Clip Annotation

Due Date

Due Friday, April 23, by 10:00 p.m. via Viddler upload and sharing with "UW English 345" group

Assignment

Using the online platform Viddler, create a video and/or textual analysis of how elements of form, narrative, mise-en-scéne, and cinematography function in a clip from The Blot, Christopher Strong, Danzón, or The Piano. Clips from all films are available in the “UW English 345” group on Viddler. Your annotation must include the following elements:

  • Reason for Selection
    At the beginning of the clip, provide an introduction to your annotation. Explain why you selected this clip and indicate the elements of form, visuals and narrative you will analyze.

  • Analysis
    Refer to Bordwell and Thompsons chapters on form, narrative, mise-en-scéne, and cinematography to ensure that you use the correct terminology to describe visual and narrative techniques. Choose two or three aspects of form, narrative, mise-en-scéne, or cinematography you will discuss in the clip (such as camera movement, motifs, lighting, setting, angles, restricted narration and costumes). Throughout the clip, comment on how these components function. Make sure to go beyond a description of plot or visuals—explain why the elements you highlight are important. How do they convey themes and mood? How do they shape our interpretation of settings and events? How do they create implicit and symptomatic meanings? How do form, narrative and visuals connect as well as differentiate characters? How do they establish looking relations? Please note that you must make at least four analytical comments.

  • Connection
    At the end of the clip, comment on how the techniques you explored contribute to the clip’s significance to the overall film. Do the patterns you’ve identified recur throughout the film? Do formal techniques lead viewers to reassess characters, agree with particular values, establish gender roles, racial differences or distinct social classes, mark a transformation in the narrative, etc.?

Guidelines

Read the instructions for creating a Viddler account, friending me, downloading and annotating your selected video and uploading your completed annotation to the UW English 345 group. Watch the clip closely before you begin your annotation. Enter one or two test comments to see how Viddler works before your begin your commentary (be sure to delete your test remarks). Revise and delete comments as necessary.

Grading

I will grade the clip annotation as follows:

  • 53-60 points (A range): Exceptionally thorough, focused, and well-argued commentary that describes formal elements and makes substantial claims regarding their functions. Annotation includes all required components.

  • 38-52 points (B range): Thoughtful and adequately argued commentary that identifies formal elements and analyzes their function; analysis may be scant in places. Annotation contains all required components.

  • 22-37 points (C range): Inadequately argued annotation that contains more description than analysis of visual and sound cues. Annotation may not contain all required elements.

  • 11-21 points (D range): Simplistic, primarily descriptive annotation that does not present a clear argument, and offers little analysis of visual and sound elements. Annotation does not include all required elements.

  • 0-10 points (F range): Annotation does not offer an argument, or proffers another scholar’s work as the commenter’s own. Commentary is solely descriptive, and the annotation demonstrates no overall concept of the language of cinema or the clip’s significance. Annotation includes few, if any, required components.