General Purpose and Audience

People write about film to understand their own responses to a film; to convince others of a position; to explain or introduce new concepts, artists, directors, or films; to compare films, directors, actors, or eras; or to connect to a culture or field. Audiences include filmmakers, technicians, critics, professors, classmates, and the general public.

Types of Writing

  • Review

    • Analysis and recommendation

  • Theoretical Essays

    • Argumentative or persuasive

  • Critical Essays

    • Critical, scholarly analysis

  • Analysis

    • Examination of plot, character, style, dialogue, message, etc.

      • Film History and National Character (production history, distribution/release history, or situation within film history) 

      • Genres (types)

      • Auteurs (vision, themes, “signature” of director or actor)

      • Formalism (structure and style)

      • Ideology (political content)

Types of Evidence

  • Concrete, specific details, illustrations, examples

  • Primary Sources 

    • Films, videos, DVDs

    • Published scripts/ screenplays

    • Shooting scripts 

  • Secondary Sources

    • Books, journals, magazines, electronic sources, indexes

Writing Conventions

  • Blend personal perspective with objective analysis

  • Writing should be both descriptive and analytical 

  • Use concrete, specific details as support

  • Voice and tone are balanced between formal and casual

  • Introductions should grab reader 

  • Correctness and accuracy are highly valued

  • Over-use of “I” may weaken an argument

Terms and Concepts

  • Mise en scene

  • Caricature

  • Sequence

  • Narration

  • Irony

  • Scene

  • Narrative Structure

  • Story Structure

  • Microcosm

  • Macrocosm

  • Context

  • Subtext

  • Genre

  • Period Piece

  • Point of View

  • Adaptation

Documentation Style

  • MLA (Modern Language Association)

Sources Consulted

Corrigan, Timothy J.  A Short Guide to Writing About Film. 6th ed. Pearson Longman, 2007.

McMahan, Elizabeth, Robert Funk and Susan Day. The Elements of Writing about Literature and Film. Macmillan, 1988.