Film paper – EASY

Write a 3-page paper with three sections.

Section 1 – Write about a film that was really important to you in your life. Why was it important? What was going on in you life that made it more relevant? What was it about that film in particular that moved you?

Section 2 – Watch the film again. Notice and write about the Cinematography, Editing, Directing, Acting and Mise-en-Scene. Look for academic resources to back up your observations. Has the film aged well? Does it still hold up? Since the film hasn’t changed, have you?

Section 3 – Research how the film was made, the filmmakers (director, producer, editors and other players if relevant). Was it independent, studio made? Was it well received by critics? Use quoted resources here.

DO

• Create a compelling piece of writing arguing for your thesis
• Use academic resources
• Use comparison and analysis
• Use 6 sources, 3 must be academic sources (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.Get specific and detailed
• Use MLA formatting and include a works cited page
• Your sources should reference the filmmaker’s techniques/collaborators, not general film terminology.
• Watch director’s commentaries for more information.
• Some reviews are fine, but half your citations should be quoting the filmmaker or collaborators. No more than 2 movie reviews

DON’T

• Plagiarize
• Create a summary of an entire movie
• Write a review
• Rely solely on the internet
• Be too general
• Use a film seen in class
• DO NOT CITE the DVD or video as a source!
• Don’t just say “mise-en-scene is used in the film”, focus on a specific elements: costume, lighting, props, etc. and how they’re used.