Final Project Modalities

For the final project, you may choose to create either a video essay, graphic novel or a short series of critical essays. 

On this page I've detailed the requirements and instructions for each type of project. Use this information to decide what kind of final project you will develop over the next few weeks. 

 

Watch an example of the subject of a video essay Links to an external site., from Rick Baer's vimeo Links to an external site.

 

Video Essays

Video essay criticism, also know as video-graphic criticism, is an emerging form of film analysis that you will learn about extensively next week. A video essay involves the use of clips from a film along with voiceover to create an analysis that develops across the video essay's run-time. The video essay can resemble a written essay in the structure of its writing. However, there are also unique cinema-specific ways that a video essay can develop an analysis for a viewer (for example, you can juxtapose two separate clips on screen at the same time). Consider the "Every Frame a Painting" video essays Links to an external site. that you have been viewing as course materials as models for this assignment. Here are some specific format requirements for the video essay: 

  • Min. 3 minutes; Max. 5 minutes (individual); Min. 5 minutes; Max. 7 minutes (pairs)
  • Will be delivered as a quicktime file, delivered online with one of the following file extensions: .mp4 (preferred); .mpg; .mpeg; .mov; .avi
  • Voiceover or on-screen text must be used to clearly convey your argument, your perspective, and your critical voice. 
  • Images or scenes from the films should be used to illustrate your point; as such, this is strictly for educational purposes and falls under the fair use clause of copyright law
  • The use of a phone, or other accessible camera, or found footage, to complete the assignment
  • A Vimeo link is required. YouTube will NOT be accepted.

 

Graphic Novel

Still from Filmish from The Guardian Links to an external site.

You also have the option of creating a graphic novel, which can be completed through the collaging of imagery. This combines the written analysis of a short series of essays with the graphic support of a video essay. You can think of your readings from Filmish as a comparable model for this modality. Below are some specific format requirements: 

  • Develop a narrator for your argument, your perspective, your critical voice (think of the male cartoon character in Filmish, who ostensibly stands in for the author)
  • Min. 3 (8.5-by-11) pages; Max. 5 (8.5-by-11) pages (individual); Min. 5 pages; Max. 6 pages (pairs)
  • Must be submitted online (see requirements in assignment folder)
  • If drawn by hand, the writing must be legible, and the lines must be neatly drawn with a ruler
  • You may use collage, such as printing, cutting, and pasting images from films, to graphically support your argument, but you must clearly demonstrate how these images illustrate the points made by your narrator. When using this technique, make sure that images are clearly legible. 

 

Short Series of Critical Essays

This last final project modality closely resembles the writing assignments that you have completed during the first half of the course. When creating a short series of critical essays, you will develop a unique perspective connecting two films and two concepts that charts across multiple short essays. You will create at least three short essays that focus your analysis on a particular aspect of your argument in your chosen films. This argument will develop over the course of your essays to represent a body of work of film criticism. The subject and approach of each of your essays are yours to design. For example, one essay can be a compare and contrast exercise between the depiction of a single element across two films and the next could be a focused scene analysis. Here are some specific requirements for the short series of critical essays: 

  • There should be a thread, theme, or other element of continuity tying your essays together (think of the voice of the narrator in the above projects; aim to develop a critical voice or identity)
  • 3–4 short essays, as reviews, short papers, and/or film analyses
  • Minimum # of pages of your 3-4 essays combined: 5 double-spaced
  • Maximum # of pages of your 3-4 essays combined: 7 double-spaced
  • Must be submitted online for turnitin review 
  • Double-Spaced
  • MLA for citations and formatting

 

On the next page, you'll review a few exemplary examples of final projects developed in previous versions of this course. 

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