Quiz Tuesday, 2/8

Welcome RotMI fans, Spring 2011!

We've been thinking about the persuasiveness of visual texts. Film trailers are the perfect example of short films that are essentially commercials urging you to "buy" the film they're advertising.

There will be a short quiz in class on Tuesday, 2/8. We'll see a trailer you probably haven't seen before, and you will have the opportunity to both define and identify the following terms by citing examples from the trailer: Appeal (in general), emotional appeal, logical/rational appeal, & ethical appeal.

The challenging part is to explain HOW what you see is acting as, let's say, an emotional appeal. What emotion is the appeal connecting with? Is it tapping into your sense of patriotism? Is it trying to scare you? Fear can be a very powerful motivator.

Remember, if you fail this class you won't graduate! (Now that's an emotional appeal...)

QUIZ on Monday, 4/19

The last grade of the 3rd quarter will be a quiz on Monday, 4/19. Aside from the general plots and characters, be sure to review the following terms & concepts from our last two films, Double Indemnity and Spirited Away.

Double Indemnity: film noir, establishing shot, first image of Walter Neff, whodunnit vs. how&whyhedunnit, badinage, fatalism, definition of "double indemnity", off screen space, actuarial tables, dramatic irony, heroic character, final shot, the Hays Code, novella, apocryphal, casting against type.

Spirited Away: motifs; "the kindness of strangers"; eco-message; flashback; the importance of memory & identity; social, moral, & cultural values; final shot; character arc.

Good luck!