Bridging Visual and Literary Analytical Skills Mark Wynn - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Bridging Visual and Literary Analytical Skills Mark Wynn Powerpoint Templates

 Critical analysis is widely considered the most difficult skill to instill in beginning writers, but also the most important.  Film analysis as a model to literary and linguistic analysis has proven both successful and popular among students and instructors.  Unfortunately, in addition to problems of accessibility, such instruction relies heavily on an instructor’s ability to model abstract principles and skills through lecture and class discussions.  This creates a hurdle as, although such modeling is easier for the student to grasp, it is harder for the teacher to present.

 However, as the availability of online streaming and technology in the classroom increases, and the fact that cinematic culture is a deep and widely shared experience, a greater application of such modeling should be encouraged.  To help students bridge the gap between visual and literary analysis, this presentation will introduce various approaches to using film analysis as well as a discussion of some common pitfalls.

 I T HELPS TO REMEMBER THAT THERE WAS A TIME WHEN NO ONE ON THE PLANET COULD DRAW THREE - DIMENSIONALLY .  I T WAS MUCH THE SAME WITH STORIES .

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 If we take ‘reading’ as to view analytically, in the sense we say, “ you’re reading too much into that movie ,” then we can agree to read non-traditional sources as texts.  Film represents an accessible and well-rehearsed format for almost every student of every culture .  Its use as a tool or subject matter should not be underestimated as it not only appeals to a wider array of learning styles, but also its accessibility and immediacy can greatly increase student motivation .

 The goal is to help students focus on using mechanical elements of a FILM ( camera movements, framing and lighting ), to linguistic elements of a TEXT ( tense, voice and diction ).  Students should come to see that the story elements of film are similar to elements found in both fiction and non-fiction writings AND that in a composition class we are merely practicing defending our interpretations of those elements.

 You are in a horror film. What’s the worst thing you can do?  You are in a western. What color is your hat?  You are in a war movie and have trouble following orders. Will you follow them when it counts?  You are in a comedy and you’ve been blamed for something you didn’t do. Will it all work out in the end?

The Scream movies explicitly mention the rules. SCREAM 1 Don’t have sex.  Don’t drink or do drugs.  Never say “I’ll be right back.”  Don’t ask “Who’s there?”  Never investigate any strange noises.  SCREAM 2 – Rules for the horror sequel “The body count is always bigger.”  “The death scenes are always much more elaborate, with more blood and gore.”  “Never, ever under any circumstances assume the killer is dead.”  SCREAM 3 The killer is going to “be superhuman. Stabbing won't work. Shooting won't work. In the  third one, you have to cryogenically freeze his head, decapitate him, or blow him up. Anyone, including the main character, can die.” “The past will come back to bite you in the ass … any sins committed in the past are  about to break out and destroy you.” Basically, “in the third movie, all bets are off.” 

 When it comes to film, students are already informed customers and the predictability of Genre Film is shown by the Box Office failure of the films that fail to follow formula.  However, outside of the generic structure itself, analysis of a genre movie will produce little depth in thought or discussion.  And since time is precious in a composition class and student attention finite, neither will the art-house combustion of complexity serve.

THOMAS SOBCHACK  So, when introducing genre analysis, model films should be primarily genre, but with a twist.  Films that successfully blend genres work best as students are already well-practiced in arguing about whether a film is more western than comedy, more horror than sci-fi, or more romance than melodrama .

 Do not underestimate the power of keeping the objective simple for students.  Students are often surprised to learn that defining how something is is ANALYSIS.  Genre Analysis reinforces a more conscious awareness of the structures and forms at work in whatever text.  Hopefully, structures and forms that will be seen in the next assignment.

FOCUS TWO:

Students must accept films as products of a culture and  whether or not a director intended an effect or detail is often irrelevant.  Although thousands of hands go into the production of a movie, we can accept that a director diligently and purposefully attended to every aspect of mise-en-scene.  However, we can NOT assume to know their assumptions or reasons, and researching such points will likely prove distracting to the student. Accepting a film as a cultural object provides students with  much needed (and often first time) practice in disconnecting an author from the text. In other words, emphasize that the Message is there. You saw  it. I saw it. Now you just need to show me evidence for your interpretation.”

 All films rely to some extent on iconographies. Genre film can rely on them entirely. These readily readable images are ripe for discussion.  Students need to understand this concept, and an acknowledgement of the history of cinematic bias and discrimination is usually a good place to start.  Develop the characterization of race and gender via examples.  Blackface and Night of the Living Dead  Tonto, Poncho and the RAVs  Spartacus and The Celluloid Closet  This Film Is Not Yet Rated and the glorification of rape

FOCUS THREE:

This is a pipe “Language is metaphor in the sense that it not only stores but translates experience from one mode into another. Money is metaphor in the sense that it stores skill and labour and also translates one skill into another. But the principle of exchange and translation, or metaphor, is in our rational power to translate all of our senses into one another.” M C L UHAN , M ARSHALL “Saying is not blowing wind, saying says something,” but “the only trouble is that what it says is never fixed … a horse is not a horse.” C HUANG T ZU “The only thing language communicates is language.” P HIL I N MANTRA

 An introduction to critical thinking should focus on assisting a student’s realization of the metaphoric constructs at work in whatever is under discussion .  This realization is often a student’s most difficult step. They need to first accept and understand that the fundamental values of a culture are metaphoric in nature (Lakoff).  In other words. Metaphors used in film are a cultural construct that reflects said culture, much as the story line of generic film expresses its values, hopes and expectations. And students need practice in discussing these as such.

 The heart of literary analysis is metaphoric language. And a greater awareness of metaphoric language can be achieved through film analysis.  First, remind students to never underestimate the fundamental importance of metaphor.

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: Wilson in Cast Away, gendered vehicles, behaving institutions, Wilfred in Wilfred and the entire pantheon of American animated anthropomorphization . : racial and gender stereotypes, class and age clichés.

“ .” N ICK N AYLOR  The ultimate lesson being that there is little meaning to anything beyond what the audience assigns it. Remind students that the exercise is practice in using to describe subtle or complex things .  The awareness and acceptance of this notion if often a student’s first kick start to ‘ ’ analysis. If a student can’t have at least a little fun thinking about a movie or is unable to see anything, then they’re probably in trouble academically speaking .

 Present an ambiguous image, such as the ubiquitous vases/faces, and reinforce the notion of interpretability.  Present a famous or favorite painting from the abstract schools (Cubism, Surrealism, Dadaism, etc.) which you’ve analyzed and ask the students to find evidence of your interpretation.  Provide additional images of paintings for students to interpret in groups for presentation or journal assignments.

 Commercials are ideal for a writing practice. Limit students to a paragraph, so that they are forced to focus on details and avoid complicated elements.  What is key here is that the students present their work to each other and become aware of the scope of what they will be able to do in a short paper.  This also opens up the door to examining commercialism, capitalism and the media in general.  As always, it’s best to focus on the issues that the students’ selections generate.