Film art paper

COMM 1003 J. Jackson

Movie under the Microscope

Choose a movie that students of film might be interested in. Watch it at least twice and take

notes. Describe and analyze its different components.

Photography (shots and angles) and camera movement

Staging: sets, costumes, props, makeup

Framing: positions, territorial space, loose or tight

Editing: eye-line match, 180 rule, shot/reverse-angle shot, tempo, transitions

Sound: synchronous or non-, diegetic or non-, dialogue, voiceover, sound effects

Style: realism, formalism, classicism

Grading criteria:

Organization: don’t go chronologically. Re-organize the material by concept. Don’t construct

a paragraph longer than half a page.

Development: show me what you’ve learned so far. Use your film vocabulary. Include specific

details (see above). Introduction should be well-developed; conclusion should be skimpy (no

new details).

Analysis: development answers “what” and analysis answers “why.” Explore the significance of

the director’s choices. Thesis should explain why the film is worth studying: body paragraphs

should reflect that thesis.

Writing Style: pay attention to verb choices—avoid expletives (“there are” and “there is”). Use

MLA formatting (12-point, double-spaced, etc.). Don’t begin a sentence with a coordinating

conjunction like “but.” Write out whole numbers from one to one hundred. Capitalize proper

nouns—don’t capitalize common nouns. Italicize all film titles.

Length requirement: at least three full pages

Due date: March 8