2.1
Quality3.4
Difficulty14%
Would Retake164
Reviews14%
Would Retake
164
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
10
4
14
3
33
2
50
1
57
What Students Say
“I'm an English major recently accepted to a Master's program, and this professor gave me a C on my essay for his class--presumably because I dared criticize his beloved nostalgia-heavy classic Casablanca”
FILM120 - 1.0 rating“Ken's film class was horrible”
FILM140 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
45%
Textbook Required
75%
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B
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FILMPROD
5.0
(1)FLM160
4.0
(1)282
3.0
(1)FLM292282
3.0
(1)FILM140160181
3.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
5031
5.0
FILM122
5.0
FILM101
5.0
FILM1605034
5.0
FLIM160
4.0
Reviews (164)
Knows the industry's ways and technical stuff. Good critic of your films.
his lectures are scattershot, and very unorganized, but the work is easy: watching, making movies. There is some reading too, but it is okay. The book is expensive, however.
cool cat
His lectures suck...and so does he...i know you might read this and just think that this kid who worte this is just stupid guy and the teacher is really ok..and he is just saying this stuff..so for those of u..go and sign up anyways...welcome to hell..
arrogant and pompous, white likes to hear himself talk in lecture and argues with student response. the course seems to be easy, but he is overly critical grading. the quizzes and tests are easy but the papers are everything. welcome to hell
He lectures alot and doesnt go over the movie. He goes over all the tech. stuff that goes on in the movie, like the camera views and the lighting! its an easy class but really boring!
it's fun watching the movies but he doesn't go over what's on the tests.
i totally aced his class...all u need to do is pay attention durin lectures which ya can be hard but if u kept up with wats goin on ur fine
I love film but his lectures aren't very interesting. He loves hearing himself talk. I feel like I haven't gotten a lot out of this class as I should have.
Full of himself, but easy to pass his classes. I survived three of them. As long as you do the reading, watch the movies, and have good writing skills, you'll be fine.
Total jerk, but once you've taken one of his tests, you've taken them all. Rent all of the movies at home if you want.
Well i really can't complain because i got a B and i hardly did anything. I fell asleep most of the time because his lectures are so boring. He's just not interesting and i've ran out of comment space.
he clearl knows what hes talking about and his lectures are full of info that if you retain will help you greatly on his tests
We watched a movie the entire class period and got hellacious test every couple of weeks. The entire grade is based opn these tests and you have no idea what they cover. The questions are random, and he never discusses what we should know.
Watch movie then discuss, get use to this. Weird thing is that quizzes have questions that i've never even heard or read of. Other than that u do a paper every quarter and midterm is just like quiz. I'd like to say it was easy and i will, so there u go.
Easy classes, predictable tests, repetitive lectures (f-stops/blacklisting), and almost complete lack of feedback on all but 1st film in production class.
Completely useless. Avoid taking if you want to get anywhere in the Film industry.
He loves to hear his own (annoying) voice. The movies are fun, as is learning the historical context for each, but you won't learn anything here you couldn't find in half an hour of google searching. Most of the class time is devoted to watching the movies, with about 15 minutes of lecture between. He grades a bit harshly on the essays.
Wow, his tests are really bad! Half the questions on them are on stuff we never went over in class or in the book! He grades harshly on essays. Lectures are REALLY boring, so bring something to do. AVOID AT ALL COSTS!
Ken White is cool when it comes to knowledge of movies and background of the industry. Other than that you will probably go to sleep and miss important things he will ask in the tests and the essays he give are two pages but wants it to be great like how an english professor wants it to be but anyways hes a cool guy and anyone can take him.
class met 5 times total. lectures review the films and provides answers to quizzes. 2 quizzes, 2 papers, midterm and final. narrow-minded in terms of grading. read first 3 chapters in the book and the articles in the back. can get expensive (and hard to find) if renting movies but i watched them in the media center. 29 movies total.
The only thing interestin about this clas r the movies, and they get a little boring towards the end. Lec at the end of movies r pointless. Dnt worry too much about the txt just the main ideas/themes, read the articles in the back of the book. Exams are the articles and dumb ? that make sure u watched the movie.
really mean guy. took the distance class and in the few encounters i had with him he was rude, unhelpful, and discouraging. on top of that the test are horrible half the stuff are things that weren't in the movies or the readings and were never talked about. i thought i would really injoy this class but he ruined it. the movies were good at least
Movies are interesting, but the teacher is not really interesting. He discusses about the movies, but not about things outside the box, so to speak. His tests are hard since he didn't discuss everything in lecture for the test. He grades pretty hard on essays unless you talk about something he never thought of.
Awful teacher. Completely not helpful, and our class (out of 250 student) average was a D+. There is a small 20 question quiz, 2 papers, a midterm (50 question) and a Final (around 60 questions) If I didn't take this class CR/NC it would have killed my GPA. If you do take him DEFINATELY take CR/NC immeadiately.
He's good. Talk to you him(face to face)! before you write your paper. The main thing about test and quizes is that you watch the movies (just remember main ideas and facts). Read articles in back of book and understand lighting and shot details in book.
Mr. White's class is not that difficult. Just do the reading and watch the movies and listen to him talk. The reading isnt that involved either. Pay attention to what he says in his short lectures. You will see those topics on his exams. I did about half of the reading and just went to class and got a B.
DON'T EVEN BOTHER BUYING BOOKS FOR HIS CLASS I READ THE DAMN BOOK AND IT DIDN'T HELP AT ALL. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS PAY ATTENTION TO HIS LECTURES, WATCH THE MOVIES, DO THE EXTRA CREDIT AND WRITE TWO PAPERS. YOU'LL PROBABLY END UP WITH AN A OR B IN HIS CLASS. THE ONLY BAD PART IS THAT YOU NEED TO BE INDEPENDENT CAUSE HE ISN'T HELPFUL TO HIS STUDENTS.
it was cool that class was once a month, but i feel like i didnt learn anything besides the fact that minorities are still having difficulties getting into the film business. the class was pretty much useless
I just did not like this class at all. White is incredibly boring and has no personality and his midterms do not even cover the information in the text. I do not recommend taking a class with him. He also seems arrogant.
class definitely not as hard as i thought it was going to be after reading other comments. you dont need the book. just watch all the movies, write 2 papers, do the extra credit and do fair on the quizzes and you will for sure get an A or B.
he wasn't that hard. watch the movies, and the shows, and you will do fine. the essy's were the toughest, and those weren't that bad.....He was kinda boring. oh, and don't bother buying his book.
White has the most annoying voice and loves to hear himself talk! Uses "essentially" and "in essence" between every other sentence to sound intellegent. He wears the same tech vest to class everyday and hinks hes a film director! HA! Tests had questions he never covered in class and your whole grade is based on the tests! joke! Def. take cr/no cr
A nice way to put this class is a total waste of time. White is a wanna-be film director who seems arrogant and gets a lot of his facts wrong. However the class was kinda easy, all you have to do is sit down and watch movies, but the tests are kind of tedious, and the reading is even worse. There's probably better film classes out there.
DO NOT TAKE THIS CLASS! If you have any interest in film do yourself a favor and stay far away from Ken White. I learned nothing about film and I was one of the few students who did all the work assigned. The awkward phrasing of the test questions make you doubt your answer when you're right.I would like to note I still love film just not his class
This is a brilliant and sexy man! His film selections are superb, and his sage-like wisdom on every facet of evevy film he shows will astound you! He opened me up to a whole new world, and as such, I've changed my Business Marketing major to that of film! My mentor-mentee relationship with him was invaluble. Say what u will, but tech-vests are sexy
In spite of all the garbage criticism that has tarnished Mr. White's reputation, he's a genuinely knowledgable, fair, and interesting teacher. Make no mistake he's got very firm opinions on films, but this is often confused with arrogance, or worse, supposed aspirations for film directing gone awry! This is total nonsense! I highly reccomend him.
Awful teacher. Quizzes & midterms have very little to no questions concerning 99% of the reading/videos. I did all the reading, watched all the videos (including American Cinema) and my friend who only watched the movies got very similar scores than me. White has a strange method of grading papers. Almost impossible to get an A, CR or No CR ONLY!!!
If you read the text and watch all the movies you can pass his class. I had the meet once a month class which is five classes and it was farely easy. Type two essays and watch some good movie genres.
to be honest he is a terrible teacher....test questions and worded so improper that you will second guess every question..people who do well on the tests get lucky with guessing which one to pick
this class is a total joke. i cant believe it counts for anything u do two essays and 3 tests i never bought the book or listened to his pointless lecture and got an A he grades on a curve so 80/100 was a A on test basically. this was the easiest class and most pointless class i ever took he is not a good teacher but he is an easy one
ok, I didnt get a good grade, but I will not trash him, he has a good set up. Maybe his test are long, and they have obscure questions, and no matter how much you study it's hard to get a good grade... It was a challenge just passing! Some teachers are like that.
Took this class online, not worth the trouble. If you are trying to knock out the humanities req. take a class with Appell. The tests are very hard & ask for tiny details. Lots to read/watch and it's hard to know what to study. Got an A but it was a huge effort, too time consuming. Seems like a nice/smart guy though, good taste in movies
Proffesor White is a nice guy who genuinly understands what he teaches. From what I understand you should avoid his online class, that said I very much enjoyed the normal class. Tests are a bit obsucure but if you remember the movies and WRITE DOWN IN CLASS LECTURES you shouldnt have too much trouble, I didnt need the textbooks at all.
He is the rudest teacher i have ever had. he literally let the door slam in my face on our way into the class. i e mailed him asking for information about extra credit. he told me "google it" why be a teacher if you dont want to help your students?! the tests are the same question re worded 30 times and his lectures are so randome
Terrible teacher. Explains nothing, you're pretty much on your own. When you do ask him a question his responses just come off as rude and annoying. Avoid his online class. Pretty boring video lectures.
Do not even bother with this class. It's a complete waste of time. White takes what should be a great subject and makes it dryer than the Sahara Desert. I don't mind a challenge but exams on small details, combined with boring lectures, do nothing. If you can, review other instructors for this class and hopefully they are good. Just avoid White.
Horrible teacher. Just "phoning it in" and trying to sell his crappy self-published textbook. Rude and monosyllabic responses to email. The attitude is highly discouraging for anyone truly interested in film. Tests are RIDDLED with mistakes. Unfortunately, he is the department head so he can get away with this stuff. Sad.
This teacher is slightly demeaning towards students. He doesn't respect students, probably because he doesn't get much respect from students himself. This class is a piece of cake if you read the book and watch the movies. Personally I felt like I wasted my time in this class, but others might enjoy it. White is rather unhelpful.
OK. I don't get the comments by all of these students saying that the class is hard or tests were on obscure material. Yeah, he pushes his crappily written textbook...that aside....all you really had to do is watch the movies and pay attention to them. Some really great cinema there. He may not be inspiring, but his film choices were. Take one clas
I took Film 280 online and it was easy enough if you did the reading and watched the movies. You could even trade the reading with the online lectures since he says pretty much the same things. But when I took Film 282 online it was ridiculously hard. Tests are hard, but there are only 3.
Rude teacher, not helpful at all. Jaded at life and takes it out on his students. I'm not convinced he actually knows anything of substance about film. His tests are filled with trick questions and the essay assignments are easy but ambiguous. This class is NOT an easy A, don't be fooled. Consider taking it as P/NP if you need the credit only.
He was not helpful nor caring about his students. He was arrogant and didn't accept other student's feedback AT ALL. Basically you can't argue with him at all, your wrong. The end. But the tests and essays are pretty easy, although he does grade a bit harshly on the essays. I did enjoy the movies however, he has really good taste.
I would not recommend this class. I have gotten straight A's at DVC, so I believe I understand what it takes to do well here. However,in this class the amount of work you do will not show in your grade. This is especially true for the essays, and I know I am not the only one who thinks this.
I broke a long string of A's in this class. Listen to everyone on here you learn nothing and he is a very critical grader. A question from the test; what kind of car does so and so drive? That?s really what you want to test us on? However, at least 20% of the test cannot be found anywhere in the material, not in the text, lectures or movies.
REALLY EASY class... if you take pass or fail. I passed the class with only one written essay, no hw whatsoever and took the test after watching a few req movies but not buying the books. SO basically all i did was watched 6 movies and scribbled a C- paper. AND PASSED.
all i can say is that im glad im taking this class p/np. im taking it online, and even then he comes off as arrogant and rude. i sent him and email asking a simple question he couldve easy answered and all he said was "Read directions" his tests are ridiculous and asked questions about movies that werent even assigned! DO NOT TAKE.
I took this class on a pass/no pass basis online. It is pretty easy if you watch the movies and watch/attend the lectures
I really liked the material and the class, but with a teacher who does not teach well probably because he is preoccupied and only receiving grades without discussion or pointers as to where we may have messed up in our essays, it seemed like a worthless learning experience. I wouldn't take this teacher ever again.
first off, his textbooks are a joke. for being how expensive they are, they only contain a couple poorly written essays-worth of material. he only has a couple grades for the entire semester so don't write an essay he randomly won't like or there goes your A. also his tests suck and are full of subjective true/false questions. AVOID.
if you're looking for a somewhat easy straightforward class this is it, especially if you do p/np. He's not helpful at all though. you might send him a lengthy question and he'll probably just say "read directions" or something useless like that. just watch the movies and read the book. it is possible to get an A
Very strict when it comes to his mandatory essays. I emailed him to ask what I could do to make up for missing one class, but his response consisted of 2 letters "Ok".... He's very arrogant and makes the books he wrote mandatory ($$$). If you take his class, do it for P/NP. If you're a film major, GOOD LUCK!
He's chill. Just don't take out a cell phone during a movie. Movies are all really fun to watch.
I took the online version of Film 282. I would recommend this class ONLY if you really enjoy film. Don't take it for an easy A, you probably won't get it. The tests are insanely difficult and his grading for essays are meh. To pass the tests, study the textbooks like no tomorrow.
Ken White's online class was an enigma to me. Although he had decent film choices, the amount of watching films, youtube videos and reading is high and his tests ambiguous and confusing. He is extremely harsh on essays even after hours of crafting them. Avoid him if you can. He was rude and disrespectful. I felt little effort coming from him.
DO NOT TAKE THIS TEACHER. I took one of his online classes, and it was the most horrible class I've ever been in. It seems like his online classes are a joke way for him to make extra money. He doesn't check the class, tests are incomprehensive, and multiple people said he was ignoring their emails over these issues and more I don't have room for.
Absolute waste of time. Took this course online, and the lectures were inaudible, the movies required hard to find, and the tests totally confusing. If you ask for help, you might get a one-word response, maximum. Please save your time, money, and patience for someone who values your time.
I took this class online. He rarely gives feedback, takes long to grade, & shows a strong lack of interest in the class. Reading material is written by him. LOOK FOR ANOTHER TEACHER!
Take this class for pass or no pass if your major does not require you to complete it with a letter grade. The movies are classic and interesting, but hard to find on netflix.com. This class is not a "hard" class, but it requires students paying attention to details of movies and text. The 1st quiz gives you a good hint of how to study for exams
The online class is great! You HAVE TO BE a veteran at WebCT, no newbies to online or you'll not survive, he does not help you navigate. However his syllabus is crystal clear; if you read, watch movies and do work you'll be fine. Rent movies at Library in combination w/netflix. If ur looking for teacher involvement, this is not the class for you.
Took it online. Worst Professor ever!He writes subjective questions on his multiple choice exams. He seems bothered that you want help. I spent the whole semester trying to figure out what he would want as answer not, what is the answer? Save yourself the headache and GPA hit if you are a STEM major. & 1 required book he wrote and it's pricey trash
Took his film class online. Incredibly unhelpful and seems bothered by the students need of assistance. Very curt and rude over emails and odd office hours.
If you take this class, do the PASS/NO PASS option. I loved all the films and always came to class, so I thought I would breeze through the quizzes and barely passed. The papers are easy.
Honestly one of the least caring teachers I have ever had. He shows interesting films, but he shows zero interest in his students. Intro to film shouldn't be a difficult class, yet he makes his tests near impossible. One question was "In what film is an undertaker asked to perform a favor?" Seriously? Avoid his class if you enjoy having a high GPA.
Interesting and really knows his stuff. Requires two textbooks, however I would advise against purchasing them. See them in the library to study instead. It helps to have a competent writing ability and to really pay attention during the films (which are great). However he's difficult to communicate with via email as many have stated before me.
The worse teacher I have ever experienced my college career. like seriously I don't even know how he has an online job at dvc DO not take him!! the tests have nothing to do with what you learn
This instructor has made the online class experience great. He's responsive to emails, clear in the syllabus and online texts on what's required, the online lectures are great, and the text is a good read too. There is a moderate amount of reading to keep up on and you HAVE TO READ THE MATERIAL AND WATCH THE LECTURES! Highly recommended!
The course was easy, and it's an easy grade. Just watch all the movies and have the textbooks at the time of taking the online tests. I got a B on one paper, and Ken's only justification for my grade was that he didn't agree with my interpretation of the film. Talk about conceit! He think's he's a genius, after all, he wrote both textbooks!
This class is very hard. I'm usually a straight A student. possible to get an A,just put in a lot of work and read the textbook. The multiple choice tests seem easy but end up being hard. I ended up getting: C on all tests, C on one essay, A on the other. He grades the essay's very hard but, is clear on what wants.
Good: he shows good films and is interested in the subject. Bad: he is super rude' grades super harshly and won't explain why; gives one-word responses in email and in person; he wrote both required books for the class and his tests and essays are graded from them. U have to match his opinion. A's are possible but REALLY hard to earn. Steer clear.
His class is straightforward. Watch some movies, and hear some relevant info. Then, you'll take some tests and write two essays. His tests are pretty hard, as he doesn't cover some of the information in his lectures. If you just want the A, do not take this class.If you can stand a B and are good at taking tests,you can get one with minimal effort.
Rude emails. Extremely hard tests.
This guy was terrible. Doesn't care about whatever questions you may have and acts like you're bothering him if you ask for clarification. Required way too many films for the amount of time the course took (24 films, 6 weeks) Terrible. Lectures low quality and nearly inaudible. Harsh grader. Wrote both required texts which are too expensive ($100s)
Where shall I start?? How can this teacher have a job at DVC? He's not interested in teaching, is rude and doesn't show any interest in students. I feel like he failed as a director and is now stuck with teaching. Really HARD tests. 20 movies in 3 weeks!!! Many students have a job or kids, or both. Unrealistic expectations! And NOT DOABLE!
I thought this class would be enjoyable..it wasn't. The tests are worded terribly which is stressful. His book was kind of interesting but it was very repetitive and disorganized at times. You have to work very hard to pass. I wouldn't recommend him.
Hard class to pass. The test questions are subjective.
I dropped this class. Too much work, i would email him and still wasn't confident I was doing the right thing. you have too many points riding on only 2 essays 2 exams and a quiz. I need straight A's & am not afraid to work for them, but I would rather explain a W than a C on my transcript. The books are way expensive! I don't recommend this class
He doesn't help much,he just says refer to the syllabus which has nothing. His lecture is not what he tests on so it feels pointless to go to class. He's rude.
Took this course online over summer. He assigned way too many movies for a 6 week course. He does state point blank what he expects. If you actually want to learn something, I suggest taking a different professor.
Despite my low grade i really enjoyed this class because we watched some pretty amazing/vintage movies I knew nothing about. The quizzes are stupid because he doesn't even cover all the material on it and there are two essays that seem easy but he critiques strictly. I loved going to class though we watched classics
I don't understand why this professor has such a bad reputation? I took this class online and he is very clear and concise about what he expects in terms SLO.I admit he was a bit curt while replying to my emails other than that the class was pretty simple and straightforward.
Clear about expectations, more reading than I expected. Lots of diverse movies. Tests/ quizes were odd... Alot of details that you really have to pay attention to the text to answer. Overall he was very clear and explained things well. Im lazy so thats my problem, but he is a good teacher.
Probably the worst teacher I have ever had. The exam questions are not in the book, there are way too many questions on the tests for the time allotted, test answers are incorrect and misspelled. I would not take this course if you can avoid it.
Best professor in the entire school and an amazingly interesting person to hear talk about film and my favorite art form of all time. Am looking forward to ALL other classes taught by him. I think his grading is fair and just regarding essays and he just wants us to understand film and not see the class as a movie-watching-only course.
I believe lots of these reviews are too negative considering the class your participating in. It's an online mandatory pre-req. film class. Tests are extremely hard if you don't watch the movies, listen to the lectures, ect. Nice thing about the class is with the extra credit and essays, you can pull a C no problem. Not bad, had much worse teachers
Easy enough class as long as you arrive on time and watch all the movies. Tests are deceptively hard, but essay prompts are easy and page req is short.
This professor is probable the worst with giving feedback and his tests are ridiculously hard. I would not take this class again with him as my professor.
I am a math major. I actually don't like movies. This class taught me that movies can be an art form and I know enjoy them more! But more importantly this class, by having you read great articles, this class clearly shows how the race problem pans out in America today. Grading is curved. Work hard and get an A by watching great movies. Good luck.
Do not take this class! I've taken plenty of online classes, which is why I took this class, but there is no participation, and no discussions. There are only 5 assignments for the entire class, 3 tests and 2 essays. All he does to teach is upload lecture videos that basically reiterate what he wrote in his book (yes, you have to buy his books)
The worst was that he had some OTHER person grading his papers and making strange comments as though it was he himself who was grading. I am a proofreader and an older straight A student. So yeah, I definitely challenged him on the "grammar mistakes" his hired grader had identified, because they were NOT mistakes. Do not take this class.
Worst online class ever! There's no participation, no discussions. The text that he assigned reads like stereo instructions and assumes that you've seen all of the movies that it makes reference to. I got to watch some classic films, but I didn't learn much at all. Also, his feedback is snarky and pompous. Avoid this class
Not happy with this course from the start. I saw issues with the syllabus and docs for tests; they did not match and when I asked for clarification, got a short curt reply. The two pricey texts were redundant & written by the instructor (seems like a conflict of interest). Ridiculous amount of reading, more work than my other 3 classes combined.
Does not care to explain anything. Not help at all. Don't take take this class with this teacher if you GPA is important to you.
do not take online class if you value your GPA Worst teacher i've had so far. Rude, adds insult to injury in his comments for graded work. waste of time Even makes you buy 3 of his books for the class... unbelievable
Doesn't give study for quiz and test, good luck with your GPA. If you have to take it, take it Pass and no pass.
he's tough on grading the essays. Its a two page essay for length but he wrote on my first essay that there wasn't enough detail like I only have two pages and its double spaced. For the quiz, midterm and final watch the movies and do the reading
Ken's film class was horrible. He makes you buy books he wrote himself, and the "26 Films that Matter" is so poorly written I could not believe the same person is allowed to grade my work. I wrote him numerous times for clarification on assignment and every time received a one line response. Awful experience.
Everyone complains that he is not clear or not helpful. He clearly sets out what he expects you read and watch & by when. You know in advance when all of your tests will be. Only watched 2 of the 26 movies, passed with a B. Just use your common knowledge. TAKE THE ONLINE COURSE
Class taken over summer. Expect lots of movies & readings. 1quizz, 1midterm, 1final and a 2 pg essay(saved my grade). Make sure you watch all the movies carefully cuz some questions on the exams are really detailed (eg. what kind of drink did so and so have.). HARD TO GET AN A!!! Gotta study really hard for it. I suggest to take it as PNP
If you're looking for the stereotypical, disengaged, slightly bitter, uninterested community college professor, you're in luck. If you're looking for a phoned in, dry class with unclear objectives from which you learn next to nothing, this for you. You can definitely get a decent grade in this class but be prepared for it to be very unpleasant.
Watching the movies is important because there are questions regarding the films on all quizzes and exams. He's terrible, though. He's not clear about anything, the rubrics for his essays aren't helpful as far as format and length which is extremely annoying. The two texts plus all programs/lectures are redundant. And he's extremely rude.
I wrote a paper for one of his classes. The next semester, I took the next of his classes, and he assigned the same paper. I turned in the one I had turned in the previous semester, and he accused me of plagiarism. He lied, and said the dean agreed with his position. I took the case to the dean, he knew I was right, and made White grade me. Avoid.
He doesn't help you at all. If you ask a question to clarify on how to do an assignment, all he says is "read the assignment again" ??? He's probably the worst teacher I've ever had.
Tough grader on essay, gives ec, tests are tricky. Most info comes from lectures online and his books that he wrote. Reoccurring test questions will pop up from beginning of semester. Got a C.
Very knowledgeable on film history and what it takes to make a film. Little to no homework, and most of the films shown are well-known, basically, the key in his class is to watch the films and pay attention to his lectures. He hypes up the two essays for the class and how hard they are, but in reality they are very easily graded.
5 tests one 2 page essay. Very hard to get an A. For every test you watch 4 or 5 movies, online lectures to go with the movies, chapters in the textbook, chapters in the book he wrote (26 films that matter, don't buy!), documentaries, and articles. It is not too much work, but it is not easy to get a good grade on the tests.
5 tests one 2 page essay. Very hard to get an A. For every test you watch 4 or 5 movies, online lectures to go with the movies, chapters in the textbook, chapters in the book he wrote (26 films that matter, don't buy!), documentaries, and articles. It is not too much work, but it is not easy to get a good grade on the tests
If you're looking for an easy A, per se, this is the class for you. If you don't care that the teacher is completely useless in helping you figure out how to do the assignments, this is the class for you. I tried emailing him a question about an assignment, gave me the same "read the assignment" response, and completely stopped emailing me after.
Grade is based on the tests taken throughout the semester plus one essay. The tests were very confusing and hard to find answers in the book. You had to watch all the movies and try to read all the material to do well on the tests but there was so much to do it was impossible. Tough questions on the tests making those hard to pass.
He does reply to your concerns with class assignments pretty quickly but his responses are of not much help. This is takes a lot of participation and is not an easy A to be honest. I would not recommend this class to be taken online. Take it in a classroom!
It is a easy class, all you need to do is wasting movies and take 4 quizs. Easy
Not a helpful teacher. You're basically doing this class on your own. When asked for help he'll give you a blunt answer. It's about 5 tests and 1 essay but there's so much reading and so many films to watch, it's very time consuming for a film class. Don't recommend online and don't recommend the professor.
I just dropped his online class about a week ago because I was trying to juggle taking his class while taking a stats class that I absolutely had to do well in, and his film class was taking up SO much time. I emailed him a few times and would get very short responses, such as, "read Pearson tab" was literally an email he sent me. Don't take it.
Ratings seem to be based on people's complaints. This is a college level class, so expect to work! Maybe an hour of reading a week and 4 Films. TIP: Watch the films and read his books (don't bother with Pearson written books) and PASS! Do extra credit. He is a bit rude, but I took him twice and he was always clear on expectations.
Just don't take his class if you have options. Tests are tricky, confusing, and mainly useless. Maybe he is something big and good at a lot of stuff, but clearly teaching isn't included. Not helpful for students and he doesn't care. I took this class seriously, but he doesn't take us seriously.
If you are interested in Film at DVC, I would strongly suggest an in-person or at least hybrid class and with another professor. For Film 140 (online class) -- 5 tests, a midterm/final (essay), and 1 extra credit opportunity. Required books, tests, films & online show to watch by certain dates. Somethings out of order and repeated.
I do not recommend taking this class for anyone if you just want a easy class or you are interested in the subject. I took the online class. I bought his two books that cost $150 and it doesnt have all the chapters that i need for the reading. Some test and quiz questions are very vague
Absolutely the worst teacher I have had at DVC. His test questions contradicted the material we covered in class and is biased in which answers are right. Many test questions have more than one correct answer and you will get marked wrong if it is not the answer he best agrees with. He is a poor teacher and my class and I got the dean involved.
I didn't really find the class that difficult. Just pay attention to the movies; the tests has very specific questions about it. 1 quiz, 1 midterm, 2 essays, 1 ec, and a final. No homework at all. Attendance was part of the grade, but somebody took the sheet so he didn't really care about it anymore.
The class is based on 5 tests, an essay, and an extra credit opportunity. I watched all of the films required, did the readings, and still would have no idea what the test answers were. It's frustrating when you do everything required but you don't know what to study because it's so broad. He wrote the 2 textbooks required and they are not helpful.
He knows his stuff! he wrote his own text book. the average of the class on the first test was 63%. he gives one quiz, one midterm, one final which are all multiple chose 'A-E' and 2 eassys. they are really tricky. If you do take his class make sure you take it pass/no pass. you have to really work your a$$ off to an A. I did and I only have a C+.
His film class was very easy. Show up, watch the films, and you'll pass the exams he gives, which ask very basic questions. You'll also likely do well on his essay assignments if you show up. Honestly, as long as you show up, watch the films and do the essays, you should get an A
Taking his online FIlm280 class, grade is made up of quiz, midterm, final, and 2 essays. Work load is super manageable. If you read, study, and watch the movies you will pass, however, he can be rude when you have questions. Gave me a C on my paper with horrible feedback of "No thesis, weak content." That's it. Class isn't hard he just can be rude
honestly do not take this professor!!! even if he is the only professor teaching it, do not take him. 10/10 would NOT recommend.
Worst class ever, you need to watch 21+ films that you have to pay for. You're tested on each film with stupid questions that are not even relevant to what you're learning in class. I watched every movie and still couldn't answer half the questions. Requires two books that he wrote for a cost of over $200. I highly recommend against this class.
Prof. White knows what he is talking about when it comes to film, but his tests and quizzes are very vague and there is not a study guide. He does not really give any feedback for essays and does not really clarify what he is looking for so it is unlikely you will get a great grade in the class. The books are very expensive and hard to find.
If you take this guy's class, take the pass/fail option. You spend more time searching for the 20 movies you cannot find on Netflix, amazon or youtube than you do watching them. He grades papers like you are going for a Masters in English. 20 movies, 1 hr tv shows, 2 essays, 15+ lectures, with no connection made from these films to real life.
Ken White is an interesting guy, he grades your paper like you're trying to write War and Peace in a COMMUNITY COLLEGE LEVEL FILM CLASS! I mean, I know your life plans didn't play out, but that doesn't mean you can take it out on your students. He'll also write a short essay in front of a "Real" textbook in order to make money off his students. SAD
Avoid this professor. No clear directions or guidelines. Vague syllabus. Test questions are not even questions--just incomprehensible fragments--maybe he's looking for allusions or poor analogies. Arcane, mysterious communication style. Avoid at all cost. Worst teacher ever and I've had MANY. Impossible to pass as you can't decipher what he wants.
Vague, overbearing, rude, unreasonable grading system. That's all you need to know. (And therefore, avoid this professor at all costs).
He wrote a textbook for the class which he charges 200 for. His syllabus is vague, full of grammar errors, and poorly formatted. Tests reference articles in past editions of his textbook, which were explicitly stated as OUT OF DATE in the syllabus. Nonexistent feedback on essays even though he grades like students are pursuing a PHD in English.
The lectures are from long ago, but when you look at the tutorial video for the websites we have to use, you can clearly see his attitude. Also his essay feedback was horrible! I've asked him to give me some more constructive comments so let's see if that happens.
I took his online class, it was very heavy
I'm an English major recently accepted to a Master's program, and this professor gave me a C on my essay for his class--presumably because I dared criticize his beloved nostalgia-heavy classic Casablanca. Assigns no recent films and no material relative to the film industry today. Failed out of the industry, now fails students to feel better.
Never received a C on my essay before until this class, and a film class nonetheless. Grading criteria is a joke. Don't bother emailing him as he makes sarcastic remarks if you have a question about something. Avoid at all cost!
He is not good in clarifying his syllabus! It is too unclear and when you email him for help, he just sends you back to the syllabus which is no help at all! He has 3 books you have to but which are expensive it is ridiculous, content is interesting but the professor is no good at teaching an online course.
This is the worst professor i've ever had, he's extremely rude and just seems like a miserable person.
As previous posts point out, this teacher is everything else but a teacher. Practically non-existent; no communication prior to starting the class, no communication during the class, and if you're lucky to receive a feedback on anything, it is condescending and utmost unhelpful. A mop handle is a better teacher. Do yourself a favor: SKIP THIS GUY!!
Never had a C on my essay till this guy. He has typos in his tests and on his unclear syllabus. He lacks any constructive criticism.
A couple of things went south this semester. The class was given a list of films to watch, but we had to find the films via internet by renting or purchasing them. They were not available in the bookstore as he mentioned in the syllabus. Another thing was the essay grading criteria. Comments were mentioned yet they were not specific what so ever.
I have never actually done this but this guy was so horrible I need to. I took online over the summer as an elective credit. The movies were hard to find, as mentioned. This instructor was basically nonexistent. He gave me my first "C" on my essay, no feedback. Four tests and questions didn't make sense. No discussions in a film course?! AVOID!!!
Syllabus was disorganized and the movies assigned were difficult to find. Communication was nonexistent and even when I reached out with a question he was very unhelpful. He requires students to buy an expensive Pearson code that was only for a single assignment and both textbooks weren't resellable. Terrible class, hands-off professor. Stay away
I loved this class. I am a freshman in high school and I took this course during the summer before starting high school. Lots of reading since I enjoy watching movies it made up for all the reading.
Worst experience ever. I reached out to him multiple times and always received a rude response. On the final essay I got a poor score and one word of feedback: weak. I had a perfect GPA and this class ruined that, & it was just a requirement course. When I was asking for help or direction he made it seem like I was annoying him. Dont take him.
I took his ethnic cult in film class online, It's very disappointing because I was very excited for that class. He doesn't reach out to the students, he just posts the syllabus and everything for the semester is there. There is no type of instruction and he makes us buy his $200 textbook, not worth it. Do not take him.
VERY unclear syllabus. Doesn't respond to emails quick or efficiently. When asking him MULTIPLE and specific questions in email he responds with sentences like "that doesn't seem to be part of this class." and completely disregards all other questions that were in email. Also was not there during his office hours multiple times.
DO NOT TAKE ONLINE CLASS VERY UNCLEAR SYLLABUS COMPLETELY IGNORES QUESTIONS IN EMAILS If you have online class you will be very confused. He goes against what his syllabus says. it has many errors.
syllabus unclear. doesn't answer questions and takes forever to reply to email so if you don't understand, you will probably miss points on the homework before he even gets back to you.
Professor White won't answer your emails or any outside communication. Be ready for tests because that is 90% of your grade. I wouldn't take this type of class ever again.
Whole grade for class is 1 multiple choice quiz, 2 multiple choice tests, and a 2-3 page essay. Not alot of work in any way, pretty easy. But not for you if you don't like tests.
I took this class as an elective and it was far more difficult than any other class I have taken at DVC. His questions on his test are trick questions and subjective. His books are very expensive because of course, he wrote them so again everything is subjective. He makes you pay for a Pearson lab for one assignment. Please do not take this course.
The class itself is very easy. I found every film using Link+ and other than watching them, you just do simple readings & quizzes through Revel. Tests are heavily weighted, and I received an unexpectedly low score on my essay. He's extremely unhelpful and inflexible. I barely got an A (saved by extra credit). Easy class but professor doesn't teach.
I really not recommend this class. It is actually really interesting, but it is really hard. The teacher is neither precise nor helpful for the assignments and the tests. Really hard grader and mean as well. For the same question on two different tests, the answer will be different. I really discourage you to take him.
Very un-involved. Lots of time spending watching movies and lectures, plus way more reading than I expected, which made it difficult because it was a six week course. I spent at least 8 hrs a week working on the material. He's very unhelpful, and his books are hard to read, poor organization and boring mostly.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
45%
Textbook Required
75%
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