films
Outlining exercise.

I. Introduction, including Thesis + Trajectory line
II. Defining the genre and the History of the Genre.
III. Pivot/Transition to consider two films
IV. History and Reception of Film 1
V. History and Reception of Film 2
VI. Scene reading/shot by shot analysis from Film 1
VII. Scene reading shot by shot analysis from Film 2
VIII. Comparison of Film 1 and Film 2
IX. Overview (May mention other films you’ve watched here, too.)
X. Conclusion.
Use this series of questions, drawing your answers from research you do in class today and that you’ve previously done, to guide your construction of a more detailed paper outline. (If you discover new sources while doing this exercise, make sure to make a note of where you found that information for your citations.)

Introduction:
General Topic you are researching:
Name one thing about this that interests you (why did you choose it):
What two films will you focus on for the majority of your argument?
Why did you decide to put these two films in conversation?

Defining/History:
What film Genre or (aspect of cinema) will you present in this paper?

When does it officially begin?

What are its defining features?

List three facts about the genre’s history that you plan to include in your paper:

1.

2.

3.

Transition to films:

Where do the films that you chose fit into the genre?

What features do they exhibit that are traits of the genre?

What can we learn about the genre from looking at these films?

Film one: Reception.

When was the film made?
(List any pertinent info about the production, distribution, such as box office, budget, etc.)

How does the film reflect its era?

How did audiences/critics react to the film at the time?
Include a quote from a critic:

How do scholars think of the film today?
Include a quote from a scholar:

What do you think makes this film important to the history of cinema?

Film one: Shot by shot analysis

What themes are presented in the film?

What formal devices do we see used in the film?

Find a quote from a reviewer or scholar who also comments on formal aspects of this film:

Do you agree or disagree with him or her?

Present and analyze a scene that you think is especially important.

What do you think is so important about this scene? (Why did you choose it rather than another one? )

Film two: Reception.

When was the film made?
(List any pertinent info about the production, distribution, such as box office, budget, etc.)

How does the film reflect its era?

How did audiences/critics react to the film at the time?

Include a quote from a critic:

How do scholars think of the film today?

Include a quote from a scholar:

What do you think makes this film important to the history of cinema?

Film two: Shot by shot analysis

What themes are presented in the film?

What formal devices do we see used in the film?

Find a quote from a reviewer or scholar who also comments on formal aspects of this film:

Do you agree or disagree with him or her?

Present and analyze a scene that you think is especially important.

What do you think is so important about this scene? (Why did you choose it rather than another one? )

Comparison.

How do the scenes that you chose from the films for the formal analysis compare to each other?

Are their similarities here?

Do they treat similar themes?

What is different about their approaches or treatment of their subject matter?

What is similar/different about the films’ receptions or reputations?

What did you want your reader to see about the films by putting them together in this paper?
Overview.
What other films have you watched from your genre and what makes these films noteworthy examples?

Film 1:

Detail about reception history:

Detail about movie:

Quote/source info on this movie:

Film 2:

Detail about reception history:

Detail about movie:

Quote/source info on this movie:

Film 3:

Detail about reception history:

Detail about movie:

Quote/source info on this movie:
Conclusion.

What do these films show us about the history of the genre?

What is interesting about this genre from a historical, sociological standpoint? (In other words, why should we care?

Why do the films you chose to focus on make for interesting examples from your genre?

What has your paper aimed to prove to its readers and why is this important?

films
Outlining exercise.

I. Introduction, including Thesis + Trajectory line
II. Defining the genre and the History of the Genre.
III. Pivot/Transition to consider two films
IV. History and Reception of Film 1
V. History and Reception of Film 2
VI. Scene reading/shot by shot analysis from Film 1
VII. Scene reading shot by shot analysis from Film 2
VIII. Comparison of Film 1 and Film 2
IX. Overview (May mention other films you’ve watched here, too.)
X. Conclusion.
Use this series of questions, drawing your answers from research you do in class today and that you’ve previously done, to guide your construction of a more detailed paper outline. (If you discover new sources while doing this exercise, make sure to make a note of where you found that information for your citations.)

Introduction:
General Topic you are researching:
Name one thing about this that interests you (why did you choose it):
What two films will you focus on for the majority of your argument?
Why did you decide to put these two films in conversation?

Defining/History:
What film Genre or (aspect of cinema) will you present in this paper?

When does it officially begin?

What are its defining features?

List three facts about the genre’s history that you plan to include in your paper:

1.

2.

3.

Transition to films:

Where do the films that you chose fit into the genre?

What features do they exhibit that are traits of the genre?

What can we learn about the genre from looking at these films?

Film one: Reception.

When was the film made?
(List any pertinent info about the production, distribution, such as box office, budget, etc.)

How does the film reflect its era?

How did audiences/critics react to the film at the time?
Include a quote from a critic:

How do scholars think of the film today?
Include a quote from a scholar:

What do you think makes this film important to the history of cinema?

Film one: Shot by shot analysis

What themes are presented in the film?

What formal devices do we see used in the film?

Find a quote from a reviewer or scholar who also comments on formal aspects of this film:

Do you agree or disagree with him or her?

Present and analyze a scene that you think is especially important.

What do you think is so important about this scene? (Why did you choose it rather than another one? )

Film two: Reception.

When was the film made?
(List any pertinent info about the production, distribution, such as box office, budget, etc.)

How does the film reflect its era?

How did audiences/critics react to the film at the time?

Include a quote from a critic:

How do scholars think of the film today?

Include a quote from a scholar:

What do you think makes this film important to the history of cinema?

Film two: Shot by shot analysis

What themes are presented in the film?

What formal devices do we see used in the film?

Find a quote from a reviewer or scholar who also comments on formal aspects of this film:

Do you agree or disagree with him or her?

Present and analyze a scene that you think is especially important.

What do you think is so important about this scene? (Why did you choose it rather than another one? )

Comparison.

How do the scenes that you chose from the films for the formal analysis compare to each other?

Are their similarities here?

Do they treat similar themes?

What is different about their approaches or treatment of their subject matter?

What is similar/different about the films’ receptions or reputations?

What did you want your reader to see about the films by putting them together in this paper?
Overview.
What other films have you watched from your genre and what makes these films noteworthy examples?

Film 1:

Detail about reception history:

Detail about movie:

Quote/source info on this movie:

Film 2:

Detail about reception history:

Detail about movie:

Quote/source info on this movie:

Film 3:

Detail about reception history:

Detail about movie:

Quote/source info on this movie:
Conclusion.

What do these films show us about the history of the genre?

What is interesting about this genre from a historical, sociological standpoint? (In other words, why should we care?

Why do the films you chose to focus on make for interesting examples from your genre?

What has your paper aimed to prove to its readers and why is this important?