3410

Assignment: Short Paper

Due Date: Thursday, April 10

This paper will develop an analysis of any of the films or television movies of the week we have (or will have) worked with this semester. The focus of your paper can be formative (emphasizing how the form of the film functions), theoretical (how does the film contribute to our understanding of how modes and genres work?), or historical.

Any information drawn from secondary sources must be footnoted appropriately.

Papers should be about five (5) typed, double-spaced pages. Print on one side of a sheet. Use standard 12 point Courier type and one-inch top and side margins. Print quality must be black and well-defined (no faded or smeared print, please.) Proofread for correct spelling and grammar. (NOTE: You will lose one point for every two non-repeated, technical errors in your paper. Technical errors include misspelled words, incorrect punctuation, and grammatically incorrect sentences.) Please make sure that you number pages accurately

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING ESSAYS

1. Does the essay have a central idea? Is it truly "central"--that is, does it bring the other main ideas in the essay into focus? Do the essay's main ideas relate back to and help explain the central idea?

2. Is the essay clearly and logically organized? Does the essay have an introduction that presents the central idea (the essay's basic purpose), a body that explains what the reasons are that develop the central idea, and a conclusion that reinforces and re-expresses the importance of the central idea? An explanation should build point by point, idea by idea.

3. Is there supporting material--specific evidence that supports and clarifies the main idea? Evidence should be specific and clearly described. The relevant examples you provide will demonstrate your familiarity with the functions of film form.

4. Is the writing clear? Proofread for correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation--better yet, have someone else act as a copy editor for you. Leave yourself enough time to reread and double-check your writing.

I will be very glad to give you informal feedback on early drafts of your papers.

Papers turned in after the due dates will lose five points per day.