Elements of Film Plot: The sequence of events in a story, what the story is abou

Elements of Film
Plot: The sequence of events in a story, what the story is about. The plot involves some
conflict or situation the characters must resolve and/or some problem that causes tension
among the characters. Is the plot credible or plausible? How?
characters: In serious films, the characters are realistic, complex human beings with strengths
and weaknesses. Real characters are an important part of the plot. The audience must care
about the characters and what happens to them. When characters are too predictable or
stereotypical, critics say they are flat, cardboard characters. Are the characters believable?
How?
Acting: The more realistic an actor’s actions and reactions, the better the acting. If audiences
think an actor is trying too hard to act, they will not value his performance. Is the acting
natural, believable, credible? Is the acting particularly interesting or distinctive in some way?
How?
Theme: A theme is the main idea the film illustrates. For example, Fargo illustrates that greed
can cause lots of unforeseen grief. Is the theme significant? How?
setting: The time and place of the story is the setting—anything that creates the illusion of time
and place: clothing, costuming, makeup, buildings, countryside, backgrounds. How does the
setting reinforce the plot, the characters, and the theme?
Pace: Few viewers enjoy a movie that takes too long to unfold its story. Does the film’s pace
work well or drag? How?
music/sound: Sound helps create mood. Sound reinforces special visual effects too—the
music in Jaws warns you when the shark is coming. You believe what you see in part because
of what you hear. How does the music or sound contribute to the film?
Cinematography: this refers to camera work. If you think of a movie as a series of still
photographs, each “shot” set up perfectly to illustrate the setting, the plot development at that
moment in the film, and so on, it may be easier to understand what the photographers and the
technical crew contribute to the film. Movies are rarely filmed straight through from beginning
to end; therefore, matching lighting and camera angles becomes important. Special effects,
too, involve camera work. Many films such as Avatar and 2012 are created with computer
graphics. How does the cinematography contribute to the film?
Director: The director is usually in charge of everything you see and hear on the screen.
Camera shots, for example, are usually set up by the director. The actors cannot see what
they are doing, but the director can. Has the director done a skillful job? How?
: Does the story have moral, social, psychological, or some other kind of value beyondentertainment? How? Is the entertainment value enough for you to recommend the film? After viewing the film, answer the following questions. Use your responses to arrive at a sound argument on any element or idea in this film.
1. What is the central purpose of the film?
2. What is the social value of this film?
3. What is the moral value of this film?
4. What is the psychological value of this film?
5. By what means does the director achieve his purpose?
6. Why does the film succeed or not? Why does it matter or not?
ENGL 1302 – Composition II
Essay 2 – Visual Analysis—Documentary Film
Critical Thinking about Film
DIRECTIONS:
This essay MUST adhere to the following guidelines:
• Organize exactly as described on page 3, of this document
• 7-paragraphs ONLY (2-introduction paragraphs; 1-summary paragraph; 3-body
paragraphs; 1-conclusion paragraph)
• Use MLA formatting and rules of citation (see the Bedford St. Martin 2021 MLA Handbook)
• Use 2-cited sources from research and 1-quotation from the primary source/the film—
Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened:
o You must use scholarly and reputable periodicals and journals ONLY (i.e.: Time,
Newsweek, US News and World Report, Forbes, The New York Times, The
Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, etc.)
o Reputable Periodicals and Scholarly journals can be found in Dallas College’s Library
Online Database
o You may only quote from the reputable periodicals in the article “10 Journalism Brands
Where You Find Real Facts Rather Than Alternative Facts,” by Paul Glader
o the following websites ONLY: .edu, .org*, .gov, .mil
• quotes from .com websites is not allowed (except Reputable Periodicals that
are also in the Dallas College Library Online Database)
• quotations from Wikipedia, film reviews, and social media [Twitter, Facebook,
Instagram, etc.] is never allowed
• quotes from Blogs are not allowed.
o books (ebooks are allowed)
o essays found in library databases by literary and/or film critics (individually published as
well as those found in an anthology, or a collection of essays edited by another author)
o each body paragraph must have one-piece of evidence/proof = a quote from a
secondary/outside source (the film is the primary source)
• Thesis statement must be underlined and the last sentence of the second introduction
paragraph (if not, I will assume you didn’t create it and 20 points will be deducted).
• Essay must have an original title of your own creation.* Even though Wikipedia is a .org website, no citations from this cite is allowed.
• No title page: use the 5-line MLA format required heading
• Must create a Works Cited page (always the last page of the paper).
CITATION direction is uploaded below. PROPER OUTLINE and ESSAY is needed.