Intro to Film Studies

This essay will be an opportunity to develop an argument about one of our class films. Much like weekly discussion posts, the essay will analyze a particular film in relation the specific film element we looked at during that module. The essay will differ from weekly discussion posts in that it will be written to build a specific argument that links film form (camera, lighting, editing, sound, etc.) to a character’s transformation. 

The essay will answer the question: how does an element of the film’s form convey specific information about a character and how does that film element change as the character changes? 

Below are several topic options to choose from. Or you can choose your own topic as long as you receive instructor approval. Be sure to reread the instructions for discussion posts to review film analysis technique which requires you to interpret and analyze the meaning of visual information since this is what your paper should do.

? In Whale Rider, how does placement of Pai in the visual frame convey what she is experiencing? Compare two scenes that show her emotional shift through her changed placement in the film’s frame.

? How does stationary camera convey Zero’s mindset in Grand Budapest Hotel and how does his mindset change when the film employs film panning or tilting motion?

? In Goodfellas, how does the film’s editing pacing utilize longer shots with fewer cuts to tell us something significant about Henry’s mindset and how does his character’s mindset change  clips and faster pacing is used? 

Essays should be structured as follows:

? Introduction paragraph. 

Provides a focused thesis statement that states what the essay will argue about how the character changes during the film and how one film element shows that change.

?Provide an example from one specific scene early in the film. 

Analyze how the film element conveys information about a character’s experience, emotional mindset, psychological perspective.

? Provide a second example from one specific scene later in the film. 

Analyze how the film element has changed in order to convey how the character’s experience, emotional mindset, psychological perspective has changed.

? Conclusion. 

State how the character has transformed and how that change has been shown through the film element. 

In order to do this properly, you will need to watch the film again and locate two exact scenes that show a shift in a character.