Saturday, April 12
Monday, April 7
Psychological Disorders - two weeks worth
Psychological Disorders:
A. Early causes (if any) B. Break-out of Symptoms C. DSM Diagnosis & treatment D. Prognosis
1. PTSD PTSD and USC Film school after army PTSD symptoms History of PTSD "The Hurt Locker" "Marnie" (Hitchcock) Jenny in "Forrest Gump" Watson in the first episode of the new "Sherlock Holmes" Celie in "The Color Purple"
2. Low-Grade depression Dysthemic Disorder Dysthemia YouTube on Dysthemia Dysthemia in Women A Cartoon look at it Wife in "Kramer vs. Kramer" Neighbor's wife in "American Beauty" Meryl Streep and 50s wife in "The Hours" wife in "Ordinary People" Shirley MacLaine in "The Apartment"
3. "Manic Depressive" Bi-Polar disorder What is bi-polar? NYT Catherine Zeta-Jones on bi-polar Ted Talk on it Why Can't Hollywood Get bi-polar Right?" "A Shrink's critique of "Silver Linings Playbook'" 2nd Shrink's Critique of "Silver Linings Playbook" "A Beautiful Mind" "Pollack" "Girl, Interrupted"
Your assignment, due (typed) Group B April 7. Group C April 14.
emailing it early is good; but really due hard copy on due date
1 Borderline Personality Disorder test: do U have it? test 2 here are some movies NIMH details
2 Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) WebMD WIKI a test Cleveland Clinic classic movies: Three Faces of Eve and Sybl (the original with Sally Field)
3 Narcissistic Personality Disorder (as opposed to egotism) a test Psych Today HuffPo SciAmerican some resources "The Drama of the Gifted Child" and invalidation; "Mommy Dearest", "American Psycho"
4 Schizophrenia NIH early testing the types of schiz social factors, not brain classic movie "Sunset Blvd."
A. Early causes (if any) B. Break-out of Symptoms C. DSM Diagnosis & treatment D. Prognosis
1. PTSD PTSD and USC Film school after army PTSD symptoms History of PTSD "The Hurt Locker" "Marnie" (Hitchcock) Jenny in "Forrest Gump" Watson in the first episode of the new "Sherlock Holmes" Celie in "The Color Purple"
2. Low-Grade depression Dysthemic Disorder Dysthemia YouTube on Dysthemia Dysthemia in Women A Cartoon look at it Wife in "Kramer vs. Kramer" Neighbor's wife in "American Beauty" Meryl Streep and 50s wife in "The Hours" wife in "Ordinary People" Shirley MacLaine in "The Apartment"
3. "Manic Depressive" Bi-Polar disorder What is bi-polar? NYT Catherine Zeta-Jones on bi-polar Ted Talk on it Why Can't Hollywood Get bi-polar Right?" "A Shrink's critique of "Silver Linings Playbook'" 2nd Shrink's Critique of "Silver Linings Playbook" "A Beautiful Mind" "Pollack" "Girl, Interrupted"
Your assignment, due (typed) Group B April 7. Group C April 14.
emailing it early is good; but really due hard copy on due date
- pick one disorder (1-2-3 above for Group B or 1-2-3-4 below for Group C)
- read at least two of the links for that disorder
- provide a one to two page double spaced review or highlights of the two links
- list at least two more films that depict this disorder
- with at least one film (my list or your list) articulate how that movie reveals that disease.
1 Borderline Personality Disorder test: do U have it? test 2 here are some movies NIMH details
2 Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) WebMD WIKI a test Cleveland Clinic classic movies: Three Faces of Eve and Sybl (the original with Sally Field)
3 Narcissistic Personality Disorder (as opposed to egotism) a test Psych Today HuffPo SciAmerican some resources "The Drama of the Gifted Child" and invalidation; "Mommy Dearest", "American Psycho"
4 Schizophrenia NIH early testing the types of schiz social factors, not brain classic movie "Sunset Blvd."
What Every Body Is Saying - Joe Navarro
All read Chapters One and Two and Eight
- Feet: Mike and Amanda (Chapter 3)
- Torso: Shru and Si (Chapter 4)
- Arms: June and Satoshi (Chapter 5)
- Hands and Fingers: Saud and Bibo (Chapater 6)
- Face: Amal and Allesandro (Chapter 7)
Read now! this assignment is going to be due on April 28st
Start thinking of 2 films that either show or COULD HAVE shown better, more clear body language of the type that you are researching. You are either reporting on what you found where the body goes with the assumed underlying psychology or your are critiquing where the director missed an opportunity.
Saturday, April 5
Assignment for ALL: due after vacation (typed) April 7
You have two charts: one is on gold paper handed out last class type - it's the chart of "types" and you generally understand the four "types". Email if you do not have one, and I'll email you one.
The second chart we talked about last time. Here is a synopsis:
In life, or in a movie, action typically begins on the left side: with CHANGE or with GOAL SETTING. All of these four components of a group happen together, but we are artificially separating them just as we artificially put you into a "type." Well, when action happens, it happens in a sequence. Remember how we discussed that when a GOAL is set, it's a good idea for ease, comfort, workability, balance to move from GOAL to INTEGRATION and then on to PROCEDURE. That movement is indicated by the grey curvy line above. If, on the other hand, a group moved in a "square", from GOAL to PROCEDURE, the group segments might "fall apart" or become more unbalanced.
Take these two complimentary charts - the types (for individuals) and the four functions (for groups)--as well as the movement (curved lines or straight square) and see if they can help you analyze a movie. It can be a movie you love or a movie you are making.
Use no more than two pages. Just see how these breakdowns and theory of action help you keep things straight in analyzing or creating a script.
I am watching "Breaking Bad" right now. Wow. Well, the series starts with the trousers falling down from the sky (what's that, we say) and soon enough we go back three weeks to learn that the main character has been diagnosed with cancer. That's a change! So change starts the action. It immediately gives the main character a new goal, and he sets out with a procedure (cook meth with a punk) without following the (recommended) curve and checking in with both himself and his wife and family to see how this new goals "fits with" their organization and values. That "square" movement from GOAL to PROCEDURE is what gives all the amazing action of the series "Breaking Bad." I could write about that for a couple of pages using tons of examples. BE SPECIFIC. Use examples of action, lines, color, costume, music, shooting angles, character names (interesting how this main character's name is White), and any other specifics that make your analysis come alive.
Also, this main character White seemed to have led a life as a supporter - school teacher, helped his handicapped son, let his wife make all the decisions. In fact, he even says that he feels all his life he never had any CHOICES (no opportunity to be a decision maker). Well, the change and setting the new procedure in motion made him absolutely become an absolute CONTROLLER. In fact, it is as if to balance out his life at the end, he had to go into CONTROLLING big time to balance out all that SUPPORT he'd been providing.
Remember: no more than 2 pages.
The second chart we talked about last time. Here is a synopsis:
In life, or in a movie, action typically begins on the left side: with CHANGE or with GOAL SETTING. All of these four components of a group happen together, but we are artificially separating them just as we artificially put you into a "type." Well, when action happens, it happens in a sequence. Remember how we discussed that when a GOAL is set, it's a good idea for ease, comfort, workability, balance to move from GOAL to INTEGRATION and then on to PROCEDURE. That movement is indicated by the grey curvy line above. If, on the other hand, a group moved in a "square", from GOAL to PROCEDURE, the group segments might "fall apart" or become more unbalanced.
Take these two complimentary charts - the types (for individuals) and the four functions (for groups)--as well as the movement (curved lines or straight square) and see if they can help you analyze a movie. It can be a movie you love or a movie you are making.
Use no more than two pages. Just see how these breakdowns and theory of action help you keep things straight in analyzing or creating a script.
I am watching "Breaking Bad" right now. Wow. Well, the series starts with the trousers falling down from the sky (what's that, we say) and soon enough we go back three weeks to learn that the main character has been diagnosed with cancer. That's a change! So change starts the action. It immediately gives the main character a new goal, and he sets out with a procedure (cook meth with a punk) without following the (recommended) curve and checking in with both himself and his wife and family to see how this new goals "fits with" their organization and values. That "square" movement from GOAL to PROCEDURE is what gives all the amazing action of the series "Breaking Bad." I could write about that for a couple of pages using tons of examples. BE SPECIFIC. Use examples of action, lines, color, costume, music, shooting angles, character names (interesting how this main character's name is White), and any other specifics that make your analysis come alive.
Also, this main character White seemed to have led a life as a supporter - school teacher, helped his handicapped son, let his wife make all the decisions. In fact, he even says that he feels all his life he never had any CHOICES (no opportunity to be a decision maker). Well, the change and setting the new procedure in motion made him absolutely become an absolute CONTROLLER. In fact, it is as if to balance out his life at the end, he had to go into CONTROLLING big time to balance out all that SUPPORT he'd been providing.
Remember: no more than 2 pages.
Saturday, March 29
groups - articulate next week : )
A Angels
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B Beautious
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C Creatives
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Saud Al-Moghirah
Amal Aljohani
Alessandro Amante
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Nadir “Bibo”
Bennaceur
Isaac “Mike”
Blankenship
Satoshi Kameoka
Si Qin
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Shrunal “Shru”Tembhume
Amanda Zhang
Yanjun June
Zhiu
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Monday, March 10
two films to finish up today's discussion: "Million Dollar Baby" and Amal's movie
1. The movie Amal discussed: When we see that the main character's belief in redemption and forgiveness blows up, we are watching the (emotional) reaction to the blow up of a "truth", a premise (redemption heals). Then we, the audience, are affected--as is the main character. That redemption and forgiveness heals is a belief we hold to be true. We, the audience, get emotionally involved due to the explosion of the premise - just as the character does. If we fail really to grasp what the "truth" (the premise) of a movie is, we are left with saying something like, "Oh, I really liked her (the main character); I felt sorry for her." An analysis of the truth and the blowing up of the truth gets us closer to the keys to what holds the whole movie together: it is more than a feeling-connection to a nice actor-character.
2. "Million Dollar Baby" I suggest that the premise is: training works, i.e., champions are trained, not born. OK, so training works. Nothing really "happens" in Act I. Act I is all a laying down of the "given circumstances." When she has a birthday (maturational change) he finally agrees to train her. As a controller, he says, "But don't call me boss." If I recall correctly, her reply was, "Alright, boss." Interesting material for their "types." Who is the protagonist, by the way? The girl or the man?
Then, what happens at the end of Act II, to turn it inside out into Act III, is that both the trainer (Eastwood) and the boxer (Maggie) turn their backs on their #1 command of training which is never to turn your back on your opponent. Maggie turns her back - and we who saw the movie know what happens. They violated their own premise!
All of Act III, then, is in the emotional residue of that truth being "blown." The emotion of Act III is repressed; it is repressed by Maggie due to her condition; it is held in check by Eastwood due to Maggie's condition. His demeanor contains it - or tries to. Maggie, then, emotional, and wanting forever to hang on to the memory of the "roar of the crowd" suggests something. she does not suggest a judgment, no! She suggests a new practice.
After all, her job is done: she reached her objective. Her objective was to get love. Eastwood's objective was to give love. What a fit the two of them were! He gave her the green (healing) robe with the Gaelic writing on it: "My Darling." He gave what she wanted to get. They only then had to follow through with their new "practice", "doing" - their new beauty -- and if you watched the movie you know what that was.
If I were to take the action through the four-fold table and the types, I'd start with something like this: Maggie wants support. He won't give it. She has a birthday; he changes his mind. He, the controller, sets the goals and rules and insists that she not set the goals and that she follow the rules. He heals her; he wraps her in green. They have switched types - he is such a strong supporter that he seems to be the controller, but that insane need to win no matter what put her in the driver's seat. Her talent simply needed training. Then they violated the cardinal rule of training (see above). She continued through Act III to be the controller - setting the goal, and he, following his objective to give love, did her bidding.
See how you can dig down into the heart of a movie without giving plot plot plot plot plot? We are looking for the dramatic and psychological KEYS.
2. "Million Dollar Baby" I suggest that the premise is: training works, i.e., champions are trained, not born. OK, so training works. Nothing really "happens" in Act I. Act I is all a laying down of the "given circumstances." When she has a birthday (maturational change) he finally agrees to train her. As a controller, he says, "But don't call me boss." If I recall correctly, her reply was, "Alright, boss." Interesting material for their "types." Who is the protagonist, by the way? The girl or the man?
Then, what happens at the end of Act II, to turn it inside out into Act III, is that both the trainer (Eastwood) and the boxer (Maggie) turn their backs on their #1 command of training which is never to turn your back on your opponent. Maggie turns her back - and we who saw the movie know what happens. They violated their own premise!
All of Act III, then, is in the emotional residue of that truth being "blown." The emotion of Act III is repressed; it is repressed by Maggie due to her condition; it is held in check by Eastwood due to Maggie's condition. His demeanor contains it - or tries to. Maggie, then, emotional, and wanting forever to hang on to the memory of the "roar of the crowd" suggests something. she does not suggest a judgment, no! She suggests a new practice.
After all, her job is done: she reached her objective. Her objective was to get love. Eastwood's objective was to give love. What a fit the two of them were! He gave her the green (healing) robe with the Gaelic writing on it: "My Darling." He gave what she wanted to get. They only then had to follow through with their new "practice", "doing" - their new beauty -- and if you watched the movie you know what that was.
If I were to take the action through the four-fold table and the types, I'd start with something like this: Maggie wants support. He won't give it. She has a birthday; he changes his mind. He, the controller, sets the goals and rules and insists that she not set the goals and that she follow the rules. He heals her; he wraps her in green. They have switched types - he is such a strong supporter that he seems to be the controller, but that insane need to win no matter what put her in the driver's seat. Her talent simply needed training. Then they violated the cardinal rule of training (see above). She continued through Act III to be the controller - setting the goal, and he, following his objective to give love, did her bidding.
See how you can dig down into the heart of a movie without giving plot plot plot plot plot? We are looking for the dramatic and psychological KEYS.
Sunday, March 9
Your fav movies related to psychology
As Good as it Gets
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Million Dollar Baby
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Sopranos
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Criminal Mind (tv)
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Old Boy
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Taxi Driver
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Henry (a short)
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Psycho
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The Act of Killing (a docu)
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Identity
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Requiem for a Dream
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower
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Inception
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River of the Return
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There Will Be Blood
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Manhattan
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Shutter Island
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When Harry Met Sally
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Memento
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Six Feet Under (TV)
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Memories of Murder
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Some Like It Hot
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|
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Tuesday, March 4
Monday, March 3
Premise exercise for next week
A premise is a "natural law"
It is the way (you see) the world works
As a natural law, it does not need to be morally enforced: it contains within it its own enforcement, like it or not.
It is easy to see this way: If you do not brush your teeth, your teeth will rot. It is a natural law.
Try this:
Good posture opens you up. That is a natural law.
If I were to say: "Stand up straight!" <-- that is a command. It is not a natural law.
See the difference?
In your film (or your life), what premise do you see? What "law" operates underneath everything that goes on. A premise is NOT a plot. Some people misuse the term. They will say something like, "The premise is that the sailor came into town and met a pretty girl and they ran off together." That is not a premise; that is a plot, a story line. The premise is the natural law that lies under that plot. It might be something like
"Love conquers all." or
"God pairs 'em." or
"Chemical attraction trumps common sense." or
"Girls like men in uniforms." or
"Everyone has a mate." or
" ... well, you get the idea."
a premise can be negative: e.g., "Life is unfair." If you see through a negative premise, you see a negative world. That is a natural law, the foundation of negativity.
a premise can be positive: e.g., Hard work pays off. Education is power. Your time will come."
Think about your premise or the premise for your film. State it, simply.
State at least two ways that you reveal it in your film: dialog, action, resolution, costume, lighting, color, sets, symbols, music.
It is the way (you see) the world works
As a natural law, it does not need to be morally enforced: it contains within it its own enforcement, like it or not.
It is easy to see this way: If you do not brush your teeth, your teeth will rot. It is a natural law.
Try this:
Good posture opens you up. That is a natural law.
If I were to say: "Stand up straight!" <-- that is a command. It is not a natural law.
See the difference?
In your film (or your life), what premise do you see? What "law" operates underneath everything that goes on. A premise is NOT a plot. Some people misuse the term. They will say something like, "The premise is that the sailor came into town and met a pretty girl and they ran off together." That is not a premise; that is a plot, a story line. The premise is the natural law that lies under that plot. It might be something like
"Love conquers all." or
"God pairs 'em." or
"Chemical attraction trumps common sense." or
"Girls like men in uniforms." or
"Everyone has a mate." or
" ... well, you get the idea."
a premise can be negative: e.g., "Life is unfair." If you see through a negative premise, you see a negative world. That is a natural law, the foundation of negativity.
a premise can be positive: e.g., Hard work pays off. Education is power. Your time will come."
Think about your premise or the premise for your film. State it, simply.
State at least two ways that you reveal it in your film: dialog, action, resolution, costume, lighting, color, sets, symbols, music.
Monday, February 24
Wednesday, February 19
Monday, February 17
Assignments from Week 2 for Week 3
- LOOKING BACK ON THIS WEEK: You have been mailed a chart of "types" - use it for your "types" paper. You can choose two people in your own life: yourself and someone significant to you (parent, sibling, boss, friend, teacher) - or you can choose two "buddies" in a movie: e.g., "Men in Black," "Shawshank Redemption," "Bonnie & Clyde", "Thelma & Louise", Beavis & Butthead" - among others. Choose at least two "cells" from each column of each type: see these likes and dislikes at work in the relationship. Be specific. Maximum 2.5 pages.
- LOOKING FORWARD: You have been mailed a paper on freedom. You may get ahead and read it this week. It will be part of the topic of next week's class.
- LOOKING FORWARD: Next week, week 3, we will discuss the 8 stages of life, by Erik Erikson. Choose a movie that you feel depicts
a child
a teen
a young adult
a mature adult
an elder
ANGEL GROUP ("A"): in ONE page or less describe the challenges and goals of life as seen through that age. E.g., a child role plays, a teen looks for identity, a young adult looks for love and work, a mature adult looks to "give back," an elder is content or in resentment. Just give it a try. Here is a link that may help you 8 Stages here is anothere link
Movie suggestions are: "Barry Lyndon," "Mean Girls" "Breakfast Club" "Boyz in the Hood" "Clueless" "Rebel Without a Cause" "American Graffiti" "Splendor in the Grass" "Dazed and Confused" "The 400 Blows" "Ferris Bueller" "Umberto D" "Ginger and Fred."
Now, any in group B or group C can also do this for "extra credit"
Monday, February 10
ONE assignment: for Monday 2/17
What ONE movie characterizes, for you, a non-Western or a non-patriarchal way to think.
On Magical vs. Scientific mental processes: SEE THIS post. - there is an example of the assignment here!
On Competitive vs. Cooperative mental processes: SEE THIS YouTube - made by a Hollywood director!
The example in the post and/or the YouTube recommended above will help you think about and get into alternate ways to think.
This paper is NO MORE THAN ONE page!
On Magical vs. Scientific mental processes: SEE THIS post. - there is an example of the assignment here!
On Competitive vs. Cooperative mental processes: SEE THIS YouTube - made by a Hollywood director!
The example in the post and/or the YouTube recommended above will help you think about and get into alternate ways to think.
This paper is NO MORE THAN ONE page!
Readings for next week
ALL GROUPS: Looking ahead to the next week, submit one page listing 2 films that seem to illuminate the topic. This is typed, double spaced, no more than ONE page (less than 250 words)
for Monday 2/10
Claude Levi-Strauss on The Savage Mind The distinction we are looking for is the distinction between what could be called "magical" and "scientific" thought processes.
Example of text for a paper.
"Walkabout" 1971 Directed by Nicholas Roeg. The transformation of ways to think can be seen in the girl's eyes at the end of the movie: after having been left as a young girl in the Outback by her father, she was found by an aborigine. At the end of the movie she is back to civilization in a life that "makes sense" according to her native culture: indoors, behind glass, at work with all the gadgetry of a housewife. It is civilization that belongs in a museum, behind glass--not the native who is adept at living on earth and with the earth. The woman, now grown, has a successful husband and a house with all the amenities of modernization and the trappings of "love". But in the Outback she had been lost--and it was then that she was found. Nothing "made sense" in the Outback: she could not even speak with the person who found her! Not even a 'Hello.' With the help of her little brother--also abandoned by their father--they created between them one word: water. It was all they needed. Now that she is grown up and has all that her civilization recommends, we see in her eyes that she has inside her a world without language that provides food, shelter, companionship, and warmth. She lost the basics when, again, she was found.
for Monday 2/10
Claude Levi-Strauss on The Savage Mind The distinction we are looking for is the distinction between what could be called "magical" and "scientific" thought processes.
Example of text for a paper.
"Walkabout" 1971 Directed by Nicholas Roeg. The transformation of ways to think can be seen in the girl's eyes at the end of the movie: after having been left as a young girl in the Outback by her father, she was found by an aborigine. At the end of the movie she is back to civilization in a life that "makes sense" according to her native culture: indoors, behind glass, at work with all the gadgetry of a housewife. It is civilization that belongs in a museum, behind glass--not the native who is adept at living on earth and with the earth. The woman, now grown, has a successful husband and a house with all the amenities of modernization and the trappings of "love". But in the Outback she had been lost--and it was then that she was found. Nothing "made sense" in the Outback: she could not even speak with the person who found her! Not even a 'Hello.' With the help of her little brother--also abandoned by their father--they created between them one word: water. It was all they needed. Now that she is grown up and has all that her civilization recommends, we see in her eyes that she has inside her a world without language that provides food, shelter, companionship, and warmth. She lost the basics when, again, she was found.
Tuesday, November 19
Friday, October 25
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