Understanding Movies: Project Stage One

Below are the three types of projects. You are to indicate the type of project and the topic in your outline.

(a) You should select a director who was active (and has directed more than 3 movies) during the time period of 1950 – 2000. In your term paper, give me the basic details of the director’s life and career. Identify some of the director’s most important films. What honors and awards did the director receive? Provide a sampling of critical opinion about the director’s work (i.e., film reviews or articles). View at least two films by your director and comment on them (one of them can be a film you have watched previously for the class). Do not summarize any plots. Write about how this director used the following in these films: Editing (montage), Sound and Music, Cinematography, Special Camera Work (steady cam, hand-held, optical effects), Special Effects (this can include stunt work).

(b) Select one feature-length film made during the time period of 1970 – 2000. You are not to use a film already used by you, the instructor or the course content. In your term paper, you should present information about the making of the movie, about its success at the box office, about awards it was nominated for and/or received. Also present a sampling of the critical reaction to the film, from both the time of its release and later. Finally, you should watch the film and react to it. Do not summarize the plot. Assume that I’ve already seen the film. In addition, write about how this director used the following in these films: Editing (montage), Sound and Music, Cinematography, Special Camera Work (steady cam, hand-held, optical effects), Special Effects (this can include stunt work).

(c) This option is more of a research option than the other two. You are to take a filmmaking topic or item and write a short research paper on its development. For example, if you want to write about camera development, take a more focused part of that broader topic such as the steady cam and use that as your subject. You do not need to get too technical in your paper. Some broader topics include: Camera Development, Projection and Viewing in Theaters, Film, Special Effects, Director Training, Actor Training, and Editing.