ARTH 334 Understanding Movie Discussion

ARTH 334 Understanding Movie Discussion

ARTH 334 7383 Understanding Movie.

Part 1: There are Two Essays assigned.

ESSAYS: One and Two

General Instructions

For each of the two papers, you will be responsible for watching a film, writing a 3-to-5-page essay in which you respond to prompts (see below), and then providing a list of “My Criteria for Quality in Film.”

Be sure to correctly spell the names listed in the credits of directors, actors, screenwriters, and other people (to avoid “points” being taken off the final grade for that paper).

These papers are about your observations, insights, and evaluations not only what you can learn by reading up on the film or the filmmaker. Do not just repeat what you find online. Think carefully before you write, be creative and apply what you have been learning in this course.

PARTS ONE AND TWO SHOULD BE PRESENTED AS A SINGLE ESSAY!

First Paper Assignment: Film One (F1)

Part 1: View a feature film made between 1940 – 1970 you have not seen before (or will see later in this class) by a great director. Many directors were active both before and after 1970 so make sure you see a pre-1970 FEATURE fiction film.

Suggestion: American directors such as Frank Capra, George Cukor, John Ford, George Stevens, Preston Sturges, Billy Wilder, or William Wyler. Foreign directors such as Ingmar Bergman (Swedish), Luis Buñuel (Spanish), Claude Chabrol (French), Federico Fellini (Italian), Akira Kurosawa (Japanese), Lina Wertmuller (German) or the British team known as “The Archers” made up of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. For other possibilities, try: http://www.filmsite.org/directors.html Comment on the specific film you saw in terms of its genre and the quality of the film itself. Pay attention to the camerawork (cinematography) the editing (montage) and the sound (including music). What did you like and what did you dislike? Why do you like the things you like, and why do you dislike the things you dislike? Finally, is the film successful in creating a work of fiction using the craft of filmmaking and considering when it was made? (Note: This is not the same question as whether or not you liked it. It is entirely possible to like a film that you are aware is not very good.)

Part 2: Draw some general conclusions about the work of the director and one of the main actors or actresses. For example, let us say you watched the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia. Did you like David Lean as a filmmaker? Explain your answer. Did you like Peter O’Toole in the role of Larwrence? Why, or why not?

End with your overall impression of the film, including how you see it as an example of its genre and time period.

Part 3: On a separate page, insert the heading “My Criteria for Quality in Film.” Under that heading, propose four general statements indicative of your personal taste in movies. These statements should be numbered (1) through (5), and they should be written as complete sentences or a short paragraph. For example, if you commented in your essay that you liked the acting because it was realistic and you liked the script because it had a happy ending, you could propose these two statements as criteria for quality: “(1) Excellent movies feature realistic acting. (2) A movie is more likely to be good if it ends happily.” Think about and then explain what words such as good, excellent, and effective actually mean. Be sure to save your “My Criteria” page to your hard drive—you will be resubmitting an expanded version of it with for the second paper later in this course.

Second Paper Assignment: Film Two

This is essentially the same assignment as Paper One BUT about a film produced between 1970 and 2000.

Part 1: View a feature film made between 1970 – 2000 you have not seen before (or will see later in this class) by a great director or featuring a great actor or actress.

Just as you did in the first paper, comment on the specific film you saw. Pay particular attention to the screenplay, camerawork (cinematography) the editing (montage) and the sound (including music). for this paper, also address special effects. Again, as you did in the first paper, talk about what you like and what you dislike? Why do you like the things you like, and why do you dislike the things you dislike? Is the film a good film, or is it not?

Part 2: Now that you have commented on the specific film you viewed, see if you can draw some general conclusions about the work of the director and one of the main actors or actresses. Be sure to comment on the overall impression you had of the film, including how you see it as an example of the its genre and time period. Remember, this is film review based on your opinions and insights: do not repeat what you have learned by reading up on the film or the filmmaker.

Part 3: Go back to the “My Criteria for Quality in Film” page. Based on your viewing of this week’s film, add four new general conclusions. These statements should be numbered (5) through (10). Be sure to include all of the criteria you created for Paper One.

Final project.

There are 3 parts to the final project:

Final Essay Stage One – Topic Selection

You are to pick a topic for your final project. Please write a 200–350-word overview of your topic.

Your proposal must include the following for maximum points.

1. Provide a title for your proposed project 2. Clearly state which option you are choosing and the subject within that option 3. How you propose to research your topic (no specific resources required at this stage) 4. A 600 word summary of all of your ideas and justification for choosing this topic. This is a research and personal reflection paper, if you choose a Director or movie or element of film that means something to you, it can make for a more interesting and informed paper.

Below are the three types of projects. You are to indicate the type of project and the topic in your Proposal.

Pick just one, A B OR C.

(a) An important film director.

You should select a director who was active (and has directed more than 3 movies) during the time period of 1950 – 2000. In your term paper, give me the basic details of the director’s life and career. Identify some of the director’s most important films. What honors and awards did the director receive? Provide a sampling of critical opinion about the director’s work (i.e., film reviews or articles). View at least two films by your director and comment on them (one of them can be a film you have watched previously for the class). Do not summarize any plots. Write about how this director used the following in these films: Editing (montage), Sound and Music, Cinematography, Special Camera Work (steady cam, hand-held, optical effects), Special Effects (this can include stunt work).

(b) A specific film.

Select one feature-length film made during the time period of 1970 – 2000. You are not to use a film already used by you, the instructor or the course content. In your term paper, you should present information about the making of the movie, about its success at the box office, about awards it was nominated for and/or received. Also present a sampling of the critical reaction to the film, from both the time of its release and later. Finally, you should watch the film and react to it. Do not summarize the plot. Assume that I’ve already seen the film. In addition, write about how this director used the following in these films: Editing (montage), Sound and Music, Cinematography, Special Camera Work (steady cam, hand-held, optical effects), Special Effects (this can include stunt work).

(c) The development of a particular element of film making. The description of each of these options is below.

This option is more of a research option than the other two. You are to take a filmmaking topic or item and write a short research paper on its development. For example, if you want to write about camera development, take a more focused part of that broader topic such as the steady cam and use that as your subject. You do not need to get too technical in your paper. Some broader topics include Camera Development, Projection and Viewing in Theaters, Film, Special Effects, Director Training, Actor Training, and Editing.

Final Essay Stage Two – Outline and Resources

1. Turn in an outline and resource list for your project. Use either an Alphanumeric Outline, a Decimal Outline, or a sentence hierarchical outline.

2. The list of resources you expect to use includes websites, books and films. This should be in the form of an Annotated Bibliography .

Here are some things to keep in mind:

· Make observations and connections and integrate vocabulary and concepts we’re learning

· Think about the organization. Simply listing the elements in the assignment prompt is not an outline

· The thesis statement is the most important part of the outline.

· I would like to see a full sentence outline.

· You should plan to spend about more time on this stage of the assignment (research and outline) than on the final stage of the assignment (rough draft and polish)

Stage Three – Final Paper.

Write a 5-7 page research paper on your chosen topic.

ARTH 334 7383 Understanding Movie

.

P

art

1: There

are Two Essays assigned.

ESSAYS: One and Two

General Instructions

For each of the two papers, you will be responsible for watching a film, writing a

3

–

to

–

5

–

page

essay in which you respond to prompts (see below), and then providing a list

of “

My Criteria

for Quality in Film.”

Be sure to correctly spell the names listed in the credits of directors, actors, screenwriters, and

other

people (

to

avoid “points” being taken

off

the final grade for that paper).

These papers are about your observations,

insights,

and evaluations not only what you can

learn by reading up on the film or the filmmaker. Do not just repeat what you find online.

Think ca

refully before you write, be creative and apply what you have been learning in this

course.

PARTS ONE AND TWO SHOULD BE PRESENTED AS A SINGLE

ESSAY!

First Paper Assignment: Film One (F1)

Part 1

: View a feature film made between 1940

–

1970 you have not seen before (or will see

later

in this class) by a great director. Many directors were active both before and after 1970

so make sure you see a pre

–

1970 FEATURE fiction film.

Suggestion: American directors such

as Frank

Capra, George Cukor, John Ford, George

Stevens, Preston Sturges, B

illy Wilder, or William Wyler. Foreign directors such as Ingmar

Bergman (Swedish), Luis Buñuel (Spanish), Claude Chabrol (French), Federico Fellini

(Italian), Akira Kurosawa (Japanese), Lina Wertmuller (German) or the British team known

as “The Archers” ma

de up of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. For other possibilities,

try:

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

Comment on the specific film you saw in terms of

its genre and the quality of the

film itself

.

Pay attention to the camerawork (cinematography)

the editing (montage) and the sound (including music). What did you like and what did you

dislike? Why do you like the things you like, and why do you dislike the things you dislike?

Finally, i

s the film successful in creating a work of fiction using the craft of filmmaking and

considering when it was made? (

Note

: This is not the same question as whether or not you

liked it. It is entirely possible to like a film that you are aware is not very g

ood.)

Part 2

:

Draw some general conclusions about the work of the director and one of the main

actors or actresses. For

example,

let us say you watched the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia.

Did you like David Lean as a filmmaker? Explain your answer. Did you l

ike Peter O’Toole

in

the role of Larwrence? Why, or why not?

ARTH 334 7383 Understanding Movie.

Part 1: There are Two Essays assigned.

ESSAYS: One and Two

General Instructions

For each of the two papers, you will be responsible for watching a film, writing a 3-to-5-page

essay in which you respond to prompts (see below), and then providing a list of “My Criteria

for Quality in Film.”

Be sure to correctly spell the names listed in the credits of directors, actors, screenwriters, and

other people (to avoid “points” being taken off the final grade for that paper).

These papers are about your observations, insights, and evaluations not only what you can

learn by reading up on the film or the filmmaker. Do not just repeat what you find online.

Think carefully before you write, be creative and apply what you have been learning in this

course.

PARTS ONE AND TWO SHOULD BE PRESENTED AS A SINGLE

ESSAY!

First Paper Assignment: Film One (F1)

Part 1: View a feature film made between 1940 – 1970 you have not seen before (or will see

later in this class) by a great director. Many directors were active both before and after 1970

so make sure you see a pre-1970 FEATURE fiction film.

Suggestion: American directors such as Frank Capra, George Cukor, John Ford, George

Stevens, Preston Sturges, Billy Wilder, or William Wyler. Foreign directors such as Ingmar

Bergman (Swedish), Luis Buñuel (Spanish), Claude Chabrol (French), Federico Fellini

(Italian), Akira Kurosawa (Japanese), Lina Wertmuller (German) or the British team known

as “The Archers” made up of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. For other possibilities,

try: http://www.filmsite.org/directors.html Comment on the specific film you saw in terms of

its genre and the quality of the film itself. Pay attention to the camerawork (cinematography)

the editing (montage) and the sound (including music). What did you like and what did you

dislike? Why do you like the things you like, and why do you dislike the things you dislike?

Finally, is the film successful in creating a work of fiction using the craft of filmmaking and

considering when it was made? (Note: This is not the same question as whether or not you

liked it. It is entirely possible to like a film that you are aware is not very good.)

Part 2: Draw some general conclusions about the work of the director and one of the main

actors or actresses. For example, let us say you watched the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia.

Did you like David Lean as a filmmaker? Explain your answer. Did you like Peter O’Toole in

the role of Larwrence? Why, or why not?