FILM ANALYSIS
QUESTIONS
INTRO TO FILMMAKING
FALL 2006
Supply the appropriate
information for each of the following. Word-process your answers in a MS Word
document and email them to me on the due dates. Part of your answer for
question #13 can be copied and pasted right from the screenplays. It will be
helpful to be familiar with the information hyperlinked from the underlined
terms included in the questions.
- Name
of film and year of release.
- Name
the director.
- Name
the screenwriter(s)
- Cinematographer
- Identify
the film’s original theatrical release aspect ratio
(non-“pan & scan”)
- What
is the genre of this
film?
- Identify
at least 5 main/supporting characters and the actors playing them.
- Write
a synopsis of the film in 25 words or less. What are the theme(s)
discussed in the scenario?
- Of the
5 characters identified in #7, which among them undergoes the most positive
or negative change from the beginning of the film until the end? Do these
changes coincide with the film’s theme(s)?
- How is
the soundtrack integrated into the film? Name at least 3 examples, if
possible, where the musical score or the use of individual songs supports
the film’s theme(s)? Identify which scenes this occurs.
- How is
the cinematography
integrated into the film? Does it support the film’s thematic elements?
How?
- Identify
and describe at least 5 camera shots from the film that illustrate or
support any of the film’s themes.
- Identify
5 lines of dialogue in the film that illustrate or support any of the
film’s themes. How do your choices accomplish this? Explain.
- How
did the film strike you on an aesthetic level?
Describe your overall reaction to the film after having now studied it in
a scholarly fashion, as opposed to just having viewed it for its
entertainment value.