2.9
Quality3.7
Difficulty41%
Would Retake100
Reviews41%
Would Retake
100
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
29
4
14
3
10
2
16
1
31
What Students Say
“Switch now, and don't look back”
VM100 - 1.0 rating“He grades by grammar and NOT content”
VM200 - 1.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
97%
Textbook Required
50%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.72 avg changeRatings by Course
100
5.0
(1)VM212
5.0
(1)AMERICANINDIES
5.0
(1)VM402
4.0
(1)VM131
3.8
(13)Difficulty by Course
VMA201
5.0
VM401
5.0
FILMHISTORY1
4.7
VM212
4.0
AMERICANINDIES
4.0
Reviews (100)
AMAZING! Cannot recommend more. Level of difficultly is perfect, a somewhat harsh grader but he doesn't give a lot of work. Class discussions are great. Plus a great knowledge of cinema, especially Independent.
Really nice guy, attuned to current trends in independent cinema, & knowledgeable in media history. Standard hist of med arts difficulty level, but I feel like he chose more interesting/less generic films and ideas to share. I didn't like him at the beginning of the year, but he grew on me a lot. He's a great professor, plus he's got a cool name.
Very rigid.
Puca is a great teacher. He is still a young guy so he knows a lot about current independent cinema and is very helpful. I have given him some of my films outside of class and he has given me grade advice for my future in filmmaking. Great professor. One of the Best.
Really nice guy and great professor. Somehow, he manages to keep what is a mostly lecture class interesting even early in the morning. Totally approachable and a reasonable grader. Not too much work, either. Overall, great guy, great class.
He really likes to use enunciate consonants. Drove me nuts. Also: he is very clear. To the point where he repeats himself way too much and you fall asleep or begin paying attention to the doodle you've been drawing for twenty minutes. Not that hard of a grader. Nice guy.
I have no idea what people are talking about. Andre puca is a terrible professor. Comes off very nice in the beginning, but treats his senior level students as if we are children. Has no respect for anything going on in your life except his class. Grades ridiculously hard. His pretentious demeanor discourages students from wanting to do well.
Good dude in general, funny, intelligent, keeps class interesting. He doesn't give too much work, but expects you to watch films outside of class.
If you like indie stuff, take his class, he'll be great for you. If you want to succeed in Hollywood, stay the hell out; you won't learn anything. Overexplains yet is till convoluted. Nice human being.
I don't know what's worse: his droning lectures, the useless material taught, or watching him try to come off as pretentious. He's a nice guy...that's about all I can say. This class made me rethink the quality of schooling at Emerson College. Unless you're having suicidal thoughts, don't take Media Crit and Theory with Puca.
Lectures: boring and repetitive. Grading: ridiculously hard! Easiness: NOT, at all, and he makes it feel even worse! Doesnt matter how much you worked on a paper, or if u sent a draft to him beforehand, you will still get a bad grade! has no mercy on students whose first language is not english! Don't take this class! THIS IS A WARNING!
Andre Puca was a fine professor. Media Crit had been something I was dreading, but with all our papers, he was extremely helpful. I often sent him drafts and he responded with very useful feedback, and was overall very easy to talk to.
Puca's knowledge of media history is formidable, to the extent where the initial learner is drowned in relatively irrelevant facts/figures. His office hours are inconvenient, and while he does not ask much work of his pupils, his tests are difficult. If you're a meticulous note-taker, you'll do nicely. For essays, reiterate HIS prattling opinions.
Andre is an awesome professor. Sure, the theories he presents are challenging, and you will have to make an effort, but I absolutely loved this class. He is very friendly, personable, and always willing to help. Everyone else who didn't like him are just lazy students who can't stand on their own when challenged. Andre rocks!
He's a really cool guy but he grades super hard.
Puca is the best teacher I've had yet. He clearly loves his subject and that came across in every lecture. Powerpoints are very easy to follow and study for exams. A very good guy, very smart professor.
Puca is awesome! He loves what he is teaching and his tests follow his notes exactly. He sends out VERY helpful study guides- makes it very easy to do well in this class. His discussions are engaging and he's always interested in what students have to say. He doesnt put up with missing screenings as he should. Great teacher, get him if you can!
Honestly a really incompetent teacher not of Emerson's usual quality. He forces his opinions on the class, and expects you to perpetuate these opinions in your papers. Any stray from his particular take on films and film theory results in a grade D or below. Also very dry.
I love Pucca, and am taking him again for VM 121! He's a great teacher, very encouraging and humorous. Even though it's a lecture he is very into discussions! I recommend him highly!
A wolf in sheep's clothing. If can switch out of his class, I would encourage you to do so.
Attempts to help, however is genuinely misguided. Tests are extremely difficult though do not bolster your knowledge of film history. Most questions on exams and quizzes are inconsequential and information piled on without proper explanation.
Second class with Puca. He is a god. I have never had a teacher more passionate or knowledgable about his subject. He may not be the easiest teacher, especially when it comes to essay grading, but a class with him is definitely a worthwhile experience. If you seriously care about independent cinema, I HIGHLY recommend taking his class.
Very cool guy. You gotta work for the tests. Not just look at the notes. Beyond the stuff in class. Really is gonna be a hard ass about every single thing for the writing assignments. Your grade is gonna reflect how much you work for the class.
- Very clear with his content with lectures, but are quite extensive. - Makes you work for a grade you won't be satisfied with. No policy about retesting or making amends to your grades. - Tests are extremely difficult and you will need to study extensively.
The lectures are a bit long, but what can you do--in my History of Media Arts class, he took us from 1890's to the 1960's. Although much more was covered in the lectures than we were tested on, Andre is a study guide guru. Nothing in his exams will not show up on the study guide, and he reliably gave our class 2 weeks notice about all testsquizzes
Puca is one of the best history teachers ive ever had in my entire life. He is very laid back and clearly cares about his students. He makes alot of jokes and is very easily relatable and likable from day 1.
Puca is energetic and excited about the subject (History of Media Arts). His specialty is in indie cinema, so sometimes he'll rant about that for a while even when it's irrelevant. His lectures are boring, and his powerpoints aren't online, but in the beginning of class he'll chat a bit and he's pretty funny. You get 5 free absences.
the way he conducts his class and grades paper is really ridiculous never has time to meet with you to talk about the project paper Never on time of class or office hours He is such a loser seriously Im not joking or take sides simply cuz he is horrible
Beware! You will WRITE in this class EXCLUSIVELY pretty much. He's an amazing guy, but he's also very nit-picky and a VERY tough grader. I was an A/B student, but got a D+ in this class because he graded essays so hard if they didn't perfectly conform to his ideas.
Long-winded in his lectures and frequently gets off-topic. Often goes off on tangents, distracting from notes for 20+ minutes. Very hard to stay engaged. His notes are often incomprehensible and require editing. Tests are difficult and poorly formatted. Fails to make class interesting. Not understanding when it comes to time/schedule conflicts.
Puca has been one of the worst teacher I've had at any point in my education. He can memorize facts really well--directors, dates, producers--and expects everyone to do the same. His tests and papers are nitpicky as can be: he makes questions as twisted and convoluted as possible, and forces a format and citation quota in papers. He's awful.
Although Im sure Andre Puca is a nice person, he is not a good teacher. Rather than needing to know the material for tests, it was more important to know how to take his tests, they were deceptive. It felt like the SATs again. In regards to the essays here too it was more important to write an essay in the form and make point he would like.
At first I thought he was going to be a really cool teacher, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Whenever I tried to meet with him for help he would either forget or be 30+ minutes late. He tears apart papers and gives tests with questions designed to work against the student. He expects a lot of his students but not much of himself as a teacher.
Puca's a decent enough person, but an awful professor. He assigns ridiculous papers where he'll grade you mostly on grammar rather than analysis or content (even though this is not a writing class) and he is completely unprofessional. He frequently shows up late to class, and was an hour and a half late to the final (which we had to complete btw)
Puca was a very tough grader. I'd study for days on end, take the test feeling pretty confident, and then he'd find the tiniest details to bring my grade down.
I read a lot of these reviews and was very worried about what I was getting myself into. Once I got there I found he was actually a really great guy. It really helps if you participate and show that you are listening to what he is saying. As long as you can stay on his good side and ask educated questions, he will take care of you come grade time.
Andre is a nice guy in person, however, on your papers he will leave unhelpful and often rude feedback. He also focusses largely on grammar rather than the content of the paper (this is not the point of the course.) His tests are designed to see how closely a student reads multiple choices answers instead of testing them on the material itself.
Avoid if you can. He is nit picky, especially with grammar. He turns what should be a simple lecture based class, into a game where he tries to find all the ways he can possibly lower your grade. I doubt he gives out many A's. He gave my class so much writing and work, he replaced the final with quizzes; clearly in an attempt to raise averages.
He grades by grammar and NOT content. He is a lecturer who expects you to be already at his level. He is nice though, but a little two faced. I agree with other people who rated him poor. Nice guy, just needs to grade on content MORE than grammar. YES, grammar is important, but so is knowing that you understand what was taught.
Others are right by he deducts several points on grammar. Tests are difficult yes, but I would say that a good amount of each test has information that we've clearly learned and addressed in class. I think he teaches great and answers questions very in depth, but his feedback on the exams are straight up rude or contradict what he says in lectures
One of the worst teachers I've ever had. He seems like a nice guy at first, but he's very stuck up and condescending especially in his grading comments. His tests are designed to trick you and the multiple choice sections are reminiscent of the SAT or ACT. Be warned, he is an awful teacher and you should transfer out of his class if you get him
A bad teacher. He knows what he's talking about, but he's rude and picky in grading. I'm an A student and I did horribly in his class.
He should not be at Emerson. I have never cared less for a class because he's such a bad teacher. He knows the material, but he really doesn't know how to talk to students or interact with them. If you try to talk to him outside of class, he'll dodge you. I emailed 3 or 4 times because he forgot to grade my essay and he still hasn't replied.
Puca is a great guy who I desperately wanted to like. Unless you write about what he specifically likes, expect a C.
The only learning we do is off of the powerpoint, other than that he often goes off on pointless tangents. He is very cold and distant when you talk to him personally. The biggest issue is the way he grades. His tests feel like I'm taking the SAT again; like he's trying to trick you. Useless details are important and his comments are often harsh.
The type of teacher that makes kids drop out of film school. Most condescending person at Emerson no doubt. Often goes on ridiculous tangents in class. Take this class if you want to lose faith in humanity.
He seems okay at first get out of this class as soon as you can. He is a rude and picky grader and will literally make you want to switch out of VMA.
He seems like he's going to be a really chill professor at first, and then once the first exam rolls around his true colors are revealed. He talks as if he is only going to ask easy questions, BUT he tricks you with a lot of questions. Switch now, and don't look back.
The tests started out crazy hard with toughly-graded take home questions, and were super hard. He communicated with us though, and the take-home portion was cut. He just ended putting long answers on the exam himself and the tough grading didn't change. Learned a lot, but tests felt unfair a lot.
Think of Puca's class like the SAT or ACT. It's a tough class, yes, but definitely doable if you can crack the code (hint: office hours. Ask him for help on answering his Study Guide and you'll do fine). He is open to feedback. Outside of class, he's a kind person who helped me figure out a lot of my own future, and enjoys nerding out about movies.
Andre is a rarity, a WONDERFUL teacher. I just don't get these bad reviews. Yes his tests are a little hard and he makes you work for a good grade but that is a good thing. I feel like the people who left bad reviews just didn't want to try. He makes lectures very engaging. Also worked with me outside class on a personal project. SUPER helpful!
I chose Puca's class because I needed this requirement for my 200 level classes. And frankly his class is my best experience at Emerson. He respects all voices, and one has to participate to understand the essence of the class discussion. It's like what he said about verbal expression enhances your thinking
Like many have said, he's a wolf in sheep's clothing. He acts nice in class but he's a really nitpicky grader in essays, his feedback can also come out as extremely rude. His tests are alright, not really hard if you studied and paid attention to the lectures, even if that's going to be complicated because he's boring. I would say skip him.
Too much personal emotion in class, so his lecture is highly disengaged with his exam (which tests really important cases on film history, but not his personal favorites). Grade too harsh on writing, too much on grammar, but not ideas -- international students not recommended. Drop his class as soon as you can, or you'll regret after the 1st test.
Andre Puca teaches without clarity, passion, or really any semblance of caring about his job or the class affected by his awful teaching. He repeatedly fails to teach material to the class that ends up on his confusing and convoluted exams. He looks down on students prior knowledge of film history, talking to class like hes speaking to toddlers!
He does is a strict grader and five exams each semester is overwhelming. However, he teaches more than the textbook told you, he is knowledgable, even talks too much about each topic sometimes, that is also why so many people think he is not well-organized. If you just want to pass, don't choose him. If you want to learn, TAKE HIM
Puca is one of the most knowledgeable and informative film teachers I've ever seen. You would love him and learn a lot in his every amazing lectures if you really love film.
Pucas class is amazing. Yes, he his class is lecture heavy, and yes, the grade is tests based, but he just let you work for it, not in a hard way, but to give you more information on film history. Hes passionate, knowledgeable, and accessible outside of class. One of the best professors I ever had and such an amazing filmlover. Highly recommend!
Puca is my favorite teacher for the semester. Hes passionate about film and hes so knowledgeable. I just dont get it why there are so many negative ratings. It is true that the class is lecture heavy, but if you love film, come to his class, you can learn a lot. He is an amazing professor! Highly recommend!
This was the worst class I've taken so far at Emerson. He talks about nothing for an hour and 45 minutes and gives little to no information about what the test will actually be about. He also showed very questionable material throughout the class that served no purpose. If you can avoid having Puca, do it.
Puca's class was interesting with great movies. He is knowledgeable and really enjoys class discussions & cares about what your thoughts. He is a tough grader, but if you study and pay attention to class, you will be fine. Only thing was, when grading essays, he kinda roasts the structure of your writing rather than focusing on the content.
Mr. Pucas a wonderful teacher. I have no idea why is ratings are so low here. Everyone in class seems happy with him. Ive learned a lot, his lectures are organized, and interesting. Hes smart (teaches at MIT), gets very excited about film history, and cares a lot about his students. He is also tremendously receptive to feedback. A real mensch.
Puca is great. Enthusiastic guy.
Andre's a knowledgeable guy when it comes to documentary and the classwork was really interesting. Doesn't give too many assignments but is a tough grader when it comes to papers, however, he always offers to help if needed. Can sometimes talk over students in discussions and talk WAY more than the students.
Mr. Puca is a tough grader but if you ask him questions and reach out to him if you're struggling he will give you more than enough chances to make it. I also disagree with reviews saying he teaches without passion. He comes prepared and gives intense lectures and gets excited when talking about things he's interested in. He wants you to pass!
I absolutely hated Pucas class. The only assignments were tests and watch quizzes. He would grade the tests super hard. He didn't give any helpful feedback and would just make fun of you if you got the answer wrong.
These negative reviews are wack. I really enjoyed Puca's class! He's super passionate. As long as you pay attention to his lectures, and watch the films, you'll do fine (why are you at film school if you don't wanna watch films?). The one thing I'll say is the curriculum was a tad cynical as it was more based in the commerce side, than the artistic
He has a friendly facade that disappears come midterms. He is extremely rude and demeaning in his feedback, misinterprets his students' responses and brushes them off in class discussions unless their answers are almost verbatim identical to his, and he hardly calls on female students for answers. Only cares about your grammar and writing ability.
Puca is passionate about what he teaches, but his course is one of the most boring and useless I have ever taken. The content he lectures about is completely meaningless and numbing. There are two tests that mainly decide your grade, and he does not hold back when grading them. It was obvious the entire class didn't get higher than a B on tests.
He clearly picks a few guys he favors, and always calls on them first. He brushes off most of his female students input to discussions. His grading feedback is so mean and demeaning that it made me not want to show up to his class again. His feedback isn't even helpful, and he just blatantly states that you are wrong and stupid, then keeps going.
Probably one of the worst professors I've ever had in my college career. Puca's grading is so unclear and unprofessional for a level-300 class it feels like you'll never pass. His feedback is rude and so unhelpful so you don't even know what to correct for the next assignment. He knows what he's talking about but needs to rethink his teaching.
I really have no clue what all of these reviews are talking about. I had Puca my freshman year, and then again my senior year for Indie Cine, and he's easily one of my favorite professors. I don't really like lecture classes but he's passionate about the material and he's an honest guy which makes it a lot more engaging than other classes.
By far the WORST CLASS I HAVE EVER TAKEN at Emerson. This class is the most meaningless I have ever had to sit through. It was literal torture. There are two exams that determine your ENTIRE grade and they are the most difficult tests I have ever taken because Puca grades them so harshly. AVOID THIS CLASS AT ALL COSTS. His talks are also perverted.
Honestly, not bad at all. His lectures are educational/interesting 3/5 of the time. His tests are long and he is maticulate when it comes to grading. To be fair, he tells you what he wants especially after doing poorly on the first test. Wants you to answer questions with quotes when needed from books and notes. The answers are there just look!
SCREW THIS GUY!!! HE IS SEXIST AND RACIST AND SO UNBELIEVABLY UNHELPFUL!!!
I am surprised to see so many negative reviews for Puca. I had him freshman year for Film History and enjoyed his class so much that I ended up taking him again for Film Theory. Puca has an incredible ability to present broad and complicated topics in a very detailed scope, and he genuinely cares about his students learning. Easily one of the best.
Puca was a decent teacher when it comes to communicating technical understanding of film, but the way he talks about psychology, race, sexuality and gender in film is insanely uncomfortable. He grades on big papers, but less by the content and more by grammar you use. If you want to really learn abt other perspectives in movies, take someone else.
An egotistical, creepy, misogynistic, lousy excuse of a professor who is constantly on a power trip. Do not take any of his classes. By far one of the worst professors here. I am sorry to anyone who has had him in the past.
Had Puca for VM131. He was lecture heavy, thats pretty much all we did. Participation gets you extra credit which sucks. He did one big paper at the end of the semester and gave terrible feedback.
Very tough grader and gives contradicting feedback on papers. Interesting lectures, but goes off on random tangents that are uncomfortable and not relevant to class.
The funniest part is, he thinks he's good at this.
Smh... He gave us the final take home exam a week before break... Mind you these exams are very time consuming and has many essay elements. He also grades these said take home exams very harshly...giving feedback that is unnecessarily blunt rather than offering valuable critique to improve upon the next one. Avoid.
he needs to leave my gf alone and stop giving her 20 paragraphs to write in 3 days.
Teaching isn't for everyone
Emerson needs to fire him! When I took his class, I was miserable and since then, everyone I know who has had him has felt the same. It's not that he's just a hard grader, it's that his classes were always racist and sexist. He does not accommodate students who need it!!! I even complained to one of the VMA higher-ups and they didn't do ANYTHING!!!
try to avoid. I got stuck with him and couldn't switch. The class itself is ok, but he is a tough grader. I have always gotten A's, but impossible with him, no matter what I do. Also not great at emailing, doesn't really care about students outside of class.
He's like if a film bro became a professor. He has a knack for going off topic of reiterating a simple point over and over again. I tap out at the midway point. Avoid. Avoid. Avoid. Every class has a quiz.
he is great
i have no idea why this guy has such bad reviews i really enjoyed him and his class! he was super laid back and even though the class was pretty lecture heavy all the material was super incite full, the conversations were always indepth and open, and the work was never too difficult if you paid attention. overall good honest guy would take again!
Either everyone here has been reviewing the wrong guy or he's completely changed in the past year but Andre Puca has very interesting things to say about film, he seems very respectful in where he's coming from and he has very insightful comments, including those regarding race and gender. This has been my favorite class I've taken so far.
Professor Puca is someone who really cares about his respective course, putting genuine effort when teaching. The lecture slides he carefully prepared were especially helpful in reinforcing the assigned readings and preparing us for class discussions. I really don't understand why the ratings are so harsh!
I am really confused about the reviews saying that Andre is racist, misogynistic, and creepy because throughout every class he has been proven to be the exact opposite. I understand being upset about the grading because he is very particular. HOWEVER, all you have to do is talk to him. He is so flexible, understanding, and values communication.
Andre is so sweet! He genuinely loves what he is talking about and is very passionate. There was a time we had a quiz and I was confused about the reading so he asked the class if they felt the same, then put the quiz on hold to go over the material first. Communication is key with him! He does go on tangents quite a lot but they are relevant
Andre is a really nice guy. He's not the best teacher but he tries his best and is very receptive when you communicate with him. He goes on tangents more than I like though, which sometimes makes lectures drag.
The ratings on here are wrong - Puca was awesome, viewing quizzes were easy, and the discussions about the films watched were more interesting and informative. The final paper has many choices and clear formatting guidelines. Great professor, and I will be taking his classes again.
The reviews on here do not paint an accurate picture of Puca as a professor. He did an excellent job of meeting the criteria of the class. He wasn't afraid to show us media that challenged our views and always encouraged us to meaningfully engage with said media. I will definitely be taking another class with him down the line.
He's extremely engaging and approachable the more you get to know him. Reciprocate that and you will have a golden semester. Just be prepared for those exams because they take a very long time and he grades pretty harshly on them
I loved my time in Andre's class! He has a clear passion for film study, and while he might go on tangents sometimes, that makes the class much more personal and interesting than a prof that just reads off of slides. I looked forward to his class each week, and I came out of it with a deepened appreciation for film, especially American independent!
Proffesor Puca deserves every bit of the hype!! Please please take his class! The negative reviews are from students who refuse to pit in any effort and then expect a good grade. This class is super laid back and easy going Puca is an incredible proffesor and so so caring about all of us.
Andre Puca is one of the best professors I've had. He is so so passionate about film and loves discussion. You can tell this guy loves being a teacher. There are some quizzes about the material, but they're at the end of the class after going over everything. Exams are long but they're take home and he gives plenty of time to do them. Chill guy too
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
97%
Textbook Required
50%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.72 avg changeRatings by Course
100
5.0
(1)VM212
5.0
(1)AMERICANINDIES
5.0
(1)VM402
4.0
(1)VM131
3.8
(13)Difficulty by Course
VMA201
5.0
VM401
5.0
FILMHISTORY1
4.7
VM212
4.0
AMERICANINDIES
4.0