1. The Film Analysis Essay
Quarter 3, 2019

2. Your Task:
Your job with this essay is to analyze a movie of your choosing for the following elements:
Plot
Research—either time period or director
Film techniques
Lighting
Sound
Camera angle
Theme

3. Steps March 19: Begin Gatsby as an example movie March 20: movie draw
Spring Break: watch your movie for plot, film techniques, and theme; think about what research you will do—historical implications or director vision
April 3: Research time—computer lab
April 8: Writing the film analysis paper
April 11 & 12: final draft

4. Writing the Film Analysis Essay
Quarter 4, 2019
Writing the Film Analysis Essay

5. The Film Analysis Essay
Your job: to critically watch a feature film and analyze it for the following items:
Plot
Summary paragraph based on entire movie
Historical significance or director influence
Research paragraph focusing on either historical significance or director influence
Film techniques
Lighting
Sound
Camera angles
Theme
What message is the author/director communicating to the world?

6. Research: Things to Remember
For the research portion of the film analysis paper, you are to explain either something of historical significance or something about the director and his/her goals with the film.
The best research happens when you use multiple kinds of sources:
Websites that are credible. Look for .edu, .org, or .gov
Hint: if you can’t find all the information needed for an MLA works cited entry, check the website’s credibility.
Databases: these are found through the library media website.
Hint: many times, works cited information is already done for you.
For your research, try to use between 3-5 sources. This does not include the movie or the IMDb site, even though these two items should be a part of the works cited.

7. Common works cited errors
Often, the following pieces of information are hard to find on .com websites.
Author
Sponsoring organization
Date of electronic publication—ie: date updated
Sample Website 1
MackinVIA
School: John Marshall High School, Rochester MN
UserID: Student ID
Password: Student password
Once logged in, click on Databases
Remember, each source you use needs an official MLA works cited entry.
On the Library/Media page, there is information for access at home
Useful Databases:
Academic Search Premier
Biography in Context
Britannica online school edition
CQ Researcher
Culture Grams—famous people world-wide, US state info.
Ebsco HostMegafile
Explora
Gale Research in Context
Grolier online
Infotrac
ProQuest
Science reference Center
Student Resource in context
World history in context

8. The introduction. . .
Offer your overall impression of the film while mentioning the movie's title, director, and key actors. Create a thesis statement that will guide your paper.
Thesis statement:
The thesis statement expresses what your paper will be about.
Remember, your job is to show how plot, the actors, the director/historical events, and film techniques help create the theme of the film.
Template:
Using ________________, _________________, and _______________ to create ____________________, the movie _____________ conveys the theme that ______________________.
plot/actor
director/link to history
film techniques
Adjective+ noun
movie title

9. Example
Like the mythological Titans from whom they get their name, the Titans football team rules their universe in this inspirational film. This poignant story, starring Denzel Washington and Will Patton, tells the story, based on real events, of a football team brought together by desegregation. Director Boaz Yakin and writer Gregory Howard work with an exceptional cast to retell the story of T.C. Williams High School during a turbulent time in our country’s history (Remember the Titans). Using various film techniques, the actors, the writer, and important historical events create a spectacular film that conveys the message that overcoming racial differences and prejudice is necessary to create teamwork and respect.

10. Paragraph 2/Body 1
Summarize the plot of the film. This should be a short/general summary- not a “play by play”. Write a transition to the next paragraph.
Sample topic sentences:
In the movie _________________, ______ and _____, the two main characters, . . .
In ______________, the main character ______ finds himself . . .

11. Set in 1971, the conflicts begin when Coach Youst, head coach of the white football team, discovers he has been replaced by black coach Herman Boone. Youst decides to stay on as an assistant coach and they all head off to camp. While at camp, team members and coaches alike find themselves struggling to overcome issues revolving around race and fear. After some difficulties and inspirational speeches by Boone, the team finally comes together. When they return home, they find themselves reliving issues they thought they had resolved at camp while struggling to work as a team amid protests and fighting. The team goes on to inspire the town while going undefeated all season. By the end of the film, not only the team but the entire town has reached a new level of unity and understanding (Remember the Titans).

12. Paragraph 3/Body 2:
This is the research paragraph. You are either to research the director OR an aspect about the film linked to history in some way.
Director: Who is he/she? What is the vision? Why did he/she direct? What did he/she hope to accomplish? Did he/she learn anything?
History: What event/person/thing is mentioned in the film? What do you know about it? What happened? How does the film treat that event/person/thing?
You need to cite everything you take from your articles.

13. Paragraph 3 You need: A transition word and topic sentence
At least 3 pieces of research followed by an explanation of the link to the movie you watched and why it’s important.
Internal citations for the evidence you use
A concluding sentence that summarizes the information you have given the reader.

14. Initially, the historic merging of a black and a white school in the film reflects the problems many communities faced while attempting to honor the desegregation law. The original desegregation court case that created the new laws was Brown v. The Board of Education. This case reversed another court case that said that schools could be segregated as long as they were equal. A parent in Kansas disagreed with that ruling on the grounds that the schools were not equal; the white schools were better. The Supreme Court investigated and found that the schools were indeed unequal and ruled that schools must be desegregated as quickly as possible (McBride). Not everyone was in favor of desegregation however. Some people reacted violently as seen through the rioting and protesting in the film (Remember the Titans). In fact, a few studies show “ … that students who are bused grow more rather than less hostile toward the other race or races” ("School Desegregation - The Busing Debate"). This film shows both sides of the issue, those who were in favor of desegregation as well as those who opposed it while also showing the conflicts and issues the students had to deal with on a daily basis.

15. Paragraph 4/Body 3
Which particular film techniques are used in key scenes? Explain how each technique was used to emphasize or enhance that scene. Include techniques such as music and sound, camera angles, editing and other terms from the sheet that apply to your movie. You must include at least three different terms. Underline them in your essay. Be sure to conclude the paragraph.
Suggestion: focus on lighting, sound, and camera angles. Remember to give the example, explain where the specific technique is used in the movie, and what the resulting effect of using that technique is. THIS WILL BE A LONG PARAGRAPH.

16. In order to emphasize the discord as well as the unity, Yakin used several film techniques. Lighting, sound and camera work help to tell the story effectively. Use of light and dark and spotlighting are evident in key scenes to emphasize the importance of the moment or the words of the speaker. For example, when Coach Boone gives his first inspirational speech at the battlefield of Gettysburg, he is backlit by a sunrise while the rest of the team remains in the shadows. This shows the magnitude of what is being said as well as the importance of the man himself. This technique of using light and dark is repeated throughout the film. Spotlighting is used not only during speeches but also to highlight key moments for the football team. When the team first comes together at camp, they are surrounded by car lights which give the impression of a spotlight on the team. The team, as well as individual characters, is often lit by single lights from above to show importance and to help the audience focus subconsciously on the crucial moments. Sound is used in conjunction with the lighting for added emphasis. During several speeches, orchestration begins and then swells to show the magnitude of what is being said. In addition to the orchestration, popular music from the time period is used every time the team starts to come together or win games. The popular music reflects the progress of the team and adds to the mood of the movie. The upbeat Motown songs create a positive and fast-paced atmosphere for the audience. The camera work in Remember the Titans is very subtle but effective. High angle shots and low angle shots are used to emphasize various characters. For example, when the character of Julius Campbell makes a key tackle, a low angle shot is used to accentuate his power. In contrast, the player he tackles is filmed with a high angle shot to draw attention to his helplessness. Another key camera technique used is the point of view shot. The audience is first exposed to a point of view shot when the Boone family is moving into a white neighborhood. The audience peers through windows with the white neighbors; this allows the viewer to see the tense situation from the neighbors’ perspective. Another key point of view shot involves the character Gary Bertier on the night the team won the Regional Championship. Gary is alone in his car and we look out the window with him as he observes the celebration and well-wishers lining the streets. This technique is very effective in that it helps to surprise and shock the audience when, moments later, the headlights of a truck focus on Gary’s face through the car window just before the truck hits his car. The camera, lighting and sound all combine to accentuate key moments and increase the drama of this heartrending film (“Remember the Titans”).

17. Paragraph 5/Body 4
In this paragraph, you will need to define what you believe is the theme of the movie. You will need to address the following items:
The main message—what are the writer and director trying to express to the audience?
Be sure this is written as a theme statement, not a big idea.
Underline it.
The symbols used in the movie-- What are they and how does their meaning relate to the theme?
The meaning of the title and how it relates to the theme of the movie
Remember, you will need evidence/examples for your thoughts, so be sure to cite the examples and explain why you think as you do.

18. This film is not only heartrending, it is heartwarming as well
This film is not only heartrending, it is heartwarming as well. The underlying theme of this movie is overcoming racial differences and prejudice is essential to create teamwork and respect. The Titans team symbolizes the entire town as they all come to terms with the bussing and racial tension of the early 1970s. At the start of the film, we see the attitudes of the adults in town reflected in the boys on the team. The young men carry the same hatred and prejudice shown by their parents. Later, the team teaches not only their parents but the rest of the town how to live and work together peacefully and respectfully. In the film, Coach Boone tells the team that the Titans “were mightier than the gods”. This reflects the strength needed by the team to combat all the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in order to achieve success both on and off the field (Remember the Titans). Ultimately, the team turns out to be a microcosm of the town as well as the country, reflecting the same intolerance and bias yet overcoming them.

19. The Conclusion
Address how well the film represents either the director’s vision or the time period (this depends upon your research).  Offer evidence from your research for your opinion.
Remember to cite sources if you paraphrase or quote your research here.
The end of this paragraph will be your concluding statements about the film, the techniques and your overall impressions.

20. This movie is inspiring and exciting
This movie is inspiring and exciting. Even though the topic is very serious, the film is filled with lighthearted and funny moments as well. The director attempted to show the conflicting feelings of the American people about desegregation by showing both the struggles and the successes of the town and the characters in the film. Through excellent casting, effective lighting and sound, and creative camera work, Yakin creates a fun movie that will keep the audience on the edge of their seats while it teaches not only about race relations but also about teamwork and inspires the audience using events based on the true story of TC Williams High School. Anyone who views this movie will truly remember the Titans.

21. Works Cited
Jost, Kenneth. "School Desegregation." CQ Researcher 23 Apr.
2004: Web. 22 Apr
McBride, Alex. "Supreme Court History: Expanding Civil Rights."
PBS. PBS, Web. 22 Apr
Remember the Titans. Dir. Boaz Yakin. Perf. Denzel Washington,
Will Patton, Wood Harris. Walt Disney, DVD. 
"Remember the Titans." IMDb. IMDb.com, Web. 24
Apr
"School Desegregation - The Busing Debate." - Schools, Racial,
Education, and Children. Net Industries, Web. 22 Apr