Assignment Guide Mass Comm Dept

FACULTY OF MUSIC, SOCIAL SCIENCES, AND DESIGN

SM001 FILM & ARTS APPRECIATION
SEPT-DECEMBER 2009

GROUP ASSIGNMENTS

1. Provide your answers to the questions below.

2. Format and rules:
2.1. Paper size: A4-size
2.2. Line spacing: double; type-face: Times New Roman, 12 pt. Page numbering; page x
of y (centre of the footer)
2.3. Format for contents:
2.3.1 Approximately 1500 words for group component
2.3.2 Approximately 500 words per person for individual component
2.3.3 Fill in the Assignment Cover Sheet
2.3.4 Lecturer’s comment on the assignment page should be attached on the last
page of your assignment.

Assignment will be evaluated using the following criteria:

Marks will be given based on:

a) Relevance of application of art or film analysis techniques

b) Ability to present argument in a coherent manner
c) Originality of the assignment

Reminders

Marks will NOT be given if:

• Produce a compilation without analysis.

• Contains elements of plagiarism and fraud.*
• Download materials directly from the internet (directly or indirectly)
• Copy and paste material from other sources
• Assignment submitted after the deadline will not be accepted or evaluated.
• Not adhering to the format and rules for answering of assignment as stipulated by UCSI
University.
• Serious action can be taken including being expelled from the
University. Kindly refer to Students’ Policy Handbook.
• Students are required to submit their projects on time. Failure to follow the scheduled
submission will be penalized.

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Assignment Guide Mass Comm Dept

1. 1 day late submission (25% deduction)

2. 2 days late submission (50% deduction)
3. 3 days late submission (75% deduction)
4. 4 days late is equivalent to (NO marks)

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Assignment Guide Mass Comm Dept

FACULTY OF MUSIC, SOCIAL SCIENCES, AND DESIGN

SM320 SCREENWRITING
MAY-AUGUST 2009

ASSIGNMENT COVER PAGE

SUBJECT NAME: FILM & ARTS SUBJECT CODE: SM 001

LECTURER: JEFF RAHIM DEADLINE :

TOPIC:

STUDENT’S NAME :
STUDENT’S ID :

I certify that this is our own work, completed in accordance with University and
School’s regulations on plagiarism and fair practice

STUDENT’S SIGNATURE
SUBMISSION DATE

Note:
1. Deadlines must be met and no extension is allowed unless prior approval is obtained.
Work submitted late may incur a penalty in the form of reduction of marks.
2. Plagiarism in any form could result in failing the assignment piece of work.

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Assignment Guide Mass Comm Dept

ASSIGNMENT # 1: FILM JOURNALS

» Due Date: MARCH 24th, 2010 (Week 12)
* An Assignment Cover Page must be completed and assigned and attached to the
front of the Tutorial Outline that is to be handed to the lecturer, PRIOR to the
presentation.

» Groups
* Groups should be kept to 2-3 people per group. Do not exceed 3 people per group.

» Length
* Journals must include discussion of at least 5 films viewed and discussed
throughout the course
* Journals should not exceed 800 words per film.
» Value
* 20% of total semester assessment.

INSTRUCTIONS
» Rather than having all assessment items for this course being research based, these film
journals are a tool for you to dissect, discuss, and analyze the films that we will be watching
by using some of the concepts that we will be learning in class. It is also a chance for you to
work in groups and attempt some group discussion of what makes each film specific to either
a genre or an auteur.

»These journals are not research based; they are experience and thought based. This is a
chance for you to think about the films that we’ve watched in class, and discuss them openly
in a more controlled group environment.

Some topics and discussion points to keep in mind for the journals:
1. Genre characteristics
2. Mise-en-scene
3. Motifs & parallelism
4. Narrative structure
5. Auteurship

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Assignment Guide Mass Comm Dept

ASSIGNMENT # 2: TUTORIAL PRESENTATIONS

» Due Date: FEB. 24th & MARCH 3rd, 2010
* An Assignment Cover Page must be completed and assigned and attached to the
front of the Tutorial Outline that is to be handed to the lecturer, PRIOR to the
presentation.

» Groups
* Groups should be kept to 2-3 people per group. Do not exceed 3 people per group.

» Length
* About 15 mins per group.
» Value
* 20% of total semester assessment.

INSTRUCTIONS
» Prepare a short presentation. Your presentation should take to form of a critical evaluation
of a number of genre films that belong either to the same or to a related genre. The aim is to
present to the class a reasoned and balanced evaluation of the generic qualities of these
movies and of the film genre/s they belong to.

» IMPORTANT: You MUST give your tutor an outline of your presentation (about 1 to 2
pages; it can be in point form) AND a bibliography, BEFORE commencing your
presentation. Keep a copy for yourself.

» The film genre/s and the genre films by different directors used in your presentation can be
part of the content of your formal Research Paper. (Your Research Paper must be an
individually researched and well-argued work.)

CRITICAL EVALUATION
» You can select any genre film just as long as the movies selected are fictional or semi-
fictional in their narrative and content, and they can be classified as belonging to one or more
film genres.

» Do not select films that are documentaries, exposés, made-for-TV movies (i.e. telemovies),
or TV miniseries. However, movies based on a TV series are acceptable.

» You can select any film genre/s covered in this unit, as well as any other film genre/s not
included in this semester’s lectures.

» The critical evaluation of the genre movies made by different directors should be genre-
based (and NOT auteur-based). You must explain how these movies relate to specific genre
characteristics. The critical evaluation should address each of the following genre
characteristics:
* Characters (this can include characterisations, use of various actors, etc.)
* Narrative Structure (this can include storyline and plot, etc.)
* Cinematic Elements (this can include setting / mise-en-scene, sound, special
effects, etc. — that is, the audiovisual elements)
CRITERIA FOR TUTORIAL PRESENTATION

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Assignment Guide Mass Comm Dept

» The outline handed to your tutor just before you start your tutorial presentation is not a
formal research paper, although this written outline should provide evidence that some
research and thought has gone into your presentation.

» Because of time constraints, you will need to home-in on one or two main points or issues
or themes to talk about. There won’t be time to discuss these points in any great depth. Just
deliver the main points of your critical evaluation, along with some supporting theoretical
material, and use excerpts from the two genre films to illustrate your arguments.

CRITERIA WEIGHTING
STRUCTURE
• The critical evaluation deals with at least two (2) genre films from a 40%
film genre (or genres), with each movie made by a different director. (20 marks)
• Presentation takes the form of an informed critical evaluation based
on the three areas outlined above (characters, narrative structure,
cinematic elements).
• The critical evaluation is presented in an ordered and structured
manner.
• There is evidence of some original and creative thought.
THE CRITICAL EVALUATION
• There is evidence of logically-developed arguments that provide the 40%
class with an informed critical evaluation of the two genre films and (20 marks)
the genres they belong to.
• Appropriate examples from the two genre films are used to support
the critical evaluation.
• Appropriate genre concepts from film studies (such as genre theory,
text analysis, film history) are used and understood.

USE OF SOURCES
• Bibliography submitted before presentation commences (and 10%
includes websites used). (5 marks)
• A reasonable range of appropriate published or online refereed
academic sources included in bibliography and incorporated into the
presentation.
• Acknowledgment of all sources of ideas used in the critical
evaluation (including acknowledgment of any material taken from
the internet).
• Acknowledgment of excerpts from any genre films used in the
critical evaluation.

STYLE
• Reasonably confident speaking style and ability to lead a class 10%
discussion. (5 marks)
• Outline of critical evaluation submitted before presentation
commences.
• Well-prepared presentation.
• Reasonable length (keeps with the time limit).

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Assignment Guide Mass Comm Dept

ASSIGNMENT # 3: FORMAL RESEARCH PAPER

» Write a fully referenced research paper using a generic approach.

» You can choose one of the topics below as the basis for your formal research paper, or you
can negotiate an alternative topic with your tutor. Keep a copy of your assignment. Note that,
while an alternative topic can be negotiated with your tutor, your research paper must still
take a generic approach to the evaluation of fictional genre films.

ASSIGNMENT DETAILS
» Due Date » MARCH 31st, 2010: WEEK 13
* To be completed and handed in at the end of the class session on the above date.
* An Assignment Cover Page must be completed and assigned and attached to the
front of Research Paper.

» Groups
* Groups should be kept to 2-3 people per group. Do not exceed 3 people per group

» Length
* 1500 to no more than 2000 words, plus a bibliography.
* All sources of information, ideas, concepts etc. to be acknowledged in the
body of the paper. This includes direct quotes and paraphrased passages from
written and electronic material.

» Value
* 50% of total semester assessment.
* If no acknowledgement of ideas etc in body of assignment and no bibliography
= grade of ‘FAIL’ for formal research paper.

USING A GENERIC APPROACH

» This is NOT an assignment about the life and times of a director, who may be an auteur
making American movies within a particular genre. If you decide to use an auteur director,
the director’s work must be examined in terms of the FILM GENRE/S used in her/his
movies.

» Independent movie directors tend to adopt an auteurist approach to their work. If you’re
looking at independent directors, you’ll need to provide evidence that their work has genre
characteristics (or that their work is deliberately pushing the boundaries of genre codes and
conventions in mainstream genre films).

RESEARCH PAPER TOPICS

» The topics below can be modified to suit your interests: that is, other topics can be
substituted for the ones below, but you will need the prior approval of your lecturer.

» SINCE THE TOPIC AREAS BELOW ARE SUGGESTED TOPIC AREAS, YOU WILL
NEED TO CONSULT WITH YOUR TUTOR FOR ADVICE ON ADAPTING A TOPIC
AREA TO YOUR OWN AREA/S OF INTEREST (i.e. you will need your tutor’s approval
for any modifications to, and combinations of topics; and for new topic areas).

» You can concentrate on one film genre or on a combination of film genres.

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Assignment Guide Mass Comm Dept

» Be aware of a word limit applies to the research paper. This means you'll need to narrow
the scope of your paper to something that's manageable (‘do-able’) within the word limit.

» THE FOLLOWING ARE SUGGESTED TOPIC AREAS

Combine a generic genre approach with an auteur approach to discuss genre films made by a
particular director. [Note: An auteur approach on its own is NOT acceptable.] Discuss how
this auteur uses genre in her/his American genre films.

1. Discuss representations of society and culture in a particular film genre. Example:

Discuss representations of the future as presented in science fiction or cyberpunk
movies in the 1990s (or from some other decade).

2. Discuss gender representations (or representations of ethnicity / class / sexuality / etc.)

in a film genre your choice.

3. Discuss what audiences expect from a particular film genre. Why are some particular
genre films popular with certain segments of audiences?

4. Evaluate and discuss the connections between certain film genres and contemporary
popular culture. What kind of a society is it that seems to make these kinds of
connections? How and why do genre films made in a particular genre impact upon
popular culture?

5. Discuss and account for the development of specifically American movie genres,
style(s), themes, and techniques in mainstream American filmmaking.

6. Adapt one of the above suggested topic areas to suit your own interests, or develop a
topic in an area not mentioned above.

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Assignment Guide Mass Comm Dept

FORMAL RESEACH PAPER CRITERIA

CRITERIA WEIGHTING
Research
40%
Ability to:
(20 marks)
Identify sources relevant to the topic
Demonstrate comprehensive survey of source material
Analytical discussion and structure
40%
Ability to:
(20 marks)
• Identify and analyze significant issues pertaining to the chosen
topic
• Define terms
• Sequence ideas and issues
• Present a balanced discussion
Written expression
10%
Ability to
(5 marks)
• Present ideas clearly and unambiguously
• To employ conventional grammatical construction
Referencing
10%
Ability to
(5 marks)
• Use consistent referencing format with works cited in
bibliography