WRITING & STRUCTURE

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

FILM ANALYSIS

The Writing Center by University of North Carolina

This handout introduces film analysis and offers strategies and resources for approaching film analysis assignments.

WRITING THE FILM ANALYSIS ESSAY

Writing a film analysis requires you to consider the composition of the film—the individual parts and choices (FILM ELEMENTS) made that come together to create the finished piece (including THE CULTURAL CONTEXT). Film analysis goes beyond the analysis of the film as literature to include camera angles, lighting, set design, sound elements, costume choices, editing, etc. in making an argument. The first step to analyzing the film is to watch it with a plan. LINK

Mass Communication Research Methods
by Anders Hansen, Simon Cottle, Ralph Negrine and Chris Newbold.

Chapter 6: Analysing the Moving Image: Narrative

Chapter 7: Analysing the Moving Image: Genre

Chapter 8: Analysing Visuals: Still and Moving Images


READ 

The Ultimate Film Techniques and Elements

(use this list together to help you understand film elements and analyse films more effectively)

Helpful LIST OF LIGhTING TYPES: deconstructing film lighting for your essay writing

by Jason Hellerman READ AND WATCH