Most often we watch films to be entertained. They help us wind down, and relax. There’s a lot to be said for just lying on the couch, popcorn in hand, and letting yourself go.
But if you would like to understand why some films are considered classics, this course will provide you with a point of entry to their history and their place in the culture.
The 12-Hour Film Expert will offer all you need to know to deepen your understanding of how films are made. The classes will cover the earliest movies and how the Silents learned to tell a story, the development of the "Golden Age" Hollywood style, the history of various genres and the key figures and films within them. We will examine what the key films do differently that makes them classics or a work we might consider a masterpiece. How they pushed the envelope or established new precedents.
This year we will focus on Hollywood Studio films. We will save Independent and International movies for future iterations of the course.
Ahead of each class, participants will be asked to watch two films on their own: each a classic, reflecting different eras of script writing, direction, acting and cinematography. They will provide the focal discussion points for that week`s class, and will be supplemented by clips from the featured film and others. The clips will be used for close analysis, to appreciate influential moments in film history, and occasionally, to simply watch something superbly done.
So, take this course and it will be the only one you need to get started on film history, technique and appreciation. It can be a gateway to more, or your one-stop source to achieve a level of solid knowledge of the movies and how they work.
Grab the popcorn, because here we go.

COURSE FORMAT
This is an interactive online seminar course that meets weekly over 6 weeks. Live online sessions will use the zoom platform. Weekly reading or other forms of materials may be assigned. Weekly sessions will be recorded and available for registered participants to access throughout the course.
There are no papers or grades. This course does not offer any credits or certificates. This course is intended for learning for the love of learning.

COURSE MATERIALS
This course will require participants to rent/purchase materials.
Required Reading: The 12 Hour Film Expert, James Charney and Noah Charney (Rowman and Littlefield, 2024)
Participants will also be asked to watch two "key" films independently each week.

Registrants will receive access to the course website and the zoom links about two weeks before the course starts.

COURSE CANCELLATION POLICY
Registrants can cancel and receive a full refund up to March 10. After March 10, there will be no refunds issued.
Yale Alumni College courses are subject to schedule changes as well as cancellations. If Yale Alumni College must cancel any course prior to its start due to low enrollment, you will be notified of this by the cancellation date. Upon cancellation of a course, registrants may transfer their registration to another available course or have the registration fee fully refunded.

In the event of a disruption to the original course schedule, including but not limited to; Professor absence, hazardous weather conditions, or local travel restrictions, Yale Alumni College will do its best to reschedule the missed class for the week immediately following the original end date at the same course time and day.