Viewing Films Actively: Written Responses To Motion Pictures

Viewing Films Actively
Written Responses to Motion

Pictures
Paige Mayhew
Oklahoma Writing Project
“The schools do not have the power to change public
acceptance of the visual media. Training students to
understand and use them would be far more productive
than to endlessly deplore the quality of television and
film.”
-Marion Blue
“As students view a film, we want
them to pay special attention to those
areas of the film we consider
important and to draw conclusions
from their experience with the film.
Only then does a passive viewer
become active; for by thinking about
the film’s content, the student is
interacting with the film.”
-Resch and Schnicker
According to
Corrigan
“Writing about films
can serve one or
several functions. It
can help you:
•Understand your own response to a movie better
•Convince others why you like or dislike a film
•Explain or introduce something about a movie, filmmaker, or a
group of movies that your readers may not know
•Make comparisons and contrasts between one movie and others,
as a way of understanding them better
•Make connections between a movie and other areas of culture in
order to illuminate both the culture and the movies it produces.”
Analyzing Films
Three ways of
looking at a
movie
Literary Aspects of Film
 Those aspects that
films share with
literature:
 plot
 characters
 setting
 themes
 point of view
 recurring images
 symbols
Questions to ask when viewing
on a Literary Level:
 Who are the characters?
 What is the setting?
 What is the plot?
 From whose point of view is the story
told?
 What is the film’s theme?
 Are there any symbols or recurring
images?
Dramatic Aspects of Film
 Those elements film
shares with live
drama:
 actors portraying
characters through
dialogue, costumes,
and makeup
 sets and/or locations
 directors who leave
personal stamp on
final product
Questions to ask when viewing
on a dramatic level:
 How effective is the acting? Why?
 How does the set affect understanding
and enjoyment of the story?
 How are the costumes and makeup
effective in establishing a character?
Cinematic Aspects of Film
 Elements unique to
film
 Requires some
knowledge of
technical terms
Examples of Technical Terms
Close Up (CU)
 A shot of one face or

object that fills the
screen completely.
 Gives importance to
object
 Allows us to see the
emotion of a
particular character
USUAL SUSPECTS
High Angle (h/a)
 Angles are defined

by where the
camera is placed
 Camera looks down
on what is being
photographed
 Takes away power
of the subject of
shot
HIGH NOON
Long Shot (LS)
 A relative term
 A shot taken from a
sufficient distance to
show a landscape, a
building, or a large
crowd
BULLIT
Helpful Hints:
 It is helpful to show clips of familiar

films, so students can focus on
cinematic elements
 Show clip a second time, after some
discussion
 View clip without sound
Putting It All Together
 Ways of looking at a film on all 3 levels:

– Use different color notecards
– Use a viewing guide
Writing Exercises
 Film Review
– Plot Summary
– Literary Analysis
– Dramatic Analysis
– Cinematic Analysis
– Complete Review
• Summary, analysis,
and evaluation of film
Sample Assignments
Personal Essays
 Write a letter to the director or writer of
the film. This letter can be negative or
positive, but it is important that you
support your thesis with specific details
from the film. If you do write a negative
letter, do so without being disagreeable.
Watch your tone.
Analytical Essays
 Students can discuss possible topics for

a particular film and write their own
thesis statement or the teacher can
provide a essay topic
– Typical Essay Topic: Explain the
significance of Rosebud in Citizen Kane.
Is the word important to the film or is it a
red herring?
Imaginative Writing
 Students can be asked to create a

background or future for a particular
character based on his/her behavior in
the film.
 Students can expand on the cultural
aspects of what they observe in the film.
Film Treatments, Scripts, and
Storyboards
 Students can write film treatments and
scripts or design storyboards for
possible sequels or prequel of a certain
film.
 Students can create new scenes they
feel could add information about the
characters or story.
Other Ways to Organize a Film
Study
 Genre Studies
 Film History
 National Cinema (Culture, Politics, Etc.)
 Auteurs (Directors)
 Foreign Films
 Thematically
“…film is one medium which cuts
across diversities of ability,
student background and
communication modes. When
film is effectively integrated into
the curriculum, it touches upon a
wide variety of skill areas.”
Resch and Schicker
“Film,
the most powerful medium in the
world, is awesome in its ability to
change thinking and behavior. It has no
peer in its power to impart concepts,
ideas, and information quickly,
interestingly, and, if it is well crafted
indelibly.”
-Marion Blue

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Viewing Films Actively

Written Responses to Motion

 A shot of one face or

 Angles are defined

 It is helpful to show clips of familiar

 Ways of looking at a film on all 3 levels:

 Students can discuss possible topics for

 Students can be asked to create a

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