Writing an Argument: 'Piece By Piece'

Here's some information you might find useful as you prepare to write an argument placing "Piece By Piece" on the Style Spectrum for Documentaries.

First, the filmmaker's name is Sachi Schuricht, NOT what it says on the assignment sheet you received last week. (Sorry about that! I confused our film with another documentary of the same name.)

Second, if you'd like to see the entire documentary again before writing your essay, please schedule a time with me to do so before, during, or after school asap. Otherwise, you may find these links helpful:

• The first 7 minutes of "Piece By Piece" are viewable on Vimeo.com
• "Piece By Piece" is also available from the iTunes Store
• More information from the Tribeca Film Festival

Blog Topic #1 - COMMENT by 9:00 p.m. on Wed., 2/13

Comment by creating an annotated list of 5 movies with a theme: 5 all-time favorites, 5 funniest comedies, 5 worst sci-fi movies ever, 5 great movies of 2012, etc. Be creative!

NOTE: You cannot post to this blog from school; you must access it from home. 

Be sure to

• Give your list a TITLE that identifies its theme.
• NUMBER the movies in your list and give their titles.
• Follow each movie with a completely original 2-3 SENTENCE ANNOTATION explaining why it made your list.
• PROOFREAD your comment before you submit it! Comments that are not proofread will not count as having completed the assignment.
• SIGN your comment by ending with your FIRST NAME & LAST INITIAL.

Use my list below as a model:

Daszenski's 5 All-time Favorite Hitchcock Films

1. The Birds (1963) - Even though the special effects are no longer so special, this is still one of the best 'When Nature Goes Nuts' films. Night of the Living Dead owes a lot to Hitchcock: people trapped in a house during an unnatural apocalypse, no real closure, and enough claustrophobia to fill 3 movies.
2. North By Northwest (1959) - Madison Ave. executive or CIA assassin? Cary Grant plays Roger Thornhill who is chased across North America by the good guys and the bad guys for a crime he didn't commit. With his good looks and fancy suits, Thornhill was licensed to kill before James Bond ever hit the silver screen. 
3. Rear Window (1954) - Maybe the most intense ending of any Hitchcock film, this will teach you not to spy on your neighbors, no matter how bored you are.
4. Lifeboat (1944) - It's WWII and survivors from a ship torpedoed by the Nazis struggle to stay alive on the high seas. But what happens when one of the "survivors" is actually a Nazi? Oh, those Hitchcockian twists...
5. Notorious (1946) - Unforgettable war-time spy thriller set in South America with Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and Claude Rains.

- Jim D.

And the Winner Is...

Hollywood's Academy Awards have the Oscar. RotMI has the Baby Daz.

The 4th Annual RotMI Winter Film Festival viewers have spoken! Congratulations to the winners of the coveted Baby Daz in the following categories:

BEST COMEDY
The Life of a Shredder (Josh, Daniel, Craig, Julia, Eric)

BEST PERFORMANCES
We Could Have Had It All  (Melissa, Jackie L., Lauren, Bradley, Max D.)

BEST ORIGINAL STORY
Second Chance (Justin, Melvin, Shivam)

BEST MUSIC
The English Paper (Dean, Teddy, Jordan)

And the winner of four awards...

BEST PICTURE 
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY 
BEST EDITING 
BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
Wassermelone (Max S., Adin, Morgan, Mark, Matt)

Thanks for a great semester, everyone!

Vote!

The voting window for the 4th Annual RotMI Winter Film Festival Awards will be open until 9 p.m. this Saturday night.

Check your email for a link that will take you to an electronic ballot. Then check back here soon as we announce the winners!

Film Research Paper Checklist

Use this checklist before submitting your MLA research paper to Turnitin.com.

The essay is DUE at the start of class on Monday, 1/7/13.

Before submitting can you say that all boxes are legitimately checked?

Test on Wednesday, 12/12

The test will focus on George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest and the key terms and concepts from Chapter 8 of our textbook, Understanding Movies. Also, review everything from the beginning of the course, such as literary, dramatic, and cinematic elements, etc. Be sure to look over your notes, your homework assignments, and all Viewing Guides and handouts.

Along with the general plot and character developments of the three films, 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; subversive 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 Spirited Away: The typical conventions of animated films; the film’s “eco-message”; motifs involving the importance of name, memory, and identity; Miyazaki’s inspiration for the character of Chihiro; auteur; moments of realism. Be able to cite specific examples of these concepts from the film to prove your point.
• In North By Northwest: director's cameo; rear screen projection technique; femme fatale; final cut privileges; title credits; montage; characterization and compression; visual irony; visual foreshadowing; aural cue; "stealing a shot"; "Becoming George Kaplan"; "The Matchless Eve Kendall"; "Murder scenes shot lovingly and love scenes shot murderously"; epiphany and character arc; how tension and suspense are created in "The Crop Dusting Scene." Be able to cite specific examples of these concepts from the film to prove your point
• In Chapter 8 - Understanding Movies: mimesis, diegesis, avant-garde, plot, story, conventions, genre, classical paradigm (including exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, resolution and closure), 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 offered after school at 2:40 p.m. on Tuesday, 12/11 in room 452.

The approximate test breakdown: 40% multiple choice / 20% mini-essay / 40% short answers

Good luck!

Blog Topic #2 - Comment by 9 p.m. on Monday, 11/19

Does Night of the Living Dead Follow The Classical Paradigm?

Considering the film's story structure, is there a brief period of exposition leading to the inciting incident that sparks the rising action building to a late climax ending with a resolution and closure?

Write a well-developed paragraph or two that demonstrates a knowledge of the terms in red above and give a specific example for each from the film in support if you agree. If you disagree, argue why the film fails to follow the classical paradigm using specific examples.

Respond by leaving a COMMENT on this posting by clicking on the "No comments" link below. Once you submit your comment you will be unable to see it until I publish it after the due date.

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

MAKE SURE YOU END YOUR COMMENT BY WRITING YOUR FIRST NAME AND LAST INITIAL!