Category: Film studies

Introduction
1. Broadly:
a. What is historiography?
b. Why is it important in the context of film?
c. How is it conducted? (four types; aesthetic, economic, social, technological)
2. Why is a historiographic analysis of Bahraini film and cinema important?
a. It’s early contributions to the MENA region are overlooked
b. How are you going to examine those early contributions?
i. Economic – the impact of the discovery of oil on Bahrain broadly and the film industry specifically
ii. Technological – as a result of economic changes, the importation of new technologies was made possible and these changed the way films were recorded (camera) and circulated / received among audiences (projector and cinema spaces).
iii. Social – Following these economic and technological changes, practices of viewing film moved from private to public spaces and led to new forms of government censorship and regulation to control the circulation of Bahraini films.
3. How are you going to analyze the economic, technological, and social contributions Bahraini has made to the film industry in the region.
a. You are going to examine the material economic impacts of the discovery of oil as it led to a massive influx of economic capital and spurred the arrival of foreign workers from around the world.
b. You are going to explain how the importation of technologies enabled Bahraini’s to record their own home videos (camera), conduct private viewings (cinemas) and reinforced social divides where wealthy people were able to engage with film and participate in discussions (soirées)
c. You are going to connect the economic and the technological to conclude that as a result of these changes there are new practices of film viewing and increased government regulations to control how “publics” watch films and attend cinemas.
You must provide references with well-known names in film historiography and provide definition of film historiography method

Try to summarize the important aspects of each chapter A Companion to the Horror Film Edited by Harry M. Benshoff (Wiley Blackwell)This week is Chapter 1. one full page single space and typed (Times New Roman font #12, narrow margins all around).

Try to summarize the important aspects of each chapter A Short History of The Movies 11th edition, By Gerald Mast and Bruce Kawin. This week is Chapter 5&7 one full page single space and typed (Times
New Roman font #12, narrow margins all around).

HIGH QUALITY LINK: https://vimeo.com/695517513 Password: for assigned writer
Write: An Essay of 300-500 or more words.
There are 2 parts to this assignment.
1. Who was Michelanglo Antonioni?
2. Write your critical observations about the film including how the story is told including the social/cultural context of the film? Consider the Hays Act.
You will need to research additional information from Wikipedia, IMDb, Critical reviews or other off-screen sources. Please identify the source(s) with “quotation marks” *1 and site the source with identifying foot notes.
*1 Roger Ebert, Review, 1998, Chicago Sun Times.
Please be specific.
Please type your paper: 12 pt.

Under the Skin received acclaim for Johansson’s performance, Glazer’s direction, and Mica Levi’s score. It received numerous accolades and awards; it was named the best film of the year by various critics and publications, was included in many best-of-the-decade lists, and is ranked 61st on the BBC’s 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century list.

Write a 300-500 word essay on your OBSERVATIONS of HOW the story is told using the following tools – in no particular order.

Types of shots. Length of shots. Sequences. Color. Sound. Score, Landscape, Tone/Mood, Action-Reaction, Emotion & Casting.

Suggestion: Is the significance of the story achieved by the power of its comment on the human condition?

Any written essay statement NOT seen or observed on the screen MUST properly footnoted.

JULIEN DONKEY-BOY, Director Harmony Korine, 99 minutes, 1999, USA

https://ia801802.us.archive.org/13/items/julien-donkey-boy-1999-1777300671023/Julien_Donkey-Boy_1999 1777300671023.ia.mp4

You may need to copy and paste the link. I works. I watched it.

Julien Donkey-Boy was the first American film made in accordance with the Danish filmmaking manifesto Dogme 95.

As students of film history it is imperative to watch independent work. This is one such piece that demands attention.

Write a 300-500 word essay on your OBSERVATIONS of HOW the story is told using the following tools – in no particular order.

Types of shots. Length of shots. Sequences. Color. Sound. Score, Landscape, Tone/Mood, Action- Reaction, Emotion & Casting.

Over the next 1+ weeks you will learn about some forms of popular entertainment in the U.S. through archival material and embodied practice, more commonly known as performance.
Amusement Parks (week 3)
Wild West Shows (week 3)
Variety/Vaudeville (week 3)
Minstrel Shows (week 4)
Your assignment:
As you read and watch the content for each of the four topics (chapters from Don Wilmeth’s 1982 book), take notes, making as many connections as you can between the historical forms of entertainment presented by Wilmeth and more modern versions per my examples and/or any examples you can think of from your own interest/experience.
Your report should consist of:
1) a summary of the connections you made for each submodule (Amusement Parks, Wild West Shows, Variety/Vaudeville and Minstrel Shows), from Wilmeth to the examples I shared and/or your own interest/experiences/research.
2) any questions and/or issues that were raised for you as you moved through each form.
AND (as a result of your academic engagement and critical thinking)
3) ideas for further research.
Scoring: (4) sections each worth (5) points each.
Per my video, rubric for this assignment now added (3pm 7/25)
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Questions & Answers (as of 7/29):
Question:
Dear Professor,
I am currently working on the report and I know that the instructions are to write the report in a summary style. Do I need to include in text citations from the Don Wilmeth readings? In text citation and or formal citations at the bottom of the paper? I know the instructions are too share 3 facts from the reading from each section and I am wondering if the citations need to be included.
Answer: yes, please – both!
So, when you use a quote or paraphrase from Wilmeth in your summary, you should include the page # and then have the book cited at the end of your report.
Follow Up Answer: … & apologies: I may have said no need in the video (ie. I know the source you are citing from), but reading your email/thinking about it again in relation to Pop Up#3, I need citations!
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Here’s a freebie for your Works Cited page!
Wilmeth, Don B. Variety Entertainment and Outdoor Amusements: A Reference Guide. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood, 1982.
Examples of in-text citations:
Direct quote: According to Wilmeth, “most published material on the Wild West concerns “Buffalo Bill” Cody and his exhibition” (83).
Direct quote: As stated in Variety Entertainment and Outdoor Amusements: A Reference Guide, “most published material on the Wild West concerns “Buffalo Bill” Cody and his exhibition” (Wilmeth 83)
Paraphrase: In 1982, Wilmeth said the majority of published material on Wild West shows is about William F. Cody (83).
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_in_text_citations_the_basics.html
Due on Aug 2, 2023 9:00 AM
Available on Jul 24, 2023 11:59 PM. Access restricted before availability starts.
Available until Aug 2, 2023 9:00 AM. Access restricted after availability ends.

Use 1.5 line spacing, no font size larger than 12pt.

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<br />Set your top and bottom margins at 1”, left and right margins at .75”

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<br />Cite sourced material parenthetically, follow MLA standard format for all documentation as required.

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<br />CONTENT:

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<br />Compare, contrast (OR combine comparison and contrast) two of the three plays assigned as viewing. You may not use the subject of your Critique paper as a subject here. (Example: If you write a critique on Tartuffe, because it's essentially a souped up version of the review you already had to write and you're really smart like that, you must then compare or contrast Oedipus Rex with Death of a Salesman)

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<br />The focus of your paper is up to you to decide. How you compare or contrast the two works is entirely up to your determination. The two links given below provide excellent explanations and strategies of how to be successful with this type of writing and how to find focal subjects. I strongly encourage you to adopt the tactics offered by these websites in terms of choosing subject and organizing your paper.

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<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7lGIUzUKOE

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<br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTQ-qK-m6mo&t=1834s

TIP: Pick a film from the list (on the assignment document attached below) that you think you may enjoy. Watch the film. Then write about it using the outline/questions provided in the assignment sheet.
Please do not plagiarize — use your own words.
You need to demonstrate that you are able to apply the ideas discussed in the presentations to the film you chose to view. Specific examples in your answers will help in showing that you have viewed the film.
Find the films online through various streaming services, whether through purchase or subscriiption. No links will be provided by the instructor.
YOU MAY FOLLOW THE NUMBERED OUTLINE PROVIDED IN THE ASSIGNMENT SHEET. DO NOT WRITE OUT THE QUESTION. SIMPLY NUMBER YOUR RESPONSES.
Follow the directions provided in the attached assignment sheet.
Use as many terms as possible to make the paper more interesting such as:
Noir films
Dadaism, surrealism, etc
screwball comedy
silent actors
and other cinema terms such as symbolism etc.

Pick and watch a Title/Intro from the website artofthetitle.com (https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/nappily-ever-after/) What I’d like you to do, in particular, is watch the title and discuss it for a half to a full-page typed covering the below
1 . How is the type displayed (is it static and faded in/out? Or does it move across the screen? Does it do all these things? etc).
2. Use the categories of “Calligram” and “Rebus” to describe the text when appropriate so PLEASE READ THESE before you write your Assignment).
3. How does the Title/Intro communicate the story or plot of the film (is it fairly direct? Abstract? Does it start before the film, or is it part of the film right away? etc).
4. Does the Title/Intro tell the story of the film well (or do you think it hampers it, or is so “out there”, that it misses its chance to help out the film)?
5. Also, any other thoughts you find of interest to fill out the discussion.