commentary 3

Commentary requirement

• Purpose: to cultivate the habits of critical reading by making arguments and providing evidence • Content: identify an argument (not merely a topic) from a required reading (with direct

quotations and page numbers) and discuss it in relation to the designated film of the day • Focus: your ability to articulate someone else’ argument and state your interpretation of a film in relation to that argument; mere factual information or plot summary won’t count as argument • Length: 1 double-space page or 350 words for each short paper; the portion in excess of the limit will not be graded for credit • Grading: out of 10 points for each commentary, 3 for identification of an argument and logical transition, 3 points for film discussion focused on details, and 4 for writing (grammar, expression, coherence, style)

Commentary : further clarifications

Make sure you have a clear argument or statement: find a focus to organize your writing A general plot or characterization summary earns little credit Analyze film in detail (e.g., mise-en-scene, smiles or other facial expressions, camera angles) Rephrase key words for better connection between the reading and your film analysis (e.g., metaphor, allegory, realism) Always use the readings assigned in the same week as primary films; the same formula for commentaries 2-3 You only need to quote from 1 reading in the week, NOT 1 from each reading in the week Your quote must be relevant to the rest of your discussion Avoid a long quote or 2 or more quotes in a commentary Similarly, avoid discussing 2 or more ideas because there is no space to do that adequately Proofread your paper or grade yourself to improve before submitting No need for a separate Works Cited page, but use in-text reference (e.g., Teo, page #)

Writing Style Sheet • always indicate your name on the first page of your writing (upper left corner) • in general, use the MLA reference style • for commentaries, no separate reference items are needed; but for the term paper, a complete list of works cited is required, and any incomplete listing would cost points • format the title of a film, a book, or a journal in italic or underline • indicate the title of an article in a journal or a volume with quotation marks • add in a parenthesis the author’s name (if not identified in the text), a short title (if an author has more than one cited work), and page numbers after all direct quotations: “…” (L. Lee, “Cinema” 37-38); use the author’s name, NOT the volume editor’s

• be sure proper names are spelled out correctly • in the Chinese case, remember the family name goes before the given name: • reduce superfluous phrases like “I believe” or “in Leo Lee’s article, Lee writes …” • spell-check grammar and fix typographic errors • read your paper one more time before submitting on Canvas • for those in need of assistance with English writing, seek help from campus resources and your native-speaking friends