one of the hardest courses I have taken; however, I learned alot. Don't slack off or miss class. DO NOT sleep in class during a movie. Pay attention to details. Do the extra credit. He is very willing to help students. Likes hard workers

If you are a slacker : Run!! This is your warning ( He even warns you from the start). But , for those with a legitiment intrest in film , then he is by far the best. Very funny , a good class to start the day with. As long as you study and can write a paper ( Writing intensive class) you'll be ok.

this was an entertaining class, but you have to study a lot. Also, the big essay is not as difficult as I thought it would be. I would recommend this class to any film fan.

thought he was wicked annoying. Knows his material very well, but gets annoyed (even angry) when you don't share his enthusiasm.

He's good!!

Good professor. Really knows what he's talking about. Considering the topic it's not as easy as I thought, takes some more thinking and writing than you might expect. But Sean is really into it, really friendly, and very willing to help.

Read the book! His lecture notes tend to lean towards text material so most of your studying comes from that. Relatively easy class, just make sure to know the terms well. He loves and encourages student Q&A. His interest in film is what makes this class great.

It's not an "easy A" and it's not a hard one either. If you study the proper amount, show up for lectures, you won't have a hard time in class. I, on the other hand, decided to study for my final exam by spending 10 minutes looking at keywords in the book while drinking my morning coffee. Final class grade: 88%. study=success

awesome.

Very engaging teacher! This is my second class with him. Fun and fair. Good command of the classroom.

Can be a little crabby, but nice. Don't talk in class--- ever!

Very Hard Class! Sean seems to delight in suckering people into what they imagine will be a gimme class, then making it very difficult. Nice guy, knows his****, but you better pay attention and take it serious. Very high attrition rate. Half the class dropped/failed. Large writing assignments and very hard tests. Think twice about this one!!!!!

Interesting class. Easy class. Attend lectures, take really good notes and you will have very minimal study time. No book, but uses powerpoint slides for you to copy. Would take another class from this instructor.

EXPECTS PERFECTION. He will get frusterated easily, so do your best. But he honestly wants his students to succeed and you can learn a lot from him. He acts as if everything is "his way, or the highway". Just remember that he's brilliant at what he does, so his way is usually right.

Sean knows his stuff, but his has a bad grading system,,,all other thinks are good, his explanations are perfect...expect to work really hard, or you fail.......

intro to cinema summer session- easy if you take notes, dont bother with the book, definitly not the spawn of satan

Sean knows his stuff well. He cares about the students, which's why so many people misunderstood. He makes the material very clear and makes sure that you understand, but his grading system could be little funny. One thing I'd remind you is that you should expect hard working, then, you'll succeed in the class. Good teacher

Sean, is a nice teacher, expects you to work really heard, or you fail, his grading is little bit bad. Overall good instructor. Highly recommended!

Great instructor and is passionate about the subject. I was worried about the writing assignments but if you are willing to put a couple of hours into writing a research paper it was no big deal. I really love film and this class was great! Not easy, but learned alot. Take this class if you love movies.

The final was kinda rough, but I recommend this class nonetheless.

Byrd is a very organized and passionate teacher. Out of the dozen teacher's I've been through at Normandale, he is probably the best one I've had. Good evening class, since you watch movies and the lectures are interesting if you enjoy learning about movies. This is one of the few classes I never minded coming to. Highly recommeneded.

He is a nice guy, but not the most organized. If you pay attention in class, don't disrupt, and answer questions/give opinions in class, you should get along just fine with him. In the beginning of the semester, quizzes were directly from lecture notes, but towards the end, he started incorporating textbook info.

Sean Byrd is a great teacher very helpful and knows what he's talking about. Take it if you want to have a fun and introspective time watching and learning about movies.

Funny and nice guy. Be prepared to take plenty of notes as he doesn't offer his PowerPoint slides through D2L and most of the test questions are related to these. Can't ace a test without good notes and some reading. Usually lasts the full night. Great class. Really learned to appreciate films and now I enjoy watching them more than ever.

I am taking this course over the summer and I really enjoy it. Sean is extremely knowledgeable and has a deep understanding of the information being presented. He's a really nice guy and a fun teacher. He's open to everyone's opinions and grades very fairly. Work hard and you will be rewarded! I would definitely recommend taking any class with him!

Don't take this class unless your interested in the topic. He was always in a good mood and is a great teacher. Don't miss too many days, and pay attention. The book was boring to read and it confused me, but he made everything make sense in class. Super easy to get a hold of outside of class!

Intro to Cinema was one of the most interesting classes I've ever taken--I've taken film classes at the U of M and Sean blew my other professors out of the water. Yes, you have to do work. Yes, Sean is opinionated. But he actually cares about his students and how they are doing in the class. People who think he's mean or offensive are crazy...

Sean was great teacher. I learned an incredible amount about the film industry and what to look for in films. His tests were multiple choice and straight forward as long as you skimmed the reading. I don't know what's wrong with the previous reviewers but unless you completely lack common sense and motivation, which they apparently did, take Sean.

Intro to Cinema. This man sort of knows what he's talking about. I learned a lot in the class but his lectures were very long. He tends to use a lot of complex wording to describe something when honestly, he should have kept it simple. He takes pride in his vocabulary, but doesn't realize people hate it.

Sean is a very good prof. He is very passionate about films. He explains things very well and really cares that you understand the subject. He is a bit of a stickler about being on time but I guess it's only respectful to do so. College age people should have a clue by now, but some just don't. Over all: two thumbs up.

just a few word...ahe is a great teacher i have seen till now.

great teacher

Interesting class. Learns lots about details behind film and forces students to think more analytically about film, even ones they've seen before. Nice guy, that Sean Byrd! Some films viewed: Pulp Fiction, Do the Right Thing, Close Encounters, On the Waterfront and Citizen Kane.

Sean's a great prof who truly enjoys film and theater. His enthusiasm is infectious. This class is not a cakewalk so don't slump off. You will not succeed if you do not READ!

Pretty Easy class, some of the material is dry, but it's still intereting, it's not all watching movies, there are tests and papers, but show up on time, and read and watch the films and you'll do fine

Great class! Definitely take as a summer class. Watched five movies, five quizzes, one group project, one final exam. If you pay attention in lecture you'll be fine.

Among the absolute best out there . His passion for what he does and loves is evident in his teaching (which happens to be playful) . it is very rare to find a professor that truly cares. He would challenge while encourage the students, so you can?t help but give it your all. The class in itself offered a transformation both in the personal and edu

I took this class online thinking it would be an easy GPA booster, but it was actually kind of difficult at times. I ended up getting a lot out of the class and learned quite a bit. Sean is extremely helpful, fair, and makes some of the dry material interesting. I'd highly recommend this class/professor to anyone.

His class is very fun and enjoyable to attend. Although he does not have an attendance policy and you submit your work through D2L, it's good to show up to class everyday for his lectures and to view the movies presented along with the worksheets. Overall, I highly recommend taking this class with Professor Byrd.

Very nice, enthusiastic and fun teacher. I enjoyed and looked forward to every day in class because he was so great. Very nice, understanding and a perfect instructor for the course. I HIGHLY RECCOMEND. YOU WILL PASS AND LEARN A LOT. He changed my college experience my freshman year. Im so glad to have taken this class!

I really like Sean. He was my first professor at Normandale, and it was a fantastic start. He is helpful and loves what he does. His lectures are interesting and his assignments make you think. He may seem like a tough grader, but if you ask for help and get to know his style, his assignments become easy. I would recommend him!

Sean was the man! We watched some really good movies. The work was pretty straight forward. Most of your grade is based on the online exams off the textbook. Didn't go over the textbook that much in class because we were too busy watching movies

I took his intro to cinema class. The coursework mostly consists of readings and onine discussions. There will be HEAVY text book usage as the weekly discussions are based on teh readings. Each chapter in the book is at least 40-50 pgs. long, so if you looking for light reading dont take this class. He's helpful I met with him face to face.

I don't know why Sean has bad reviews, I think he's a good guy and a really good teacher. The only thing I think he could improve is grading things on time but since the class is basically an A if you do the assignments correctly and attend the class everyday, I'm not bothered too much.

I took his Intro to Cinema class and didn't have to do anything to get an A. I never used the textbook to study, and the tests were online, so you could use the textbook then or the internet to find the answers with plenty of time to spare. The only homework we had was to watch movies and write short papers on them, which wasn't difficult at all.

Professor Byrd is a nice guy. The movies he chooses are fantastic and meaningful. However, the test material is all from the book and barely mentioned in class. The chapters of the book are long and so are the tests. Didn't feel like I learned much from the actual lectures. Easy A if you do the work.

Sean really has enthusiasm for the material he teaches. He has a lot of knowledge for almost everything and anything about cinema. We watched great films throughout the course. Would highly recommend!

Super nice and fun guy. You'll watch 6 quality movies in class throughout the semester, have to go see 3 movies (of your choice) in theaters, and watch some short films online. So if you appreciate film, you'll love it! Don't *need* the book, all the tests are online on quizlet. Group project at the end of the year, but it's easy!

Took intro to cinema with Sean. He's a great teacher with clear assignments and he's willing to help/give feedback. Pretty easy class. 4 online tests, one group project, a couple of short writing assignments.

Sean is amazing! He's a great guy who very easily approachable and very fun to have class with! I'm taking his intro to Cinema, and you can tell that he has a lot of knowledge on the subject and you can tell he genuinely likes what he does. I have nothing bad to say about him! I highly recommend taking this class with him!

Sean is a great guy who cares about his students and is very respectful. He isn't stuck up like some professors are and is relatable and easy to talk too. He pushes you to be a better performer but understands that people have breaking points and doesn't want you to in hurt your self.

Sean is nice and smart but somewhat disorganized. The movies are changed every semester, so don't go off of old reviews. He doesn't grade things right away and isn't the best at responding to emails. Also you HAVE to stick to the syllabus, he often forgets to remind when things are due. Tests are online open book and the final is a group project.

Took this class online and it was pretty easy. The only thing I wasn't a fan of is that he wasn't very clear on assignments. He didn't have rubrics for things and there are a couple of assignments that were easy to miss because he didn't mention them. But if you do all the assignments you will probably get 100%

Sean is by far one of the most inspirational professors I have ever taken. It is obvious that he cares about his students and truly wants them to succeed. I have rarely felt as motivated to push myself as I did in his class. Since I took a summer class, there was a ton of reading and it moved very fast, but it was all doable.

Mr. Byrd is amazing, and I took this class online over the summer. He gives a good amount of assignments, but they are all meaningful and overall easy if you put in the effort. This class was so enjoyable, and he is so caring and gives genuine feedback. He picks great films and helps you understand things from a new perspective. Take his class!!!

Weekly discussions. 4 exams not proctored. 1 project (8% of grade). Also HW and voicethreads which are pretty easy. I recommend maybe more work than the average course that is just taken for credit but its interesting and he offers good movies to watch with a new way to view them. I recommend him get work in on time! and you will get an A.

I loved professor Byrd! My only criticism would be that he is too lenient with deadlines! Assignments/Tests would get extended because some students forgot which got a bit frustrating but does show how understanding Sean is! If you are competent enough to take a college course, this class should be an easy A. Just do the work!

Sean is an engaging professor who I found to be respectful of others, fluent in class material, opportunistic with assignments, and a great presenter of the class' ideas. I learned more from this class than I was expecting to at the beginning of the semester that I'm able to take away and apply to my own personal movie watching experience

I really liked Sean! Assignments and grading were clear and if I didn't get 100% on something, he always explained why. Tests were easy as long as you took notes in class and read the articles he assigns. He offers extra credit at the end of the course and clearly really wants everyone to do well! I would definitely take a class of his again!

I really enjoyed this course and Prof. Byrd. His course was well organized and he gave good feedback. Lots of reading, but not too much busywork. Make sure you're going above and beyond with discussions and film reflections because he is a bit of a tough grader.

Lots of busy work and random stuff to keep track of, but for the most part the course was pretty simple and straightforward.

Sean is a really sweet guy and clearly cares about the success of everyone in the classroom. HW is super easy and accessible, if you put in the time it's a guaranteed A. That one negative review saying Sean "accosted them" was from a guy who showed up late to the last day and got mad when Sean had to dock him because he didn't present anything.