Class Description
A great film has all the same narrative elements of a riveting novel. Both are narratives driven by character and conflict, and regarded by the artistry in which the story is told. In this four-part seminar, we’ll look to understand the essentials of visual storytelling and its technical components through the formal and informal structure of a film review—taking about film critically beyond just saying you ‘liked’ or ‘disliked’ the latest “Star Wars” saga.
For each of the 3-hour sessions, there will be out-of-class prep work: seeing films, reading reviews by established critics, and writing your own takedown or embrace. In class, there will be review and analysis of the readings, technical and artistic breakdown of both film as a narrative structure and the film review in style, form and cultural significance, touching on methodology and influences. You should expect to see 4-6 films over the course, and write at least three reviews and a personal essay related to film. In addition to your own pieces, you will walk away with a sharpened acumen and awareness for taking apart narrative structure, have a greater appreciation for visual storytelling, and a deeper understanding of the elements of a film review. Assignments will be sent out one week in advance, and given in class once the session kicks off, so early registration is encouraged!
Scholarship Information
Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.
For more more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.
Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.
For more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.
This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. After registering, a yellow Resources tab will appear in this section containing a link to join class. Please note that you will need to be logged into view the Resources tab.
Zoom Participation:
In our experience, the intimate nature of a writing workshop benefits from on-camera participation. Students are of course welcome to turn their camera off whenever they need to, but it is a community norm for cameras to be on most of the time. You can learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
You can enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting by clicking the CC button at the bottom of the screen. If you'd like to access the transcript after class, please make sure to let your instructor ahead of time that you'd like a copy.