INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Mladen Milicevic, Office - Xavier Hall 312 Tel. 338-4575
Email: MMilicev@lmu.edu
WEB: http://myweb.lmu.edu/mmilicevic/

COURSE OUTLINE:
The goals of this coures are to give the student the foundation for more advanced study and to establish an understanding of the main principles of sound as a functional element in media arts. This class involves looking at and analyzing film clips; over the course of semester around 200 clips will be presented in class. For that reason, the class attendance is absolutely crucial.

In the beginning, some time will be spent on how to generally look at and evaluate film clips, emphasizing the dramatic aspect of the narrative. After that, film sound will be classified as it relates to the visuals: diegetic, non-diegetic, and meta-diegetic. This will be followed by the first examination. After that, dialogue and sound effects will be covered, and the second examination will check your knowledge of those aspects. Next, the study of how music aesthetically functions in the cinematic arts will occupy the rest of the semester. The third (final) examination will be cumulative and based on a comprehensive understanding of everything covered during the semester.

I hope, that after taking this class you will be able to perceptively look at and listen to film soundtracks. I hope, also, you will become equipped with the analytical skills to interpret the relationships among the elements which take place on aural and visual planes of cinematic experience. The knowledge gained in this class may help you in making your own media products which include sound as a creative component.

ESTIMATED COST FOR THE CLASS : You will have to spend at least $ 30 for video rentals.

GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE WWW:
This class will be computer intensive to some extent. If you have a home computer and a modem, you are urged to get an Internet provider and install Netscape or any other WEB viewer so that you can access the World Wide Web. Otherwise, all of the computer labs on campus have access to the World Wide Web. You will be asked, on a regular basis, to search the INTERNET for material relevant to this class and for your own information. You should visit FILM 498/698 class WEB-PAGE where you will find on-line all the materials relevant to this class.
http://www.lmu.edu/acad/personal/faculty/mmilicevic/classes/

EMAIL:
Every student enrolled in this class is required to obtain an E-mail account and submit it to me by the end of first week of the classes. If you already have an E-mail account just drop me a note with your E-mail address. If you do not have an E-mail account you should apply for one A.S.A.P. All students should receive an e-mail account from the Student Help Desk located on the lower level of Hilton Business Center. Returning students will maintain their accounts from last year and new students will need to go in person (with ID) to have an account created. Each student will complete and return a short application form. Accounts are created within 2-3 days, after that a representative from the Student Help Desk will contact the person and give him/her a login name and a password. For more info, you can call 8-7777, option 3, 3. You can also contact the Student Help Desk via e-mail at: stdnthlp@stdntpop.lmu.edu

E-MAIL PROCEDURES:
Every week on Friday, I am going to ask you a question via e-mail. You have to answer that question by the deadline set in the question message. If you are late, your answer is not going to count at all. There are certain procedures you MUST follow when answering these questions, if you don't do so I will simply disregard your answer altogether. This is what you have to do:

Your e-mail answer MUST have the following header:

TO: Mladen Milicevic
FROM: Joe Smith
SUBJECT: FILM498/698 Answer to Q#4

You MUST also sign your e-mail message by typing your FULL name at the end of your answer message. If you need to ask me something besides your answer to the question, you have to send me a SEPARATE
e-mail message. When I receive your answer I will send you a confirmation message which you should save and keep by the end of semester. This is for you to have a proof that I have really received your message.

In case you experience problems with your server, i.e. your message gets bounced back for some reason - DO NOT DELETE THOSE BOUNCED MESSAGES, they are your proof that the server did not work properly.

ATTENDANCE:
Attendance will be taken at each class meeting. Absence from more than 10% of the scheduled classes, whether excused or unexcused, is excessive and GRADE PENALTIES will occur according to these rules: If you miss 10% of the classes your FINAL CLASS GRADE will go down for the whole lettergrade. For every additional 10% you will lose another lettergrade.

BEHAVIOR:
Students are expected to behave according to the LMU Academic Honesty and Integrity as outlined in Undergraduate Bulletin, page 39.

GRADING:
Grading for the course depends on these factors:

1) Film Sound - Diegetic/Non-Diegetic/Meta-Diegetic/Oneiric	EXAM #1	20 %
2) Dialogue and Sound Effects	EXAM #2	20 %
3 Dialogue, Sound Effects, and Film Music Cumulative Final Exam	EXAM #3	50 %
4) INTERNET ASSIGNMENTS - Weekly E-mail questions and one WWW search		10 %

This is not a class in calculus which deals with objective criteria such as 1 + 1 = 2, this class deals with subjective interpretations of the film sound as understood by your instructor and other scholars and professionals. Please, keep this in mind when you receive your grades.

GRADING SCALE:

• A 97% - 100% superior
• A- 93% - 96% outstanding
• B+ 89% - 92% very good
• B 85% - 88% good
• B- 81% - 84% better than average
• C+ 77% - 80% above average
• C 73% - 76% average
• C- 68% - 72% below average (this is not a passing grade in courses requiring a minimum grade of C )
• D 64% - 67% poor
• F 63% - below failure