Sundance Research Paper
MFS E299 – Sundance Film Festival and the Independent Film Market
Research Paper Guidelines
Professors Corna and Phillips
E-term 2021
I. PAPER TOPIC
This paper assignment requires you to select a Sundance film from the past and to trace its run from pre-production to final distribution and reception. Your research will be a case study that examines how a film’s run at Sundance affected its distribution, critical acclaim, box office success, and legacy.
This is not designed to be a critical evaluation of the film, but some formal and stylistic filmmaking choices are important to discuss in context with how the film is marketed and received by audiences. A major goal of this assignment is the thorough understanding of independent film marketing approaches rather than a general summary of historical facts.
Your film choice must be approved by the instructors by January 8th (the end of the first full week of class).
It is very important to discuss your ideas and progress with the instructors often.
II. GUIDELINES
Your paper will need to contain a clear thesis statement in the opening paragraph. You are basically posing a question or telling your reader what you want to explore in your paper. What does “indie” or “independent” mean to you? And how does your film fit into the array of indie films over the past few decades?
Your opening should be followed by a brief review of previous scholars and writers and what they have said or written about the film. You should also include key terms, definitions, and biographical information about the key people and companies involved. This section is an opportunity to set up your own research. You might be building on someone else’s opinions, arguing against them, or some combination of both.
The main body of your paper should stay focused on your thesis. This section will likely be the bulk of your paper. Use great detail in your descriptions about how the filmmakers, producers, and/or executives planned to market the film and if/how their plans worked.
To conclude your paper, you may briefly reiterate your thesis, but avoid being too repetitive. Your conclusion is not meant to be a summary of your paper. Instead, add your personal insights or opinions that you have gained through your analysis.
III. TECHNICAL GUIDELINES
Papers should be 4-5 full pages, with standard margins, 12-point font, double-spaced.
Use MLA style for all citations (if you strongly prefer a different writing style, please speak with Professor Corna or Phillips first). See examples on the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) website. All ideas and quotes that are not your own must be attributed properly.
Although this course is not a writing class, please be as professional as possible. Your writing will also be graded for spelling, grammar, and formatting. You should take advantage of the Writing Center, located in the Humanities Center 102 (if it’s open during January). They offer one-on-one assistance for student writers. Peer tutors spend thirty minutes to an hour per appointment, and there is no limit to the number of tutoring sessions you can have. Visit the Writing Center website at http://www.bsc.edu/academics/arc/writing.cfm for more information, email writingcenter@bsc.edu to make an appointment.
See the detailed rubric below to get an idea of how papers will be graded.
All papers must be submitted via Turnitin on Moodle by January 17th at 5:00 pm.
========================================
MFS E299 – Paper Grading Form Name:
Your paper is graded based on two major criteria: conceptual (70%) and technical (30%).
The conceptual component is a subjective evaluation from the instructor, based on your demonstration of understanding of the goal of this assignment and your resulting research. A major goal of this assignment is the thorough understanding of independent film marketing approaches rather than a general summary of historical facts.
The technical component of your grade is based on the rubric below. A check (✓) indicates an adequate performance. A double check (✓✓) indicates an outstanding performance. The following marks correspond to the following point deductions:
NI = Needs Improvement (-1)
X = Needs Rewriting (-2)
XX = Completely Deficient (-4)
LANGUAGE MECHANICS
Proper spelling.
Strong vocabulary and word choices.
Proper punctuation (periods, commas, quotation marks, foreign characters, etc.).
Use tenses consistently. Generally, use present tense to describe action in films (e.g., “Director
Robert Wiene uses depth in the frame to build suspense…” Use past-tense verbs when referring to actions that took place in the past (e.g., “Eisenstein was a proponent of the new Communist government.”). When describing the text from books, you may use either past or present tense, but keep it consistent (e.g., “Bazin states…” or “Bazin stated…”).
Avoid passive voice and using forms of “to be” (is, there is, there are, etc.).
Construct articulate sentences. Avoid fragments and short, choppy sentences, but at the same time
eliminate excessive adverbs and adjectives that do little to contribute to the sentence’s purpose.
THE INTRODUCTION
Include a brief, interesting beginning, focused on the theme of your paper.
Include a statement of the theme or argument of your paper.
Include a literature review or summary of the major ideas from pertinent film theorists.
MAIN BODY
Organize your paper into a logical structure (e.g., by theme, or by film).
Make connections between the theories and the films you are analyzing.
CONCLUSION
Provide a short conclusion based on the evidence you have presented.
Avoid repetitive summaries or statements that do not reflect evidence from your primary sources
(although you may offer a brief statement on potential ramifications of your evidence or limitations of your study).
CITATIONS
Use the proper citation format (either parentheticals, footnotes, or endnotes) and Works Cited list
for all sources. Use Italics for books and feature-length films in the body of your writing.
Include attributions so that the source of each quote is clear.
When referring to a source more than once, you may abbreviate it after the first citation as long as
the source is clear to the reader.
Do not rely too heavily on quotations from theorists or historians. Reserve direct quotes for film
dialogue or from directors, actors, etc.
Avoid using block quotations unless they are vital for your reader to see. If block quotes must be
used, follow MLA format.
PAGE FORMAT, PAPER LENGTH AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Number the pages in your paper on the top right
Page margins must be consistent—1-inch margins on top, bottom, left, and right.
Use standard type and font (e.g., Times New Roman 12) and double-spacing.
Follow the guidelines for this assignment (5-6 pages).
Include a title page or header which includes your paper’s title, your name, course number,
professor’s name, and date.
TOTAL GRADE:
CONCEPTUAL:
TECHNICAL:
MFS E299 – Sundance Film Festival and the Independent Film Market
Research Paper Guidelines
Professors Corna and Phillips
E-term 2021
I. PAPER TOPIC
This paper assignment requires you to select a Sundance film from the past and to trace its run from pre-production to final distribution and reception. Your research will be a case study that examines how a film’s run at Sundance affected its distribution, critical acclaim, box office success, and legacy.
This is not designed to be a critical evaluation of the film, but some formal and stylistic filmmaking choices are important to discuss in context with how the film is marketed and received by audiences. A major goal of this assignment is the thorough understanding of independent film marketing approaches rather than a general summary of historical facts.
Your film choice must be approved by the instructors by January 8th (the end of the first full week of class).
It is very important to discuss your ideas and progress with the instructors often.
II. GUIDELINES
Your paper will need to contain a clear thesis statement in the opening paragraph. You are basically posing a question or telling your reader what you want to explore in your paper. What does “indie” or “independent” mean to you? And how does your film fit into the array of indie films over the past few decades?
Your opening should be followed by a brief review of previous scholars and writers and what they have said or written about the film. You should also include key terms, definitions, and biographical information about the key people and companies involved. This section is an opportunity to set up your own research. You might be building on someone else’s opinions, arguing against them, or some combination of both.
The main body of your paper should stay focused on your thesis. This section will likely be the bulk of your paper. Use great detail in your descriptions about how the filmmakers, producers, and/or executives planned to market the film and if/how their plans worked.
To conclude your paper, you may briefly reiterate your thesis, but avoid being too repetitive. Your conclusion is not meant to be a summary of your paper. Instead, add your personal insights or opinions that you have gained through your analysis.
III. TECHNICAL GUIDELINES
Papers should be 4-5 full pages, with standard margins, 12-point font, double-spaced.
Use MLA style for all citations (if you strongly prefer a different writing style, please speak with Professor Corna or Phillips first). See examples on the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) website. All ideas and quotes that are not your own must be attributed properly.
Although this course is not a writing class, please be as professional as possible. Your writing will also be graded for spelling, grammar, and formatting. You should take advantage of the Writing Center, located in the Humanities Center 102 (if it’s open during January). They offer one-on-one assistance for student writers. Peer tutors spend thirty minutes to an hour per appointment, and there is no limit to the number of tutoring sessions you can have. Visit the Writing Center website at http://www.bsc.edu/academics/arc/writing.cfm for more information, email writingcenter@bsc.edu to make an appointment.
See the detailed rubric below to get an idea of how papers will be graded.
All papers must be submitted via Turnitin on Moodle by January 17th at 5:00 pm.
========================================
MFS E299 – Paper Grading Form Name:
Your paper is graded based on two major criteria: conceptual (70%) and technical (30%).
The conceptual component is a subjective evaluation from the instructor, based on your demonstration of understanding of the goal of this assignment and your resulting research. A major goal of this assignment is the thorough understanding of independent film marketing approaches rather than a general summary of historical facts.
The technical component of your grade is based on the rubric below. A check (✓) indicates an adequate performance. A double check (✓✓) indicates an outstanding performance. The following marks correspond to the following point deductions:
NI = Needs Improvement (-1)
X = Needs Rewriting (-2)
XX = Completely Deficient (-4)
LANGUAGE MECHANICS
Proper spelling.
Strong vocabulary and word choices.
Proper punctuation (periods, commas, quotation marks, foreign characters, etc.).
Use tenses consistently. Generally, use present tense to describe action in films (e.g., “Director
Robert Wiene uses depth in the frame to build suspense…” Use past-tense verbs when referring to actions that took place in the past (e.g., “Eisenstein was a proponent of the new Communist government.”). When describing the text from books, you may use either past or present tense, but keep it consistent (e.g., “Bazin states…” or “Bazin stated…”).
Avoid passive voice and using forms of “to be” (is, there is, there are, etc.).
Construct articulate sentences. Avoid fragments and short, choppy sentences, but at the same time
eliminate excessive adverbs and adjectives that do little to contribute to the sentence’s purpose.
THE INTRODUCTION
Include a brief, interesting beginning, focused on the theme of your paper.
Include a statement of the theme or argument of your paper.
Include a literature review or summary of the major ideas from pertinent film theorists.
MAIN BODY
Organize your paper into a logical structure (e.g., by theme, or by film).
Make connections between the theories and the films you are analyzing.
CONCLUSION
Provide a short conclusion based on the evidence you have presented.
Avoid repetitive summaries or statements that do not reflect evidence from your primary sources
(although you may offer a brief statement on potential ramifications of your evidence or limitations of your study).
CITATIONS
Use the proper citation format (either parentheticals, footnotes, or endnotes) and Works Cited list
for all sources. Use Italics for books and feature-length films in the body of your writing.
Include attributions so that the source of each quote is clear.
When referring to a source more than once, you may abbreviate it after the first citation as long as
the source is clear to the reader.
Do not rely too heavily on quotations from theorists or historians. Reserve direct quotes for film
dialogue or from directors, actors, etc.
Avoid using block quotations unless they are vital for your reader to see. If block quotes must be
used, follow MLA format.
PAGE FORMAT, PAPER LENGTH AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Number the pages in your paper on the top right
Page margins must be consistent—1-inch margins on top, bottom, left, and right.
Use standard type and font (e.g., Times New Roman 12) and double-spacing.
Follow the guidelines for this assignment (5-6 pages).
Include a title page or header which includes your paper’s title, your name, course number,
professor’s name, and date.
TOTAL GRADE:
CONCEPTUAL:
TECHNICAL:
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