Corvin

Right. I just thought I'd run this past some fellow movie fans and see what you guys/girls have to say.

I'm taking a film class at school; it's on film narrative. Anyway, it's more of an introduction to film and the study of film more than anything else.

The teacher really seems to know her stuff, and she's obviously passionate about the class and also about film.

But here's the thing. The films we've seen thus far...well, they've been shown on VHS. Which isn't inherently bad (okay, maybe it is), but the films so far have been pan-and-scan.

This is a film class that should bring about film appreciation. And I just can't help but cringe when she teaches mise en scene with films that are obviously not being shown in their OAR.

Anyway, I'm going to public university that focuses on medicine more than anything else, so it isn't exactly like the campus has tons of cash for classes like this, but it still seems very wrong.

Anyway, rant over.

NitroJMS

I've taken film classes at two different schools, one a community college and the other a university, and both used VHS to teach with. The CC used nothing but VHS, but that's understandable since they were on a very limited budget. The university used a mix of VHS, DVD, and actual film. Most everything at the university was shown in OAR to my knowledge, but most of the films were pre-widescreen.

Goldberg74

Which shows have you watched? Are they even on DVD?

Being a professor myself, I like to hear the input of the students in the class, so don't be afraid to walk up and talk to her about it.

We are currently overhauling the videos in our library to DVD, since they can be easily watched in laptops by the students.

That's my $.02.

fumanstan

I've taken 3 different film classes (4 if you count a sociology class on film) and all of them except 1 has used VHS. The one that used DVD was because the class was held in the school's movie theater (@UCSD). While it sucks, i don't really mind. Although i've never been one to be anal about it as i honestly don't notice when watching the films.

Corvin

It isn't the VHS that bugs me so much as the fact that we're watching the movies in an aspect ratio that isn't correct.


I know for a fact that some of the films are on DVD.

Also, Goldberg, I don't want to seem like a "holier-than-thou" kind of student, asking why we aren't watching the films in their OAR. Especially because I know the reason why we aren't: $$$

Corleone

We watched movies on DVD, VHS, and film.

jay77a

To have a film class, and show the films in P&S is just stupid and a waste of your money.

I don't want to hear about budgets. In this day and age, the prof. should choose films that he can either screen on a projector or films available on DVD.

lesterlong

When I was taking a film class where we watched films. Our teacher would apologize if he couldn't get the movie on DVD in widescreen. Most of the time he did but sometimes the VHS was the only way to go. Then again we were watching mostly classics that were shot 1.33:1 and it didnt really matter.

Pants

And since you know the reason why are you asking us? If you don't like it try a different school. At USC everything is shown in 35mm in a 300 seat auditorium with a modern surround set-up. Now get out your checkbook

lesterlong

I don't understand why people go to film school to watch films. I mean I can watch films at my house. The film school I go to we make films. That's why I think those top bank film schools are a waste of money. But if someone would like to offer an alternate opinion I'm all ears.

DonnachaOne

Lester, I liked the idea of watching films and getting college credit for it.

As for my class... we watched a couple of films on VHS, but only films that weren't out in OAR yet or were already 1.33:1. We watched DVDs after that, and at one point we watched a widescreen VHS of Apocalypse Now.

Corvin

I wasn't really asking you why my school isn't showing films in their OAR. It was more to highlight the extreme irony of teaching a film class with films in pan and scan. See below.

I'm not going to school for film. I took it because I thought it would be a fun class.

smirnoffski

Well, the film class I am currently taking is in an actual cinema, so all the films shown are in their original theatrical form and everything is perfectly calibrated!!

Of course, this school just recently won the NCAA football championship!!

Pants

And you can read Shakespeare at home, and you can read a history book at home. But at your house you can't learn from a brilliant faculty and you can't engage in a conversant atmosphere with peers.

Most "top bank" film schools have film studies (critical theory) and production.

They often also have animation, film scoring, and writing.

No matter what major you pursue from the arts to business the real reason to go to college is networking so you can get a job. And you can't do that at home with a DVD player

fumanstan

Film class, not film school. Big difference. Why not have some fun while earning credit for it? For me... since i needed credits and didn't want to waste my time learning about psychology or some physical science, watching movies was a better choice. Plus, i've gotten the opportunity to watch a lot of films i wouldn't otherwise, like Chaplain and Buster Keaton Jr.

talemyn

You go to LSU?!?! Congratulations . . . they played a great game!

FuzzyBallz

Last time I checked my college still uses the central broadcasting system, meaning programs are served up to a particular channel from the school library's video broadcast room. You have to pre-order the program and cue the controller when class starts. Got no money for sky walker ranch style cinema setup here. Damn, my state college is poor.

jaeufraser

The same reason you read books in an English class as opposed to writing them. There's more to learning film than just technical specifics. While I'm no huge fan of school, you should be able to see the inherent value in watching and learning from other's work, as opposed to having a cirriculum that focuses solely on teaching you how to use equipment.

Sure you could watch movies at home...but then who do you discuss it with? Where is the lesson plan that focuses you on deriving thought fomr these films as opposed to just watching them for entertainment?

DeadLamb

blah!! Get out your pocket change!! They did the same thing thing at my local JC years ago.. Yaaa for American River JC in Sacramento. hehe.... So it's not just the bigger level school that have better film history set up's for classes...

Seems sort of strange to even offer a film class with out some sort of theater like setting to watch the movies in... Geeeeesh, even DVD on TV if it was by way of those cartTV roll out sort of set ups would sort of suck.. I could see maybe DVD off a LCD projector but anything less less then that seems like it's cheating the students. After all, it's film class with out really seeing the films.

Ah but odds are even if you have to watch VHS versions of films it's a fun class. At least everyone is seeing the same film at the same time and one can have a discussion about it afterwards.

After all, one needs these sort of filler classes or ya end up taking "electives" like Comparative world religious. Yes one of my friends really took that has his fun fluffy filler class at Sacramento State thinking it would just be sort of fun.. Whoops, he passed the class of course but he wished he had taken something like world music.