Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read Chapters 9 and 10 from your course textbook, the required article from Film Genre Reader IV, and the Week 5 Checklist. The ENG225 Research Guide in the Ashford University Library will be particularly helpful in locating required sources.Also, be sure to review course required resources that will assist with the writing of this Final Paper.
Considering that this is the final writing assignment, you will want to review all previous class materials, including all chapters read and discussion board responses. You are encouraged to incorporate writing from your Week 2 and Week 3 assignments only after you have reflected on your instructor’s feedback and revised the relevant parts of the essays accordingly. Refer back to the outline template in the Week 4 Learning Activity. However, you must also consider the broader requirements and context of this assignment when integrating previous work; you cannot simply cut and paste material in but may use it as a building block to make a new comprehensive whole.
Throughout this course, you have written essays and participated in discussion forums in an effort to analyze various elements of film, using different theoretical lenses. This Final Film Analysis is your opportunity to combine those elements into a comprehensive analysis of one movie.
Please choose a film from this list of approved choices.
Note: You should watch your chosen film twice—once to ensure that you have grasped the storytelling and once to take more specific notes on aspects of the film you wish to discuss. If you would like to write about a film that is not on this list, you must email your professor for approval in advance or you may not receive credit on this assignment.
Your paper should be organized around a thesis statement that clarifies what you will attempt to accomplish in your paper, and how you will proceed. Review the Final Film Critique sample, which provides an example of a well-developed analysis as well as insight on composition.
In your paper,
- Identify your selected film, including writer, director, year of release, and genre.
- Briefly summarize the film in which you apply your knowledge of the difference between the film’s story and its plot.
- Describe one of the broad theories you have learned about in class (auteur theory, genre theory, formalist theory) and analyze your selected film through that lens.
- Evaluate the use of three specific techniques and design elements employed in the film as they contribute to the overarching narrative and theme of the film. This can include elements of mise-en-scène (e.g., lighting, sound, composition of frame, costuming, etc.) and editing (e.g., cuts and transitions, shots used, angles, etc.).
- Describe the connection between this film and society (i.e., politically or culturally, positive or negative) and draw conclusions about its impact.
The Final Film Analysis paper
- Must be five to six double-spaced pages (1500 to 1800 words) in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA Style (Links to an external site.) resource.
- Must include a separate title page with the following:
- Title of paper
- Student’s name
- Course name and number
- Instructor’s name
- Date submitted
For further assistance with the formatting and the title page, refer to APA Formatting for Word 2013 (Links to an external site.).
