film

English 101 -03; -08; -49 Composition I, Fall 2017

Essay 1 – Film Evaluation

Rational: Cinema has evolved drastically as a medium over a short period. Films have a profound influence over how we may perceive history, storytelling, cultural identities, comedy, art, and much more. Most people in our society in modern times have experienced watching a film at least once. But what kind of effect does it have on us? What aspects of film do we recognize and why? What makes a film great?

Assignment: Choose a characteristic/topic from your favorite film, something that you think makes that film good, then write a well-developed essay evaluating that topic. Investigate and explain how that topic supports various aspects of the film, how it affects you as a viewer, and/or how it may be culturally relevant. The topic you choose may be central to the plot, important to character development, a prevalent theme, an accompanying soundtrack, a cinematic technique used in the filmmaking process, or anything else that may have an impact on the film. It will help to watch the film several times, taking notes and brainstorming on what is significant about the topic you chose, and how you can develop your evaluation into an essay.

Pre-writing: It may help to become familiar with film as a medium of expression. The sites below provide lists of film terms so that you develop some understanding of how a film is put together

http://www.filmland.com/glossary/Dictionary.html

http://www.springhurst.org/cinemagic/glossary_terms.htm

http://www.filmsite.org/filmterms.html

Each part of a film is there because someone made a conscious decision to include it. As you watch your chosen film, try and become conscious of these deliberate decisions: how is a scene framed? Is the story fragmented or linear? How does setting and set design contribute to the tone and style of the film? Does the lighting or color of the film establish a particular mood? Attempt to view the film bearing in mind camera angle and shot type, lighting, editing, writing, and acting. How do these elements contribute to how you understand or enjoy the film?

Writing: Your purpose is to focus on a unique aspect of the film (your topic), something you can explore in depth.

· Start by clarifying your thesis: What claim will you be making about how something functions in the film; the film’s interpretations; its effects on audiences; its place in or interaction with the spirit of the times; or, whatever other point of interest about the film that you have decided is worth investigating?

· POV - This essay can be written in either first or third person. First person allows you to use a more conversational tone, while third person allows you to be more objective.

· Your essay’s intended audience should be someone familiar with the film so you do not need to overly summarize. Your focus is on the unique topic you have chosen to evaluate. If you must do a summary, keep it to a single paragraph.

· The genre of an evaluation essay is analytical and investigative, trying to show your audience what kind of value the thing you’re discussing has.

· The stance and tone will most likely be informative, but since this is your favorite film, enthusiasm is okay. Keep in mind, though, this is not a film review. You’re not necessarily trying to convince people to see this movie – you’re focus is on the value of your topic.

Organization: There are a lot of options for organizing – here are a few examples:

· Chronological – discuss your topic as it arises in the film, from beginning to end. This may be useful if your focus is on an element of the plot, such as the climax, or how the sound/music progresses from scene to scene. You can also complicate chronology by beginning in the middle or by beginning at the end and working in reverse.

· Enumerative – a numbering from firstly to lastly, good to greatest, etc. If your topic has several key points, you can break it down one by one using a list like format. But keep in mind that each point should support the overall thesis.

· Compare & Contrast – highlighting the positive aspects of your topic through compare/contrast. If, for example, your essay is focused on how your film supersedes or reinvents its genre, it might be useful to give examples depicting the adverse.

Finally, take care to edit and polish carefully and to give your essay an engaging title. Readers shouldn’t be forced to slog through sloppy mistakes, and readers will be grabbed by your title—the first thing they read.

Length, Format, and Evaluation: Essay 1 must be 750-1000 words, double-spaced Times New Roman 12 pt. font. Please adjust your margins to 1” all the way around and use the appropriate MLA heading and page numbering system. Together, Essay 1 first and final drafts are worth 15% of your final grade: 2% for the first draft, 13% for the final draft.

DUE:

1. First draft: Monday, September 27th at the beginning of class.

The day the first draft is due, bring one printed and stapled copy . You are also required to submit your first draft to Turnitin.

· You will earn an A for arriving to class on time with your properly formatted 3-4 page draft and for submitting it to Turnitin by the deadline.

· You will earn a C if it’s too short, if it is formatted incorrectly, or if you are late to class.

· You will earn an F if you have no draft or if it is not uploaded to Turnitin by the deadline.

2. Final draft: Wednesday, October 18th at the beginning of class.

The day the final draft is due, bring one printed and stapled copy in a double-pocketed folder along with previous drafts. You are also required to submit your final draft to Turnitin. Remember, I don’t accept late work!