Film and Media Studies 46: Summer 2022, Prof: Felando PAPER ASSIGNMENT #2 DUE: Tuesday, July 26 – hard copy @ start of class No extensions. No exceptions. LENGTH: 4 to 5 pages FORMAT: typed, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, no larger than 12-point type; Times or Times New Roman only. Number your pages PROMPT: To enable you to explore U.S.S Callister (Toby Haynes, 2017) in more detail, your second paper also will focus on U.S.S Callister (the link is on GauchoSpace).* For the second paper, you are asked to provide an analysis of film style. That is, you should discuss the patterned use of formal strategies – how the film looks and sounds – and the ways in which the formal strategies underscore, emphasize, contradict, or comment upon a theme, character, or issue presented in the world of U.S.S Callister. For example, think about how the film uses mise en scene, cinematography, acting/performance, sound, or editing. You should focus on only one or two of these elements--and their PATTERNED or repeated use so that you can provide a careful examination of how the elements you select are used throughout the film as a whole. It may be useful to select a scene or segment from the film that enables you to closely examine the significant formal strategies you consider important in your analysis. * DO NOT duplicate any of the material or text you included in your first paper. Attach your first paper to your second paper. IMPORTANT: Avoid simply listing elements from, or your observations about, the film without providing an analysis of their patterned use throughout the film. ALSO: provide a strong, clearly worded thesis statement in the introductory paragraph of your paper. Then, support your thesis and claims using carefully chosen evidence using specific examples from the film. **You should carefully read and review two things (both are in the Paper 2 block on GauchoSpace), and use them as a guide for your analysis: 1st: “Style and Film Form” 2nd: “Writing a Critical Analysis of a Film Paper” Be very careful not to use plot summary extensively and to organize your observations with a coherent thesis, which you support with precise examples from the film. Also, the paper should be your analysis; in other words, do not consult outside sources, including film reviews/criticism and/or DVD commentary. Page 1 of 2 Page 2 of 2 Papers will be evaluated, in part, based on the following: -- Clarity of writing and organization -- Only original material submitted (i.e., with no duplications from Paper #1) -- Strength of analysis and claims -- Quality and specificity of support/examples -- Organization, grammar, spelling, and punctuation -- How carefully the analysis follows the paper guidelines and requirements GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS: Follow these instructions carefully • Do not define the terms in your essays – instead use the terms and concepts in ways that demonstrate your understanding of their meanings and how to use them. • Do not give plot synopses. Assume the reader is very familiar with the film. • Write in the present tense: a film's action takes place now, even in the flashbacks. • Use the characters’ names not the names of the actors who play them. For example: Shrek, not Mike Myers. Do not include the actors’ names at all in your paper. • Italicize film titles. Do not capitalize, use quotation marks, or underline titles. • When you first refer to a film, note the director and year of the film’s release; for example: Black Museum (Colm McCarthy, 2017). • Grammar, spelling, and punctuation will be considered in your grade. • Review the “Academic Honesty” guidelines on the course website and consult your TA or the professor if you have any questions. • Please consult with me or your TA if you have any questions or would like to discuss your paper or ideas for the assignment. Paper 2 Walkthrough Prompt Breakdown Paper 2 • 4-5 pages, double-spaced • Your paper must be organized around a clear and argumentative thesis statement • Focus on formulating your own analysis; do not use outside sources • Standard 12-point font, Times New Roman, MLA format • Name, Title, Page Numbers • Introduction, Body, Conclusion • A hard copy is due Tuesday, July 26 at the beginning of class • You must attach your first paper to your second paper Paper 2: USS Callister (Toby Haynes, 2017) • Discuss the patterned use of formal strategies and the ways in which the formal strategies underscore, emphasize, contradict, or comment upon a theme, issue, or character presented in this particular filmic world. • Possible aspects to consider: • Mise-en-scene • Cinematography • Acting/performance • Sound • Editing • Your filmic examples must be specific and accurate (as well as detailed). Structure Breakdown Your intro should include a thesis Your thesis statement should: • Respond to the essay prompt • Clearly sum up your main idea • Contain an accurate and specific argument • Preview your subpoints Your Body • Each section should: • Focus on a specific sub-argument • Relate directly to/support your thesis statement • Include a topic sentences that clearly establishes the main idea of that section • Contextualize examples within the larger structure of the film. • Select the most relevant examples and analyze them carefully. • Establish a clear connection between each example and the point it is meant to illustrate. • Explain how this example is relevant to the overall structure of the film. Your Conclusion • Reformulate the thesis • How was it supported throughout the essay? • Synthesize the subpoints of your essay. • Show how the different sections and claims in your paper fit together (don’t just repeat earlier pieces of the paper!) • Leave the reader with an interesting final impression. • Avoid phrases like “in conclusion,” “to conclude,” “in summary.” Your Thesis If you have a good thesis, you should be able to answer “yes” to the following: 1. Could someone else successfully disagree with my argument? 2. Am I naming the exact people, places, and things I’m arguing about? 3. Am I addressing one complex, cohesive topic? 4. Does my thesis give my readers a reason to care about this paper? - Always ask yourself “so what?” Credit: Jennifer Hessler Thesis Statement Workshop Credit: Tyler Morgenstern (2018) • An argument or claim is a statement that requires defense. • It is not self-evident, obvious, or common sensical. • An argument makes a specific assertion about the nature or character of some object or phenomenon that must be backed up with well-chosen evidence. Thesis Statement Workshop Credit: Tyler Morgenstern (2018) Statement or Claim? The Godfather follows the Italian-American crime family of Don Vito Corleone and its transition of power from father to son. Does this require defense? Would other viewers need to be convinced of this assessment, or is this a widely shared view of the film? Thesis Statement Workshop Credit: Tyler Morgenstern (2018) Statement or Claim? In The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola employs a variety of narrative techniques to tell the story of the Corleone family. Thesis Statement Workshop Credit: Tyler Morgenstern (2018) In The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola employs a variety of narrative techniques to tell the story of the Corleone family. ‘narrative techniques’ = story-telling techniques In The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola employs a variety of narrative techniques to tell the story of the Corleone family. ↓ In The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola tells the story of the Corleone family by telling the story. Thesis Statement Workshop Credit: Tyler Morgenstern (2018) In The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola tells the story of the Corleone family by telling the story. Does the require defense? Do we need to prove that we use storytelling (aka narrative) techniques when we tell stories? Thesis Statement Workshop Credit: Tyler Morgenstern (2018) Statement or Claim? In The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola tells the story of the Corleone family by using elliptical editing and musical motifs. Thesis Statement Workshop Credit: Tyler Morgenstern (2018) In The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola tells the story of the Corleone family by using elliptical editing and musical motifs. Elliptical editing & musical motifs = formal techniques used to tell the story = story-telling techniques In The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola tells the story of the Corleone family by using story-telling techniques. ↓ In The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola tells the story of the Corleone family by telling the story. Thesis Statement Workshop Credit: Tyler Morgenstern (2018) The Broken Circle Breakdown (Felix Van Groeningen, 2014) By representing Maybell’s death in an elliptical, non-chronological fashion, and by coupling this approach with musical motifs that emphasize the cyclical, circular nature of time, Van Groeningen suggests that despite Didier’s strident beliefs to the contrary, in matters of life, death, and love, things are rarely ever ‘over.’ This thesis: • Identifies specific techniques • Posits a clear relationship between these techniques and their narrative significance • Treats techniques together, rather than separately; they support a coherent, central claim that requires defense Your Analysis Film Review/Film Appreciation/Film Analysis Credit: Pujita Guha (2020) • Film review/appreciation is commercially persuasive; it seeks to give audiences an impression of the film. • Review/appreciation language includes calling a film ”unique,” “traditional,” “perfect,” “best,” “under/overwhelming,” etc. • Avoid this kind of language in this class! • Film analysis asks you to analyze a film’s formal choices in relation to its narrative. Film Review/Film Appreciation/Film Analysis Credit: Pujita Guha (2020) Film analysis ~ performing an autopsy The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Deijman (Rembrant,1656) Film review/appreciation ~ reacting to a crime scene The Scream (Munch, 1893) Film Analysis Tips Credit: Pujita Guha (2020) • Scale down • Choose a scene (or a couple) the best represent(s) your argument/thesis. • Break your scene(s) down into its narrative/formal elements (Moss & Wilson chart) and consider what elements are being deployed. • What is their use and what functions do they perform? In other words, how do they support your thesis? Film Analysis Tips Credit: Pujita Guha (2020) • A good scene analysis points to your central argument and demonstrates your familiarity with film grammar (how to properly deploy course terms to illustrate a larger point). • Consult our Film Art Keywords cheat sheet! “When the film moves between narrative X and narrative Y” ↓ “When the film intercuts between X and Y” “When the camera closes in…” ↓ “When the camera zooms or tracks or cuts to a close up…” phy dominant (or absent)? Is the setting significant? If so, how is it presented? How does the lighting help convey the setting and the action? How is character blocking and placement used? Are there any motifs introduced in your film? Where do Film & Thesis they occur in the film, and how do they cue the viewer's expectations? Where is the Film Analysis: Questions to Consider camera placed in (Moss & Wilson) relation to the action? How do particular compositions draw attention to Editing elements of kinds of the What settings, transitions characters, or are there themes? Howbetween does shots? Are camera these always movement the same? Do function in change? the they scene? the Are Does different editing have focal lengths a particular or depths of rhythm, field used? and it Howisdoes consistent? cinematogra it phyDoes reinforce the conform mise-en- to rules scène? of continuity, or does it seem disjunctive and discontinuou s? Sound What sounds are present? When does volume or pitch change? Is silence used? Are specific Space sounds Is theto film linked cuts space deep or camera or shallow? movement? How and is space When framed how are to allow a and onscreen greater off-screen understandin sound used? g of Are sounds characters diegetic or and story? non-diegetic? How do editing and sound construct the space of the Paper 1 Return Next Week • Slash grades (B+/A-) = right on the cusp • Please have the following readings completed before section: • Remember, as our syllabus states, you must wait at least 24hrs to reach out with any grade-related questions. • Film Art “Hong Kong Cinema” (488-94) • Take this time to diligently review feedback and prepare your questions. • I cannot talk grades via email. Come to office hours or make an apt! • Film Art Chapter 8 (303-310)
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