Final Film Studies Project
Fall 2011
100 points
Description
Listed below are several options for your final project for film studies. Final projects will be due
__________________________________________________________. No late work will be accepted.
Each option listed below can be completed as a formal paper or a presentation, and each option can be
completed individually or with a partner. However, these decisions must be made in a timely manner.
 By ______________________ – You must tell your instructor which topic you would like
to focus on and whether or not you will be working alone or with a partner.
 By ______________________ – You must tell your instructor how you plan on
presenting/writing your final project/paper. Also, if you plan on doing a presentation,
you must tell your instructor the anticipated length of your presentation. This is very
important, as we have a limited amount of time during finals. You will be responsible
for the amount of time you are allotted.
Additionally, each person or group will be required to follow proper MLA documentation practices for
the final project/paper. Each group/individual will turn in a properly formatted works cited page, as well
as annotated copies of the sources used during the research phase of the project/paper. These will be
collected on the day your project is due.
Options for final film projects
1.
Evolution of a Genre – Select several clips from films that illustrate changes in a film genre over
time. You might choose, for example, combat films from the time of World War II, the Korean
War, the Vietnam and other recent conflicts. Or, you might choose films from a single war (The
Green Berets, 1968; Apocalypse Now, 1979; Platoon, 1986). Explore the changes reflected in
these clips. How do these films reflect historical attitudes towards combat? How do they show
changes in film technique and popular taste? Other genres to consider include science fiction,
Westerns, romance, comedy, adventure, and film noir.
2. Compare the Classic and the Remake - Select comparable scenes from two versions of the same
story and screen them in succession. You might show scenes from J. Lee Thompson’s Cape Fear
(1962) and Scorsese’s 1991 remake in order to explore the evolution of film noir. You might
compare the original King Kong with one of its more recent incarnations (1968, 1976, 1986,
2005) to trace changes in special effects. Or you might show The Searchers (1956) and Star
Wars: A New Hope (1976) to see how Lucas borrowed from Ford to re-create the sci-fi genre in
the image of a Western.
3. Case Study – Do a case study of a movie star. Identify the star’s three levels of identity: the real
person, the actor’s roles (the kinds of characters he or she plays in the movies), and the star’s
persona (the image projected in the popular media). Cull your information from sources such as
movie magazines, advertisements, posters, talk shows, documentaries, the internet, and films
themselves. Analyze the images you find. What impressions are they intended to convey? How
do you account for your own response to these images? How do you explain the star’s
popularity?
4. Contemporary Film Review – Select a new film that has just been released. Choose a movie that
genuinely interest you or puzzles you – a movie that you want to think about and examine more
carefully than usual. Since this will be a critical review, you need to go beyond a simple
statement of your likes and dislikes. Be prepared to use what you have learned about film
technique, theory and history to illuminate this film. Find out more about the director, the
actors, and the issues so that you can make an informed evaluation. You might want to consider
some of the following topics in your review.
A. Personal Issues. What struck the most responsive chords in you? How can you
account for such strong emotional or intellectual response? To what extent to you
believe that your response can be generalized to other viewers? Why?
B. Technique. Were there any exceptionally good (or bad) uses of music, dialogue,
camera work, editing, or special effects? Considering what you now know about the
process of producing a film, what are the film’s strengths and weaknesses?
C. Acting. What were the principal roles and how well were they performed? Were the
actors typecast or miscast? How credible were their performance?
D. Plot. Outline just enough of the story so that a reader who has not seen the film can
understand your comments. How original, how compelling, did you find the plot?
E. Themes. What are the main ideas or issues of the film? Is it a simple love story, or
does it make a thought-provoking statement about certain kinds of relationships?
Are there any hidden or blatant messages? Are the messages distractin, intrusive, or
integrated with the plot?
F. Genre. Does this film belong to a class of similar films, such as Westerns, horror
films, or musical comedies? If so, what other films does it resemble? What are the
common characteristics of these films? Why do you think this genre is popular
today?
G. Representation. How does the film represent different kinds of people: men and
women, rich and poor, various ethnic groups? Why do you think it represents them
in this way?
H. Ideology. What cultural beliefs (e.g., about sexuality, politics, family) were
challenged or confirmed by the film? How was this accomplished?
5.
Shot-by-Shot Analysis - Under close analysis, a well made film can reveal qualities and
meanings that we miss the first time through. The purpose of this assignment is to take another
careful look a part of a familiar film in order to appreciate how it was made and how it works.
A. Select a film to study and get it approved in advance by Mrs. Newton or Mrs.
Sahouani. View the entire film and then choose a scene (from 10 to 20 shots in
length) to analyze.
B. Do a shot-by-shot analysis of the scene. Your analysis should include the following
for each shot
1. A brief description of the shot (action, setting, characters)
2. Framing (close-up, medium shot, long shot)
3. Camera angles (low angle, high angle, eye level)
4. Camera movement (tilt, crane, zoom, pan, tracking, none)
5. Lighting (high key, low key, neutral, back lighting, front lighting)
6. Sound (describe any dialogue, music, voice-over, sound effects, etc.)
7. Transitions (cut, dissolve, wipe, other optical effects)
Note: You must account for the entire list (1 – 7) for each shot.
C. Answer the following questions about your chosen scene:
1. Plot. How does this scene contribute to the ongoing story? Give a brief
overview of your chosen film (what it’s about) and explain how this scene
fits.
2. Point of view. Does this scene present an objective view of events, or does it
represent someone’s subjective account? Explain. How is the camera used
to emphasize this point of view?
3. Character. What does this scene tell you about the major character or
characters? Refer as specifically as you can to the actors’ movements,
words, and dress as revealed by the camera.
4. Tone. Describe the overall mood of the scene. Is it mysterious, funny, sad?
How do the lighting and camera work help to create this mood?
6. Develop an idea for an original short film. Pitch the idea to Mrs. Newton or Mrs. Sahouani. Be
sure you can identify and describe the arch of the story – that it has exposition, rising action, a
clear climax, and a resolution when pitching the idea. Your teacher will want to hear an idea
that’s fully formed rather than one that’s barely hatched. Upon your teacher’s approval, develop
your storyboard and script. Be sure you are using your knowledge of framing, angles, and
camera motion in your planning. Recruit your actors. Revise script and storyboard as you
sometimes must, and film your movie. Be sure to edit carefully and include credits and titles.
You will present your film to the class, so be sure that the movie can run on the school
computers. You will turn in your written work (script, storyboard, notes) along with a digital
copy of your film. Note: The English department does not have cameras or editing equipment for
you to use, so are left with your own resources to complete this option.
7. Other ideas?? If you have another creative idea, pitch it to your instructor and she may grant
you approval.