer back to the Course Basics page to see what types of themes / topics we explore in this class. Those are the items that will be on the report form, asking for your position / opinion / observation / conclusion.
- I strongly suggest you find a practiced director, so that you are dealing with someone who actually has ideas and is trying to convey them.
- I somewhat suggest you avoid films made from novels or manga or such since you will have to consider that source when you write you reports. It complicates the picture sometimes (but only sometimes, so keep that in mind).
Advice by students from last semester (Spring 2013), when invited to share (for you) the success or failure of their film choices (remember that their assignment was slightly different):
I believe that Ju Dou [China] is an excellent film to watch for this class. I think that the combination of romance with filial piety is an excellent way to discuss Confucian values. Although I have always enjoyed and respected Double Suicide, I think that the context in which it is written can make it difficult. Also, the plot is simpler so analysis is not as interesting as in Ju Dou.
"2046 [China] was a great movie, especially for layering. There were numerous instances of relationships between Chow and a female character that could be layered with the original Su Li-Zhen he pines for or for any of the other female characters. Layering could also occur between Yuddy (Days of Being Wild) and Chow. Wong Kar-Wai also employed very interesting motifs, such as a non-linear timeline (repetition or jumps between the past and the present).
Tony Takitani [Japan] was also a great movie for layering. There is the obvious layering of the female protagonist, Eiko, with her "replacement" Hisako. Another interesting instance would be between Tony and Tony's father. Jun Ichikawa also has layering occur in his album-like scenes (flashing between Tony's forlornness in an empty closet with Tony's father's wait for execution in prison). Although I didn't draw much analysis from this observation, I thought it was interesting and different for characters to be completing an omnipresent narrator's sentences."
Our group used the films Three Times [China] by Hou Hsiao-Hsien and Architecture 101[Korea], directed by Lee Yong-ju. Three Times is an obvious choice because it is rich in subtext, and the three sections of the film allow for analysis of 3 different periods in Taiwan. However, the director has strong opinions about modern vs. traditional values, so care must be taken in using the film to generalize.
The other film, Architecture 101, is a surprisingly complex film, given its not-well-known director and how recent it is. But the interactions between the 2 characters are complex and interesting. A group exploring themes like communication, intimacy, and wealth might find this film useful. It's a Korean movie that is well made, showing a realistic relationship in modern Korea.
I would like to recommend one of the films my group used for our TCP for the class: Shinobi: Heart Under Blade [Japan]. When I was just thinking about/re-watching the film, I noticed that it contained a lot of class themes and love basics, and I thought of all the different NDTs that my group could have chosen based on the film, if we were to reverse the NDT process. Agency, fate, gender roles, Confucian values, the five Chinese elements (although the film is Japanese), "love at first sight", and loyalty could all be found in Shinobi.
The film itself is very interesting. It pits lovers from two rival Shinobi clans against each other, and each must make a moral decision whether or not to fight each other or resist authority. The resolution is also very interesting. It's not the typical "happily ever after" ending to a romance/drama film. The female lover stabs and blinds herself for the Shogun, in order to save both Shinobi villages. It's actually rather depressing because it is tragic, and a realistic ending to such a story.
[Wallace note on Shinobi: I have not received very strong reports or essays based on this film. Many, many students select this film. I suspect is has to do with easy of online access, and its online representations, and the urge to find an "action" film that can also suit the needs of this course. Proceed with care.]
We used In the Mood for Love (Hong Kong, 2000) and Sky of Love (Japan, 2007).
In the Mood for Love is good. I would recommend it. I feel it is a safe choice for a TCP because it is very rich in the topics/themes of our class (could probably be used for many different NDTs) and analyzing 2046 together in class greatly helps since the research on the director is done and we already have an idea of his work/what to look for. The movie definitely isn't shallow.
Sky of Love is okay. It was definitely usable for the TCP, but in terms of value to the class it might be a little lacking just because the most of the stories we discuss in class and what most people chose for films weren't school/teenage love. If in the future the class did include more young love stories that would be interesting. Maybe more discussion since we're more familiar with it? I feel college students can't quite relate as well to the stories with older/married characters. We talked about this in our JCS emergences. It's a little bit riskier, but people shouldn't be scared off by it or previous classes' bad reviews :)
I recommend In the Mood for Love [China], since it's a straightforward film with good content that's easy to work with.
I don't recommend Crazed Fruit [Japan], since while it's an enjoyable film with good themes, due to the nature of the film, I would say it's very difficult to work with due to different interpretations from different people, which made discussions, while heated and exciting, very time consuming and stressful.
Further advice
Further student comments from prior classes can be found in the "Selecting Films" folder on bSpace.
SUBMISSION TO ME —
Submit the two (or three) film summaries to me by the deadline (see Outline-Schedule Page for deadlines).
Use the keyword myfilmchoices in the subject line.
In other words, your subject line should be
EA105Su13 LASTNAME classname myfilmchoice. The top of the Outline-Schedule Page explains subject line requirements, if you don't remember.Paste the summaries directly into the email (no attachments!).
Use this format inside the email (notice that we always use English titles for the films and always indicate country of origin and date—this will be standard through the course):
Film #1
FilmTitleinEnglish (country, year)
Summary
Film #2
FilmTitleinEnglish (country, year)
Example:
Film #1
House of Flying Daggers (China, 2004)
blah blah
Film #2
Departures (Japan, 2008)
blah blah
TEAM WORK —
Bring a printed copy of your film summaries to your meeting. (Do NOT send anything to your team members electronically before the meeting—you are working in the blind!)
ALSO bring to the meeting some sort of link to a trailer or segment of it for your team members so they can get a sense of its visual style, mood, etc.
Meet with your team and narrow your choices to three films, one from each country. You will be analyzing films both on their own merits and comparatively. However you need not, probably should not, try to select films that lead to certain conclusions, seem to be good candidates for contrast or similarity, and so on. Just pick three excellent films that have depth and ideas in them.
DO NOT AT THIS TIME DISCUSS ANYTHING REGARDING YOUR CONCLUSIONS ABOUT A FILE such as "I think this film works well because it shows that deception is necessary for love." What you CAN say is "I think this film explores the topics of deception well, and there could be lots to say. In other words, you team's strength is in the ability of its members to come to independent decisions. If anything is predecided it corrupts the process, weakens your results, and lowers your score.
SUBMISSION TO ME —
Report to me the team decision by the deadline.
Any one of you can do this but whoever does do this should include all team members email addresses in the subject line so that no one worries that you failed to submit.
Use two keywords please: GroupLetter (change that to GroupA, GroupB, etc.) plus ourfilmchoices (do not change that, in other words, do not type in your films into that slot, just keep it as is).
In other words, your subject line should be
EA105Su13 LASTNAME classname GroupLETTER ourfilmchoices.