Sequence Analysis Worksheet

Choose a sequence of about 3-10 minutes. A sequence is a series of shots somehow connected logically--in terms of a) their common locale or setting; and/or b) their relation to one dramatic moment in the plot (i.e., a "scene"); and/or c) their common function in terms of furthering plot development or creating "atmosphere"; and/or (d) their relation to some common theme or issue. Such a sequence may be worth choosing, however, less for its relation to setting, plot, or theme, than for the fact that it contains a typical or extraordinary stylistic feature you would like to examine. Defining a sequence can be somewhat arbitrary, but in any case, it will be significant what precedes and what follows the sequence you choose. You will have to take into account at least to some extent the things you decide are outside your sequence. Once you have selected your sequence, watch it again and again to note details of interest in the main areas of cinematic style: A, B, C, and D below (this definition of film style is based on Bordwell/Thompson, Film Art: An Introduction, Chapters 5-9). Note if there are changes--or not- -in the use of a particular stylistic feature over the course of the sequence. Change, or the absence of change, can be very significant, just as is the presence or absence of a particular stylistic feature may be (e.g., the use of sound effects or music, or their sudden absence: silence can be very significant, especially if the film is otherwise "noisy").

1. Mise-en-scene (see Bordwell/Thompson, Ch. 5), or that which is selected, arranged and/or constructed in front of the camera to be filmed:sets, locales, their composition and design; composition, design, lighting, and movement of other objects in the frame--including animals and people. Includes the appearance & movements of people: acting, gesture, costume, make-up, etc. Print: both "diegetic" (billboards, magazines, signs within the story) and "non-diegetic" (titles over the image or "in between images": inter-titles, as in silent film).
2. Cinematography (see Bordwell/Thompson, Ch. 6): film stock; color, black/white, or tinting; lenses and changes in focus (deep focus, shallow); camera angles (high/low/"straight-on"), camera movement (panning, tracking, zooms), framing; shot duration; distance of camera to objects (close-ups, medium & long shots).
3. Editing (see Bordwell/Thompson, Ch. 7): frequency, smoothness/"jumpiness," rhythm; logic of shot-to-shot relations: 1) narrative (plot psychology/drama): especially "classical" editing as consolidated in Hollywood during the heyday of the studio system (1930s-1950s), including continuity cutting; or 2) thematic: making intellectual/political associations through editing, as in "Soviet montage" of the 1920s (Eisenstein, et al.).
4. Sound (see Bordwell/Thompson, Ch. 8): music, speech, noise (music, dialogue, sound effects); diegetic vs. non-diegetic (including voice-overs); use of silence.

Assignment: 5-10 pp. Paper

1. The paper must be typed and double-spaced; see course schedule for due-date. It must be a coherent essay based on detailed analysis of a sequence within one of the films we are studying. Videos of all the films are available at Learning Resources, 15 Walter Library (basement). Watch the film of your choice again (at least one more time). Choose a sequence of 3-10 minutes.
2. The sequence analysis worksheet, as well as work we have done with sequence analysis in class, should guide you as to what stylistic and technical details to note. [Also recommended: Bordwell/Thompson's Film Art, especially Chapters 5-9: mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, and sound.] Observations you make watching your chosen sequence following these guidelines represent the "raw data" on which you will base your essay.
3. Use your "raw" findings to write an essay which discusses the sequence and its relation to the film as a whole. Analyze stylistic details (mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, sound, etc.): that is, don't just describe them, but try to determine their function in the sequence. Why might these stylistic choices have been made? What do they seem to mean for the sequence and the film?
       To do this, you will need to make connections between a) the technical and stylistic details you have isolated and b) narrative elements ("story": plot and character development) and c) thematic content ("message" with regard to political, social, religious issues, etc.--assigned readings should help you here) in the sequence. How do these elements work together and/or determine each other? How does this interaction within the sequence relate to the film as a whole? Do stylistic, narrative, and/or thematic elements in the sequence reinforce or contrast with the style, narrative, and thematic content of the film as a whole? Is there "distantiation"? Why, or why not, and what effect does this have?
4. Two common (and related) problems students have writing these paper: a) they stick too closely to the narrative, merely re-telling the events within the sequence without enough analysis of what's going on--and why; b) their discussion of the sequence has no overall argument about its significance within the film. Ultimately, to interpret a sequence you need to relate it to the film as a whole, so you have to start with some kind of interpretation of the film as a whole. This is why it's necessary to watch the whole film again at least once, to review notes and handouts, and to be sure to read again everything in the reader which pertains to the film you have chosen (not because the critics you read are necessarily right, but to sharpen your perception of the film, and your awareness of where you agree and disagree with a particular critic). You need to bring some understanding of the film as a whole to your attempt to analyze a part of the film. Then, as you work with the sequence and understand it better, your understanding of the film as a whole will deepen--which in turn will help you see more in the sequence.
5. After class and during my office hours, you can check out "model" papers based on sequence analyses so that you can xerox them. Then you can read them to get an idea how some students have managed to complete this assignment--in very successful ways.

German 3604
McCormick

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