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MIDTERM PAPER AND OUTLINE ASSIGNMENT FOR FILM AND MEDIA HISTORY Due Friday, March 14, 2025 by 11:59 p.m. For your midterm assignment, I would like for you to write a paper (600-word minimum, 1000-word maximum) that explores a film that we have discussed in class that you have been assigned to watch in its entirety. In addition, I would like for you to submit an outline with at least two complete sentences (no bulletpoints or fragments). The assignment is worth 20 points (the paper is worth 16 points, the outline is worth four points). If the outline is not fully completed, points will be deducted. I would like for you to talk about the film's in the history of cinema along the following lines: --The period in which it was made and the historical events/phenomena that were taking place at the time --The technology available at the time and the way it informed the film's use of cinematic conventions (i.e. cinematography, sound, editing) --A synopsis of the film and what it represents in the evolution of the narrative structure at the time of the film's release and actors' performances --The state of the film industry in the country of origin at the time of the film's release and responses from audiences in its country of origin and other parts of the world. Your paper must have a central thesis sentence or research question that clearly identifies what you want to explore in your topic, as well as the film you want to discuss, and what readings (i.e. books, book chapters, journal articles, magazine articles) you will incorporate. While I anticipate that your paper will exceed the five-paragraph structure of an academic paper, your paper must clearly have an introduction, body, and conclusion. Here are some sample topics for you to write about: --Early motion picture technology at the turn of the 20th century and filmmakers and inventors --The development of motion picture storytelling and transition into sound --The emergence of the Hollywood Studio System --Changes in cinema during and after World War II Below are the guidelines I want you to follow for your paper: --The introduction of your paper should establish the context and background of the topic you are going to explore. What is something you want to talk about with this topic and why? What research question or thesis statement do you want to make? What are some subtopics that are tied to you research question or thesis statement? What films and readings will you use to further explore this topic, and what revelation do you hope to find? --In the body of your paper, each of these paragraphs should incorporate the subtopics you want to analyze, the film(s )you want to explore, and the readings you want to incorporate. Think of your subtopic as the topic sentence for each of the paragraphs. When you talk about your film provide a synopsis or overview of what the film is about. Think about what you want to go in-depth about with the film and what formal component (or components) you want to talk about. Do you want to focus on cinematography, narrative structure, sound, editing, or performance? In addition, what reading(s) will you incorporate into your analysis? What do you think is the main idea of the author whose work you are incorporating, and what quote will you use to illustrate your point of analysis? How does your analysis of certain components tie to both the topic sentence of your paragraph and your thesis sentence or research question? --In the conclusion of your paper, reflect on what you gained from your analysis of the films and your re-reading of work by certain authors. What was the ultimate takeaway from your analysis, and what should people strongly consider about your topic moving forward? I want you to use MLA Style Format to cite your sources and to develop your Works Cited page. You can go to the Purdue OWL website to learn how to do in-text page citations and the proper format to identify your sources (i.e. films, readings). When you reference books and movie titles, they must be either italics or underlined. For journal article titles or book chapter titles, they must be in quotation marks. I will also pay close attention to proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting. Write your paper in a Word document using 11 or 12pt. font, using Times New Roman style. Please contact me via e-mail if you have any questions about the assignment. Do know that neither the TA, nor the grader, nor myself will respond to requests to review drafts of papers. If you would like someone to read your draft to see if you are following the assignment, you can schedule an appointment with a tutor at the Center for Excellence in Writing. You can, however, ask us to help determine if a source is legitimate for the assignment or not. For the midterm paper, I would like for you to write about ONLY the films we have seen in class that have not been assigned for a response paper (i.e. The Artist, A Trip to the Moon, Battleship Potemkin, The Magnificent Ambersons, Bicycle Thieves, Rashomon). I want you to also incorporate at least one assigned reading in addition to using THE STORY OF FILM textbook. You can find another book, book chapter, journal article, magazine article from outside of class to incorporate into your paper. Do not use anything from Wikipedia, Britannica, or any similar encyclopedic online platform. You can find external sources through either UB Libraries or the following list of websites: Project MUSE (http://muse(dot)jhu(dot)edu) JSTOR (http://www(dot)jstor(dot)org) Senses of Cinema (http://sensesofcinema(dot)com) Film Comment (http://www(dot)filmcomment(dot)com) Cineaste (https://www(dot)cineaste(dot)com) Film Quarterly (http://www(dot)filmquarterly(dot)org) Jump Cut (http://www(dot)ejumpcut(dot)org/home.html) Bright Lights Film Journal (http://brightlightsfilm(dot)com) In Media Res (http://mediacommons(dot)futureofthebook(dot)org/imr) New York Review of Books (J. Hoberman) (http://www(dot)nybooks(dot)com/contributors/j-hoberman/?tab=tab-blog) Chicago Reader (Jonathan Rosenbaum) (http://www(dot)chicagoreader(dot)com/chicago/ArticleArchives?author=863676) The New Yorker (Richard Brody) (http://www(dot)newyorker(dot)com/contributors/richard-brody) The New York Times—Movies (http://www(dot)nytimes(dot)com/pages/movies/index.html) The Current (The Criterion Collection) (https://www(dot)criterion(dot)com/current/posts) Roger Ebert (https://www(dot)rogerebert(dot)com) The Ringer (movies) (https://www(dot)theringer(dot)com/movies) Ashley Clark (Keeping Up--Substack) (https://ashleyclark(dot)substack(dot)com) Below is the outline I would like for you to submit with your paper. OUTLINE FOR MIDTERM PAPER In preparation for your midterm paper, please complete the following outline so that you are able to present a focused research question or thesis statement and organize your ideas to support your argument. Use complete sentences in each of the spaces. Do not use simply words.