5_1: Essay

Movie choice, Research, Essay and Thesis Statement

Due: Th, February 24 (beginning of class)

Regardless of tools and format, concept development is critical to all forms of graphic communication. Every design begins with an objective and you need to clearly define on paper without a lengthy narrative. Once a concept is established, it should always be kept in mind throughout the creation process. Research is key to effective communication. Intriguing concepts and cutting-edge design may not be enough to effectively communicate the information if adequate research is not conducted ahead of time. Diving into the creative waters too soon poses the danger of time and energy being wasted on ideas that may be dynamic but are irrelevant or inappropriate to the project’s objectives. Therefore, a thorough analysis of your subject matter should occur before you begin to conceptualize.

Concept here means an idea/materials/methods to get started with. It's not so much about imagining the finished product.

Film Research

Collect stills from the movie and add comments. Pay attention and point out things related to color scheme, time period, mood etc. Upload those pics and comments to the "W2 Film Research" section. When watching the film also pay attention to its cinematic language (cuts, transitions, camera work...).

A. Essay

Begin your research by watching the film you have been assigned. Note the major concepts of the film. Clarify your ideas. You are not a passive movie audience member but a critical reviewer. Prepare an essay discussing the story, the overall tone of the film, color schemes, cinematic language, time period, locations...

Everyone will present this information along with internet sourced images on screen. Act as if you are the reviewer of the film describing it to an audience who has never seen it before. Pay attention to details (mood, color palette, style, the locations etc.) Resource online film reviews to understand the presentation style.

FILM choice options are below. You may also propose a film to me if you do not see one on this list you would like to do, but avoid choosing animated film or "Hollywood blockbusters" — all films must be approved by me.

B. Thesis Statement

Based on your research write a list of 5 words, verbs and adjectives that describe your movie. Based on your research paper and word list, you will develop a written idea which helps you create your film title sequence. Think of this idea as a thesis or narrative that will be expressed visually using type, image and motion. The idea is the organizing principle of your film title. Pitfalls include ideas that are too vague, too obvious, too broad, or too narrow.

For example: “Apollo 13”
5 words: Gravity, Accident, Suspense, Survival, Uncertainty
Thesis statement: NASA must devise a strategy to return Apollo 13 to Earth safely after the spacecraft undergoes massive internal damage putting the lives of the three astronauts on board in jeopardy.

C. Still Image Collection

Collect still images from the movie online and post your selection to the class website. Having visual material of the movie in front of you will help you find the right tone in your visuals and compositions, establish a color palette etc.

Presentation

Everyone will present their Essay and Words/Idea, please upload at least 10 JPGs with comments to this website. With this you should describe the film in class. At the end add your list of 5 words and a thesis statement (example above).

Please also read this chapter (about conceptualization) from Jon Krasner's book.

Possible Films

Below a list of recommended movies for you to pick. If there's a particular film you're interested in that's not on the list, let me know.

You may also check out the movie list from the Criterion Collection, a video distribution company which specializes in licensing and selling "important classic and contemporary films". All those films are possible as well and may not be listed below.

A good resource for critically acclaimed films is KANOPY. And It's free for students!

Metropolis, 1927, Fritz Lang
City Lights, 1931, Charles Chaplin
M, 1931, Fritz Lang
Duck Soup, 1933, Leo McCarey
It Happened One Night, 1934, Frank Capra
Modern Times, 1936, Charles Chaplin
Wizard of Oz, 1939, Victor Fleming
The Big Sleep, 1946, Howard Hawks
The Third Man, 1949, Carol Reed
Sunset Boulevard, 1950, Billy Wilder
Strangers on a Train, 1951, Alfred Hitchcock
Singin’ in the Rain, 1952, Stanley Donan, Gene Kelly
The Greatest Show on Earth, 1952, Cecil B. DeMille
High Noon, 1953, Fred Zinnemann
The Wages Of Fear, 1953, Henri-Georges Couzot
Monsieur Hulot's Holiday, 1953, Jacques Tati
Dial M For Murder, 1954, Alfred Hitchcock
Rear Window, 1954, Alfred Hitchcock
Seven Samura,1954, Akira Kurosawa
12 Angry Men, 1957, Sidney Lumet
Some Like it Hot, 1959, Billy Wilder
La Dolce Vita, 1961, Frederico Fellini
The Manchurian Candidate, 1962, John Frankenheimer
The Birds, 1963, Alfred Hitchcock
A Shot In The Dark, 1964, Blake Edwards
The good, the bad, the ugly, 1966, Sergio Leone
Blow-Up, 1966, Michelangelo Antonioni
Rosemary’s Baby, 1968, Roman Polanski
Night of the Living Dead, 1968, George Romero
The Odd Couple, 1968, Gene Saks
2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968, Stanley Kubrick
The French Connection, 1971, William Friedkin
Duel, 1971, Steven Spielberg
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, 1971,
A Clockwork Orange, 1971, Stanley Kubrick
The Andromeda Strain, 1972, Robert Wise
The Godfather, 1972, Francis Ford Coppola
Badlands, 1973, Terrence Malick
Mean Streets, 1973, Martin Scorsese
The Sting, 1973, George Roy Hill
The Exorcist, 1973, William Friedkin
Westworld, 1973, Michael Crichton
Young Frankenstein, 1974, Mel Brooks
The Conversation, 1974, Francis Ford Coppola
Chinatown, 1974, Roman Polanski
The Tenant, 1976, Roman Polanski
Taxi Driver, 1976, Martin Scorsese
Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1977, Steven Spielberg
The Deer Hunter, 1978, Michael Cimino
Raging Bull, 1980, Martin Scorsesse
Shining, 1980, Stanley Kubrick
The Elephant Man, 1980, David Lynch
Das Boot, 1981, Wolfgang Petersen
Fitzcarraldo, 1982, Werner Herzog
Blade Runner, 1982, Ridley Scott
The Thing, 1982, John Carpenter
Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, 1982, Carl Reiner
The Fly, 1986, David Cronenberg
A Fish Called Wanda, 1988, Charles Crichton / Jone Cleese
The Silence of the Lambs, 1991, Jonathan Demme
Reservoir Dogs, 1992, Quentin Tarantino
The Usual Suspects, 1995, Bryan Singer
Casino, 1995, Martin Scorsese
Fargo, 1996, Coen Brothers
Train Spotting, 1996, Danny Boyle
The Big Lebowski, 1997, Joel Cohen
There’s Something About Mary, 1998, Bobby and Peter Farrelly
American History X, 1998, Tony Kaye The Fight Club, 1999, David Fincher
Office Space, 1999, Mike Judge
Amores Perros, 2000, Alejandro González Iñárritu
Memento, 2000, Cristopher Nolan
Amelie, 2001, Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Donnie Darko, 2001, Richard Kelly
A Beautiful Mind, 2001, Ron Howard
The Pianist, 2002, Roman Polanski
The Aviator, 2003, Martin Scorsese
There Will Be Blood, 2004
Sideways, 2004, Alexader Payne
Munich, 2005, Steven Spielberg
Little Miss Sunshine, 2006,
No Country For Old Men, 2007
Slumdog Millionaire. 2008, Danny Boyle, Loveleen Tandan
The Hangover, 2009, Todd Phillips
Black Swan, 2010, Darren Aronofsky
Bridesmaids, 2011, Paul Feig
Gravity, 2013, Alfonso Cuarón
All is Lost, 2013, J.C. Chandor
Rush, 2013, Ron Howard
Enemy, 2013, Denis Villeneuve
The Grand Budapest Hotel, 2014, Wes Anderson
The Imitation Game. 2014, Morten Tyldum
Birdman, 2014, Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Sicario, 2015, Denis Villeneuve
The Martian, 2015, Ridley Scott