EXAMPLE: “SomeONE or THING fighting someONE or someTHING for SOMETHING.”
Intent / Goals
FOR YOU: What was one TECHNICAL and one CREATIVE goal you set for yourself RELATED TO THE ROLE you fulfilled in making this project (Example: Editor, Director, etc,)? Use SPECIFIC TECHNICAL / CREATIVE TERMS in your explanation
FOR THE PROJECT: Include the goal(s) of your film (what did you want the audience to feel/learn/experience?)
Research
What established person/people did you research to better prepare you for your role? Example: editor and sound designer Walter Murch
What about them was interesting, compelling, and qualified them to be studied by you?
Questions
Write two questions for the audience
What feedback do you want from the audience to help you improve your filmmaking skills?
You will post these questions to the Zoom chat before we watch your film so people can focus their attention on your requested feedback when they see your film
Peer Feedback
Write the feedback you received from other students
After you receive feedback, add it to your post
Cite the student sources with only their first names
EXAMPLE: “SomeONE or THING fighting someONE or someTHING for SOMETHING.”
Include the goal(s) of your film (what did you want the audience to feel/learn/experience?)
Feedback Questions
Write two questions for the audience
What feedback do you want from the audience to help you improve your filmmaking skills?
You will post these questions to the Zoom chat before we watch your film so people can focus their attention on your requested feedback when they see your film
Peer Feedback
Write the feedback you received from other students
After you receive feedback, add it to your post
Cite the student sources with only their first names
EXAMPLE: “SomeONE or THING fighting someONE or someTHING for SOMETHING.”
Include the goal(s) of your game (the win state)
Questions
Write two questions for the audience
What feedback do you want from the audience to help you improve your game-making skills?
You will post these questions to the Zoom chat before we play your game so people can focus their attention on your requested feedback when they play your game
Peer Feedback
Write the feedback you received from other students
After you receive feedback, add it to your post
Cite the student sources with only their first names
As you view films, consider how the cuts, camera angles, shots, and movement work to create particular meanings. Think about how they establish space, privilege certain characters, suggest relationships, and emphasize themes. In addition to shot distances, angles, editing, and camera movement, note details of the narrative, setting, characters, lighting, props, costume, tone, and sound.
6. What “happens” in the plot (Brief description)?
7. How does the film influence particular reactions on the part of viewers (sound, editing,
characterization, camera movement, etc.)? Why does the film encourage such
reactions?
9. How are the characters costumed and made-up? What does their clothing or makeup reveal about their social standing, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or age? How do costume and makeup convey character?
10. How does the lighting design shape our perception of character, space, or mood?
12. What is the music’s purpose in the film? How does it direct our attention within the image? How does it shape our interpretation of the image? What stands out about the music?
Example: “The Shawshank Redemption Movie Review (1994) | Roger Ebert.” All Content. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 June 2015.
15. Select one scene no longer than 5 minutes that represents well the whole film and shows relevant cinematic elements. Write a one-sentence description of the scene and record the time of the scene.
Example: from 1:05:00 to 1:10:00.
Explain why you chose this scene.
PLACE THE TIME STAMP FROM THE SCENE HERE… Example: 00:00:00 – 00:05:00
16.In the selected scene: write a sentence for each of the elements below to justify why this scene best represents the film:
As you view films, consider how the cuts, camera angles, shots, and movement work to create particular meanings. Think about how they establish space, privilege certain characters, suggest relationships, and emphasize themes. In addition to shot distances, angles, editing, and camera movement, note details of the narrative, setting, characters, lighting, props, costume, tone, and sound.
6. What “happens” in the plot (Brief description)?
7. How does the film influence particular reactions on the part of viewers (sound, editing,
characterization, camera movement, etc.)? Why does the film encourage such
reactions?
9. How are the characters costumed and made-up? What does their clothing or makeup reveal about their social standing, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or age? How do costume and makeup convey character?
10. How does the lighting design shape our perception of character, space, or mood?
12. What is the music’s purpose in the film? How does it direct our attention within the image? How does it shape our interpretation of the image? What stands out about the music?
Example: “The Shawshank Redemption Movie Review (1994) | Roger Ebert.” All Content. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 June 2015.
15. Select one scene no longer than 5 minutes that represents well the whole film and shows relevant cinematic elements. Write a one-sentence description of the scene and record the time of the scene.
Example: from 1:05:00 to 1:10:00.
Explain why you chose this scene.
PLACE THE TIME STAMP FROM THE SCENE HERE… Example: 00:00:00 – 00:05:00
16.In the selected scene: write a sentence for each of the elements below to justify why this scene best represents the film:
As you view films, consider how the cuts, camera angles, shots, and movement work to create particular meanings. Think about how they establish space, privilege certain characters, suggest relationships, and emphasize themes. In addition to shot distances, angles, editing, and camera movement, note details of the narrative, setting, characters, lighting, props, costume, tone, and sound.
6. What “happens” in the plot (Brief description)?
7. How does the film influence particular reactions on the part of viewers (sound, editing,
characterization, camera movement, etc.)? Why does the film encourage such
reactions?
9. How are the characters costumed and made-up? What does their clothing or makeup reveal about their social standing, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or age? How do costume and makeup convey character?
10. How does the lighting design shape our perception of character, space, or mood?
12. What is the music’s purpose in the film? How does it direct our attention within the image? How does it shape our interpretation of the image? What stands out about the music?
Example: “The Shawshank Redemption Movie Review (1994) | Roger Ebert.” All Content. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 June 2015.
15. Select one scene no longer than 5 minutes that represents well the whole film and shows relevant cinematic elements. Write a one-sentence description of the scene and record the time of the scene.
Example: from 1:05:00 to 1:10:00.
Explain why you chose this scene.
PLACE THE TIME STAMP FROM THE SCENE HERE… Example: 00:00:00 – 00:05:00
16.In the selected scene: write a sentence for each of the elements below to justify why this scene best represents the film:
Put notes into an outline and/or a basic Venn diagram
One side is film number one and the other side film number two
Add what’s similar and what’s different
This will help you shape what parts you want to talk about in your task components
WATCH FILMS AND TAKE NOTES
Pick a film you know and/or love
The first time you watch it, just watch it passively, enjoy it, and don’t overthink it
Keep a journal and jot down notes
Track of the big themes related to your Genre or Film Theory
Keep in mind how you are feeling as a viewer
Don’t just focus on the film technique
Focus on how it makes you feel
It’s easy because you don’t know what’s coming if you haven’t seen it before if you have try to remember your first impressions of these scenes
If there are points where you feel anxious, laugh out loud, are excited about the character, jot that down
These are important things to know
If there are any interesting things that catch your eye, even if you don’t know why jot them down
Later go back and analyze why you feel that way
Watch a second film and analyze it to see if it fits your film focus
Watch it a second time and be more detailed in your note-taking
Pause and re-watch some key scenes for key film techniques and things that relate to your film focus and things that interest you or catch your eye.
CRITERION A – TASK COMPONENTS (12/32)
“The student provides a credible and persuasive justification for the choice of task components.”
Write a paragraph stating justification for why these two films are worthy of study
Have a sentence about how each film relates to that topic
“The student demonstrates an effective and highly appropriate knowledge and understanding of the identified task components and cultural context of the two selected films. The student analyzes the cultural context of the selected films and provides a credible and persuasive justification for the choice of task components.”
You have researched your cultural context
You know how they apply to your focus
Show that you know what your area of focus means
shots used in your genre, common themes among your film theory, etc.
“The student references an effective range of sources that are highly appropriate adding to the critical perspectives explored in the work.”
Use a range of sources
Some that talk about your film genre, film focus, and actual film techniques
Some that talk about the society and the cultural context
Some about the actual film that you’re studying (articles about people’s reaction to the film and film reviews)
CRITERION B – COMPARING AND CONTRASTING (12/32)
“The student effectively analyzes how the two films connected to each other and to the chosen topic providing insightful accurate and relevant observations regarding similarities and differences.”
Talk about specific characteristics of your film focus and compare and contrast them to the two films
Example: Jordan focused compare and contrast the topics of McGuffins and discomfort
For any key point you make, you want to…
WHAT:Relate it to your film topic
WHY:Relate it to film technique with specific film language
HOW: Compare / contrast both films
SO WHAT: Justify it with the cultural context
“The comparative study is consistently and effectively supported with accurate film vocabulary.”
Throw in film language “buzz words”
Narration Example: “The use of close-ups and extreme close-ups are used to portray the character’s emotions and make the audience feel uncomfortable.”
Show visual evidence of film language “buzz words”
Visual Evidence Example: Show those shots to prove that you actually know what a close-up is.
CRITERION C – ASSEMBLING THE CS (8/32)
“To what extent does the student assemble the comparative study in a clear, logical, audible and visually appropriate manner?”
“To what extent does the student provide an equal treatment of the two films selected for study?”
RECORDING NARRATION
Record audio in a quiet room, a closet, or under a blanket
Your phone is fine
Reduce background noise
Have consistent volume levels should be throughout
Cut out blank spaces or pauses
Make sure your recording should be between nine and ten minutes
BUILDING THE VIDEO ESSAY
Training
Know how to cut, splice, rearrange clips, add text, and change the volume of audio
Look on YouTube for the basics of your film software
No points for making it look flashy
No transitions
Workflow
Give equal consideration to the two films throughout the comparative study
As close to 50% screen time for each
Start with the easy stuff
For example: if you’re talking about a specific scene or specific shot then obviously you want to show that shot
Have some of the movie volume in the background (Recommended)
It sounds better, super low like room tone
If you want, search on YouTube how to do underwater audio effects to muffles the words
Place random scenes that you think look cool from the movie To fill extra spaces
If it fits, add little bits of movie dialogue between your thoughts
If you have quotes from an interview try to find the video of that interview
Don’t just read it aloud. It makes it a little bit more engaging
If you have a key point that you want to make try to just put text on the screen as a quote
Use lower thirds as onscreen citations
Google ‘lower third template’ for your editing software
You can just drag and drop and change the text easily
The slate at the beginning has to look like this like the examples
Don’t modify or stylize the slate
The beginning slate needs to be exactly 10 seconds
