Reading Film

Your task in class today is to add one paragraph to your cover letter, incorporating an argument that Wild makes in his essay. You should identify one claim Wild makes and apply it to your situation in this class. Remember that Harvey would tell us we need to have evidence and appropriate analysis.

Which Kino-Pravda is most “Vertovian” and why?

What is your favorite part of your video?

What is one thing you would change about how you made your video?

What is one thing you would have done differently in your earlier videos (Observational Documentary and Community Interview)?

What is one thing you discovered in making your video that would help with revising your portfolio?

Look at our “Assessing Kino-Pravdas” post. Which of the four criteria did you do best on? Which worst?

Due Monday 12/20 by 11:59 p.m.

For your final portfolio, include the following in one document that you post on the blog (preferably a pdf document). Post this document by using the “Upload/Insert” buttons at the top of a blog post window. Use the “PORTFOLIO” category. Here is a sample: Sample Portfolio pdf

Cover Letter

Peer Interview Transcript and Reflection

Persuasive Epistolary Essay

One Reading Response (Barthes, Grierson, Sherman, or Vertov)

Annotated Bibliography

Mock Debate-Interview Transcript

Kino-Pravda Script

Film Festival Program Notes

Note that there is a change to the assignment: you should write Program Notes about a peer’s video, not your own.

http://www.austinfilm.org/Page.aspx?pid=686

http://www.austinfilm.org/page.aspx?pid=821

http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/64/64mcnivendwan.php

http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/65/65programnotes.php

In the comments section below, post 3-4 sentences that describe some “features” that Program Notes share.

Together, we will decide on 5 criteria for assessing your Kino-Pravdas, using the three things below. Here is a link to a sample grading rubric

1) In the comments section of this post is the initial freewrite after watching Vertov’s film.

2) In the comments section of this post is where you identified the most important idea in Vertov’s writing.

3) And here is the initial assignment:

Assignment #8: “Kino-Pravda” Film Essay (7-9 minutes)

Thinking back to Dziga Vertov’s practice of kino-pravda or “Film Truth,” your final film project is to make a documentary film essay that synthesizes all of your research and thinking about how your chosen artwork functions in the community, making an argument about the significance of this art. Your film essay might include such things as: a discussion of the history of work, its cultural significance, a technical description of how it works or how it was made, an aesthetic description of its qualities, a cultural description of how it is perceived. You should incorporate your early footage from the “Observational Documentary” and the “Community Interview,” but also add about 5 minutes of contextual and argumentative information described above.

Audience: The Queens College community

Click Here to See Our Criteria

Here are the Simplicity “rules” we came up with in class last week. Let’s see if we can narrow these down:

1. “The secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components.”“What am I trying to say? Have I said it?”

   “Clear thinking becomes clear writing”

2. Don’t include too much fluff, get to the point and don’t take a whole essay to discuss things which have nothing to do with the art work.
   Capture the reader with each sentence/paragraph.
   make sure each sentence flows into the other, each paragraph flows into the other.

3. 1. Avoid clutter. Do not use unnecessary words, pompous frills, and meaningless jargon
   2. Strip every sentence to its barest components. Do not make sentences long and unexciting to read
   3. Writers should ask themselves What am I trying to say?

4. 1. “. . . the secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components”.
   2. “Simplify, simplify”.
   3. “Clear thinking becomes clear writing”.
5. Three rules to writing a good essay according to William Zinsser are:
   1. To get rid of clutter
   2. He says the secret to “good writing” is to make each sentence as clear and straight to the point as possible. The use to unnecessary or complex words can sometimes hinder the overall work.
   3. The writer has to constantly keep in mind what they want to convey. They shouldn’t strain away from the topic.
6. dont use overly smart language
   write in a way that clearly and definitively gets your point across
7. 1. Get rid of all unnecessary words that have no purpose in your writing. “Strip every sentence to its cleanest components”
   2. Make sure that what you are saying gets to the point and doesn’t lose the reader in the clutter. Be careful what you say and how you word it so it is concise. “If the reader is lost, it’s usually because the writer hasn’t been careful enough”
   3. “Writers must therefore constantly ask: What am I trying to say?” Make sure you constantly stay on point and know what you are trying to say.
8. I think the concrete advice would be what he says about “clear thinking becomes clear writing”. He thinks that it is important to make every word and every sentence the most simplest. He suggests that we should revise the sentences we wrote several times because he thinks that good writing doesn’t come at the first time.
9. 1. “The secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components.” – Every sentence should be concise and to the point.
   2. “Clear thinking becomes clear writing.” – If your mind is cluttered with a bunch of ideas, your writing will be too. You have to brainstorm and organize how you will get your ideas across before you start writing.
   3. The main question you should ask yourself while writing is “What am I trying to say?” Make sure that every sentence you write reflects what you are trying to say.
10. 1- “But the secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components.”2- “Clear thinking becomes clear; one can’t exist without the other. It’s impossible for a muddy thinker to write good English.”

    3-

11. 1.“. . . Clear the heads of clutter. Clear thinking becomes clear writing; one can’t exist without the other.”
    2.“The reader is someone with the attention span of about 60 seconds.”
    3.”Strip every sentence to the bare . . .”
12. The secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest component
    Provide links between sentences so the connection is clear
    Keep sentences uncluttered
13. Zinsser gives concrete examples when he compares the writing of a President of a University and Franklyn D Roosevelt. Also when he talkes about the reader and there competence
14. 3 rules
    1) Dont add useless details (clutter)
    2) What am i trying to say
    3) Get to the point

In the comments below, post 3 of your “before and after” sentences.

Here is a post about changing the syllabus, so you’re not confused.

We’re going to push the due date for the Kino-Pravdas back, so that you don’t have to just use shots of turkey and cranberry sauce. Have those posted on the blog by midnight of Nov. 30 (Tuesday).

Also, underneath the YouTube link for your Kino-Pravda, paste the Vertovian script (this can either be your “shooting script” or a description of the shots in your final version).

Instead of discussing Kino-Pravdas on the 29th, we will continue to work on the portfolios. To that class, bring a hard copy of the Persuasive Letter (except Ikey and Brad–who should bring their annotated bibliography).

So:

In the comments section below, post your draft script for your artwork Kino-Pravda.

[update: On this webpage is an image of a “storyboard” Dziga Vertov made. This website has an analysis of the storyboard.]

[This link will take you to an example of one of Eisenstein’s shooting scripts. Note the level of detail.]

[Draft 3 starts at comment 25]