PAPER WORKSHOP

The Final Paper 5-7 pages (double-spaced) 3 outside sources (2 academic, 1

popular) MLA in-text citation format Any film of your choice

Except weekly screenings Pending approval by me (email by

Wednesday)

Topics Wide open!

Must be argumentative Off-limits

Opinion Plot Summary “Thematic” Analysis Compare/Contrast

Two films, book vs. film, etc.

Thesis Statement #1A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) is a re-

make of the classic 1984 horror film of the same name.

PROBLEM: Too Obvious; 7 pages?!

Thesis Statement #2Avatar is one of the most innovative films

of all time.

PROBLEM: Yeah? And?

Thesis Statement #3The Social Network tells the story of Mark

Zuckerberg and how he became the world’s youngest billionaire.

PROBLEM: Plot summary; No Analysis

Thesis Statement #4Inception is the best movie of all time.

PROBLEM: “How could you possibly know that?”

How would you argue that?

Thesis Statement #5 Pretty Woman is a modern day fairy tale.

Better, but still has problems:-Obviousness

-No formal analysis-No narrative analysis

BUT: could work with an ideological approach.

A thesis should… Lay out a clear argument Preview the main points of the argument

Each point should relate to ONE central idea

Provide a roadmap as to where the paper is heading (1st, 2nd, 3rd)

Thesis Statement #6Transformers is a

unique film due to the fact that it was based on a popular toy line, contains CGI special effects, and was a blockbuster hit.

Better: Preview of points

But: The “cool stuff”

fallacy Obvious

Points don’t cohere

No analysis

Thesis Statement #7 In the Mood for

Love is a film that features three-point lighting, continuity editing, and sound bridges to tell its story of two lonely people.

Better: Preview of points

But: So what?

Most films use these techniques.

A thesis should Address what is unique, unusual,

interesting, or thought-provoking about your film.

Tell a reader something s/he don’t already know. Assume the reader (me) has seen your film. What has your analysis illuminated that

someone who hadn’t taken this course would’ve likely missed?

Thesis Statement #8Black Swan conveys Nina’s fractured

mental state through three central motifs: mirrors, doubles, and the metaphor of the swan transformation.

Thesis Statement #9 In Do The Right Thing, Spike Lee relies on a

highly stylized mise-en-scene to reflect the racial tensions of the Bed-Stuy neighborhood on the hottest day of the year. The film’s costumes, color palate, and blocking all work to visually depict the conflict of the film.

Thesis Statement #10 Taxi Driver has drawn a great deal of

commentary for its depiction of vigilante violence. But what if the bloodshed that occurs in the film never actually took place? In this paper, I will argue that the acts perpetrated by Travis Bickle were confined to his mind.

Introductions Set up the film Brief (1-2 sentence) plot summary HOOK your reader

Why would s/he want to keep reading? Thesis + preview of main points

Top 7 Ways to Screw This Up

#7: The DVD Commentary a/k/a the filmmaker’s intent

#6a: The Awards List Oscars, Golden Globes, Cannes Film

Festival, etc.

#6b: Box Office figures “Avatar is the highest-grossing film of all

time!”

#5: The Movie Review Too much plot summary Too much opinion Not enough argument

#4: Poor Citation Style Learn MLA formatting and how to use it!

#3: Bad Research No academic sources Not using sources to support your

argument “Sprinkling” quotes

Adding quotes at beginning or end of paragraphs with no explanation of how it is relevant.

Irrelevant/misapplied quotes Make sure you understand what the

quotation means.

#2: Argument Doesn’t Match Thesis Outline your paper first. Each paragraph contribute to your

argument.

#1: Excessive Praise I DON’T CARE ABOUT YOUR OPINION! I need you to convince me that your

argument is valid.

Sources 1 Popular

Examples: New York Times, AJC, Newsweek, etc.

2 academic/scholarly sources Generally long (15+ pages) Published by a University press Contains footnotes and citations Peer-reviewed

RESEARCH GUIDE (on blog)