Keys to Success

Continue to reference the Writing Assignment Guidelines and rubric.
Read the assignment in its entirety!
Respond to each element of the prompt (this prompt has three).
Include course terminology and refer to specific scenes in concrete detail.

Do not include an introduction or a conclusion; get straight to answering the prompt.

Do not use outside sources. You can cite the textbook and lecture.
Ensure your assignment meets the SafeAssign criteria and gets a submission receipt (see the Submitting a SafeAssign Assignment document). Length: 400-600 words

Submission: Upload papers via the link on the due date. Ensure you receive an electronic receipt for your submission that includes your submission text. If you do not receive an electronic receipt, you will likely have not successfully submitted your assignment. If your electronic receipt does not include your text on the screen, you have most likely submitted a file format incompatible with SafeAssign.

Format: See the “Writing Assignment Guidelines,” “Short Writing Assignment Rubric,” and “Submitting a SafeAssign Assignment” documents on Blackboard located in the Short Writing Assignments folder.

Point Value: 100 points

VERY IMPORTANT: We ask that you DO NOT rely on outside sources. An appropriate in-text citation is required if you include direct quotes from the textbook, lecture videos, or assigned media. Parenthetical citations are required when paraphrasing from these sources. Again, DO NOT RELY on outside sources, as doing so will not benefit your grade on the assignment.

Prompt
With 400–600 words of analysis, explore the cinematography of Bo Burnham: Inside (US, 2021) and your experience watching the film. To do this, we want you to choose one specific moment from the film in which you felt the cinematography directed your attention, another specific moment where the film’s cinematography shaped your feelings about the mise-en-scéne, and finally, choose another specific moment that stood out to you in the film in which you feel the cinematography was fulfilling one of the other functions of cinematography we covered in this week’s lecture.

Your response needs to include the following:
Respond to all three components of the prompt.
Discuss one scene that stood out to you in which the film’s cinematography directed your attention (1).
Discuss one scene that stood out to you in which the film’s cinematography shaped your feelings about the mise-en-scéne (2).
Discuss one other scene that stood out to you in which the cinematography fulfilled one of the other functions of cinematography we covered in Module 4 (3).
The remaining functions are:
Establish time and space
Reveal character
Reveal subject
Reveal theme

Example: For the first element of the prompt, you will look for an element of cinematography in the film that directs your attention during a specific moment in the television special. The cinematography in Inside is unique in that most, if not all, of it is handled by Burnham. One element of cinematography he relies on throughout is the use of zoom. An A-level paper might identify one of these zooms in a specific scene, describe in detail what is occurring, and then discuss how this type of camera movement directed your attention and what impact it had on your understanding of the film.

For the second element, identifying a moment where you felt the film’s cinematography shaped your feelings about the mise-en-scéne,  would suggest looking at examining a particular scene and considering the angle, level, height, and distance of the shots (covered in Lecture Video 4.3) in addition to the six zones of offscreen space (covered in Lecture Video 4.4). How does Burnham make the already intimate setting feel even more intimate at times? How does he make it feel bigger than it is? How do these moments work with the songs and dialogue to make you feel a certain way?

For the final element of the prompt, choose one of the remaining functions to explore. You might argue that Burnham uses cinematography to give the illusion of us moving through different times and spaces even though we remain in one location. Alternatively, you might explore how Burnham sometimes uses framing to reenforce his emotional state. Just make sure you are focused on the elements of cinematography for your claim and analysis. It is okay to discuss how these things intertwine with narrative/narration or mise-en-scéne, but the focus needs to always be on the elements of cinematography.

Information and Guidelines
This assignment will require you to watch Bo Burnham: Inside (US, 2021) and then utilize what you have learned from the lecture videos and reading to provide a critical analysis of the film, paying close attention to how cinematography frames the mise-en-scéne and fulfills the six functions we discussed at the end of the lecture videos. To do this, you must draw on the material we covered in Module 4 and respond to the prompt with as much detail and specificity as possible. Use specific terminology. Refer to specific scenes in the film. Include timestamps with your examples. If your response is vague and does not focus on specifics, it will impact your overall grade for the assignment.

Overall Expectations:
Read through the prompt and all relevant documentation.
Watch the film assigned for Module 4. Take notes during your screening of the film, keeping in mind the questions included in the prompt.
Respond to the prompt using 400-600 words. This assignment requires a critical analysis of the film, and you will need much of this word count to respond to the prompt adequately. As such, you do not need to include an introduction or a conclusion. I have seen the film; you do not need to explain to us what happens in it via plot summary. The only portions of the film that need to be explained in detail are the scenes you use for support. In these instances, only focus on what is necessary to make your point.
Your response should include specific use of course terminology introduced in Module 3. Furthermore, your response should refer to specific scenes in the film as examples/for support, using as much precision and detail as possible. Include timestamps that indicate when these specific scenes occur.
Your work will demonstrate a good faith effort to engage with the film. You can analyze and write critically about something you do not care for on a personal level.
The format and level of polish for this assignment are important. Your ideas should be clear, and your writing should be coherent. Utilize campus resources (Undergraduate Writing Center) if you need to.

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