Posted: September 13th, 2017

What were the major factors (e.g., technological, economic, ideological, cultural, artistic) that contributed to the creation of the narrative film versus the actuality film?

What were the major factors (e.g., technological, economic, ideological, cultural, artistic) that contributed to the creation of the narrative film versus the actuality film?

First Research Paper Instructions

POSSIBLE TOPICS:

1) Discuss one aspect of cinema during the silent era that is either strikingly similar to, or strikingly
different from, the institution or practices of cinema today.

2) What were the major factors (e.g., technological, economic, ideological, cultural, artistic) that
contributed to the creation of the narrative film versus the actuality film?

3) How did critics respond to a specific silent era film when it first appeared, and how has the critical
response changed over time?

4) Discuss in detail how one example of film (a short or a sequence from a pre~193O silent film, no more
than ten minutes long) illustrates the connection of film grammar to social or historical issues ofthe
day.

5) Discuss the information that cinema as a historical institution gives us about a modern issue such as
the masses, masculinity/femininity, childhood, urban or industrial society (feel free to explore other
issues but please clear them with me). Choose a sequence (under 10 minutes) from a pre~193O silent
film to illustrate your point.

6) How is one particular film similar to, and different from, other films made by the same director or
studio?