Analysis+and+Response+Papers PDF

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Requirements that were never given to any student, until the end of semester. This will help. ...

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JASS 240 – Analysis and Response Papers It is not uncommon for first-time film writers to merely recount the plot or story line of a film. This, however, is not analysis and therefore, not what I am expecting from you. Rather, you are to create an informed argument, based on the prompt provided, as well as your personal responses to the films and their subject matter. The “trick” here, however, is that your writing should be analytical, not personal. This is not to say that your personal responses to a film are not valid or important; they are. In fact, they are a good place to start when asked to write about a given film. For example, if you find a particular film funny, or frightening, ask yourself why? What elements of the film contributed to your fear? What elements did you find humorous? The point is to examine your responses, not just experience them. In order to assure that your responses are critical rather than merely personal, one text on writing about film suggests the following steps: 1. Summarize what the film is saying. Summarizing the film’s plot may help you see its structure, conflicts and themes. Just remember, this is a starting point, not the entire paper. 2. Evaluate. Actually, we do this “automatically” whenever we encounter a film. But in this case, evaluation means going beyond merely saying that you liked the film, or didn’t. It means you must clearly articulate and support your personal responses. Evaluation may also mean that you compare a film with other films you’ve seen. 3. Analyze. The first step in this stage is to decide which parts of your topic interest you the most, then consider how these parts relate to each other or to the film as a whole. Breaking things down into their component parts, often helps to understand how they work, or gives one a new perspective on the whole. 4. Synthesize. This means to look for connections between ideas – yours as well as those expressed in the course readings. Or ideas expressed in multiple films dealing with the same topic and/or theme. Another way to approach this assignment is to use my “patented formula” for film analysis: What? + How? + Why? = Analysis ©. The first component – What? – relates to the story, or content, of the text to be analyzed. The next variable – How? – refers to the technical elements used to produce the image or text. In essence, the final component – Why? – asks why a specific story has been told in a particular way. The answer(s), of course, may be somewhat subjective; however, the conclusions drawn should be based on, and supported by, the observations made while working with the first two components of the formula. Each essay should include a thesis, which specifies exactly what is being analyzed in the paper. Your thesis/opinions should be supported by specific examples from the films, as well as materials from the text, other assigned readings, or your research. Papers should be 2-3 pages in length and formatted according to MLA standards (as described on the syllabus). Works Cited is a separate page, and entries should include the textbook and

the film you’re writing about. Poor grammar (including incomplete or run-on sentences, improper punctuation, etc.) and spelling will affect your grade. Criteria for Evaluating Essays: Contrary to popular opinion, grades are earned, not given; and, in my opinion, an “A” is earned by those who do outstanding work. If one merely does the minimum, or adequate work, they can expect the corresponding grade, which would be a “C.” A “B” will reflect work that is above average. An “A” paper will: • respond appropriately to the posted prompt • be well written and free of spelling and grammatical errors • include a title that reflects your work, and is not merely the title of the film • film titles, like books, are either underlined or put in italics • film titles are NOT put in quotation marks • not rely solely on personal opinion, but provide support for opinions expressed • incorporate ideas from the text book and/or posted readings • include and cite outside sources • be properly formatted in the MLA style • 1” margins • header with last name and page number • a 12-point font, such as Times New Roman • a properly formatted Works Cited page Late papers will lose 5 points per day (including weekends). Therefore, if your paper is more than four days late, you will not receive credit for that assignment. Note that advanced permission from the instructor is required before using any research or work from other classes. Software Issues As indicated on the syllabus, the preferred application for papers is Microsoft Word. However, as I use a Mac, I will also be able to open documents created in Pages. I will not, however, be able to open documents created in Word Perfect or any other application. FYI: If you do not currently own Microsoft Word or Office, you can purchase the entire Office package, for only $50, from the ITS office located in the Science Building on Campus. Also, do not type or paste your essays in the text box on the course website. Essays must be attached as a Word document (.doc or .docx), and will be returned, with comments, as a Word document as well....