GUEST EDITORIAL: How to Write a Film Essay
How to Write a Film Essay?
by Kelly Pethick
In every film, there are moments, realizing which there is a desire to share thoughts about them with other people. In addition, in universities, it is very common to write an essay on a film. But how to do it right? How to write professional and quality essays on films? There are certain rules to follow and we will share them with you.
What is a Film Essay?
Some modern teachers understand that today's young people read little and instead of the traditional book review, they suggest writing an essay on any topic about the film. Sometimes popular films of recent years are offered as an object, but more often they are asked to describe a film based on a work of fiction.
To write a complete and well-reasoned essay about the film, we recommend taking notes while watching it: this way you will retain the first impressions of what you saw. If you are still unsure of your abilities, it would be wise to buy an essay from a reliable essay writing site https://essayshark.com/.
Make a Plan
For those who do not know where to start writing an essay, we recommend that you first make an essay writing plan. The outline drawn up reflects the future structure of the essay; the outline defines how to write the essay and serves as its frame. It is impossible to figure out how to write an essay without first having an outline. Although in the course of work the plan can change (and very significantly), before writing an essay, it is necessary to draw up a plan. With it, you will know the structure of your paper from the very beginning.
To make a plan, you need to study the topic. After you are well versed in it, you will need to look through the literature that is suitable for the topic. Only after studying it will the time come to think over the theses and arguments that should be reflected in the plan.
The outline of the film essay consists of the following points:
1. Characteristics of the director and his/her creative heritage.
2. Brief information about the original work.
3. Evaluation of the movie: whether it is a retelling of a book or an author's interpretation.
4. How the film is similar to a book, and how it differs (which storylines are omitted or conveyed differently, does the appearance of the actors match the description of the characters).
5. Personal opinion about the film.
6. Conclusion (how fully the film conveys the artistic basis).
Explore the Film's Perspective
What questions does this film work with, what problems does it pose? Does this film have a key idea or message? What task, in your opinion, did the filmmakers have, and how was it achieved? Does this film make you think - and about what?
Conduct a Cinematic Media Analysis
Describe the full range of cinematic techniques. How does the camera work, how does it move? Describe the angles, plan system, and mise-en-scène. What is the rhythm of the film? Compositional construction and cinematographic techniques. Space and time. How does the sound function - is it external or intraframe? How does light work? Features of the use of color. Film props: significant objects and costumes.
Discuss the Acting
Before watching the film, on which an essay will be written in the future, it is important to familiarize yourself with the cast, who will play what role. And about the most important actors, you need to make a short biography, that is, in which successful films and roles they appeared, or maybe they played failed roles.
Getting to know the actors and their activities in the past, you can roughly understand how successfully and harmoniously they managed to fit into new roles. In the draft version of the essay, it is necessary to note the roles of the actors, emphasize the acting regalia, evaluate how much the viewer can believe in their play, etc.
Summing Up
Writing an essay on a film isn't that difficult. The main thing - do not forget to emphasize that everything said is your personal opinion. Your essay will be more complete if you summarize everything that has been said. Try to guess who will like this movie. Done! You can send your essay to the professor.
