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Genre Research EssayEnglish 102TASK: Your task is to research a specific film genre or subgenre and to take one of the following approaches that includes viewing, analysis, and research of three sample feature films*:A) The evolution of a specific genre/subgenre: Analyze and subsequently argue for how your genre or subgenre has evolved. For example, many genres have gone through a process of progressive change/revision, partly based on the disbanding of the Hollywood Production Code, while others have returned to/celebrated more traditional/retroactive approaches. B) Same as above, but with a different, self-selected focus: Formulate and respond to your own question about your chosen genre/subgenre (instead of “How has my chosen genre/subgenre evolved?”). For example, you might compare and contrast 3 genre/subgenre films from the same time period but across geographical boundaries (for example “How do combat films from different countries compare & contrast stylistically?”). Or, you might look at how a particular genre changed based on the lack of precode restrictions, the subsequent implementation of the code, and finally, its disbanding, as in “How did the Hollywood Production Code impact my chosen genre/subgenre (in this case you’d select a precode, code, and postcode film example). C) Film franchise approach: I’m open to your possible investigation of a film franchise (vs. specific genres/subgenres) so long as these can be connected to and include a consideration of genre (as above). For example, The Hunger Games franchise would work fine because it qualifies as a specific genre/subgenre (films for young adults, dystopian fantasy). The same is certainly true of The Star Wars or Star Trek franchises, or The Batman franchise. The Ring Trilogy? Harry Potter? Planet of the Apes? Beatles movies? James Bond? Toy Story? … A lot of possibility here. In any case, one approach might be to analyze your chosen franchise’s individual approach to genre. D) Director approach: You may also focus on the work of a specific director, so long as your three chosen films all fit the same genre/subgenre. For example, director Christopher Nolan has created at least 3 science fiction films, including Inception, Interstellar, and Tenet. Or perhaps three spaghetti westerns from Italian director Sergio Leone, or a selection of animated films by Hayoa Miyazaki. Expository documentaries by Errol Morris, anyone? Observational documentaries from the Maysles brothers? Again, a lot to choose from here. Note: The first two approaches above allow for looking at three of the same genre/subgenre films from different directors. E) Studio/producer approach: Finally, you can look at three films from the same studio, so long as these all fit the same, specific genre/subgenre. For example, the studio A24 has produced a number of compelling horror films over the past few years (The Witch, Hereditary, Midsommar). Pixar Animation Studios, Studio Ghibli, Annapurna Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, Mirimax, Castle Rock, and Magnolia Pictures are all up for grabs here, among others. Does your chosen studio appear to have its own aesthetic approach to genre? Also, feel free to zero in on a specific studio producer of genre films (like Jason Blum of Blumhouse, or J. J. Abrams, who has produced films for multiple studios). * Please stick to cinema/movies here (as opposed to series TV, for example).FORMAT: Typed, double-spaced, MLA format and documentation (font, cover-page, heading, header/pagination, title, margins, in-text citation, works-consulted page, annotated bibliography), 8-10 pp. (not including cover page) DON’T FORGET TO HIGHLIGHT THESIS AND BODY PARAGRAPH TOPIC SENTENCES! STYLE: Academic, formal, 3rd-person.RESEARCH REQUIREMENT: Essays must synthesize a minimum of 5 carefully vetted sources (at least three should come from scholarly databases), NOT including your 3 chosen films.PROCESS/DUE DATES: - Once you’ve decided on your genre or subgenre, start extensively researching it. Consider a guiding question like “What are the essential characteristics (or what is the history) of my chosen genre/subgenre?” and keywords like “film,” “genre,” “screwball comedies (or whichever genre/subgenre you choose) “characteristics,” “examples,” and “history,” to get you started with your research. Ultimately, your full knowledge of your target genre/subgenre will be essential to your essay. Your research might very well help lead you to some ideas, in addition to your 3 films. - Once you’ve finalized your genre/subgenre selection, you will need to decide on your approach (see A – E above) and three films. I’ll ask you to submit a topic proposal which includes this information to Turnitin by Wednesday, January 20th. - Continue your research by refining your criteria for searches and work your way to a working thesis to help further guide your research. Use prewriting and brainstorming strategies to help generate ideas. (Based on the due date for your outline below, it’s very important that you not squander this time!) - Once you are ready to begin drafting, start with an outline. These will be due to Turnitin by 6pm on Friday, 2/5. - A full rough draft will be due by 6 pm on Friday, 2/19. It’s OK if your cover page and/or“works consulted” page isn’t finished by this date, and I will just rely on parenthetical citations. - Final drafts, including cover sheet, “works consulted” page, and annotated bibliography due by 6pm on Friday, 3/5.RESOURCES: UHS/RHS library (including materials/instruction provided by Ms. Grimes), state and county public library databases, PCC library databases and video research tutorials, The MLA Handbook (latest edition), Owl/Purdue Online Writing Lab, They Say I Say (posted to website). EXAMPLES OF FILM GENRES (including possible subgenres in parentheses): - Comedy (screwball, slapstick, rom-com)- Drama/melodrama (regional drama, family drama, legal drama)- Musical (animated musical, musical comedy, musical romance, musical fantasy) - Western (spaghetti westerns, western parodies, musical westerns, singing cowboy westerns) - War/combat (pro-war films, anti-war films, Vietnam war films, WW2 films, martial arts, etc.)- Science-fiction (time-travel films, AI films, films about outer space, B movies)- Fantasy (epic fantasy, animated/Disney, fairy tales, superhero films, magical realism, Christmas movies, Arthurian legend films, comic books)- Horror (vampires, mummies, zombies, monsters, slasher, folk horror, comedy horror, teen horror, B movies, German Expressionism)- Gangster (detective film, film noir, neo-noir, crime comedy, true-crime, prison movie, teen delinquency, heist) - Social-problem film (poverty, addiction, women’s rights, inhumanity, newspaper, legal/courtroom, Italian Neorealism, satire)- Thriller (psychological thriller, crime thriller, political thriller)- Romantic (love story, unrequited love, doomed love, lovers on the run)- Childrens (animated, stop-action, young adult, fantasy, adventure, Japanese animation)- Historical (period piece/costume drama, heritage film, biopic, holocaust)- Documentary (expository, observational, cinema verite, scientific, nature, crime, biographical, education)- Propaganda (WW2, religion, politics, Nazi, Russian)- Cult (midnight movie, B movie, teen rebellion, psychedelic, gender bender)- Movies about movies (reflexive documentaries, movies about Hollywood, movies about making movies, cinema biopics, metafiction)ALSO, genre mashups/hybrids, for example: cowboys/aliens, horror/costume drama, drama/horror, comedy/monster movieRUBRIC ................
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