HOME PAGE
Merrifield
Hall 110 (mailbox) and Sayre-Robertson Hall 302 (office)
701-777-3865
– Office hours held in Merrifield 122 –
CURRENT CLASSES TAUGHT:
(Click links to each syllabus or just scroll down below for basic Intro to Film syllabus)
FALL 2009:
English 225
INTRO TO FILM
Three Sections -- Tue-Wed
or Tue-Thurs afternoons
English
299 PAST CLASSES TAUGHT: SUMMER MOVIE CAMPS for ADULTS and TEENS
English
299 English
305 Feature-length
digital movies completed:
Special Topics: Creative
Movie Production
Tue-Wed 5:30-7:30 pm Fall 2009 semesters
A two-week workshop for adults:
June 1-12, 2009 - Mon. thru Fri. 6-9:30 pm and 6-10 pm
and a one-week workshop for teens:
July 20-24 from 9am-5pm
Special Topics: Creative
Movie Production
Tue-Wed 7-9 pm Fall 2006, 5-7 pm Fall 2007, and 5:30-7:30 pm Fall 2008 semesters
Special Topics: Advanced Movie Production
Tue-Wed 5-7 pm Spring 2008 semester
Creative
Writing (SCREENWRITING)
Mon-Wed-Fri 10-11 am – Spring 2005
semester
Ask at local video stores in
The Threat of the Mummy (2002) 106 min. 2005 NATIONAL WRITERS CONGRESS Current
Movie Reviews from the High Plains READER BluRay and Home Theatre basics from the High Plains READER Excerpt from
unpublished historical adventure-romance novel, The Treasure of Isis Making your own
movies Basics of "no-budget" moviemaking RIGHT CLICK HERE and select “Save As” to
download a free custom-made screenplay template for MS-Word 2000 or later that
automatically formats font, indents, line spacing, and margins as you type, and
numbers scenes automatically with every new slugline. Scene numbers may be
removed manually, if desired, with MS-Word numbering tools. Sluglines, character names, and transitions
are automatically all CAPS. Independent moviemaking
in eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota Independent movies made on digital video in
Grand Forks and Fargo and surrounding area (See also the iNDie Movies page) UND
Student Movie Productions made for classes and workshops Intro class
basic syllabus: (Click on Class for Online Syllabus Website) ALL
THREE SECTIONS: Tuesdays 2-4 pm -- film screenings Merrifield-300, plus either REQUIRED TEXT for 2009-10: RECOMMENDED TEXTS:
This class will introduce you to the basics of film production, narrative,
style, editing, performance, sound, etc. It will also expose you to a variety
of films produced in the No final exam, but three unit tests and a semester project (two 5-page
analytical papers, or one 10-page research paper, or a screenplay and a
finished short movie submitted on DVD, VHS, miniDV, or Digital 8 videotape). FILM CLASS QUICK
LINKS: Term Paper Assignment Options (paper details for
Intro to Film) Intro to Film Assignment Schedule (dates for film
titles, readings, papers, and tests) Film Casts, Credits, and Study
Questions (selected films often used in Intro classes and/or for
independent study) Guidelines for Writing Papers (general
guidelines for film classes) Some links for
further research, reference, and background information: Internet Movie Database Search "Nitrateville" Classic Film Discussion Forum Psychological representation in cinema (1926 Photoplay
article) More links on
film, plus ancient history and other subjects can be found on my BIO PAGE Useful “Usenet”
Newsgroups for additional information and for asking questions of experts: alt.movies.cinematography If you have This Page Last Updated August 22, 2009 Direct Any Questions or Comments (and report inactive links) to: christopher_jacobs@und.nodak.edu
supernatural fantasy and sociopolitical
satire, shot summer 2001
Vengeance of the Sorceress (2002) 92 min.
tongue-in-cheek supernatural suspense action
thriller, shot summer 2002
Dark Highways
(2003) 98 min.
North Dakota neo-noir suspense mystery
thriller, shot summer 2003
NOMINEE: “BEST
SCREENPLAY” – 2004 SMMASH Film Festival, Minneapolis
OFFICIAL SELECTION –
New York International Independent Film & Video Festival,
New York
City, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas; Rural Route Film Festival, Brooklyn NY
Miss Mystic
(2004) 95 min.
body-switching suspense thriller, shot spring
2004
WINNER: “BEST FEATURE”
– 2004 Forx Film Fest, Grand Forks ND
HONORABLE MENTION –
2005 Sub Rosa Studios B-Movie Fest, Syracuse NY
OFFICIAL SELECTION –
2006 “It Came From Lake Michigan” horror/sci-fi/fantasy film festival, Racine
WI
Music to My Ears (2006) 119 min.
backstage musical comedy-drama,
shot mainly summer-fall 2005 and January 2006
THIRD PLACE: “FAMILY
FEATURES” – 2006 Indie Gathering, Cleveland OH
Dangers from Within (2007) 81 min.
gothic suspense thriller,
shot summer 2007
HONORABLE MENTION – 2008 Indie Gathering, Cleveland OH
Promotional video (Quicktime files)
30-second spot 2.7 MB
60-second spot 5.7 MB
Written & produced by Larry Woiwode
Directed, photographed, and edited by Christopher P. Jacobs
Published articles and essays
(revised and updated versions):
A Night
At The Movies (originally
published in the High Plains Reader)
Writing
About Film (originally
published in Northern Journalist)
The Development of the Cinema (originally published in
Guide to the Silent Years of Cinema)
D.W. Griffith--Some
background on the controversial film pioneer (originally published in the High Plains
Reader)
History of the Empire
Theatre in Grand Forks (originally published a
souvenir pamphlet)
(with lots of pictures, and now including a gallery of movie advertising
materials for films that played during the theatre's first year, as well as
Quicktime movie clips from the first film ever to play at the historic Empire, The
Witness for the Defense (Paramount-Artcraft, 1919), directed by George Fitzmaurice,
starring Elsie Ferguson and Warner Oland!)
Selected
Past Movie Reviews from the High Plains READER
(Macros
must be enabled for keyboard shortcuts to work. If they won’t work, simply
select a different style format from style menu.)
(including trailers in RealPlayer or Quicktime format and links to separate
movie home pages for selected titles!)
Wednesdays 2-3 or 3-4 pm or Thursdays 2-3 pm -- lecture-discussion Merrifield-116
Richard Barsam, Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film
Second
Edition with free DVDs and "Writing About Film" booklet
ISBN # 0393928659
(NOTE: Spring 2007
was the last semester that the 7th Edition of Bordwell & Thompson's
Film Art was used for this course)
Syd Field, The Screenwriter’s Problem Solver ISBN # 440504910
Lynne Truss, Eats, Shoots & Leaves
ISBN # 1592400876
(Note that websites can change frequently and some links might be out of
date—inform your instructor of any 404’s)
Movie Guide Database Search
All-Movie Guide Database Search
Movie Information
Collection (more links)
Original Articles
from the Silent Era
The "Silents
Majority" (currently unavailable)
"Silents
Are Golden" information and critiques on silent films on DVD
Information
and links on Silent Cinema
Behind the Scenes in the Movie
Industry
Information on
Significant Movies
Information on Film
Formats and Technology
Information on Color and
Widescreen Film Processes
Information on Film Sound
The
American Film Institute Catalog database of silent films
The Journal of
Film Preservation (currently unavailable)
(use your newsreader or go on the web to Google
Search, formerly http://www.dejanews.com
and select “groups”)
alt.movies.independent
alt.movies.silent (also includes
discussions of early sound films and filmmakers whose career spanned both
silent and sound films)
misc.writing.screenplays.moderated
rec.arts.movies.production
rec.arts.movies.tech
rec.video.desktop
rec.video.production
or dejanews, you might also want to check out
alt.binaries.pictures.movie-posters