Film+Study+Projects

1. Group Viewing Profile Complete the following questionaire about your movie viewing habits, and then compare your findings with those of several friends. Prepare a group profile that reflects the preferences and habits of your group. What is your group's preferred format for watching films? What genres do you have in common? A. How many films do you generally watch a month? Distinguish between films that you see at a theater, on television (broadcast TV, cable, pay-per-view), on the internet, and on video or DVD. B. What are your favorite movies and movie genres (action, comedy, science fiction, romance, and so on)? C. What special habits do you notice about the way you watch movies? Do you like to eat while watching them at home? Do you prefer to watch films alone, with a friend, or in a group? Do you watch videos straight through or do you jump around with the remote? How do these habits depend on the kind of movie you are watching or where you're watching it?

Create a visual to illustrate your group profile. Make a chart that clearly displays similarities and differences in your group members' viewing profile.

2. Oral Presentation This is an opportunity to study one film in some detail and share what you learn with others in the calss. You are encouraged to work in groups of two or three for each presentation. Each group selects a film from the course listing and prepares a brief introduction, handouts, and questions for disussion. The introduction will be oral. It may include background information about the film's origins, its creators and cast, its reception, or its main themes. You may also want to point out particular things to look for in the film. Please limit your introductory remarks to ten minutes or less. The handouts should include film credits (director, scriptwriter, principal actors, etc.), further readings (books, articles, reiews, websites), and study questions. Please bring enough copies for everyone. Using your study questions as a guide, lead a class discussion after viewing the film. You may want to focus on the acting, direction, film techniques, or theme. You may explore the class's emotional responses or examine the film's symbolic levels.
 * Note: you will be graded as a group, so full cooperation is a must. Be sure to track how much time and effort is spent by each group member.

3. Behind the Scenes We often appreciate a movie more when we know how it was made. What went into its creation behind the scenes? How, for example, did the art director design the sets for //Citizen Kane//? How did the photographer achieve those striking camera movements and lighting effects? Where did the ideas for the screenplay come from, and what did each writer contribute to the script? This assignment is an opportunity to look behind the scenes at a particular aspect of filmmaking that interests you. First, select a film you would like to learn more about. Then, choose one of the following topics and write a report on what you learn. A. //Script Writing//. Who was responsible for the film script? Where did the main idea originate? If the film is based on literature, consult the original text and compare it to the final film. B //Photography//. Who was the film's chief cinematographer? What is he or she most noted for? Are there any technical innovations in camera work or lighting? How were they achieved? C. //Set Design//. Who was involved in selecting and creating the film's sets? Were any special problems encountered in making the sets? How were they solved? How important are the sets in the final film? D. //Music//. Does the film use familiar music or an original score? What musical decisions were made by the composer? What effects was the composer striving for? Are different melodies used for different characters or scenes? How do they contribute to the total film experience? E. //Direction//. Some directors have a stronger hand than others in the making of a film. Directors may be interested in different elements of filmmaking. What role did the director have in producing the film you chose? what are the director's hallmarks in this and other films? F. //Acting//. Select two or three actors in the film and find out more about them. Why do you think they were chosen for the film? What other roles have they played? Are they versatile or stereotyped? What can you learn about their behavior on or off the set during the film's production? G. //Reception//. Do some research to find out how the film was received during its first release. What did the critics say? How did the general public respond? How do you account for the reception in its own time and today?

Shot-by-Shot Analysis Good movies, like good stories, poems, and plays, are best read more than once. Under close analysis, a well-made film can reveal qualities and meanings that we miss the first time through. The purpose of this assignment is to take another, careful look at part of a familiar film in order to appreciate how it was made and how it works. A. Select a film to study from the course list. View the entire film and then choose a scene (from ten to twenty shots in length) to analyze. B. Do a shot-by-shot analysis of each scene. Your analysis should include the following for each shot: 1. A brief description of the shot) action, setting, characters) 2. Framing (cose-up, medium shot, long shot) 3. Camera angles (low angle, high angle, eye level) 4. Camera movement (tilt, crane, zoom, pan, tracking, none) 5. Lighting (high key, low key, back lighting, front lighting, normal) 6. Sound (describe any dialogue, music, voice-over, or sound effects) 7. Transitions (cut, dissolve, wipe, other optical effects) Note: You may list the elements (1-7) for each shot or describe them in paragraph form, but they should all be accounted for.

C. Answer the following questions about your chosen scene: 1. Plot. How does this scene contribute to the ongoning story? Give a brief overview of your chosen film (what is it about?) and explain how the scene fits in. 2. Point of view. Does this scene present an objective view of events, or does it represent someone's subjective account? Explain. How is the camera used to emphasize this point of view? 3. Character. What does this scene tell you about the major character or characters? Refer as specifically as you can to the actors' movements, words, and dress as revealed by the camera. 4. Tone. Describe the overall mood of this scene. Is it mysterious, funny, sad? How do the lighting and camera work help to create this mood?

You are encouraged to complete the shot-by-shot analysis in groups of two. Students have found that collaborative viewing helps them see more clearly (four eyes are better than two) and think more sharply (discussion nourishes ideas) than they would alone. You are expected to answer the questions in part C by yourself.