Writing about Film

On this page: The Challenges of Writing About Film Kinds of Papers

Prewriting Strategies Research Tips Writing Tips lossar! of Film Terms Citing Sources "in#s

The Challenges of Writing About Film

What$s so hard about writing about film% After all& we all '#now' mo(ies) *ost of us could recite the plot of Independence Day with greater ease than we could recite the +eclaration of ,ndependence) We #now more about the characters who perished on Cameron$s Titanic than we #now about man! of the people who inhabit our own li(es) -ut it$s precisel! our familiarit! with film that presents us with our greatest writing challenge) Film is so familiar and so pre(alent in our li(es that we are often lulled into passi(e (iewing .at worst/ or into simple entertainment .at best/) As a result& certain aspects of a film are often 'in(isible)' Caught up in the entertainment& we sometimes don$t 'see' the camera wor#& composition& editing& lighting& and sound) 0or do we 'see' the production struggles that accompan! e(er! film 1 including the script$s man! rewrites& the drama of getting the pro2ect financed& the casting challenges& and so on) 3owe(er& when !our film professors as# !ou to write about film& it$s precisel! those 'in(isible' aspects that the! want !ou to see) Pa! attention to the wa! the camera mo(es) 0ote the composition .the light& shadow& and arrangement of things/ within the frame) Thin# about how the film was edited) ,n short& consider the elements that ma#e up the film) 3ow do the! function& separatel! and together% Also thin# about the film in the conte4t when it was made& how& and b! whom) ,n brea#ing down the film into its constituent parts& !ou$ll be able to analyze what !ou see) As !ou anal!5e and write about film& remember that !ou aren$t writing a re(iew) Re(iews are generall! sub2ecti(e: the! e4plore an indi(idual$s response to a film and so do not re6uire research& anal!sis& and so on) As a result& re(iews are often both simplistic .thumbs up& thumbs down/ and 'cle(er' .emplo!ing the pun1dri(en or sensational turns of phrase of popular maga5ines/) While re(iews can be useful and e(en entertaining pieces of prose& the! generall! don$t 6ualif! as 'academic writing)'

We aren$t sa!ing that !our indi(idual and sub2ecti(e responses to a film are useless) ,n fact& the! can be most informati(e) -eing terrified when !ou watch The Blair Witch Project can be the first step on the wa! to a strong anal!sis) ,nterrogate !our terror) Wh! are !ou scared% What elements of the film contribute to !our terror% 3ow does the film pla! with the horror and documentar! genres in order to e(o#e a fear that is fresh and con(incing% And so on)

Kinds of Film Papers

Film Studies is a broad and fascinating field) The (ariet! of its scholarship reflects that) -elow are some of the #inds of papers !ou might be as#ed to write in a Film Studies course:

Formal Analysis
A formal anal!sis of a film or films re6uires that the (iewer brea#s the film down into its component parts and discusses how those parts contribute to the whole) Formal anal!sis can be understood as ta#ing apart a tractor in a field: !ou la! out the parts& tr! to understand the function and purpose of each one& and then put the parts bac# together) ,n order to do a con(incing formal anal!sis& !ou$ll need to be familiar with certain #e! terms .outlined for !ou in the glossar!/) Returning to the tractor analog!: it$s helpful to be able to understand and to use terms li#e 'carburetor' when !ou ta#e a tractor apart 1 especiall! if !ou hope to e4plain !our process to an onloo#er) For a more complete discussion concerning how to write an anal!tical paper& see What is an Academic Paper%)

Film History
All films are deepl! in(ol(ed in histor!: the! reflect histor!& influence histor!& have histor!) A film li#e Gone With the Wind not onl! tells a stor! of the South during the Ci(il War& but .more importantl!/ it reflects the (alues and ideas of the culture that produced it& and so can be understood as an historical document) All films are part of our culture$s histor!) The! deri(e from and contribute to historical e(ents) War films& for e4ample& ta#e their substance from historical e(ents) The! also influence those e(ents 1 b! influencing wartime audiences to rall! behind the troops& or to protest them) -ut films also ha(e their own histories: 7) All films ha(e production histories& which in(ol(e the details of how and wh! and when the! were made) Production problems often .if not alwa!s/ affect what we see on the screen) 8) All films ha(e distribution and release histories: some films are released to different generations of audiences& to wildl! different responses9 other films are banned because the! threaten certain cultural (alues) .Thailand& for e4ample& banned both The King and I

and the recent Anna and the King because& in the estimation of the Thais& the films were disrespectful to their ro!alt!/) :) Finall!& all films should be understood in the larger conte4t of film histor!) A particular film might 'ma#e' histor!& through its inno(ations& or it might reflect certain historical trends)

Ideological Papers
;(en films that are made to entertain promote some set of beliefs) Sometimes these beliefs are clearl! political& e(en propagandistic: ;isenstein$s Potempkin, for e4ample& is a glorification of So(iet (alues) Other films are not o(ertl! political& but the! still promote certain (alues: Mary Poppin , for e4ample& argues for the idea that fathers need to ta#e a more acti(e interest in their families) ,t$s important to remember& when watching a film& that e(en films whose purpose it is to entertain ma! be promoting or e(en manipulating our feelings about a certain set of (alues) Independence Day, for e4ample& is entertaining& in part& because it pla!s on our feelings of American superiorit! and 'ne(er sa! die)' An anal!sis of the film benefits from a consideration of these (alues& and how the! are presented in the film)

Cultural Studies / ational Cinemas

Films reflect the cultures and nations in which the! were produced) 3oll!wood films& one might argue& reflect certain things about our nation$s culture: our lo(e of distraction& our attraction to adrenaline and testosterone& our need for good to triumph o(er e(il& and our belief that things wor# out in the end) Other cultures and nations ha(e different (alues and so produce different sorts of films) Sometimes these films baffle us) We might watch a French film& for e4ample& and wonder wh! it$s funn!) Or we might watch a Russian film and wonder wh! the director ne(er calls for a close up) These obser(ations are in fact e4cellent starting places) Consider differences) Find out if these differences reflect something about the national character& or if the! reflect trends in the national cinema) <ou ma! find that !ou ha(e something interesting to sa!)

!iscussion of the Auteur

Auteur criticism understands a film as the product of a single person and his (ision) ,n most cases& this person is the director) Auteur criticism is useful because it helps us to understand& for e4ample& what ma#es a certain film a 'Spielberg' film) 3owe(er& auteur criticism is often based on the erroneous assumption that films are li#e no(els 1 that is& that one person retains authorship and control) Film is a collaborati(e medium) ,t$s important to understand that no one person can control the product) The +irector of Photograph!& the screen writers .often man!/& the wardrobe and ma#e1

up people& the head of the studio 1 all these and others ha(e a hand in determining the final product of film) Still& auteur criticism is widel! practiced and is useful in helping us to understand the common themes and aesthetic decisions in films b! the same director .or producer& or star/) Keep in mind& howe(er& that the best of the auteur criticism draws on other sources& li#e film histor! or formal anal!sis& in order to insure that the paper is not simpl! an e4amination of the pri(ate life or the ps!cholog! of the auteur)

Pre"riting Strategies
-efore !ou can write about a film !ou must& of course& vie! the film) Accordingl!& the best prewriting strateg! !ou can ha(e is to be a careful and obser(ant (iewer) 3owe(er& when (iewing a film we don$t alwa!s ha(e time to stud! particular images and cameria techni6ues) This problem is less significant if we ha(e access to (ideos& which permit us to re(iew a scene again and again) Still& !ou$ll sometimes be as#ed to write about a film that !ou$ll see onl! once) 3ow can !ou prepare !ourself so that !our obser(ations will be sharp% What #nowledge can !ou bring to a film that will inspire a thoughtful and focused anal!sis%

The #lements of Composition

Film is an incredibl! comple4 medium) =ust ta#e a loo# at the credits at the end of an! film) ;ach of the people listed there has contributed something essential to the film$s production 1 from lighting& to sound& to wardrobe& to editing& to special effects) -ecause there$s so much to tal# about& !ou$ll ha(e to be selecti(e if !ou want to write a good& focused essa!) ,f !ou are a no(ice to writing about film& ta#e the time to familiari5e !ourself with the film terms listed in the attached glossar!) Knowing the terms sometimes helps !ou to see them on the screen) <ou$ll begin to 'see' the difference between a cutawa! and a 2ump cut& or between a dissol(e and a fade) *a#e sure !ou ha(e a wor#ing understanding of how all the ma2or components of film 1 writing& acting& lighting& composition& editing& sound& and so on 1 wor# together to create what !ou see on the screen) Then& when sitting down to watch a particular film& choose from among these man! elements one or two that interest !ou) ,s the editing particularl! effecti(e% Focus on that and don$t struggle to ta#e note of the lighting) +o !ou find the director$s use of 2ump cuts inno(ati(e% Watch closel! when these cuts occur) Perhaps the director has used 2ump cuts consistentl! whene(er characters are engaged in intimate con(ersations) What is he tr!ing to con(e! through this techni6ue% ,f !ou are entirel! unfamiliar with a film and aren$t sure what !ou should be loo#ing for& as# !our professor) She should be able to point !ou to those scenes or techni6ues that deser(e special attention)

Annotating Shot Se$uences

Whene(er !ou prepare to write a paper& !ou ta#e notes) 3owe(er& when anal!5ing a film& !ou ma! want to ta#e a (er! particular sort of notes in which !ou annotate a shot se6uence or scene) Annotating a scene in(ol(es labeling each shot in a se6uence) For e4ample& a scene ma! begin with an establishing shot& which segues into a doll! shot) The doll! shot comes to rest in a medium shot of the main character& who is loo#ing off frame) 0e4t comes a re(erse angle sub2ecti(e close1up shot& which dissol(es into a montage) "abeling each of these shots 1 preferabl! using a s!stem of abbre(iations for efficienc!$s sa#e 1 enables !ou to #eep trac# of the comple4 se6uence of shots) When !ou re(iew !our annotations& !ou might see a pattern of camera mo(ement and editing decisions .or& on the other hand& some unusual (ariation in the pattern/ that better helps !ou to understand 7/ how the director crafted his film& and 8/ wh! the film has a certain effect on the audience)

Thin% &eyond the Frame

So far& we$(e been ad(ising !ou to consider the formal aspects of a film$s composition) 3owe(er& as we pointed out earlier& !ou can write about film in se(eral wa!s) Sometimes !ou will want to 'thin# be!ond the frame&' and to consider 6uestions about how the film was made& its historical conte4t& and so on) For e4ample& as# !ourself:

Who made the film'

Find out who directed the film& and what other films this director made) ,f !ou$(e seen some of these other films& !ou$ll ha(e a better understanding of the themes and genres that the director is interested in)

What is the production history of the film'

See if !ou can find out an!thing about the conditions under which the film was made) Apocalyp e "o!, for e4ample& has an interesting production histor!& in terms of its financing& casting& writing& and so on) Knowing something about the film$s production can help !ou to understand some of the aesthetic and cinematic choices that the director has made)

What do the critics and scholars say'

Reading what others ha(e said about the film before !ou see it ma! help !ou to focus !our obser(ations) ,f a film is particularl! well #nown for the editing of a certain scene .the shower scene in 3itchcoc#$s P ycho, for e4ample/& !ou$ll want to pa! close attention to the editing when !ou (iew the film)

What can you learn from the film(s genre'

-efore !ou see the film& thin# a bit about the norms and limitations of its genre) When !ou (iew the film& !ou can then consider how these limitations are obe!ed or stretched)

For e4ample& Clint ;astwood$s #n$orgiven is a western that challenges its genre$s t!pical notions of good gu! (s) bad gu!) Knowing how this d!namic pla!s itself out in other westerns helps !ou to understand and to appreciate ;astwood$s accomplishment)

!oes the film reflect an interesting cultural phenomenon'

Sometimes a professor will as# !ou to watch certain films because he wants !ou to e4amine a cultural phenomenon 1 for e4ample& the phenomenon of stardom) Accordingl!& !ou might watch The %carlet &etter with the idea of (iewing it as a 'star (ehicle&' contributing to +emi *oore$s star persona) 0ote that this sort of paper ma! also be a discussion of formal anal!sis: for e4ample& !ou might discuss how +emi *oore was lit in certain scenes to emphasi5e her position as 3oll!wood star)

)esearch Tips
The most important research tip that we can offer !ou here is: don$t rel! on the ,nternet) While the ,nternet can pro(ide some interesting information about film& it generall! doesn$t pro(ide !ou with the thoughtful anal!sis that will be useful to !ou in !our wor#) ,t$s best& then& to ta#e a trip to the librar! and to get !our hands on boo#s and 2ournals)

Writing Tips
,n man! wa!s& writing a paper about film is no different from writing other #inds of papers in the 3umanities) <ou need to focus !our topic& write a good thesis sentence& settle on a structure& write clear and coherent paragraphs& and tend to matters of grammar and st!le) ,n some other wa!s& howe(er& writing a paper about film has some challenges of its own) We$(e collected a few tips here:

!on(t simply summari*e the film+

<our professors ha(e seen the film9 !ou don$t need to recount the plot to them) The! are loo#ing for anal!sis& not summar!)

!on(t simply summari*e the use of camera angles or editing techni$ues+

<ou$(e annotated shot se6uences in order to find something to sa! about them) +on$t simpl! transcribe !our annotation and call it a paper) Rather& posit something about what the director is tr!ing to achie(e& or the effect that this shot se6uence has upon the audience)

!on(t limit yourself to a discussion of plot and characters+

Some students come to film criticism tr!ing to emplo! the techni6ues the!$(e used to anal!5e no(els in their ;nglish classes) The! focus on anal!5ing the characters& themes& and plot) Film Studies papers focus on different elements of composition& as discussed abo(e)

A,oid the -I+,t$s too eas! to slip into a sub2ecti(e 're(iewer$s' stance when !ou use the ',' in !our criticism) Tr! to find a more ob2ecti(e wa! of beginning !our sentences than ', found' or ', feel)'

Citing Sources
As in an! discipline& it$s essential to cite an! sources that !ou use) Film critics cite sources using the citation method of the *"A .*odern "anguage Association/) ,f !ou ha(e 6uestions about how to cite films& or how to create !our Wor#s Cited page& (isit the Sources Web site)

.lossary of Film Terms/

A-C+;F 3,="*OPRST>W?

Accelerated 0otion1 Representing a shot as ta#ing place at a higher speed than it did in realit!) Also #nown as Fast 0otion+ Aspect )atio1 The height1to1width ratio of the pro2ected screen image)

&

&ac% 2ighting1 "ighting which comes from directl! behind the sub2ect& placing it in silhouette)

Camera Angle1 The position of the camera in relation to the sub2ect determines the camera angle) High angle means that the camera is loo#ing down at the sub2ect) 2o" angle means that the camera is loo#ing up at the sub2ect) CinemaScope1 8@th Centur! Fo4$s trade name for their widescreen process& which uses a ratio of 7:8):A) The term is commonl! used to refer to similar widescreen processes) Cinema 3erite1 A wa! of filming real1life scenes without elaborate e6uipment& pla!ing down the technical means of production .script& special lighting& etc)/ and emphasi5ing the 'realit!' of the screen world)

Close45p1 A shot in which a face or ob2ect fills the frame) Close1ups might be achie(ed b! setting the camera close to the sub2ect or b! using a long focal1length lens) Composition1 The arrangement of all the elements within the screen image to achie(e a balance of light& mass& shadow& color& and mo(ement) Continuity #diting1 A st!le of editing that maintains a continuous and seemingl! uninterrupted flow of action) Crane Shot1 A mo(ing shot ta#en on a speciall! constructed crane& usuall! from a high perspecti(e) Cross4Cutting1 =umping bac# and forth between two or more locations& in(iting us to find a relationship between two or more e(ents) Cut1 7) 0oun: A transition made b! editing two pieces of film together) 8) >erb: To edit a film b! selecting shots and splicing them together)

Cuta"ay1 ,n continuit! editing& a shot that does not include an! part of the preceding shot and that bridges a 2ump in time or other brea# in the continuous flow of action)

!ay for ight1 Simulating night through use of filters and under1e4posure) !ecelerated 0otion1 Representing a shot as ta#ing place at a slower speed than it did in realit!) Also #nown as Slo" 0otion+ !eep Focus1 A techni6ue in which ob2ects in the foreground and the distant bac#ground appear in e6uall! sharp focus) !epth of Field1 +istance between the nearest and furthest points at which the screen image is in reasonabl! sharp focus) !issol,e1 ;diting techni6ue in which one shot is graduall! merged into the ne4t b! the superimposition of a fade1out or fade1in) !olly Shot1 A shot ta#en while the camera is in motion) !ub1 To record dialogue or sound to match action in shots alread! filmed) !utch Tilt1 A wildl! tilted image& in which the sub2ect appears on the diagonal or off1 balance)

#dit1 The splicing together of separate shots)

#stablishing Shot1 A shot showing the location of the scene or the arrangement of the characters) Often the opening shot of a se6uence) #6treme 2ong Shot1 A shot notable because of the e4treme distance between camera and sub2ect) #ye42e,el Shot1 A shot ta#en at the height of normal (ision)

Fade1 An optical e(ent used as a transition& in which the image on screen graduall! goes to blac# .fade1out/ or emerges from blac# .fade1in/) Fast 0otion1 See Accelerated 0otion+ Flat 2ighting1 The distribution of light within the image so that bright and dar# tones are not highl! contrasted) Flashbac%1 A shot or se6uence that ta#es the action of the stor! into the past) Flash4For"ard1 A shot or se6uence that ta#es the action of the stor! into the future) Form Cut1 A cut from one scene to the ne4t on the basis of a similar geometrical& te4tural& or other compositional (alue) Frame1 7) 0oun: One single picture on a piece of motion picture film) 8) 0oun: The boundaries of the screen image) :) >erb: To compose a shot to include& e4clude& or emphasi5e certain elements)

Free*e4Frame1 An optical effect in which the action appears to come to a dead stop& achie(ed b! printing a single frame man! times in succession)

.lass Shot1 A shot in which part of the bac#ground is painted or photographed in miniature on a glass lid and placed in front of the camera so as to blend in with the rest of the image)

Hand4Held Shot1 A shot made with the camera held in hand& not on a tripod or other stabili5ing fi4ture) High4Angle Shot1 See Camera Angle) High4Key 2ighting1 +istributing light within the image so that the bright tones predominate)

Iris1 A decorati(e transition in which the image seems to disappear within a growing or diminishing circle) Commonl! used in silent films)

7ump Cut1 A cut that 2umps forward within a single action& creating a sense of discontinuit!)

2ong Shot1 A shot ta#en with the camera at a distance from its sub2ect)

0as% Shot1 A shot in which a portion of the image is bloc#ed off b! means of a matte o(er the lens& altering the shape of the frame) 0edium Close45p1 A shot ta#en with the camera at a slight distance from the sub2ect) ,n relation to an actor& 'medium close1up' usuall! refers to a shot of the head& nec#& and shoulders) 0edium 2ong Shot1 A shot ta#en with the camera at a distance from the sub2ect& but closer than a long shot) 0edium Shot1 A shot ta#en with the camera at a mid1range point from the sub2ect) ,n relation to an actor& 'medium shot' usuall! refers to a shot from the waist or #nees& up) 0ise4en4Scene1 A term used in the theater to refer to the staging of a scene& in relation to the setting& the arrangement of the actors& the lighting& etc) ,n film& the term is used to describe the arrangement of elements within the frame of a single shot) 0ontage1 7) French: The 2oining together or splicing of shots or se6uences 1 in a word& editing) 8) American: A rapid succession of shots assembled& usuall! b! means of super1 impositions andBor dissol(es& to con(e! a (isual effect& such as the passing of time) :) Russian: The foundation of film art) 'The building up of film from separate strips of raw material&' or 'An imagist transformation of the dialectical principles& montage as the collision of ideas and cinematographic conflicts)' .Cuoting Pudo(#in and ;isenstein& respecti(el!)/

0+8+S+1 '*it Out Sound)' These initials are written on the clapboard and are briefl! filmed at the beginning of a shot to designate shooting without s!nchronous sound recording)

8pticals1 An! de(ice carried out b! the film laborator! and re6uiring the use of an optical printer) +issol(es& fades& and wipes fall under this categor!)

Panning Shot1 A shot in which the camera remains in place but mo(es hori5ontall! on its a4is so that the sub2ect is constantl! re1framed) Parallel Shot1 When two pieces of action are presented alternatel!& to suggest that the! occur simultaneousl!) Process Shot1 See )ear Pro9ection+

)eaction Shot1 A shot of a person reacting to the main action as a listener or spectator) )ear Pro9ection1 A tric# shot in which the sub2ect is filmed against a bac#ground that is itself a motion picture screen) Dpon this screen another image 1 either mo(ing or still 1 has been pro2ected as a bac#drop) Also #nown as a process shot+ )e,erse4Angle Shot1 A shot ta#en b! a camera positioned opposite from where the pre(ious shot was ta#en)

Score1 *usic composed for a film) Set1 An artificiall! constructed en(ironment in which action is photographed) Slo" 0otion1 See !ecelerated 0otion+ Soft Focus1 A strateg! whereb! all ob2ects appear soft because none are perfectl! in focus) Dsed for romantic effect) Sound Trac%1 7) A recording of the sound portion of a film) 8) A narrow band along one side of a print of film in which sound is recorded)

Split Screen1 The di(ision of the pro2ected film frame into two or more sections& each containing a separate image) Stoc% Shot1 A shot ta#en from a librar! of film footage& usuall! of famous people& places& or e(ents) Sub9ecti,e Shot1 A shot that represents the point of (iew of a character) Often a re(erse angle shot& preceded b! a shot of the character as he or she glances off1screen)

Superimposition1 A shot in which one ore more images are printed on top of one another) S"ish Pan1 A shot in which the camera pans so rapidl! that the image is blurred)

Telephoto Shot1 A shot in which a camera lens of longer1than1normal focal length is used so that the depth of the pro2ected image appears compressed) Three4Shot1 A shot encompassing three actors) Tilt Shot1 A shot in which the camera remains in place but mo(es (erticall! on its access so that the sub2ect is continuall! re1framed) Titles1 Credits) ,n silent film& 'titles' include the written commentar! and dialogue spliced within the action) Trac%ing Shot1 A shot in which the camera mo(es parallel to its mo(ing sub2ect) Tra,elling Shot1 A shot ta#en from a mo(ing ob2ect& such as a car or boat) T"o4Shot1 A shot encompassing two actors& often in close4up+

3oice48,er1 Commentar! b! an unseen character or narrator)

Wide4Angle Shot1 A shot in which a camera lens of shorter1than1normal focal length is emplo!ed so that the depth of the pro2ected image seems protracted) Widescreen1 An! aspect ratio wider than the 7:7):: ration which dominated sound film before the 7EA@s and the introduction of CinemaScope& Techniscope& >ista>ision& Pana(ision& and so on) Wipe1 A transition from one shot to another in which one shot replaces another& hori5ontall! or (erticall!)

:oom1 The simulation of camera mo(ement toward or awa! from the sub2ect b! means of a lens of (ariable focal length)

/ This glossary was adapted from materials distributed to film students by the Film Department at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/humanities/film.shtml