Response Papers Assignment
You will be writing response papers on three films that you watch outside of the assigned films for this course. You will analyze an aspect of the film (listed below), in these short papers. Please note, to receive points for this assignment, do not choose a film that is screened in class, or that is discussed at length in the textbook. Choose a film that has a release date of 2000 or later. When in doubt, please just email me, to check the film choice.

Film Choice

As you can imagine, it is important to choose a film that has been recognized as outstanding in the category you will critique. Choose a film that was nominated or won either an Oscar or an Independent Spirit Award. (Wikipedia is good for finding these lists.)

Note: For “Film Form” or “Narrative Structure,” look to the “Best Picture” category.

These papers will be short: three – four pages in length, double-spaced (750-word minimum).

Use Times New-Roman, 12-point font, and one-inch margins.

These are the elements from which to choose your three response subjects:

• film form

• narrative structure

• mise-en-scene

• cinematography

• editing

• sound

It is important that you are able to watch the film, or parts of the film, multiple times, in order to write successful response papers.

Paper Parameters

Essay Form

These analyses follow traditional essay format: you will need a clear thesis statement in the first paragraph. You will then develop your “argument” in a number of paragraphs that begin with topic sentences and contain one main idea each; and you will complete the essay with a summative closing paragraph.

Here is a link to basic information on essay writing: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/01/

After reading the few instructive paragraphs here, click on the last link on the page, Argumentative (Persuasive) Essays https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/05/

PLEASE NOTE: while this page discusses a familiar form, the “five-paragraph essay,” your writings will probably have more than five paragraphs. Remember, one paragraph per topic/idea.

You may only write one critique per element (for a total of three elements). For example, do not write two critiques on editing. Use only one film per paper.

Scholarly Writing

As you know, scholarly essays involve a formal level of writing. For example, you would not include “I” statements in a scholarly essay, such as “I loved the film.” Do not refer to yourself in these papers; rather, focus on analysis. Just as you will refrain from casual language (“so awesome!,” for example) be sure also to refrain from “rating” the films. These papers are not about writing a review way, but rather analyzing how the elment under examination is creating meaning in the film.

Resources

The only resource you can use for these papers is the course textbook. I will be looking for how you apply the lessons of the text to the film you have chosen to analyze in each paper. You may use very short direct quotes from Looking at Movies, but plan on writing these in your own words. Use of outside sources will not be accepted. Be sure to use MLA citation for these papers. Information about MLA citation form can be found here: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

Saving and Uploading Your Papers

Save your papers as PDFs, not as .doc, .docx, or other kind of file. Only PDF files will be read and graded.

Do not write your papers in the text field on the Upload page, as they will not be accepted.

Use this naming convention: Lastname_Element.pdf

For example: Doe_Editing.pdf

Upload your papers to the corresponding upload pages; for Response Paper 1, upload to the Response Paper 1 Upload link.