Final Paper

Your final paper grade will go towards your final exam grade. For your research paper you need to discuss one film in detail. You may choose any of the following films: Romeo & Juliet (1968), Romeo + Juliet (1996), West Side Story (1961), Shakespeare in Love (1998), Hamlet (1948), Hamlet (1996), Hamlet (2000), Richard III (1995), The Lion King (1994), Henry V (1999), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1999), Forbidden Planet (1956), or Ran (1985).

Your paper should contain the five sections following:

1. Introduction

The introduction should include all appropriate metadata and a short review of the film. The introduction should further outline what you will do in the rest of the paper.

2. Narrative Form

In this section you will do a full explanation of the narrative structure of the film.

You will divide the film into three, four, or five acts, depending on the film. Films that are based on Shakespeare plays and which follows the play closely will use the Five Act Structure (according to Freytag’s Pyramid). Other films will fit either within the Three Act Structure or Kristin Thompson’s Four Act Structure. You need to choose the narrative structure that best fits the film you have chosen.

Furthermore, each Act is made up of different scenes. You have to identify the different scenes and provide a précis for each.

As part of the Narrative Form you need to discuss the different aspects of each Act, indicating, for instance, the exposition, the rising action, the turning points, the climax, and the resolution.

You will conclude this section by giving a summary of the film’s plot, making reference to both the fibula and syuzhet where appropriate. You could also mention relevant Cinematic Narrative Elements like Parallels, Allusions, and Motifs if appropriate. 

3. Scene Analysis (Scene Exposition)

For your research paper you have to do an exposition of one scene. An exposition is a detailed description. To do this exposition you have to describe the Mise en Scène, Cinematography, Editing and the use of Sound in the scene. To do it thoroughly break the scene up into all the “takes” (individual camera shots) that constitutes the scene and describe each. The analysis may also include any relevant Cinematic Narrative Motifs.

4. Film Analysis

Finally you need to write an essay that discusses some elements in film, like certain motifs, or certain aspects of the Mise en Scène, Cinematography, Editing or the use of Sound that the filmmaker used to convey a specific idea or message.

[When choosing the scene for your Scene Exposition (Section 3), it is wise to choose a scene that will illustrate some of the points you want to make for your Film Analysis in this section (Section 4).]

5. Conclusion

Conclude your paper by summarising what you have done and giving a more thorough review of the film.

Editing

Notes on editing were covered in class.

Cinematography

The following points were discussed in class. Make sure that you are able to identify and / or describe each one of these different cinematographic techniques.

1 Time

1.1 The Shot & Scene

A shot is a series of uninterrupted frames. Several shots edited together forms one scene. Every scene is a coherent narrative with a beginning, middle and end.

1.2 Altering Time

• Slow Motion
• Fast Mostion
  

1.3 Accelerating & Freezing Time

• Time-lapse photography
• Frozen moments
  

2 Camera & Space

2.1 Camera Height

• Eye Level Shot
• High(er) Level
• Low(er) Level
  

2.2 Camera Angle

• High-Angle Shot
• Low-Angle Shot
• Dutch Angle Shot / Canted Shot
• Overhead Shot / Bird’s Eye View Shot
  

2.3 Camera Distance

• Extreme Long Shot (XLS)
• Long Shot (LS)
• Medium Long Shot (MLS)
• Medium Shot (MS)
• Medium Close-up (MCU)
• Close-up (CU)
• Extreme Close-up (XCU)
  

2.4 Camera Move: Exploring Space

• Horizontally (Panning)
• Vertically (Tilting)
• Tracking Shot
• Crane Shot
• Aerial Shot
• Handheld Shot & Steadicam
  

Composition

Composition is a very important part of a film's mise en scène

Composition is the “visual arrangement of the objects, actors, and space within the frame” (Prammaggiore & Wallis, 82). The term “composition” literally means “to put together,” and usually arranging things aesthetically according to the principles of art. The typical principles of art are dynamism (movement), harmony (unity), variety (alternation), balance, contrast, proportion, rhythm (pattern).

In the medium of film these principles manifest in the following elements:

Balance & Symmetry

“A balanced composition has an equitable distribution of bright and dark areas, striking colours, objects and / or figures” (Prammaggiore & Wallis, 82).

Lines & Diagonals

“The human eye tends to respond to diagonal lines, vertical lines, and horizontal lines in decreasing emphasis. All three may be used as compositional elements, but a diagonal line carries the most visual weight” (Prammaggiore & Wallis, 83).

Framing

Framing refers to the amount of open space between the figures (actors) and objects and the border of the shot. “Loose framing refers to shots in which figures have a great deal of open space around them—this may suggest freedom or isolation, depending upon the narrative context and other elements in the frame. Tight framing describes an image in which the lack of space around the subject contributes to a sense of constriction” (Prammaggiore & Wallis, 84).

Foreground & Background

Foreground refers to the objects or action that happens closest to the cameral; conversely, the background is the part of the frame furthest away from the camera. The camera focus on either the foreground or the background with different effects.

Light & Dark

“Arranging light and dark areas in the frame is an important aspect of composition and can contribute to balance” (Prammaggiore & Wallis, 86).”

Colour

Different colours can create different moods or meanings in a film. “Because viewers perceive reds, yellows, and oranges as warm (vibrant with energy), and blues and greens as cool (relaxing rather than exciting), filmmakers choose to incorporate colors into sets, costumes, and propos according to the effect they are seeking to create. Like any other visual technique, color in the mise en scène may function as a motif.”

Colours can be described according to their saturation—referring to the strength of the colour. If the colour is not very pure, if it looks pale or washed out, it is desaturated. Saturated colours could suggest energy and vibrancy, while desaturated scenes may suggest a downbeat atmosphere. It is important to take the symbolic / cultural value of colour into account. For instance black is often symbolically used for death or mourning, and white for purity or innocence. Filmmakers may attached their own meanings to colour which you may need to decipher from the context.