1. Film Studies Final exam Essay Practice
May, 2017

2. Final Exam – Basic Info
Your final exam is worth 20 percent of your semester grade
The final exam consists of three parts:
Socratic Seminar = 20 %
Essay Portion = 50 %
Objective Portion (3 clip tests) = 30 %

3. Final Exam Essay
For the final exam essay, you’ll watch a short film twice and then write an essay in which you identify the theme of the film and discuss which film making techniques are used to bolster that theme.
Very much like the process we did earlier in the semester with The Graduate but this time you’ll watch a full film (albeit a short film) so you’ll be able to establish an understanding of a theme.

4. Final Exam Essay
In terms of film making elements that you’ll use to support your theme, think of things like:
lighting
camera angles
camera movement
visual effects
transitions
composition/framing
setting
music
sound
motifs/symbolism

5. Final Exam Essay Practice
For our practice let’s watch the 2012 Disney short film The Paperman directed by John Kahrs.
After watching the film…
write down what you think the theme is and what film making elements you would use to support that theme in your essay.
Then, write out you would start your essay and write out your thesis statement.

6. Final Exam Essay Practice
Let’s do another one. This is a 2009 short film titled Alma by Spanish director Rodrigo Blaas. The title of the film may refer to the main character’s name but it also means “soul” in Spanish.
After watching the film…
write down what you think the theme is and what film making elements you would use to support that theme in your essay.
Then, write out you would start your essay and write out your thesis statement.

7. Final Exam Essay Practice
Let’s do another one. This is a 2006 short film Kiwi! directed by Dony Permedi (this was a student made project that has almost 42 million views on YouTube).
After watching the film…
write down what you think the theme is and what film making elements you would use to support that theme in your essay.
Then, write out you would start your essay and write out your thesis statement.