3.1
Quality2.9
Difficulty44%
Would Retake181
Reviews44%
Would Retake
181
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
181 total ratings5
33
4
44
3
52
2
32
1
20
What Students Say
“Assignments were vague and not well explained, yet were graded harshly”
FAMST46 - 3.0 rating“This class made me rethink being a film major”
FAMST46 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
27%
Textbook Required
18%
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A-
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-0.38 avg changeRatings by Course
FILM170
5.0
(1)122ICETC
5.0
(1)FILM122IT
5.0
(2)FLMST122
5.0
(1)FM46
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
INTROFILM
5.0
FILM122IT169
4.0
FMST46
3.5
FILMSTUDIES46
3.4
FAMST187SK
3.3
Reviews (180)
chooses course content well. always willing to field questions and explain details. fair tests and papers.
sometimes her accent makes it hard to understand her, but other than that she is totally helpful and a great lecturer... makes the course interesting and picks great films.
She's a decent teacher, probably nicer than most you'll find on campus, and she grades midterms on a curve!
Terrific professor, hard to understand at time, but very lenient and understanding. Knows her film history and has a passion for the material she teaches.
a wonderful, jolly teacher with a real enthusiam for what she teaches!
Fun teacher, but TA's suck. They grade papers and quizes hard. Interesting class, but a lot of reading.
Very unclear and uninformative, despite apparent knowledge and enthusiasm on subjects.
Decent prof, but she chooses mostly so-so recent films to watch, and hardly any classics.
Because of her, I changed my major. She made Film unenjoyable & downright lousy. She simply does not care about the individual student. I got a B+ in the class.
I didn't like her class at all. For a major that's actually very interesting, I was beyond bored. And her instructions were very unclear to the point where she couldn't be satisfied.
Don't take this class for an easy A like I did, because it won't happen. Brusutti's a really nice lady, but your grade is entirely determined by your TA and that's what I hated most about the class. The TA's are horrible and grade unfairly IMHO.
This class totally had the potential to be cool. But the teacher was not very helpful in the sense that she would dwell on a clip or single point for so long that she would leave out other very important points. And I took her during the summer.
DONT TAKE CLASS WITH HER it could have been so interesting but she made it horrible. Ive heard theyre trying to replace her & I hope its true bc she is hard to understand, mind numbingly boring, & picks bad movies. I never went to class not worth it at al
i don't know what these people are talking about! brusutti made this class amazing. this woman is one of the most knowledgable film professors i know. her lectures were interesting and stimulating! her film choices are amazing and do not conform to big budget features. i loved her and this class!!!
anyone who doesn't like her just didn't pay enough attention. she knows her****, shows interesting films in class, and has a really weird, silly sense of humor. i had fun in her class.
This was one of my favorite classes. Brusutti is really fun, and I never had a problem with her lectures or film picks. Stop complaining people. She's cool.
she is the most knowledgable, enthusiatic, amazing proffessor and she knows all things about films. Her film choices are great. as for the quote: but your grade is entirely determined by your TA and that's what I hated most about the class. my perspective is that: its based on the work you do
One of the best 4 or 5 professors in the dept.
Brusutti needs to pursue her job with more passion. She seems apathetic to the subject of film, so much that I actually decided to transfer schools. I'm much happier at the school I transferred to where I can actually pick up a camera and have in-depth conversations with teachers who are inspired.
Brusutti has a wit that makes class interesting and worth attending. She knows film inside and out and seems passionate about it. In-class films are good for an intro class. Few complaints.
I love her wit, and the way she analyzes clips in detail. This class has alot of reading though...its alot of terms and work to do. The movie choices were great. Overall, Brusitti is funny and connected to her students.
I had her honors section, and all of you who gave her bad scores didn't try. If you had bothered to meet her or talk to her in her office hours (get out what you put in) you wouldn't have the comments you have. If you can't understand her then YOU have a problem with understanding English. You are the people that run off all of the good professors.
Since she's a film professor, don't expect to watch blockbuster hits all the time cause the course is there to touch on all areas of film. Very interesting class and a very nice teacher. Interesting humor and the class is primarily based upon the gradings of the TA's. However I definitely recommend her as she's pretty clear and available to help
She made class a lot of fun and interesting. Sometimes clarification was needed through reading or section but an answer was always easy to find. After taking this class I decided to switch to a film major.
a little unclear in lecture, but very personable and informative one on one. she has great input and tips for the students who care enough to try. get to know here on a one on one basis and she will hand you an A
shes a really nice lady but her lectures were really unclear. Maybe it was just me, but I felt like she was constantly jumping from one idea to the other with no real connection between them. This class was the only class I've ever had to take pass/not pass...
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Talk to her about the class, and you're guaranteed a good grade. Wish I'd been able to take more of her classes.
the class is vague beyond belief with little to no lecture in class. the teacher is nice and tries to clarify but just doesnt know what direction to take the class in. be wary of this class and expect to learn on your own.
I hate this class. The lecture and the discussion are two different things. You don't even need to go to the lecture and put up with her crap. Just check out the films, watch them, and get the papers the TA hands out during discussion. Brusutti comes up with the most off-topic comments about the films we watch that don't even help us learn a thing.
the professor clearly knew the subject very well, but lectures were pointless most of the time, and there is not student teacher contact whatsoever.
The class was hard overall. I took this class in the summer so the course was condensed into a 6 week course instead of a 10 week course. Classes were long. The films I watched were not interesting at all. The papers were hard to write. I did pass the class, but let me just say I'm never taking film ever again.
lecture disorganized, t.a. was a robot who appeared not to like film, though brussutti was passionate it was not enough to carry the class,she's hard to follow sometimes, don't take class in summer session, you have to work if you really want an A, becuase the classand most of the reading definitely lacks clear direction
I had no idea what the **** she was talking about half the time. Any film teacher who says Adam Sandler is the best actor of our time doesn't know what she's doing. If you want to learn about film, take a different class.
Anna is the best film teacher at UCSB. Great classes that are pretty easy. Get to know her, be her friend, and you are set!
Such a fun and passionate professor. Not the most organized lectures in the world, but she also kept me interested. The reading were a little long, but we watched a lot of interesting films and she was always willing to answer any question people had. The paper assignments and exam were very fair and not too dificult. An enjoyable class.
Prof was very lively and entertaining. I think she selected some good films for us to watch for the most part, some I wouldnt have seen otherwise. Watch out which TA you get, (i.e this "industry" film snob IRA) totally stratified the classroom, had to walk a tight rope around the guy. He's like I know Luc Besson blah blah.. Amazed I did okay- only cause I can write I guess. Luckily Im not a film major or the experienc emight have turned me off.
She was pretty funny and seemed to know what she was talking about, plus she was really interested in her topic so that made us interested too. One of my favorite classes.
Great professor! shows meaningful films, knows A LOT about italian cinema and the related history. she expresses herself and describes the films creatively and comically at times. i loved her for film 46 as well!
lectures are often convoluted and hard to follow, but the basic ideas are interesting and she's obviously an expert on the subject and very passionate about it. Otherwise, a pretty cool class, never dull
It's an okay class. The study guides and the test questions are confusing, and the text book is not really clear either. Overall the class is fun, but the Professor is confussing and sometimes rambles.
Interesting class, however I was disappointed that she seemed to have a wealth of knowledge about a movie, but then states she has not fully seen it. Overall the class is fun, and somewhat went away from being a major seminar.
Professor Brusutti is very interesting to talk to one on one. Several times I went to her office hours and talked to her about films that weren't even related to the class. For the most part the films she showed in class were good and the tests were decent.
Its hard to write about film but the class was very interesting and I learned a lot. Brusutti is great as well. Oh, and the final was tricky because it expected you to have read the book while the midterm had been based on in-class screenings.
The material of the class was great, the way she presented it was horrible. Her lectures were boring and the movies were ok. I wouldn't take a class with her again...
very smart passionate and enthusiastic about material
Brusutti has a very large knowledge about the history of film. The problem most people have with her is her lecturing, because she doesn't use power points or anything. It's up to you to decide what to take notes on. Her grading and tests can be a little tricky if you don't pay attention in class, but she is very helpful outside of class.
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Notice: Helpful? YES; Clarity? NO! Nice lady, lousy teacher. The rests are ambiguous and the two essay topics were very unclear. Class consists of: watch movies w/occasional comments from teacher. Bring pillow. A seemingly straight-forward class gone wrong. If the essay prompts were clear and the tests designed, this class would be "okay". Goodluck
She is a nice women who can be quiet funny at times, but she does not give any structure to her lectures, and it is hard to determine what is important, and what is just some weird tangent. Films were interesting. Didn't feel like I learned much by the end of the quarter. Took the class during summer.
She is not a very good lecturer, poor organization and presentation of information in class. Very knowledgeable on the history of film. Hard to review for tests b/c of bad lecturing. Nice lady and very smart, however does not make for such a good professor.
Fun class, watched a lot of cool films. Sometimes she seemed to ramble a bit, and spent alot of time answering really stupid questions. However, she is very nice and made film 46 a fun class.
Very passionate about the subject, plus very knowledgeable. She introduced me to "The Godfather," which was a great film now that I've finally seen it. It helps if you read the book and buy the reader.
I love movies, and this class did give me a much greater appreciation for good cinema, but her teaching was terrible. One of the most boring lectures I've been a part of, unless we were watching a film, I would almost never go.
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Dr. Brusutti has a true love of movies but the problem is that she is disorganized and most of the information in lecture is frivolous and not on the final. Also the movies watched in class often are either very interesting or really boring and weird. Grades are slow to get back and TA's grade hard. dont expect to get your grades fast though.
Okay teacher, not that interesting, but fun class...I guess. Don't bother going to class if you can watch the film on your own, but do get a copy of the few worksheets she hands out since those ARE the tests.
Boring.She shows horrible movies that I would never watch on my own. Grades are NOT based on a curve. Must know material on the study guides handed out in class. TA's might be helpful, she is not helpful at all. Her behavior to be immature, unprofessional and rude. One of the worst professors. Avoid taking her!
The class is interesting and you learn a lot if you put some effort into it. Make sure to read the book and know the different terms. The material is conceptual and takes a little bit of thinking, but it isn't too difficult. Class is somewhat necessary, but only if you want to keep up with what is going on. Not too hard at all.
All I know is that I dozed off countless times in this class. Professor is marginal but the class itself is terrific. My TA went hard and forced us to participate which was a slight pain.
Loved the class, it was very interesting and i got to see lots of interesting movies that i wouldn't usually see. She is very busy but when i needed help i went to her office and got her full attention and help. And she knows everything about films, there is lots to learn. Especially for film majors TA's are good, mine was A.Tan and she was great.
Great Teacher, Very interested in her subject. Helpful outside of class. Easy class. Would Recommend for film majors.
She's a decent professor. For an intro Class she doesn't really give you anything memorable, but doesn't make you hate film either.
She's not the easiest teacher to understand...it's not her accent that makes her incomprehensible, it's the way she talks in circles and doesn't follow her power points at all. She makes it really hard to take notes, and going to class is mostly useless except for the videos. The only way to do well is to read the book and study it vigorously.
She's like a sweet, funny nanny. She puts in a movie, talks a little, and leaves the class. You don't learn much from her so you'll need the book. The essays are extremely difficult and the prompts are ridiculous and unclear. She's helpful in office hours but don't expect this class to be smooth sailing for anyone. It's pretty tough.
Professor Brusutti is very passionate about film. She makes class funny and interesting. I totally have a crush on her!
I wouldn't say that it's a hard class but you do have to put in effort to get an A. You watch a lot of movies, some old and some fairly new. Her quizzes aren't hard but make sure you do the reading. Midterm and final aren't too bad. She usually gives out an outline of what to expect. Overall a good class.
Anna was absolutely delightful as my first film professor. I got to know her very well by being in the honors section and major seminar. She is insightful and funny and a wonderful, comprehensive teacher. Read the book, go to lecture, watch the films. But ultimately, care about the material. An A is completely feasible if you work for it.
Had her once for the intro class (46) and film noir (169). Both great classes. Top of the line professor as far as I'm concerned.
Anna is a great professor. But the topics are pretty dry. I think if u get a good TA u will do better. Mine was as clueless as we were. But graded hard on exams and papers..
Brusutti is a good professor, she knows the material very well, her range of knowledge surprises me. She can be humorous at times; she tried brightening up lectures as best she could. Loved her choice of films for the class. Unfortunately I had a TA that majored in English so he graded essays much more intensely. Make sure you do the readings!
Went to class three times: first day, midterm, final. Never bought the book nor opened a borrowed one. Just watched the films. If you are a good writer you can still get an A-/B+. Everyone who felt that reading the book was necessary was obviously some newbie freshman. Class not useless (made me consider/analyze films I'd not otherwise watch).
What can I say about Professor Brusutti? While she is very passionate about the material, she is a horrible teacher. She makes note taking extremely difficult and goes on in rants about the material. She does not clarify, and teaches as if students already have a strong basis of the material. I would not recommend her class.
I tried so much to attend lectures, but it was so hard to do so because her lectures are confusing, unorganized, and boring as hell. Her voice is like a lullaby; she'll put you to sleep in ten minutes. Lectures are posted online, but are useless. Some TA's are clueless too. Her guidance to what will be on exams is total false.
Subject matter shouldn't be boring, but Brusutti makes it that way. You can almost pass the class just on the textbook, but after the midterm you need to actually pay attention to lectures & screenings. Her voice makes it hard to concentrate, but overall easy class. Rely on your TA's.
I had professor Brusutti for 155SK (Stanley Kubrick) and Film 46. I like her teaching methods, and she was always very helpful to me outside of lecture. Read the book(s), make sure to attend class, and review your notes; I got an A with little to no effort involved.
She is unbelievably unsure about what she should teach or say. Lectures are super boring and useless. Most of the classmates did not show up after the first week. I'm a film student and I want to change my major after this class.
She was an inconsistent lecturer and very scatterbrained. Still, I loved hearing what she had to say (even when she got off-topic.) The book is pretty useless but you should do the outside readings she requires.
I liked Brusutti. Her lectures are a little boring, but you can tell she loves what she does. If you like the subject matter, you can read the book, but it's mostly fluff, not useful for studying. Quizzes are mostly on articles and screenings. 46 in particular is good for people who really want to major in film. Not for a GE, in my opinion.
Doesn't actually teach anything. Talks about the topic without ever telling you what you need to know about it. Assigns a crazy amount of reading that can be long and hard to understand. However,it can be one of your only chances of getting a good grade. DO not take as a GE
She is not very clear in lecture about what is important to know. She also had small quizzes occasionally and I had no idea what would be on them. Not a difficult class if you can think somewhat deeply about films and can pay attention to small details.
Sweet woman, horrible teacher. Would not recommend
Do not take for GE credit, there are much better options such as DANCE 45. I had no clue what would be on the quizzes, midterm and final and neither did my T.A.. The class is somewhat based on a bell curve, so don't expect an A unless you put in a good amount of work. Attend lecture and read the assigned articles.
Anna's class is difficult but not horrible. If you are incoming Film Major it is definitely manageable. The quizzes are hard but the final is okay. Get a good TA! Unfortunately you have to at least skim the book for an A. Take the Major Seminar if at all possible.
I tools the FAMST 46 class, and she was all over the place. Her lectures never matched with her syllabus, and she would tell us different due dates from what her syllabus says. She gave three quizzes, and always tells us to study one topic but tests us on another topic. You never know if she's going to test you, in detail, on the book or her online
I learned a lot in this class, but mostly because I did all the readings (I'm a film major so the subject interests me). Brusutti knows a lot about the subject but is a terrible lecturer. I only went to lectures to see the films she shows (which we are tested on). For the rest, I learned all of the concepts from the textbook. u have to put in work.
Non-mandatory lectures but TAs take attendance. Lots of hours for not a lot of units, so don't take this if you're not a film major or considering being one. Quizzes are tough but midterm and final are cake. Read the book, skim the articles online, and go to class and you'll land yourself an A with minimal studying.
don't do the readings & it will make the class harder than needed. This takes away time from other classes. She adds additional readings to gauchospace on top of what's in the syllabus. 2 quizzes, 2 papers (3-4 pg and 5-6), exams are in class essays analyzing films watched in class. TA's grade everything. As a result, Choosing the right onematters
I took this class during summer session. I thought an Intro to Film Studies class would be fun, but it was so dry. I liked a few of the movies, like Singin' in the Rain and Citizen Kane, but some of the movies were confusing, dry, and weird. Really dreaded getting up for three hour lectures three times a week.
Shows the best films of any of the film professors. Really amazing class and interesting and USEFUL lectures. Still my favorite class at UCSB. Would take it again. I liked the assignments too.
I did not like her. Could not understand what you were suppose to know from lectures andd readings. Chosen films were decent. Could not get past the accent, kept reminding me of Despicable Me.
Brusutti obviously loves film noir but most of what I learned came from the book. She assigns a LOT of readings on gauchospace too, but I barely read them. I showed up to most of the lectures and watched the films on my own and did fairly well. Either show up and don't read or read and don't go either well should be an easy A for a film student.
Cute little Italian lady who is very passionate about film. Would take another course from her. Readings can be half-assed. Really interesting class and you get to watch lots of movies.
I took both 46 and 122IT with her. Pretty tough grader, but I ended up with a B in both after working hard and making sure I was clear with everything.
It's clear that Brusutti is knowledgable in the subject & very enthusiastic but I didn't feel like she was really teaching us. It was a lot of her talking about things but not explaining theories and ideas that much. If you don't read the (TONS) of chapters and articles, you won't pass. She plays videos and clips without explaining their relevance.
While it was interesting to hear her speak about her extensive knowledge of film, I never quite knew what I was supposed to be getting out of the class. Assignments were vague and not well explained, yet were graded harshly. What you get out of the class (including your grade) depends heavily on your TA.
This class is for students that are actually interested in the different components of film. It is a really general class, and gives an overview into the cinematic world. I would probably not have enjoyed it though if I wasn't passionate about film. Brusutti is entertaining and caring. I have her for FAMST150CM now, and she continues to amaze.
She is extremely nice and gets to the point. Film Noir was a great subject and you can tell she loves teaching film. Solid professor, but she does offer a lot of reading. Not too bad though
Currently enrolled in FAM46 as a prospective Film major. Halfway through the course -- I am seriously rethinking my major if this is what the classes will be like. Brusutti's lectures are so dry and she goes in circles and constantly gets off topic. The films she chose to screen are all over the place with no rationale as to why they were chosen.
Professor Brusutti, as with most Film professors at UCSB, do not give a clear and transparent focus on what we are supposed to be learning in the class. If this basic and fundamental objective was further explained, classes would be easier and more enjoyable! Everything is subjective, so its really all about the TA and how good you can write.
Professor Brusutti was simply amazing. She is so enthusiastic about film noir and really loves film. She will have conversations about the films you love and will always make class super easy for you if you talk to her during break or over email. Such a sweet, caring teacher. Really laid back and very straightforward.
Prof. Brusutti is funny, charming, and passionate! I've never taken a film course in the past and was super worried I'd do horribly and felt out of place among all the film buffs, but she did an amazing job of keep film noir approachable and intriguing, allowing me to develop a genuine interest and love for it! She's such a great human!!!
This class made me rethink being a film major. While passionate, she is all over the place in lectures and often times I leave more confused. Not sure what i'm supposed to be getting out of it. Tough grader, and much of the tests and papers comes from course reader articles. Grading criteria very unclear often times. Study for the quizzes.
2 papers, 3 quizzes (lowest score dropped), 1 midterm & 1 final. Sometimes has a sign-in sheet for attendance. Definitely do your reading! If you're not a film major or interested in the subject, I wouldn't take this class as a GE because it's a lot of time and work. The film screenings were really cool and Brusutti is very passionate about film.
do not recommend. Gave little to no helpful feedback on the take home midterm and quizzes were overly specific from the readings. Lecture was pointless, as she rambled on in a manner that was unclear. The textbook was also extremely dense.
While I understand why people would not like, I felt that she was entertaining and very passionate about the things she taught. There were times were the class felt very disorganized and confusing, but the films she showed us were very interesting. This class made me want to be a film major. TA's grade HARD for no reason though, be careful.
She's really cool! One of my favorite teachers at UCSB!
Classes mostly consisted of a lecture/powerpoint and then a small discussion followed by a screening. Focuses more on the psychological/semiotic elements of film and less cinematography. Overall a great professor.
She's cool except the fact that she talks really quiet and you can't hear her and its kind of dumb because all we do in class is watch movies and we learn all the film aspects on our own from the reading where id rather learn it in class and have it explained by her and watch the movie on my own.
literally would never take her again. she is very quiet, she sounds like Gru from Despicable Me, the readings are AWFUL (Was don't even like them), and she basically just throws things out then tells us to read about them. lectures are a waste of time but we have to go for the films. don't take for just GE.
Really good introductory film course, I learned a lot. Professor Brusutti was super sweet and put her lectures up online so you aren't dead in the water if you miss a lecture. She showed a variety of films which is good for film students to be exposed to different genres and styles of film. I recommend if you're even slightly interested in film.
I took Brusutti's class on a recommendation from my high school film teacher who graduated from UCSB. I was sad to see that because of her age, technology was a severe difficulty for her so be prepared for some down time while she fiddles with the computer. If you actually put in the effort to listen to her, she knows the material very well.
A professor who really knows her subjects. Her lectures are interesting, funny and she loves participation. Her exams and lectures are heavily based on the readings and additional links she puts on GauchoSpace. She loves if it you really dive in and go outside the class's subject matter. Great friend outside the classroom too, always fun to talk to
A professor who really knows her subjects. She can talk a little quiet so sit up close but her lectures are interesting, funny and she loves participation. Her exams and lectures are heavily based on the readings, additional links, and mentioned books or video. She loves if it you really dive in and go outside the class's subject matter on your own
Anna knows Noir. I learned more than I ever thought was possible to learn on the subject and watched some very interesting films that I had not heard of. Shes fun and when I had a question about my final grade she met with me and thoroughly explained and went over my paper with me. I really appreciated the clarification. Would take another class.
She really sucks at giving lectures, but you GOTTA go to class to watch all the clips/movies she shows. first quiz was easy, its the study guide, 2nd quiz is hard af so don't even bother studying. papers were alright, easy wo rlly knowing what ur talking about. Final was hard but not too too hard to study for. readings are horrible, don't do them.
I have to say that I learned more from YouTube recap videos than her lectures. The lecture pace never follows the reader she assigned us.
The film selection is varied and interesting, however her lectures are lacking. They tend to be unfocused, difficult to follow, and not particularly connected to the films watched in class. She is a great person who clearly knows her stuff, however her communication of this knowledge leaves some to be desired. Honestly, worth it for the films tho.
Lectures kept going overtime, it wasnt even that great and most of the films were boring. Fell asleep many times. Class was easy though
Lectures were hard to follow at times. Lots of reading, not all of it was useful. She clearly knows what she's talking about, but doesn't know how to structure it in a lecture. Don't need to attend the lectures, do need to watch all the movies. Movies were interesting though.
The professor often talks about whatever she can think of in the lecture, unplanned and unorganized. Hence, the lecture is boring and hard to follow. However, the films shown are great.
Anna is a really nice professor. If you attend her office hours she cares about you a little more. She is very sweet but is not too helpful in lecture. MANY readings in the textbook, but you only actually need to read about the vocab talked in section. I never go to the screenings and rarely lecture bc its kinda pointless. I fall asleep.
Go to section, go to lecture, and just listen. If you love film, this is the class where you can expand on your analysis. The lectures can be boring, but overall the content is interesting. And the films watched are great. If you're not really an art person this might be harder because the class asks you to analyze the artform of cinema.
Even though this is an intro to film class, be ready to work. Lectures aren't mandatory, you can barely hear what she's saying, and powerpoints barely make sense. This class is unorganized and assignments aren't clear. There isn't homework so make sure you study for the 2 quizzes, 1 midterm, & final. There's 2 written papers.
I thought Brusutti was quite funny and her lectures were interesting. Aside from lectures, the class is mostly just screenings which range in how interesting they are. Most were fine or really enjoyable and it was nice because you got to just sit back for a few hours and call it "class." I don't think you need to do all the readings for an A.
did not adjust to online well at all. lectures are just her rambling on about random scenes in movies we weren't assigned or have never seen that are not relevant at all. only focused on things like editing, camerawork, and sound instead of story or historical themes or anything actually interesting. instructions on assignments weren't clear either
Took during COVID-19 and she was either overwhelmed and scattered, or she doesn't know how to teach. The readings and movies were alright, but her lectures made NO SENSE- she talked about random scenes for ages, and I was expecting to learn the basics of film to continue my major. I hated the 600+ page textbook, but it taught me more than she did.
Professor Brusutti definitely knows what she's talking about and has a lot of enthusiasm for FAMST, but the class was unorganized and often difficult to follow. There are pop quizzes about the textbook and readings which were hard. The exams are short essay and are doable but require a lot of studying. Don't take unless you're a FAMST major.
I enjoyed most of the cinema content she chose for us to watch. She taught some really interesting concepts too. Unfortunately, there is very heavy reading and her lectures are usually long and sometimes confusing. Overall, it just seemed like she had no idea how to make this class online. If you just need a GE, recommend a dif course
The class was extremely disorganized. Lectures were extremely long and tangential. Assigned 100+ pages of reading on the first day but you can skim the book and still be fine. Took this class for a fun, easy time but ended up being the most annoying and disliked class of the quarter.
Don't take this class as a GE. Very unorganized lectures. Would go off on tangents and you couldn't really understand what points she was making. Thankfully had a good TA that helped. Really decreased my interest in film. Most disliked class even though it isn't difficult. Very little assignments; do well on the 3 essays and weekly lecture quizzes.
took this in the first quarter of online and it was fine. theres a lot of assigned reading but you dont need to do most of it to get an easy A. her lectures were helpful but they dont go into detail of how to write analysis but its pretty easy to pick up. would recommend office hours. 2 papers and a short essay final. weekly quizzes are easy
Do not know her standing on grading paper.
Lectures are unorganized, boring, and confusing. Essay prompts are really long and unclear. This class will make you hate film analysis.
Lectures are okay, her presentations don't make any sense, sometimes don't relate to the reading assigned. The study guides she gives out don't help at all and she assigns a LOT of reading.
Brusutti is clearly really passionate and knowledgable about film, but her lectures are so messy. She says so much without saying anything at all. Her essay prompts are long and confusing. Do NOT take this class if you are not a film major.
Had to take as a film major but do NOT take as a GE. Lectures are really unorganized and extremely frustrating to sit through. Similarly, the paper prompts are difficult and I felt extremely unprepared. Lots of reading as well. If you're a FAMST major, FAMST96 is a million times better, you just gotta get through this first
Loootttts of reading. Lectures are honestly all over the place/poorly organized and the professor tends to ramble a lot.
If you are not/do not want to be a film major, this is NOT the class for you. It's simply not worth the effort. Brusutti's lectures are painful and do not help at all when it comes to the content on the two quizzes for the course. The assigned reading is also quite a bit. I didn't do a lot of it but I'd say just go to section and you can do well!
Brusutti clearly loves film, but her lectures are long, boring, frustrating, painful, and EXTREMELY unorganized (and the posted lecture slides offer absolutely no clarity). So much assigned reading that is unnecessary and you don't have to do get a good grade. Paper prompts were incomprehensible too. Don't take if you're not a film major.
Prof. Brusutti was a great lecturer; at times it could get a bit dense, especially with the more technical and conceptual topics, but her lectures about the films and genres themselves were super interesting, & her choice of films for this quarter was great. Although there was a lot of work involved, if you were motivated enough it wasn't too bad.
watch 2 films per week right after lecture. lots of readings, but you dont need to do them-she'll mention the important ones in lec. shes very sweet and excited about film noir so her lectures are not boring. 2 papers + short written final, 1 quiz on films 1 on readings. everything take home. really fair and would def take another class of hers
So many people skip class, which you could probably get away with, but I honestly think Brusutti gets a bad rap. She is disorganized with slides and whatnot, and the reading is pretty much unnecessary, but lectures are still pretty good if you're interested in film. If you are not extremely interested in film analysis don't take this as a GE
This class was fairly easy, two papers, a short quiz instead of a full midterm, and a written final. It sounds like a lot of writing but the papers honestly write themselves. The lectures are very interesting, you don't really need to take notes, just listen. You also don't need to do the readings. The films shown were all fairly good and relevant.
This was some awful grading, basically 4 short essays over the class, on each she said she wanted more, but never elaborated. And when I continued to spend more time and effort on the essays, I still got like 85% and the same feedback. The criteria was vague as hell and the feedback was severely lacking. Really disappointing after aFAMST46
Okay, brace yourself. The main problem with this class is the textbook it refers to, 'Film Art' by Bordwell and Thompson. The WHOLE syllabus is structured around this book AND THE BOOK SUCKS. You WILL lose it. Anna is clearly very passionate in her subject but yeah, no, I would never take this class again.
Very boring lecturer and the class provided nothing but a credit. If you're a Film and Media Studies major you already know everything this class is meant to teach you. The lectures were LONG and Brusutti did nothing to make them interesting. The screenings were also awful - INSANE recency bias.
The material isn't super riveting, but as a FAMST requirement, 46 is a pretty easy start. The lectures can drone on but the readings aren't necessary at all. A couple of papers that aren't terrible and the final is online. Anna is pretty engaging and very respected.
Three papers, lectures were fine but she is knowledgeable about film theory and the information she gives is very easy to digest. The films shown can be a drag but otherwise it was a fine class.
The class was fine overall. Not too difficult, two papers and an online final. The paper aren't hard, just took some times.
Literally the most boring and useless class I have ever taken. The only reason I go to class is to watch the films because I know I won't watch them on my own time. Lecture material is useless and she's extremely unorganized. No need to even take notes. Only upside to this class is that its really easy and if you watch the films you'll be chillin.
You will not learn anything from Brusutti's lectures. She is so boring and genuinely the most disorganized professor I've ever had. Not worth taking if you aren't a film major. If you want to do well talk to your TA cause they're the ones grading your papers. If you're a film major this WONT prepare you for FAMST96.
She isn't the most tech-savvy, and slides can be pretty disorganized/misleading, but Brusutti is such a sweet lady and to even criticize her hurts me. You can tell she's passionate about the material. Only 2 papers, short multiple choice P/NP quizzes, and a written open-note final. If you love film this works as a decent GE.
8/10 class. AREA F and WRT. Two papers each worth 20%. The topics are obscure, but you're free to use Chat GPT so they're both easy. There's a group project worth 30%, and an in person written final also 30%. Neither were put in the gradebook, so grades a mystery till the end. Lectures=a movie, but she never takes attendance so basically optional.
An introduction to key concepts in film and the industry. I have a background in film so I found the textbook (PDF) readings long and unengaging. Certain concepts from the textbooks will be on exams, but they are discussed in section. If you take notes during lecture and do the readings it's fine.
She graded literally one assignment of 6 throughout the entire quarter and her feedback was incredibly confusing and her instructions on what she wanted were never clear. I would not say that this is a hard class, but it is extremely frustrating and you will not have any idea what your grade is until the day that the overall grade is due on Gold.
Took Brusutti's 46 and 169 classes last quarter; she was a wonderful lecturer for both. She made the course content interesting and was helpful to talk to when I had questions about the assignments. The writing is not too difficult is you engage with the concepts, not very tough. Would recommend her for both!
Lecture was 3 hours and twice a week. It was very long and got tired easily, but it was worth going in to see the movies. Half was lecture and other half was for the movie. Some were online, but not all. The essays and the quizzes were extremely easy. She is extremely nice. The final was fair.
She's a really nice lady and she has a lot of interesting things to say but everything she says is like a riddle and it's very confusing to follow her lectures. She talks like we are already supposed to know all of this stuff but some of us are new to film. Her quizzes are filled with all this terminology and concepts she never goes over in class.
Anna is a good and kind professor. I attended her seminar and I love her so much. I recommend all students to take her seminar. But her quiz in 46 is always out of study question.
The lectures consisted of watching films for the majority of the class time. She would go overtime often by 5-15 minutes. The lecture attendance isn't taken but sections with the TA are. She doesn't care if you walk out mid lecture. If you plan to skip lectures, I advise you do attend the ones closer to midterm and finals season.
Brusutti is knowledgeable about film theory, but her lectures can be dry. Textbook is tedious, but Unstuck ai helped me ace the papers. For a GE, it's manageable if you stay engaged.
As a film major, I enjoyed the class and Brusutti's (sometimes disorganized) lectures because the content is interesting to me. I also thought the movies selected throughout the quarter (1 and sometimes 2 per week in class) were well chosen. But if I wasn't interested in film genuinely, I think assignments might be difficult to receive a high grade
If I didn't love film noir and hadn't seen many of the films already or have an understanding of the films of that period, I probably wouldn't have understood everything she was talking about. Didn't do the readings and it didn't hurt. Feel like I could've learned more, but you get to watch some awesome movies on the big screen so it's worth it
Mandatory lectures where she pauses the videos too often. It's a film class just show the clips. Her commentary and lecture style in general is poor
Honestly, it was a super easy class, but it depended on the grader for that quarter. There are around 15 films that you watch in class, and all you do is memorize the director and context. The final was an essay. The midterm was identification. took this as an elective and as an econ major. easy a
This course was interesting and I always looked forward to the Friday films. However, I only missed 2 lectures the entire quarter, submitted well-written papers (B+ and A-), scored a B+ and A on the 2 quizzes, and barely got an A in the class. I admit that I am unfamiliar with film concepts, but still believe this class is unnecessarily difficult.
Her lectures were a bit boring since the material is pretty clear but the class is a blast. I'm a film major but I recommend this to anyone who needs their art credit and writing. We wrote 2 papers (3 pages and 5 pages) and watch movies during Friday lecture. Don't do the readings, they don't matter, just participate in section.
As long as you show up to lecture and make an effort to participate in section you will be fine. The issues I have with this course are that analysis of film from the perspective of form only tells you what you already wanted to know and cannot be used to create further or opposing insights.
Make sure to actually pay attention during the movies and not just passively watch -- some test questions were a little specific.
Easy GE. Just do your work on time, go to section, and you're good to get an A.
I really enjoyed Brusutti's class. She is so passionate about film, literally an encyclopedia of movies. She is also hilarious and cares about the course very much. Her passion made me more excited for the course.
Don't read the readings; you'll cover them in the section. I took her in the summer. I had 3 papers, all were 3-page long (double-spaced), NO MIDTERM (for summer at least), and the final exam she gives you a preview of how the exam will be set up. You will pass this class.
I didn't have the worst experience because my TA was easy to talk to and a fair grader. However, I could not sit through a single lecture without wanting to pull my hair out. She was nice yet very difficult to pay attention to. The lectures were way too long and boring. If you don't have a deep passion for film, DO NOT take this class.
Lowkey mean and difficult professor. Suuuuuper dry lectures I'm not gonna lie I genuinely fell asleep in every single one for at least some part of it if not the entire thing. The papers are easy if you pay attention in section. The attendance quizzes are lowkey hella hard for no reason just super hyper specific. You'll be okay. Love my TA.
goated all timer professor. genuinely couldnt ask for a better educator.
Pretty easy class. Quizzes are worth 10 points with only 5 questions but they are pretty specific. Never once did the readings as they seemed useless. We only had 3 papers and they were easy. Final exam was fine, just know the terminology and STUDY. Every Friday you will watch a film. Oh and shoutout to Francis Yeboah, great TA and he's chill!
Nothing against this teacher, she is just REALLY boring. 3 papers, 3 quizzes, you can drop a low quiz grade. Genuinely just depends on the TA you get. The lectures are SUPER boring but it helps to go to probably 75% of them (esp towards end of quarter). Lwk the slides she uses are not good, lectures have basically zero structure, but she lwk funny
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
27%
Textbook Required
18%
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5.0
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(1)FILM122IT
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(2)FLMST122
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(1)FM46
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(1)Difficulty by Course
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4.0
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