Assignment

• Choose a Gender/Gay/Transgender themed film from the documentary or narrative films we viewed in class or any other Gender/Gay/Transgender themed film. This includes:  The Celluloid Closet (1995); A Single Man (2009); MISS Representation (2011);Makers: Voices of Utah Women, a (KUED Production 26 min) (2013), The Hunting Ground (2015); The Celluloid Closet (1995), A an (2009), The Imitation Game (2014).  You may also choose another film as it relates to the Gender Assignment.
•  Watch the film in its entirety taking notes on each of the following film elements:  stereotypes, symbols/metaphors, psychological motivation, persuasive techniques/propaganda, and filmmaker intent.
• The purpose of watching the film is not to critique it (I liked or did not like it), but to analyze. There should be no excuse of not finding any examples from the things listed above, because "I was to involved watching the film."
• This assignment is not like a reflective response and should be written in a formal essay style and should be in third person (No, I think, I believe).  It will be graded on your work. 

RUBRIC & GRADING (10 Points)

Length and Formatting  (3 Points)Length: 2 Pages     Font:  Times New Roman      Size:  12 Point      Margins:  No bigger than 1 inch.  Spacing:  Double Spaced      Movie Titles:  Quoted",  Underlined, Bolded  or Italicized.

                                                         Research/Works Cited (3 Points) Anything that is not your own words or idea needs to be properly cited. If you have a hard time analyzing, you are free to find what others have said, just make sure you give them credit. You'll need to include a Works Cited page with your cited references.

•  Analysis  (4 Points)

You are free to explore whatever aspect of the film you wish, but your paper could address most of the following in whatever order best suits your paper. These questions shouldn't be answered in paragraph form, and can be addressed as little or as much as your analysis requires.

1.  What was the filmmaker's intent in making the film?  Was there a certain message they were trying to get across?  The point of this assignment is not to answer questions but to explore and explain through analysis.2.  What cinema techniques in telling the story?  Describe some of the following:  camera angles, lighting, editing, music, sound effects, production design, costumes, placement of characters, etc.  

You may also choose to address Narrative Structure; linear structure; flashbacks. One may ask why did the filmmakers choose to visually show the film the way they did?  What purpose was there in the way the film was shot, if any?  Was a mood or atmosphere established based on how these elements were used?  Manipulation?3.  What stereotypes were obvious in the themes and characters in the film?  Did they hurt or help develop the characters in the film?  Were they used because of instant recognition from audience, to be degrading, etc.?4.  What was the reaction from family, society or religion to the characters in the film?  (Was it positive, negative, neutral?  How would society today possibly react to the same situation?5.  Did the portrayal of the characters or execution of the films theme help you develop support for their cause or whatever they were trying to achieve?  In other words.....Did you like the characters in your film?  Did you sympathize with them?  If so, why?6.  What symbols/metaphors were present through the film?  Every film will have some.  Symbols could be visual (buildings, landscapes,  the moon, colors, flags, weapons, etc.) or they could simply be themes in the narrative (death, prejudice, isolation and unity). 7.  What were the psychological motivations behind the characters in your film?  Include a few depending on your analysis.  It might to help to include both protagonists and antagonists on both sides of the issue.  For example, in American Beauty Chris Coopers character killed someone he thought was gay, analyze both characters psychological motivations. 8.  Was the issue of moral development addressed in the film?  Character(s) upbringing, religion or society playing a large role in moral decisions they make later in life?9.  Be sure to talk about when the film was made and how the society at the time may have felt differently about the subject.  (For example, Brokeback Mountain (2005) had a strong reaction, especially in Salt Lake City.  Would/Should the film be viewed differently today?)