SCMC 5001 University of Minnesota Arrival Film Cinematography Analysis

I’m studying for my Film class and need an explanation.

Basic Details: your paper must be a minimum of seven pages with a standard professional font, margins, and justification. You must properly cite all work according to either the MLA Style Guide or the Chicago Manual of Style.

Your paper should be an in-depth investigation of a theme, technique, concept, or theory as it is applied to or put in conversation with a ‘cinematic’ text. You should have a well-developed and insightful thesis that engages with the readings that we have examined and the issues that they address; it should demonstrate your understanding of the central theories and issues. You should also offer a close reading of a visual text: this should be a shot analysis of a specific scene or a detailed analysis of a cinematic technique; it should not be an overacting or general synopsis of a film or explanation fo a genre. Ideally, these three components should work together in order to support and mutually reinforce one another. You are able to bring in additional visual and theoretical materials, but it would be a good idea to include these as part of a proposal. Essays should not be summaries or overviews of our materials.

Students should submit an initial proposal that explains the key questions and/or problems with which they are working. This proposal can be ‘multi-staged’ as part of a continuing dialogue. This proposal can be in the form of an extended conversation during office hours. It should be submitted at least five days before the deadline.

You are not required to do any research for the essay (i.e., it is not a research paper) but it is a good idea to look further into topics and texts if it gives you a stronger sense of the visual objects and their discourses. Make certain to use the library and its online resources if you do engage in research for the paper: you should be using peer reviewed journals and books put out through university presses or reputable private publishing houses.