FOR NJOSH ONLY

Project II: Annotated Bibliography of Film Reviews/Articles + Short synthesis essay

Due: Friday, March 10, end of day

A bibliography is a list of sources that looks functionally the same as a Works Cited page. The difference is that a bibliography collects sources that you may choose not to use in your final paper, whereas a Works Cited page names those sources that you finally cite in your paper.

Annotations are notes that explain and define, especially comments added to documents or diagrams. We use annotations to help us make sense of notes and documents, to remind us of why something was important when we look back on it later, and to begin the process of analyzing the information we are annotating.

So, an Annotated Bibliography is a research tool in which you’ll collect sources (cited correctly in MLA formatting, like a Works Cited page) and provide paragraph-length annotations that summarize and discuss the importance of the source. When scholars do major research papers, annotated bibliographies are a common tool, as they provide a way to help us organize our sources and understand the conversations going on about our topics. It’s a format I highly recommend you keep in mind for any research projects (regardless of the subject) in your future.

Your task is to put together at least eight film reviews and discussions that get at the issues that most interest you about your film — ideally the issue you focused on in Project I. We are looking to define the whole conversation, so that means looking for reviews from sources with different opinions. However, I strongly urge you to look for sources that focus specifically on the conversation you want to have, and to avoid sources that don’t add to the conversation that interests you.

For each review, you will give the correct citation in MLA formatting and then a paragraph of annotations. This will include a short summary of the review, and then some discussion of your thoughts about this source. (As in: was the reviewer part of the intended audience? What ideologies define their viewpoint as an audience to this film and in this conversation? Do you think their criticisms or praise are valid, or are there reasons you think they are wrong? Do they seem to be in the minority with their opinion, or do they seem to be hitting on something common?)

Finally, once you have compiled all of your sources, you’ll write a short summary (300-500 words) synthesizing your understanding of what conversations you see happening about your film. What are the viewpoints in question? Who holds those viewpoints and how common are they? What are the things that people most disagree about? I’d like you to particularly think about locating the kinds of questions that most divide people, and think about where you stand. (For example, one of those questions, any time we talk about film, is often going to be the question of whether the stereotypes/single stories we see in films really make any kind of difference. So I might note which of my reviewers seem to take that stance vs. a stance that assumes that such things are more important.)

Learning Objectives for Project II: Film Review Annotated Bibliography