Film Class
Instructions
Stage 3 of the Film Project, the Final Paper – you are to turn in the final paper before the end of week 8 and submit it to the proper folder.
The final paper, with its bibliography, is to be turned in before the end of week eight. The coversheet, bibliography, and any graphs or images, or appendix does not count toward paper length. The body of the paper should have a one inch margin on all four sides, be doubled-space, and use a standard font style (such as Times New Roman, Courier, or Arial) and font size (11 or 12).
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FINAL PART OF FILM PROJECT, PART 3: Your assignment is to write a 5-7 page research paper (proper MLA or APA citation is required) on one of the following: (a) an important film director, (b) a specific film, or (c) the development of a particular element of film making. The description of each of these options is below. PLEASE SUBMIT AS A WORD ATTACHMENT.
Description of Project
(a) You should select a director who was active (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 would 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) Select one film of feature length 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) This option is more of a research option than the other two. You are to take a topic or item with in an element of film making 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.
