Blog Topic #7 - Comment by 9:00 p.m. on Wed., 12/23

Tell Us about Your Final Exam Project: Creating an Original Short Film

1. What's the name of your production company and how is it appropriate for your group?
2. What role will you play in the film's creation and why? (Screenwriter, editor, actor, etc.) Why is that the right role for you?
3. Give a brief description of your film. What's the general plot? To what genre does your film belong? What will be the film's style? What will be the establishing shot and what theme will it it establish?

Respond by leaving a COMMENT on this posting.

For full credit on this home work assignment, your COMMENT must be a minimum of 1 well-developed paragraph (5-7 sentences) that follows the criteria above. COMMENTs that are not proofread will receive a zero.

EXTRA CREDIT Works Cited Practice

Follow the links below to the two sources. 

Using the information from those two sources, create a typewritten, properly formatted works cited page with two sources. Submit this extra credit practice assignment at the beginning of class tomorrow, Thursday, 12/17.

1) Go to The Student Resource Center through the GNSH Library. Search for Terry Teachout's article, "The Trouble with Alfred Hitchcock." Use the information there to document this article in your works cited.

2) Go to the original New York Times review of the film Three Kings. Use the information there to document this article in your works cited.

Do NOT use any other documenting format than what is outlined in the GNSH Guide for Research Papers.

Be certain that each source is formatted based on what type of source it is! (The format for documenting a book is very different from the format for The Student Resource Center online database!)

Be certain that you compare your works cited to the sample in your Guide for Research Papers. Have you followed all rules regarding indenting, line spacing, etc.?

Blog Topic #6 - COMMENT by 9:00 p.m. on Tues., 12/15

CRITIQUING the STUDENT CHOICE FILM

Whether you saw Good Will Hunting or Three Kings, give your overall opinion of the film by leaving a COMMENT on this posting. In terms of literary, dramatic, and cinematic aspects, what were the film's specific strengths and weaknesses?

Remember to follow the conventions of a film review (actors' names in parentheses after characters' names, ***spoiler alerts***, etc.)

For full credit on this home work assignment, your COMMENT must be a minimum of 1 well-developed paragraph (5-7 sentences) that follows the criteria above. COMMENTs that are not proofread will receive a zero.

Student Choice Films

After a grueling nomination and election process, both Period 4 and Period 9 have chosen a film to see this week.

Period 4 chose Three Kings, a 1999 action-adventure-comedy-satire about 4 U.S. soldiers searching for Saddam Hussein's stolen Kuwaiti gold at the end of the Persian Gulf War.

Period 8 is viewing Good Will Hunting with Matt Damon, Robin Williams, and Ben Affleck. Winner of two Oscars, the film tells the story of a young janitor at MIT who turns out to have the same potential for brilliance as Mozart or Einstein.

We're studying both films from the perspective of the "Big Picture": the story. How do these films stack up against what we've learned regarding the classical paradigm?

Test on Friday, 12/4

The test will focus on George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead, Tom Tykwer's Run Lola Run, and Alfred Hitchcock's North By Northwest. You should also know the terms from chapters 2 and the first half of chapter 4 of our textbook, Understanding Movies. Also, you should know all critical terms that we learned earlier in the course, from cinematic terms (such as "long shot") to other terms such as "metonymy."

Look over your notes, your homework assignments, and all Viewing Guides and handouts.

Be sure to focus on these areas in your review:

• In Night of the Living Dead: the zombie apocalypse genre and its conventions; continuity error; colorblind casting; "stealing a scene"; indie film; expressionism; subtexts (cultural/historical significance); ironies in the plot; final shot; director's cameo.  Be able to cite specific examples of these concepts from the film to prove your point.
• In Run Lola Run: birds-eye view shot; split screen; pastiche; arc shot; crane or boom shot; steadicam; chaos theory; motifs (spirals, etc.); snorkel camera; montage; red filter; web of life plot; Lola as hero. Be able to cite specific examples of these concepts from the film to prove your point.
• In North By Northwest: Director's cameo; femme fatale; MacGuffin; final cut privileges; title credits; montage; characterization & compression; visual irony; visual foreshadowing; aural cue; character subtext; "stealing a scene"; film subtexts; "Becoming George Kaplan"; "The Matchless Eve Kendall"; "Murder scenes shot lovingly & love scenes shot murderously"; epiphany & character arc; how tension & suspense are created in "The Crop Dusting Scene." Be able to cite specific examples of these concepts from the film to prove your point.
• Key Terms: Mise-en-scene ("placing on stage"); aspect ratio (standard vs. widescreen); iris shot; the dominant; tight framing, proxemic patterns; open vs. closed form; the take; cutting to continuity; jump cut; parallel editing / crosscutting

This is only a general guide and not a complete list of everything we learned and everything you should study!

Good luck!

Period 4 Student Choice Film: "Three Kings"

Hi Period 4

Here is a short plot description from the film "Three Kings":

In the days immediately after the Gulf War, a group of American soldiers come across a secret Iraqi map, which discloses the whereabouts of a bunker where Iraq is storing stolen gold and treasure from Kuwait. The soldiers hope to take the gold and keep it for themselves. However, when they arrive at the site, they discover that the Iraqi army is more concerned about persecuting its civilians than stopping them from stealing the gold. They learn that the civilians have been encouraged by the U.S. government to rise up and fight Sadaam Hussein, but are facing certain execution because the U.S. military refuses to help them. This incident creates a crisis of conscience for the American soldiers. Do they take the money and run, leaving the civilians to face certain death at the hands of the Iraqi army? Or do they risk losing the gold in order to escort them to safety across the border into Iran?

Written by {jgp3553@excite.com}

Student Choice Film

It's time for our class to pick a film we'd like to see.

For the next day or so I'll be accepting student-nominated selections and, afterwards, we'll vote on which film the class will see.

If you wish to nominate a film, you must email me the following information NO LATER THAN TUESDAY, 11/24:

1) The film's title, director, and year it was released (check IMDB.com for this info)

2) 2-3 sentences why you think viewing the film would be a valuable experience. What should the class gain from seeing your film?

Also,

• The film you're nominating should be no longer than 2 hours (less than this would be even better!) and its content should be appropriate for our class.
• No more than 1 nomination per person. 
• If your film is chosen by the class, please be prepared to get a DVD copy of the film.
• Voting will take place in class on Wednesday, 11/25

Interesting Film/Advertising Story

Check this out... pretty interesting film-related current events controversial story.

http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/2009/11/16/couples-retreat-poster-controversy-uk/

Blog Topic #3 - COMMENT by 9:00 p.m. on Wed., 10/28

In your opinion...

Compare Night of the Living Dead to other horror films you've seen (especially other zombie apocalypse films if possible). In terms of cinematic, dramatic, and literary aspects, how is this film like and/or unlike other horror films you're familiar with? Develop your connections with specific examples from all the films you choose to discuss.

Remember the severe limitations this indie film had (extremely limited budget, no professional actors, no special effects experts, no original music, outdated camera technology, and the fact that George A. Romero not only directed the film, but he was also the cinematographer, co-screenwriter, and editor!) By comparison, the 2007 film I Am Legend had a budget of $150,000,000.

Comments should be completely original, well-written, and 1-paragraph minimum (5-7 sentences). Be sure to address the topic thoroughly and honestly! Comments left after the deadline are fine, but do not receive credit as homework. 

TEST on Friday, 10/23

The test will focus on Gus Van Sant's Elephant, the documentary Jesus Camp, and the terms from chapter 8 of our textbook, Understanding Movies. Also, you should know all critical terms that we learned earlier in the course, from cinematic terms (such as "long shot") to other terms such as "metonymy."

Look over your notes, your homework assignments, and all Viewing Guides and handouts.

Be sure to focus on these areas in your review:

• In Jesus Camp: the features of a documentary; where do you put the film on the 'spectrum of film types' between cinema verite and 60 Minutes style documentaries?; in your opinion, does the film inform or persuade? Cite specific examples from the film to prove your point.
• In Elephant: What's realistic and what's formalistic about the film?; In your opinion, does Van Sant offer clear-cut motivations for the killers? Cite specific examples from the film to prove your point. Where would you place the film on the 'style spectrum'?
• Key Terms: Realism, formalism, classicism, deep focus, shallow (soft) focus, tracking shot, dailies, intertitle, establishing shot, final shot, long take, Evangelical, creationism, praying in tongues, indoctrination, separation of church and state
• Chapter 8, Understanding Movies: mimesis, diegesis, avant-garde, plot, story, conventions, genre, classical paradigm, linear vs. non linear narratives, realism as style, rites of passage, cinema verite

This is only a general guide and not a complete list of everything we learned and everything you should study!

Extra help will be after school on Thursday, 10/22 in rm. 452. Good luck!

First Blog Topic to COMMENT on...

Welcome! Once a week or so I'll ask you to comment on a topic related to what we're studying in class. It counts as a homework assignment and you'll have 2 days to leave your comment.

Comments should be completely original, well-written, and 1-paragraph minimum (5-7 sentences). Be sure to address the topic thoroughly and honestly! Comments left after the deadline are fine, but do not receive credit as homework.

RotMI BLOG TOPIC #1 -- DUE: Thursday, 10/15 at 9:00 p.m.

Read Elvis Mitchell's New York Times review of Elephant distributed in class. Choose an idea or opinion in the review, quote it directly, and comment on why you believe it is so insightful or why you disagree with it.

Be as specific as possible when discussing examples from the film.

Click on the comment link below to leave your comment.

Writing a Review for JAWS

Using the conventions of a film review learned in class, the next assignment is to write your own film review that follows those conventions (see below).

Your review should be completely original, 1-2 pages typed and double-spaced. It's DUE at the beginning of class on Tuesday, 10/13. (Do NOT post it here; turn it in Tuesday)

Here are some of the conventions discussed in class. Check your notes for others!

Film reviews generally:

• Refer to specific literary/dramatic/cinematic aspects: performances, costumes, camera techniques, etc.
• Briefly summarize the general plot of the film (without spoiling the ending!)
• Compare the film to other films, often ones by the same director
• Give a character's name followed by the actor's name in parentheses
• Underline or italicize the titles of any film mentioned
• Include a title that hints at the tone of the review
• Offer an evaluation of the film overall: is it worth seeing?

Email mrd@barebodkin.net if you have any questions!