Film Analysis Assignment – 150 pts.

Purpose: To explain your understanding of course concepts (3-5).

Audience: Your classmates and your instructor.

1. For this paper you must select a film of your choice: 2. In your opening paragraph you will provide readers with your thesis statement (a

statement that previews what your paper is going to be about). **I will be looking for an “attention getter” in the beginning of your paper; do not open with a boring sentence.

3. In one paragraph summarize what the film was about.4. Next you will identify and explain concepts found within the film that are related to this

course. (Example might be gender communication, social penetration theory, etc.)a. It is best to break concepts up into their own paragraphs or by using headings.

5. Next you will summarize your paper in a single paragraph (approximately 200 words).

Recommendations for this paper:

A. Proofread your paper by reading your paper out loud (or have someone else read it out loud to you).

B. Also, have someone else peer review your paper.C. Do not wait until the last minute to start your paper (make a goal of a page a day, etc.)D. After your paper is close to finished, put it aside for a few days and revisit it with fresh

eyes.E. **Write concisely. If you can say something in ten words rather than twenty five words

than do it. Also, breakup sentences that are long into multiple sentences.F. Be aware of your tenses. (Example the STUDENTS went to purchase their BOOK).

This should be ‘books’ essentially.G. Reword choppy sentences.H. YOU MUST put a PAGE NUMBER(S) if you are using a direct quote!

The recommended paper length is **3 to 4 pages (Not including a title page or citation/reference page.)

Paper MUST follow proper APA guidelines such as:

Times New Roman 12 pt. font One inch margins on all sides Double-spaced Two spaces after every period Numbered (Make sure that your page numbers are also Times New Roman font) Include APA title page (should have a proper running head) Have a reference page **CITE YOUR CONCEPTS Paper must be stapled (folding the corner or using a paperclip does not count)

***Use the following website to comply with APA guidelines: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

Film Analysis Assignment – 150 pts.

This is a formal paper and should be written/communicated in a professional, concise and organized manner. This paper should include an introduction, body and conclusion.

Break down of grading for this assignment (150 points):

Proper introduction; written concisely, well organized and thesis statement is provided: 25 points.

Summary of film is brief and clear: 10 points. At least three concepts include; well explained; cited properly with strong examples: 100

points Conclusion is written concisely and summarizes paper well: 15 points

**Reminder: You must bring a paper copy to the beginning of class. Failing to staple your paper will result in a 10 point automatic deduction.

**Each grammar, misspelling, or improper use of APA will result in a 1 point deduction.

What this video for an example of an APA header (you will need to scroll down slightly):

http://libguides.unco.edu/content.php?pid=933&sid=31924

Example of what an APA title page would look like for this assignment:

Film Analysis Assignment – 150 pts.

APA citation information:Single AuthorLast name first, followed by author initials.

Berndt, T. J. (2002). Friendship quality and social development. Current Directions in

Psychological Science, 11, 7-10.

Two AuthorsList by their last names and initials. Use the ampersand instead of “and.”

Wegener, D. T., & Petty, R. E. (1994). Mood management across affective states: The hedonic

contingency hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, 1034-1048.

Three to Seven AuthorsList by last names and initials; commas separate author names, while the last author name is preceded again by ampersand.

Kernis, M. H., Cornell, D. P., Sun, C. R., Berry, A., Harlow, T., & Bach, J. S. (1993). There's

more to self-esteem than whether it is high or low: The importance of stability of self-

esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 1190-1204.

More Than Seven Authors

Film Analysis Assignment – 150 pts.

List by last names and initials; commas separate author names. After the sixth author's name, use an ellipses in place of the author names. Then provide the final author name. There should be no more than seven names.  

Miller, F. H., Choi, M. J., Angeli, L. L., Harland, A. A., Stamos, J. A., Thomas, S. T., . . . Rubin,

L. H. (2009). Web site usability for the blind and low-vision user. Technical

Communication, 57, 323-335.

APA In-Text Citation Basics

Short quotations

If you are directly quoting from a work, you will need to include the author, year of publication, and the page number for the reference (preceded by “p.”). Introduce the quotation with a signal phrase that includes the author's last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses.

1. According to Jones (1998), “Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially

when it was their first time” (p. 199).

2. Jones (1998) found “students often had difficulty using APA style” (p. 199); what

implications does this have for teachers?

If the author is not named in a signal phrase, place the author’s last name, the year of publication, and the page number in parentheses after the quotation.

3. She stated, “Students often had difficulty using APA style” (Jones, 1998, p. 199), but she

did not offer an explanation as to why.

Long quotations

Film Analysis Assignment – 150 pts.

Place direct quotations that are 40 words, or longer, in a free-standing block of typewritten lines, and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, indented 1/2 inch from the left margin, i.e., in the same place you would begin a new paragraph. Type the entire quotation on the new margin, and indent the first line of any subsequent paragraph within the quotation 1/2 inch from the new margin. Maintain double-spacing throughout. The parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark.

Jones’s (1998) study found the following:

Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first

time citing sources.  This difficulty could be attributed to the fact that

many students failed to purchase a style manual or to ask their teacher for help.

(p. 199)

Summary or paraphrase

If you are paraphrasing an idea from another work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication in your in-text reference, but APA guidelines encourage you to also provide the page number (although it is not required.)

According to Jones (1998), APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners.

APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners (Jones, 1998, p. 199).