The class is graded by two research papers (6-8 pages), a midterm, a final, and section attendance/participation each being worth 20%.

The research papers are a lot, I tend to procrastinate and do fine but I ended up having to turn in my first paper late which dropped my grade on the paper a whole letter. He does not accept news articles or websites as proof and expects you to use books from the library or scholarly journals. I used google books a lot which was helpful.

The tests are all blue book and require a lot of memorization of names and companies and understanding of film history. The tests are lecture-based, you are never tested on the book he asked you to buy. He explains it's just for reference but I never touched it throughout the quarter.

The lectures tend to be an hour and a half and the second half is a movie which is important to watch depending on your TA. For the midterm, we weren't tested on the films; however, for the final we did.

I really enjoyed the class a lot but I may be biased as a film minor. I found his lectures durable especially when you are sitting down for so long. Also, he is really strict about having no food in the class.

Grade Break Down:
20% Section participation (includes attendance and 3 pop quizzes)
20% paper 1
20% midterm
20% paper 2
20%final
Lecture:
1 hr 30-45 mins
short break (10-15 mins)
movie of the day screened
- you don’t need to stay for the film, you can watch it wherever with the ucla VPN (I only watched the ones I wanted to)
- you don’t need to buy the textbook, I never read it once and regret purchasing it. You get everything you need in lecture.
Exams:
in class midterm
in class final week 10
both are 90 mins
short answer essays + long answer essays
- lots of options to choose from, super doable if you go to lecture and take notes
Papers:
6-8 pages
open ended prompt (same one for both except different periods)
- super doable, essay ideas are obvious and plentiful from lecture, easy to write about something you are interested in

This class is really HEAVY. Professor Kuntz is an awesome professor but I had a hard time keeping up with everything with this class.

THE EXAMS:

I'm not sure if this is done with all discussion sections, but a group study guide was given to my section by my TA that was really helpful. I didn't like how other students half-assed the terms though and basically just added my own stuff in from my notes, and past notes that I found online.

The midterm and final exam are both pretty similar. The midterm has two identification sections which are based on notable people and concepts. The essay is basically the big topics that were discussed in class. I would warn you though that the things that you think show up on the exam don't, which really surprised me. I ended up getting an A- on the midterm and studied for about 3 full days for it. I made flashcards for every single term and basically wrote down what my response would be for each term. Then I just reread it over and over again. I still got points off for not giving enough information, or not writing out the correct number for something - so be careful!

For the final exam, the only thing that is different is that instead of 2 identification sections you have 1 identification system, with the other being a film analysis. You are basically asked to historically analyze a film through either a historical or industrial lens. I don't really feel like my section personally helped out a lot with this. I did a LOT of outside research for the films that I analyzed and gave a historical lens for that. I would recommend doing this as you go along in the quarter and taking notes because it can become the biggest headache having to study for the films AND the identification terms/essay at the same time. The essay was again big topics that you could probably guess what they would be. Although again, I would say that it is not as predictable as you may think.

THE PAPERS:

Oh my goodness. took SO MUCH time, it's unreal. Do not underestimate how much time it takes to write these research papers! I worked on my first one for about 4 days nonstop, and the second one about the same. You have to go to a library and get a bunch of books basically and make an argument. I would recommend picking something that you are interested in which will make it more bearable, because at least then you are actually learning something you think is interesting. Make sure you talk to your TA and see EXACTLY what they would want.

I still got an A- in the class even though I worked my ass off. If you have a heavy workload I would highly recommend that you do not take this class because it will make things extremely difficult as it did for me. Professor Kuntz is awesome though and UCLA is lucky to have him!

Professor Kuntz is amazing! Though the lectures are super long, there is so much to learn in this class! It's inspired me to minor in Film. Though all the movies are on CCLE, it's really cool to stay and watch them on the big screen. The midterm and final were all writing and pure memorization, but if you like the material, it's not too hard. There are 2 essays in this class that I didn't find to be too challenging because they were quite engaging and helped me find new resources for research. There are also quizzes in discussion, but if you watch the movies and pay moderate attention, they're not bad at all. Attendance in discussion is mandatory. Would highly recommend this class and TA Krystal!

This was a great class and fairly easy A. I’m kicking myself for getting a B+, but I deserved it because I turned in both of the two essays late...

The films are great and the historical context is pretty interesting.
Most of the films are online, so I watched them at home instead of the big screen because I couldn’t sit in the room for 4 hours.

The two projects are very straightforward. I just had trouble doing them all in one day, as they require a considerable amount of research (like actual research in an actual library - who woulda thought).

Listening to Prof. Kuntz talk is pretty remarkable - he has an encyclopedic knowledge of film and film history.
I would’ve liked the class more if he talked more about the films we watched.

This class was a blast. The Professor and TA were amazing. I’m not sure if your grade is TA dependent but I still highly recommend this class as a GE since the Professor is actually so much fun to listen too.

Professor Kuntz is an absolute ray of sunshine and is easily one of the best professors at UCLA. He is very passionate about what he teaches and arrives to every single lecture with a smile on his face and so much energy. He could honestly be a Disney Pixar character.

first and foremost, DO NOT BUY THE BOOK YOU WILL NOT OPEN IT ONCE THE ENTIRE TIME. This class was a drag and a big time commitment for a GE. You meet twice a week for 4 hours and then a 1-hour discussion section. You have a midterm and final AND two 6 page papers. The midterm and final were not that bad just don't make the mistake I did STUDY HARD FOR THEM and you can get an A easily. The two papers weren't that bad either and they were what I was worried about. You get to pick your own topic so just pick something that interests you. I recommend this class it isn't too bad and the stuff you learn is interesting, those 4 hours just drag on but you can always leave early. OH, one last thing you'll have to pay attention in lecture because he doesn't write much on his slides.

This class was probably the most chill that I've taken at UCLA. You can get an A on the midterm and final exams as long as you memorize some of the stuff you learn. Apply yourself with the 2 papers if you really want a good grade (I got a B in the class, but both essays I got C's). Class should be easy to pass even if you miss a few lectures. Participation in discussion counts for your grade, but you can get this done by asking questions here and there. The movies presented can get a little boring, but towards the end they get more and more interesting. Highly recommend this course, especially to STEM majors looking for something easy to balance out classes.

Kuntz is the best professor I've ever had. His passion for film history permeates through every lecture he gives. Lectures are long, but incredibly worth it if film is a topic that interests you. However, I wouldn't recommend this class to anyone who isn't keen on always showing up to lecture because the slides on their own aren't very helpful. Also, be sure to go to your TA's office hours and understand what they're looking for in the written assignments as they will be the ones grading your work.