Shot-by-Shot Analysis Paper

HIST 389: History of American FIlm
Shot-by-Shot Analysis Paper Guidelines
Length: 4-5 double-spaced pages (minimum, inclusive of still images)
Format: MLA
Instructions:
1.) Write a brief summary or “synopsis” of the film (no more than a paragraph or
two). Do not copy and paste or plagiarize a plot summary from the Internet or any
other source— write your own! I want to hear it in your voice, written in your own
way. Don’t discuss every single detail of the story—only summarize the major
developments–but make sure you include enough info/details to give someone who
hasn’t seen the film a reasonably good sense of the story.
2.) Place the film in context, including details such as director, screenwriter, year of
release, studio, main actors/actresses, setting, filming location(s), etc. Also include
any interesting things you discover in the course of your research (this section should
be no longer than 2 paragraphs). Note: do not “list” these elements— write them in
full sentences.
3.) Select around 4 of shots in the film that communicate key ideas at key points in the
story. These ideas can relate to character, plot, theme, and so on. Describe and
analyze the techniques (mise-en-scene, cinematography, etc.) employed in each shot
and explain how they help tell the story in effective ways. Do not include your own
opinion—this is an objective analysis that only seeks to describe and understand the
relationship between how scenes are constructed and what they are designed to do.
Before you analyze each shot, briefly summarize what is going on in the film at that
point in the story. After that, describe the major formal elements of the shot. Then,
discuss how it relates to the story in this moment and in the film as a whole, and
explain what makes this shot effective/powerful/artistic.
Additional Notes:
-We will discuss several examples of this paper written by past students in class so
that you can see good models of finished papers written by students like you.
-You can choose any film you wish to analyze. There’s only one catch (and it’s a
pretty big one)–it has to be approved by me. As early as possible, send me an email
with a film (or a couple of films) that you’re interested in analyzing and explain why
the film is suited to this assignment. Supply a few shots from the film that you think
would offer rich opportunities for analysis.
-You might also want to consider that this assignment lends itself to films that use
technique in stand-out, interesting ways, so choose your film wisely. Also, watch it
multiple times.
-Keep in mind that I might not have seen the film, so you need to provide me with
plenty of context both for the film as a whole and for what is going on in individual
shots.