AWR4MI:Film Studies
A Step Towards Finding Your Own Path: Analysis of a Director’s Style

Part One:
You will view a minimum of three films from one director and write a 400-600 word essay in which you assess the style of the director. You may NOT use trilogies or sequels as your three films. One of the films you choose can be from a trilogy, but the other two by the same director cannot be part of the trilogy.

So for example, if I wanted to do the films of George Lucas, I could use Willow, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. It would not be okay to analyze 3 Star Wars movies

You are not limited to the directors on the list posted on the class website, but you are encouraged to try a director that you are not familiar with.

Content Expectations:
Use specific scenes in your analysis. Show how the technique is used in the scenes and demonstrate how the techniques appear in more than one film
Use the terminology we have studied in the class (angle, shot, framing, lighting, symbolizes, represents, etc...) Boldthe cinematic terms when you use them in your body paragraphs. There is a link to the cinematic terms that you learned in AWR3MI on the website.
Refer to the director by full name initially and then by last name subsequently.

Do not download any part of the paper from the internet. This is plagiarism. You are encouraged to incorporate the thoughts of others, making sure that you reference your sources.

Paper Structure:
Introduction Paragraph
This needs to end in a Thesis Statement that lists the topic of the body paragraphs

Body paragraph 1 - This is a REQUIRED paragraph, and it must be the first body paragraph
First, list the style points that the three films share. Thenspeculate why the director uses these techniques repeatedly and discuss the function/purpose the techniques play inadvancing the storyline.

For your remaining body paragraphs, write about 3-4 of the following paragraph options.

Body paragraph option #1
Discuss camera work and shot types that the three films share. Include ideas about why the director uses these shot types repeatedly and the function/purpose the shot types play inadvancing the storyline.

Body paragraph option #2
Discuss editing techniques that the three films share. Include ideas about why the director uses these editing techniques repeatedly and the function/purpose the editing techniques play inadvancing the storyline.

Body paragraph option #3
Discuss the Settings and Sets that the three films share. Include ideas about why the director uses these settings and sets repeatedly and the function/purpose the settings and sets play inadvancing the storyline.

Body paragraph option #4
Discuss the Props that the three films share. Include ideas about why the director uses these props repeatedly and the function/purpose the props play inadvancing the storyline.

Body paragraph option #5
Discuss the Staging that the three films share. Include ideas about why the director uses these staging techniques repeatedly and the function/purpose the staging techniques play inadvancing the storyline.

Body paragraph option #6
Discuss theCostumes and Make-Up that the three films share. Include ideas about why the director uses these costuming and make up techniques repeatedly and discuss the function/purpose the costuming and make up techniques play inadvancing the storyline.

Body paragraph option #7
Discuss the Lighting that the three films share. Include ideas about why the director uses these lighting techniques repeatedly and discuss the function/purpose the lighting techniques play inadvancing the storyline.

Concluding Paragraph

Suggested Viewing and Prewriting Activity:
1) identify important (or noticeable) techniques
2) trace out patterns of techniques
3) propose functions for the important techniques.
Here are details to help you -

1) Identify important (or noticeable) techniques

Review your notes from AWR3MI and the terms listed on the website.

2) Trace out patterns of techniques

Because this assignment focuses on identifying and defining the style of one director, you need to identity what techniques are common in the three films you are using. This is also a place where you have the opportunity tothink about repetition.

3) Propose functions for the important techniques.

Why does the director use these techniques repeatedly?
What function do the techniques play inadvancing the storyline?