The Reading

The first module of this course will discuss different approaches to watching films, best practices for analyzing films, and how to provide robust and well-thought out responses to films. Begin by reading chapter one in The Art of Watching Films, aptly titled The Art of Watching Films!

The Watching

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) by F.W. Murnau

The first film we'll be watching dates from 1927, so it’s an old one, but it's one of the most excellent films ever made. It’s called Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans and was directed by F. W. Murnau (as with all media for this class, you can find under the "LEH353 – Visual Storytelling" library on Plex). This is a classic from the silent film era, which I think is a great place to start because you will be forced to focus on the visual language of the film, without the benefit of sound.

The Questions

After completing the film, complete the following questionnaire:

 

The Reading

For this module we’re going to be reading chapter 03 in The Art of Watching Films, entitled "Fictional And Dramatic Elements.” This chapter goes into what makes any story work: dramatic structures, plot, conflict, characterization, etc. But it also explores how film is unique amongst storytelling forms: how rhythm and pacing, visual language, movement, and sound and music all work together to help tell stories in such a dynamic way.

The Watching

“You didn’t get me down, Ray.” – Jake LaMotta

Raging Bull (1980) by Martin Scorsese

The Smashing Machine (2025) by Benny Safdie

After reading Chapter 03 in The Art of Watching Films, we’re going to explore how fictional and dramatic elements shape the structure of narrative cinema. To do this, you’ll be watching and comparing two films: Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull (1980) and Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine (2025). Though these films were made 45 years apart (yikes!), they share some stunning parallels — not just in content, but in their use of character development, dramatic arc, and visual rhythm.

Not to oversell it, but Raging Bull is widely considered one of the greatest American films ever made – like ever. It stars Robert De Niro in an iconic performance as Jake LaMotta, a real-life boxer whose violent rise and tragic fall unfold in stark black and white. The screenplay, by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin, adapts LaMotta’s autobiography and builds an intense portrait of masculinity, rage, jealousy, and alienation — all rendered in Scorsese’s explosive, operatic style.

Safdie’s The Smashing Machine (2025), by contrast, tells the true story of Mark Kerr — a troubled star of early mixed martial arts in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Like LaMotta, Kerr is a man at war with himself, pushed by fame, addiction, and physical punishment. But where Raging Bull explores punishment as a psychological and spiritual state, The Smashing Machine (starring Dwayne Johnson in a radical turn) explores it through the lens of physical damage, chemical dependency, and performance under constant surveillance.

What makes this comparison especially productive is the *structure* of each film: both are tragic arcs built around a protagonist’s rise and fall, marked by signature fights, disintegrating relationships, and the inability to escape oneself. Pay close attention to the way both directors use visual language to deepen character psychology: Scorsese’s stylized boxing sequences (shot like ballets of violence), and Safdie’s chaotic, kinetic style (a signature from Uncut Gems) both do more than simply depict violence — they make us feel it in narrative and emotional terms.

Be sure to track the progression of each protagonist — how their personal demons shape the story arc, and how the filmmakers use dramatic structure, conflict, and performance to bring these themes to life. Think about the ways both films blur the line between physical struggle and inner collapse.

Note: as always, the media for this can be found in the LEH 353 - Visual Storytelling library on Plex.

 

The Questions

After watching these films, complete the following questionnaire. You will only need to answer these questions once, commenting on – and sometimes comparing – both films in your answers. You can access the questionnaire for Module 02 in another window here.

 

Themes are a big part of every story, be it in the form of a novel, short story, film, poem, or even song. Films can really be seen as centered around one or more themes, and in well-made films, each and every element of the film – characterization, dialog, production design, score, etc.) – somehow supports the theme (or themes). Therefore, for this module, you could conceivably watch any film and discuss different aspects of its thematic elements, but I have chosen one film in particular for its unique handling of theme. For this module, you be watching The Holdovers (2023), directed by Alexander Payne, for an exploration of thematic elements in film. 

The Reading

First, you’re going to read chapter 02 in The Art of Watching Films– "Thematic Elements." Then, on to the film!

The Watching

The Holdovers (2023) by Alexander Payne

In this module, we shift our focus to The Holdovers, a comedy-drama set against the backdrop of a New England boarding school during the holiday season. Directed by Alexander Payne and starring Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and Dominic Sessa, the film follows the life of a curmudgeonly history teacher forced to chaperone students with nowhere to go over Christmas break in 1970.

In "The Holdovers," the setting unfolds within the unfamiliar context of a New England boarding school during the holiday season. This scenario stands in stark contrast to the typical experience of Lehman students, who primarily attend a commuter school, where students and faculty typically disperse during breaks. The film immerses us in a unique environment where three main characters, Paul Hunham, Mary Lamb, and Angus Tully, navigate a shared space over the holidays, creating a narrative rich in thematic exploration.

Boarding School Isolation

Lehman students, accustomed to commuting, might find the isolated, communal experience of a boarding school during the holiday break intriguingly foreign. The setting becomes a character in itself, fostering a sense of seclusion and a unique dynamic among those who remain on campus. Pay close attention to it!

Shared Solitude

Unlike the usual hustle and bustle of Lehman's commuter environment, "The Holdovers" presents a shared solitude as the characters face a quiet campus, emphasizing the impact of their shared experiences during the holiday season.

Themes and Thematic Elements

Paul Hunham - Isolation and Redemption

Isolation: Paul Hunham, the curmudgeonly history teacher, embodies the theme of isolation. His strict demeanor and personal struggles create a barrier between him and those around him, reflecting the solitude that can come with the holiday season.

Redemption: Paul's journey becomes a focal point, portraying the theme of redemption. As he navigates the responsibilities of caring for the "holdovers," he finds an opportunity for personal redemption and connection, challenging the isolation he initially embodies.

Mary Lamb - Grief and Healing

Grief: Mary Lamb, the head cook, carries the weight of grief over the loss of her son, introducing the theme of grief. The holiday season amplifies her pain, providing a poignant backdrop for exploring the complexities of mourning.

Healing: Mary's character arc delves into the theme of healing. Through the connections she forms during the holiday break, she undergoes a transformative journey, demonstrating the possibility of finding solace and renewal even in the midst of grief.

Angus Tully - Identity and Empathy

Identity: Angus Tully, a student left on campus, grapples with the theme of identity. His search for self-understanding and connection during the holiday break highlights the challenges faced by individuals who don't conform to societal norms.

Empathy: Angus's interactions with Paul and Mary contribute to the theme of empathy. Through shared experiences, the characters learn to understand and support each other, fostering a sense of empathy that transcends their individual struggles.

Lehman Student Reflections

As a Lehman student, you are familiar with the transient nature of breaks – we're in one right now! So you should explore the film's unique setting as an opportunity to reflect on the themes of isolation, redemption, grief, healing, identity, and empathy. As you observe the characters navigate unfamiliar territory, you may find resonance with the shared human experiences embedded in these universal themes. And therein lies the point of themes: their universaility is why they are so valuable in storytelling! The Holdovers invites Lehman students to step outside the boundaries of your commuter school routine, embracing the unfamiliar to gain insights into universal complexities of the human condition during the holiday season.

As always, the media for this module can be found in the LEH 353 - Visual Storytelling library on Plex.

The Questions

Once you’ve completed the reading and watching, answer the following questions. You can also access this questionnaire in a new window by clicking here. Note: the questionnaire below contains multiple sections.

As a designer, the visual design of a film is really close to my heart. From the aspect ratio of the screen, the film grain, and the color grading, to the lighting, framing, and set design, every visual aspect of a film works together to help tell a story.

The Reading

For this module, you’ll read all about all the different aspects of visual design and production design in chapter 04 of The Art of Watching Films (pgs. 75 – 98).

The Watching

Brazil (1985)

There are many films with great production design and visual beauty. But one that really sticks out for me is Terry Giliam’s masterpiece Brazil (1985), starring Jonathon Price and Robert Deniro (and many other fantastic people). This film is set in a futuristic dystopia where one man falls in love and tries to break free from oppressive social constructs.

 

Aside from an incredible and surreal story, Brazil is also a visual feast, combining bizarre practical effects (no CGI!), a great score, and the incredible direction of Monty Python alum Terry Gilliam.

 

Note: as always, the media for this can be found in the LEH 353 - Visual Storytelling library on Plex.

The Questions

Once you’ve watched these films, complete the following questionnaire.

Broken down to its essentials, cinematography is the synthesis of photography and motion. The camera angles (close up, medium, wide, high, low, etc.) combine with lighting and camera movement to not only capture the on-screen action, but to also help tell the story. Information is conveyed through how a scene is lit. Information is conveyed through how the camera moves in the scene. Information can be found in an extreme close-up that doesn't really appear in a wide shot of the same scene…and that’s actually kind of weird, if you think about it.

The opening shot of Quentin Tarantino’s 2015 western "The Hateful Eight": an closeup of a wooden Jesus on a cross.

The closing shot of this sequence, after going wider and wider over the span of several minutes, shows the full cross with Jesus on it, and a stagecoach riding by. We are introduced to the main characters via the stagecoach, but lost in this angle is the drama in Jesus’s face.

The Reading

For this module you are going to read Chapter 05, which is all about techniques in cinematography (pgs. 104-132.), in The Art of Watching Films.

The Watching

The Revenant (2015)

Once you’ve completed the reading, you’ll watch Alejandro González Iñárritu’s 2015 epic The Revenant. On this surface, this film is about one man’s journey to avenge his son’s death. But it touches on deeper themes of colonialism, racism, masochism, and the bonds of family. The Revenant was nominated for Best Picture at the 2016 Academy Awards, and won Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, and Best Actor – Drama at the 2016 Golden Globes. But Emmanuel Lubezki, the film’s cinematographer, won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography, so keep an eye out for the many continuous camera shots and beautiful lighting, and how they help tell the story.

Note: as always, the media for this can be found in the LEH 353 - Visual Storytelling library on Plex.

The Questions

Once you’ve completed the film, answer the questionnaire below:

Editing is one of my favorite things to do in the realm of film-making because, once you get past the technical elements of the editing process, it’s all about rhythm, instinct, and storytelling. At its best, editing is a visceral, organic experience, and it's also where the actual film gets made. 

The Reading

For this module, read pgs. 155 - 186 in Chapter 6 – Editing of The Art of Watching Films

The Watching

Everything you’ve ever watched on any screen of any kind was edited in some way, so you really could watch anything and analyze it’s editing. However, for this module, I want you to step outside your comfort zone and pay special attention to the story-through-editing of the film you will be watching for this module: the surreal Meshes of the Afternoon (1943) by modern dancer and film-maker Maya Deren. 

Meshes of the Afternoon (1943) by Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid

This film is difficult to describe, but luckily Deren described it herself in interview. According to her, Meshes of the Afternoon "...is concerned with the interior experiences of an individual. It does not record an event that could be witnessed by other persons. Rather, it reproduces the way in which the subconscious of an individual will develop, interpret, and elaborate an apparently simple and casual incident into a critical emotional experience.” 

 Note: as always, the media for this can be found in the LEH 353 - Visual Storytelling library on Plex.

 

The Questions

Welcome to Module 07 of our online film course! In this chapter, we embark on a fascinating exploration of color in film, delving into its historical significance and cultural nuances. Our chosen cinematic masterpiece for this module, Deep Sea (original title: Shen hai, from 2023), takes us beneath the waves, offering a visually stunning narrative that uniquely intertwines with the rich colors of Chinese customs.

The Reading

To set the stage for our exploration, delve into the insightful pages of Chapter 7 (pages 191 - 215) in The Art of Watching Films. This reading lays the groundwork for understanding the intricate ways in which color influences storytelling in cinema.

The Watching

Deep Sea (Shen hai) (2023)

Written and directed by Xiaopeng Tian, Deep Sea is a captivating tale with mesmerizing visuals and a compelling narrative. Beyond its storytelling, the film really stands out for its innovative use of color, influenced by the vibrant palette of Chinese customs. Shenxiu is a young girl navigating the challenges of her parents' recent divorce as she embarks on a sea trip with her new family. Still grappling with the absence of her mother, Shenxiu stumbles upon a mysterious hum, reminiscent of a melody her mother once sang.

Follow Shenxiu's curiosity as it leads her to the extraordinary Deep Sea Restaurant, a whimsical underwater establishment where sea creatures take center stage, serving a cast of humanoid fishes. The film's narrative unfolds against the backdrop of this mesmerizing aquatic world, blending fantasy and emotion in a visually stunning masterpiece.

Released on the Chinese New Year (January 22, 2023), Deep Sea captivated audiences with its magical storytelling and innovative animation. The film has already earned recognition on the global stage, receiving a nomination for screening as part of Generation Kplus at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival. Deep Sea is also set to be nominated in the Animation category at the prestigious 36th Tokyo International Film Festival.

Note: as always, the media for this can be found in the LEH 353 - Visual Storytelling library on Plex.

 

The Questions

When you have completed the above film, answer the following questions. 

We tend to think of film as a visual art form, and it is! But the great thing about film is that it isn’t just one thing: it’s certainly visual like painting or photography; it's kinetic like dance; narratively structured like books and oral storytelling; and aural like music (and real life...). The sound for a film gives us things like the human voice, diegetic sound (sound within the context of the story), incidental sound (to suggest mood), the musical score. There has pretty much always been sound in films, as even during the age of silent films music would have been played nearby in the theater to accompany the projection of the moving image. But the synchronized sound that we are accustomed to today had a difficult and uphill journey, as it required fairly sophisticated technology to synchronize both a film cameras with audio recording devices and projectors with speakers.

The first commercial, feature-length film to feature sync sound was Alan Crosland’s The Jazz Singer (1927) starring Al Jolson, and back then it was pretty earth-shattering (not to mention totally racist). Though today we take sound for granted, we must recognize that it has had a complicated role in the history of film, and was largely bemoaned at first as a gimmick that cheapened the emerging artform that was film.

The Reading

Read Chapter 8 (pgs. 220 – 224) in The Art of Watching Films to learn about sound in film.

The Watching

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (2019) by Midge Costin

This module’s film takes a slightly different approach than a traditional narrative feature. Midge Costin’s Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (2019) is a documentary that pulls back the curtain on one of the most overlooked — yet absolutely essential — aspects of filmmaking: sound design.

Through interviews with legendary sound designers, editors, and directors, the film explores how sound is constructed, manipulated, and layered to shape our emotional and psychological experience of a film. Think iconic sounds like the lightsaber in Star Wars, or the unsettling atmospheres of films like Apocalypse Now. This documentary reveals how sound is not only supportive of the image, but how fundamental it is to creating meaning.

What makes this film especially valuable for this module is that it gives you a vocabulary and framework for understanding what you’re hearing. It breaks down the relationship between dialogue, ambient sound, Foley (named after a real guy, btw!), sound effects, and score, and shows how these elements work together to guide attention, build tension, and create immersion.

As you watch, try to connect what you’re seeing and hearing in the documentary to the concepts from the reading. Think about how sound operates in films you’ve already seen in this course. Ask yourself:

• How does sound direct your attention or shape your interpretation of a scene?
• When does sound feel realistic, and when is it clearly constructed or exaggerated?
• How might removing or altering sound change the meaning of an image?

Having seen Sunrise (A Song of Two Humans) by F.W. Murnau in Module 01, consider how different the experience of film becomes once synchronized sound is introduced — and how much of what we “feel” in a scene is actually coming from what we hear.

Note: as always, the media for this can be found in the LEH 353 - Visual Storytelling library on Plex.

 

The Questions

<

As the reading  makes it clear in the very first chapter, film shares a lot of similarities with music, and many other art forms:

"Film employs the compositional elements of the visual arts: line, form, mass, volume, and texture. Like painting and photography, film exploits the subtle interplay of light and shadow. Like sculpture, film manipulates three-dimensional space. But, like pantomime, film focuses on moving images, and as in dance, the moving images in film have rhythm. The complex rhythms of film resemble those of music and poetry, and like poetry in particular, film communicates through imagery, meta- phor, and symbol. Like the drama, film communicates visually and verbally: visually, through action and gesture; verbally, through dialogue. Finally, like the novel, film expands or compresses time and space, traveling back and forth freely within their wide borders.” (The Art of Watching Films, pg. 3)

So perhaps it's no surprise that I love music just about as much as I love movies. When the two are formally combined, one gets  the musical. Musical theatre has been around since ancient times, perhaps reaching a pinnacle with the chorus of ancient Greek theatre. Ironically, the Greek χορός, or khoros, means something more like singing and dancing, as members of the khoros were more likely to dance as well as sing in order to complement the emotional states of the actors on stage.    

As mentioned in the previous module on sound, when motion picture technology emerged in the early 20th century, films were often accompanied by music, played live in the theatre, that had a similar function to that of the Greek khorus: to convey the emotional component of the narrative arc.

Perhaps it isn't so surprising then that, as soon as synchronized sound was invented and perfected, the first thing Hollywood did was produce a musical: 1927’s The Jazz Singer.  Since that time, the musical film has emerged as one of our most beloved genres, with award-winning iterations for many sub-genres of music, from classical (Amadeus (1985)), to jazz (West Side Story (1961) and Chicago (2002)), to the undefinable and uniquely American (My Fair Lady (1964)).

The Reading

For this module you are going to begin by reading Chapter 9 in The Art of Watching Films (pgs. 250 – 266).

The Watching

The Testament of Ann Lee (2025) by Mona Fastvold

For this module, you’re going to watch a film that engages with music in a very unusual way. Mona Fastvold’s The Testament of Ann Lee (2025), co-written with Brady Corbet, is an epic historical drama starring Amanda Seyfried as Ann Lee, the founder of the Shaker religious movement in the 18th century.

At first glance (listen?), this film might seem like a musical. Throughout the film, music and dance appear organically within scenes, often intertwined with the action and daily life of the characters. However, it isn’t quite a musical in the traditional sense. In most musicals, songs are used to directly advance the plot or clarify a character’s emotional state. Here, the music and movement function differently. They exist as part of the lived world of the characters, rather than as narrative explanation.

In some ways, the film is doing something similar to what the Shakers themselves did within Christianity. Shaker worship famously incorporated song, rhythmic movement, and communal dance into everyday spiritual practice. These expressions weren’t simply performances; they were manifestations of belief and shared identity. Fastvold’s film mirrors that sensibility, weaving music and movement into the texture of life rather than using them strictly as storytelling devices.

As you watch, try to pay attention to the following:

• How music and dance appear within scenes that otherwise feel like conventional dramatic moments
• The way musical expression reflects community, belief, and emotional intensity
• When music seems to support the narrative, and when it simply exists as part of the world of the film

I won't lie to you: this is a challenging film, and at times it can be difficult to watch. But it is also incredibly gripping and beautifully crafted. The filmmaking is precise and elegant, and Amanda Seyfried’s performance as Ann Lee is pretty remarkable.

 

Note: as always, the media for this can be found in the LEH 353 - Visual Storytelling library on Plex.

The Questions 

After completing the reading and the watching, please complete the following questions:

The job of a film director is multifaceted. On the one hand, they're responsible for researching and planning the many ways in which a script can be translated to the screen. They therefore have lots of ideas about camera angles, visual design, locations, and set design, actors and action, lighting design, and pacing. 

Once on set, after a lot of those choices have already been decided, the director is more necessary than ever, as they must be present every day to make sure those pre-production plans are properly executed. The director also needs to work directly with the actors, making sure they hit their marks and deliver their performances in a believable and appropriate way throughout the entire production phase. 

After the production is completed – wrapped, as they say – and the film crew has gone home, the director's job of making the film really begins: in the editing room. In other words, a director has to have a vision for the story and then see that this vision is executed as closely as possible from start to finish. 

It’s no wonder that directors get the most important credit! 

The Reading 

Read more about "The Director’s Style" in Chapter 11 of The Art of Watching Films (310 – 329).

The Watching – Three Films by One Director

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•  

Ok, so when it comes to style, every director has one, even if it's entirely derivative or incredibly schlocky. Director Wes Anderson's style is neither of these: it has been fresh, charming, and unmistakable since his debut film Bottle Rocket (1996).  His style can be seen in every facet of the filmmaking that we have discussed in this course: from dialog, themes, casting, to production design, cinematography, score, editing, titles, and animation. Anderson is known for his nostalgic storylines and production design, as well as the blending of well-worn styles (eg French New Wave, stop-motion, and cinéma vérité ).

Production design and cinematography, in particular, are Anderson trademarks. This short video below explores the use of symmetry in his films:

But, as this 15 minute explainer video below explains, there are unique aspects in every facet of his films:

You can watch any of Anderson's movies and get an understanding of his style, but I have included nine films in the LEH – Visual Storytelling library that I think are the most enjoyable (I have excluded Darjeeling Limited (2007) for no other reason than it's my least favorite). Your job for this module is to watch (at least) three of them. Now, you could choose to go with him earliest films to try to understand how his style began to form, starting with Bottle Rocket (1996), Rushmore (1998), and the amazing Royal Tenenbaums (2001). Or you might go for his films that feature, or are entirely, stop-motion animation: Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), and Isle of Dogs (2018 – which BTW took four years to make!). Or you may just want to try and understand the evolution of his style by watching his first major film (Bottle Rocket), then his most well-known film (Royal Tenenbaums) and finally watching his latest release (The French Dispatch (2021)). That said, which three films you choose is entirely up to you.

The Questions

Once you’ve watched these three films, answer the following questions:

As with any writing-intensive LEH course, you are required to complete a Culminating Research Document, which is just a fancy way of saying ‘final paper.’ Below you find the requirements for this document, an outline to follow, as well as some suggested topics.  

Please note: you are free to write this paper whenever you wish: i.e. before the course officially begins or during the course beginning and end dates. However, you must submit the final paper below.

Requirements:

• Write a 3-5 page paper about one of your favorite films or television/streaming series

• answer the questions for a minimum of three categories in Part 01

• sum up the paper by answering the questions in part 02  

• Submit the finished document in BrightSpace by accessing the "Final Paper" link in the left-hand sidebar menu.

Outline and Suggested Topics

Part 01: Choose one of your favorite films or television program episodes (preferably something you’ve seen many, many times). Everyone must answer the last question in Part 02, but you are free to choose a minimum of three of the following topics to discuss this film or TV episode.  

1. Plot and Narrative Structure

   • Summarize the plot of the film, touching on the main characters, the significance of the title, the story’s credibility, and the dramatic structure.

   • Discuss the conflict(s) in the film.  

   • Discuss the use of symbols, metaphors, and irony.

   • In what ways, if any, were the film’s characters introduced in a memorable and purposeful way? How did their introduction relate to their unique character attributes and motivations?  

2. Themes and Thematic Elements

   • What was the unifying, central concern of this film?

   • Discuss the special focus that united this film together. Was it the plot, the emotional effect or mood, the characters, the style/texture/visual presentation, or a concept or idea that was given the most focus? How so?

   • Discuss which overarching theme this film had and why you think so:

     1. Morality or moral implications

     2. Universal Statements about Human nature

     3. Social Ills

     4. The struggle for human dignity

     5. The complexity of human relationships

     6. Coming of age/loss of innocence

     7. Moral/philosophical riddle

3. Visual Design and Production Design

   • Discuss your immediate thoughts about the visual qualities of this film. How did the setting and set design lend towards the believability and realism of the film?

   • How did the setting and set design enhance or distract from the story? The costuming, the make-up, the lighting design, the special effects?  

   • How did the production design complement or impede the proposed time period the film was taking place in?

   • Be sure to focus on the quality of light in the film you are watching, and how it aids or distracts from the story-telling. A sign of good lighting design is that we don’t notice it, but comment on what you thought about the lighting in the film.  

   • How would you have designed the production differently?

4. Cinematography

   • How was this film cinematic? In other words, discuss how the use of camera movement, camera angle, and lighting not only helped tell the story but enhanced the story. If you saw an animated film, in what ways did the animators strive to make their film cinematic, or ‘like a film?’

   • How is the cinematography consistent or inconsistent throughout?

   • How did the framing and angles of the camera bring you in – or perhaps distance you – from the action. Did you feel like you were in the room with the action, or just a passive observer, or somewhere in between?

   • How did the filmmaker succeed or fail in keeping the scenes visually interesting?  

   • How was the cinematography memorable?

   • Comment on the use of special effects: how were they useful in telling the story? How subtle or overt were they? Etc.  

5. Editing

   • How did this film’s editing help to shape the story in your mind, enhance your emotional response to the scene, and maintain continuity between different angles?

   • Describe the nature of the editing: was it disruptive, choppy, chaotic, or was it smooth, unobtrusive, almost unnoticeable?

   • Were there any specific editing choices that jumped out as you as particularly memorable?

   • How did the rhythm of the editing relate to the pace of the film?

   • Describe any portions of the film that seemed to perhaps hold too long on a particular scene before cutting to another. Was it effective, or did it feel odd and unnecessary?

6. Color

   • Describe how color is used to express the emotions and motivations of the characters.

   • How are certain trademark colors used in the set, prop, and/or costume design to convey certain character attributes?          

   • How is color used in an obvious way to transition between scenes?

   • How is color used to draw emphasis to particular characters, objects, set pieces, etc?  

   • Discuss the use of atmospheric color or the overall color and tone of the film.    

7. Sound

   • Discuss the ways in which sound is used to make the overall story larger than the bounds of the screen. How does it help build the unseen universe the characters inhabit?

   • How is sound used as plot devices, and to drive the story along?

   • Which sound effects contribute to the film’s realism?

   • Where is sound used to represent a character’s state of mind, rather than the environment she inhabits?

   • Where is unusual emphasis placed on sound? Does it strengthen the narrative, or draw attention away from it?

   • If a voice-over or narration is employed, imagine the film without it: would it be a better or worse film without the voice-over?  

8. Music

   • Most films use some type of music. Discuss in general the qualities of the music in your film.

   • How did the music in your film or television episode enhance the narrative? Was it necessary to punctuate particular scenes? Did it create an appropriate emotional atmosphere? Did it complement other elements such as production design, color, editing, cinematography? Or was it merely distracting? Explain.

   • How conscious of the music were you during the piece you were watching? Was it obvious, subversive, or perhaps a mixture of the two?

9. Acting

   • Effective acting should, first and foremost, make you believe the story is real. What qualities of the acting made you believe in the story?

   • Why did you care about the actors? What qualities did you yourself identify with?

   • If there were unconvincing performances, what made them unconvincing? What would you have liked to see instead?

   • If you have seen these actors in previous roles, how do you think their performances in this movie stacked up?

   • How much did his or her performance in this film or television episode demonstrate a particular actor’s range? How deep do you think this actor had to go to convincingly portray the character?  

10. Style

    • For this line of questions, you would really need to have watched other work by the director of this film or TV episode:

    • What commonalities in style do you notice? What comparisons can you draw between the atmosphere, acting, visual storytelling, pacing, etc?

    • If you had to sum up this director’s style in two words, what would those two words be?  

    • Which themes do you see reoccurring across this director’s body of work?

    • How does this director deal with communicating space and time?

    • Leaving aside other work, how does the director of your piece use narrative structure, sound, music editing, lighting and camera work, special effects, and acting in a unique way to tell this story? 

Part 02: Final Thoughts 

After answering a minimum of three of the above series of questions, sum up your written document by answering the followings:  

1. What made you choose the film? What makes you watch it again and again?

2. Share with us any final thought you have about the film in general, or its narrative, thematic structure, symbolism and metaphor, production design, cinematography, or editing qualities.