Eastern Illinois University Film Studies Minor Newsletter
News and Views
Hi, my name is Britta Grand, and I am here to welcome you to the second edition of the Film Studies Minor newsletter for the fall semester.
We have lots to offer you here, including upcoming film events, places where you c
an submit your papers, and places you can send your film work, so enjoy!
Film Submission Possibilities
The Lake County Film Festival is still looking for original films for its 2010 fest the first week of March.
Go to lakecountyfilmfest.com to learn how to submit.
Black Oak Media is looking for submissions for its webzine. Film reviews should be between 600-700 words in length, and can be sent to submissions@blackoakmedia.org.
Local Film Events
Global Lens 2009 Film Series (Those Three), University YMCA, Champaign, IL (corner of Wright and Chalmers), October 22, 2009, 7 pm – This movie is about three Iranian people who desert the army.
Global Lens 2009 Film Series (What a Wonderful World), University YMCA, Champaign, IL (corner of Wright and Chalmers), October 29, 2009, 7 pm –A prostitute’s best friend falls in love with her best client.
European Movie Night (No Place to Go), Foreign Language Building, Lucy Ellis Lounge, Urbana, IL, November 9, 2009, 7 pm – This movie is part of a series “Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall.”
European Movie Night (Lives of Others), Foreign Language Building, Lucy Ellis Lounge, Urbana, IL, November 11, 2009, 7 pm – This movie is part of a series “Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall.”
Foreign Film Night, Mattoon Public Library, Mattoon, IL, November 7, 2009, 5:30 pm
UB’s Movies (Transformers Revenge of the Fallen), Buzzard Auditorium, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL, October 23-24, 2009, 7 pm
UB’s Movies (Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince), Buzzard Auditorium, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL, October 30-31, 2009, 7 pm
UB’s Movies (Funny People), Buzzard Auditorium, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL, November 6-7, 2009, 7 pm
UB’s Movies (G.I. Joe – The Rise of the Cobra), Buzzard Auditorium, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL, November 13-14, 2009, 7 pm
EVFF is co-sponsored by Eastern Illinois University’s College of Arts & Humanities and the Coles County Arts Council. The EVFF is a yearly event honoring a person or theme relevant to the Embarras Valley, which encompasses much of East Central Illinois. 2009 marks the 200th year since the birth of Abraham Lincoln. Accordingly, the EVFF celebrates the life of this great U.S. president who had family ties in the Coles County area. Check www.eiu.edu/~evff for more details.
ENG 3504: Film and Lit, TR 6:30-9
Murray
Crossing Borders in African American Literature and Film
African American literature and film have been defined as either syncretist (holding that great African American artists follow Eurocentric forms and belong to a larger mainstream group) and separatist (holding that true African American artists create with a distinctive identity of their own). This class will explore how crossing borders between syncretist and separatist visions of the African American aesthetic is reflected in film and literature by and about African Americans. It will also examine the multiple borders crossed in African American film and literature, in relation to both cultural and aesthetic experiences.
English 2005 Section 001 CRN 31438
Moffitt
Creative Writing: Drama 1400-1450 MWF
This course will provide an introduction to the reading and writing of dramatic scenes, with class time devoted to various principles common to all dramatic writing through writing exercises and workshop discussion. (old curriculum Group 6; new curriculum Group 5)
CMN 3530, Film Communication,
3:30-4:45 pm, TR 7-9:30 pm T
Heumann
Film as the expression of the performers, producers, directors, writers, and technicians. Critical discussion of film theory, history, and criticism.
CMN 4030: Animation, MW 2-3:15 pm.
Heumann
Seminar in topics which are not covered in the course offerings of the Department of Communication Studies. More than one section in more than one topic possible each semester. May be repeated when topics vary, with up to six hours applied toward the major.
EIU 4192 Film and Contemporary Society, Honors, 3:30-6:50 pm, R
A study of the theory, aesthetics, history, and cultural contexts of film, concentrating on the relationships among film, literature, popular culture, music, and the plastic arts. Students will explore the ways in which we read film and culture from around the world, and the ways in which we write about film.
Film Studies Minor Intern
Tyson Reed
Growing up in the Midwest my whole life, the transition to Los Angeles has been monumental. Adapting to this kind of environment will take a bit of time, but I’m willing to tough it out. Once the new wears off and all the smoke clears, I will settle in and not feel so out of place. As for the internship here at MGM, I must say that I am honored to be able to grace these halls freely. There is so much history in this company; it really makes for an impressive and exciting journey.
There is much that goes on behind the scenes in a studio. When people think of making movies they envision the physical production of the movie like lighting, directors, grips, special effects, explosions, camera people, etc. Most people probably don’t even care as long as they pay their $10 and have a great time with friends at the theatre. In all reality, it is a huge undertaking to bring everything together on not just a physical scale, but also the many pre-production steps a project undergoes. Everything from the development of an idea to the many re-writes of scripts before the project moves to production. There is much to see and I plan on exposing myself to as much as I can. This first week has been a whirlwind here, but with getting settled in, that is to be expected.
Luke Ryan (Vice President of Development and EIU alumnus) has taken the time to show me the inner workings of some of the projects. He has also taken the time to link me up with others who have been successful in the business. I am trying to expose myself to as much as I can while I’m out here. A price cannot be put on the experience and an opportunity like this doesn’t come along every day. I have only begun my adventure here and I’m going to make like a sponge and soak it all in.
The EIU film studies minor is what launched me to get where I am today. It is one thing to talk and study about films, but it is a whole different ball game behind the closed doors of a studio. Yes, politics are involved; that is something you can never get away from, no matter what work environment you are in. If this is a business you want to work in, I encourage you to pursue it. Anything is reachable. The amount of avenues one could take in this business is close to endless. Find the niche you feel that is right for you and go for it. Shortly after I arrived I was faced with the question: what do you want to do? I didn’t know at the time and answered undecidedly. I was immediately told I was going to fail. What a reality check that was for me. The moral of the story is that you need to set a goal, do what you can to get there, and try not to steer away from that goal. So, be sure to have your mind made up and stick to your guns.
Long story short, I am having the time of my life and really enjoy being involved with a company such as MGM. I have made some great friends and connections being here for only a week, so I can only imagine what is in store for the future. I have really enjoyed reading through scripts that are in production and some that are still in pre-production. Watching these films come to life is amazing. I now have a much greater respect for a film when I watch it. I think one would have to be here to appreciate all the work that goes into each and every project.
A Lil' End-of-Summer Southern Gothic Melodrama
I watched the most wonderful movie last night on Turner Classic Movies (TCM).
This amazing cinematic experience came courtesy of Mississippi-set melodrama The Long, Hot Summer (1958), starring real-life husband-and-wife duo Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. (The two wed shortly after production wrapped on this film.) Orson Welles, Lee Remick, and Anthony Franciosa round out the superb ensemble cast. This bonafide Southern Gothic masterpiece is based on a William Faulkner novel. Watching Newman and Woodward interact, you can see why their marriage lasted so long-- they were very much in love with each other. I was particularly impressed with Ms. Woodward's acting ability. She is the epitome of a Southern Gothic heroine: uniquely attractive, strong-willed, sensitive, expressive, sweet with a bit of an edge, and, most importantly, intelligent.
I've researched both members of this Hollywood "power couple" extensively on IMDb.com, and I've got to say that I've become a fan. Mr. Newman, who passed away a year ago, made some great classic films-- like Hud (1963) and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). The former film is a haunting portrait of life in rural Texas, and the latter is nothing less than creative genius, seamlessly combining history and pop culture (the bicycle scene in which Newman and Robert Redford try to impress a girl (Katharine Ross) through some fancy stunt work while "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" plays in the background, anybody?). I've also seen Cool Hand Luke (1967), which was decent. More importantly, he was a true humanitarian and progressive social activist. Anyway, I plan on watching-- and writing about-- more Newman/Woodward movies in the near future. I have yet to see Newman in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), which also stars a young, gorgeous Elizabeth Taylor. Incidentally, this is another Southern Gothic melodrama and based on a Tennessee Williams play, which means I have to see it as well. They just don't make movies like the ones I've mentioned here anymore.
Ashley Waggoner is a graduate student in the English department. Ashley blogs about life, politics, art, and culture at ashley-acrosstheashleyverse.blogspot.com.
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