CT205: ESSAY THREE

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - Michel Gondry, 2004

Principles of the Moving Image

ESSAY 3: DUE MAY 13th

Requirements

1. 10 pages, double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font.
2. Due 3/25/08: One-page topic proposal.
3. Due 4/01/08: Essay 3 outline.
4. Due 4/8/08: Bibliography. Minimum of 7 sources in APA style.
5. Due 4/17/08: Bring a complete rough draft to the in-class writing workshop. Please bring TWO hard copies of your essay.
6. Include images and/or transcriptions of the film you are analyzing.
7. ESSAY TOPIC: Compare and contrast film styles.

Select TWO films to compare/contrast in depth.
Select ONE technical aspect. (Select a bullet point from below.)

Cinematography:

• Photography: lighting, lighting key, color value & film stock
• Framing: camera shots, angles, focus & depth of field

Mise en scene:

• Composition: dominant, subsidiary contrasts, depth, density
• Proxemics: camera & character proximity, character placement, staging

Movement:

• Narrative kinetics – psychological, stylistic or symbolic movement)
• Camera movement – handheld, tracking, pan, dolly, tilt, zoom, crane, aerial
• Mech. distortion – slow/fast motion, time lapse, animation, single frame

Editing:

• Cutting to continuity
• Thematic montage
• Classical editing

Consider the following questions:

1. How was the technique developed? Discuss why/how it evolved.
2. Is this technique closely connected to another technique?
3. Why is the technique important to the development of movies?
   
4. How is the technique used to create meaning? Give classic and alt uses.
5. What responses does the technique evoke in the viewer?
6. Is the technique associated with specific movements, authors or styles?
   
7. Compare and contrast the technique as it appears in 2 films.