Footnotes are actually an important part of academic writing.  Not only do you use them for citation, but they sometimes are used to elaborate important points.  Sometimes you miss the most interesting or important stuff if you don’t read them.  I expect those of you who take the course to be willing to do quite a bit of hard work.  You should be willing to watch a bunch of films carefully and think about them more than, let’s say, you would about an episode of “Friends” your younger sibling had on in the next room while you were trying to master the hardest parts of senior math.  I also expect you to read substantial material during the semester, sometimes even a book a week (as long it is not too boring).  I expect you to show up at class, twice a week, once for a film showing (I know… I know… but it really is work, believe me) and once for discussion.  I expect you to have the reading down by the time of the discussion.  And you’ll have to write three papers analyzing films that we did not see in class.