ATIN AMERICA GOES TO THE MOVIES
VIDEO ESSAY PROJECT
1 minute video sample (for Sumitt)
5 minute Student Sample (from a previous class)
What exactly is a video essay?[1]
As part of our course, you will craft an essay that critically analyzes films related to our topic: contemporary cinema from Latin America. Unlike the traditional writing assignments in other courses, you will present this analysis as a short audiovisual essay. Video essays, also referred to as videographic criticism, have emerged in the past decade as a new form of Film Studies research. The video essay format allows us to write about and analyze movies using the very same audiovisual medium of film! Not only can we use the images and sounds from the films in question, the video essay also opens up new possibilities of expression for our analysis. We will attend a training session with experts at IT to learn how to navigate the basics tools on iMovie. You are free to use any other editing programs, but IT cannot guarantee technical assistance.
You will craft an essay that critically analyzes 1 or 2 films related to contemporary Latin American cinema. By working with the very images and sounds from the films in question, the video essay opens up new possibilities of expression for our analysis. The video essay will include a variety of scaffolded components designed to help you complete the project and reflect critically throughout the process about your understanding of Latin American cinema, from both a personal standpoint and within a broader academic framework. All these components together will count for 35% of your final grade.
Here’s a exhaustive list of films from Latin America.
What is the process of creating a video essay like?
I cannot assume that everyone has the same background in either digital editing or research methodology. Furthermore, writing, research and video editing all benefit from collaboration, peer review, and drafts before the final product is complete. For these reasons, our course has been designed with low stakes learn by doing activities (individual and in pairs/small groups), peer review exercises, and scaffolded assignments that will build towards the final video essay. You are encouraged (and in some cases will be required) to brainstorm ideas with one another and the professor, to workshop your writing, to problem solve technical glitches, and to share practical advice for cutting and editing. During the month of April, there will be dedicated time during class to workshop and develop your video essay.
Who will see my video essay?
In addition to submitting the video essay to me and sharing the final result with your peers, students will present their video essays at the conference they will attend (Foundations Summit or Latin American and Caribbean Symposium). You, of course, will have 100% control regarding publication of the video essay on a public forum; and you do not need to make that decision until the semester is over.
I don’t really understand what a video essay is… Can you show me some examples?
Spoken like a true film critic! To see and hear is to understand. Here are some examples of video essays created by students and scholars in Latin American Film Studies. Please remember that the length, narration, and other requirements for our video essay may be different from these specific examples.
o On Auteurism and Roma
https://reframe.sussex.ac.uk/mediatico/2018/12/24/special-dossier-on-roma-memories-of-c-leo-on-auteurism-and-roma/Links to an external site.
o Santa y Teresa: A Walking Dialogue between two Cuban Characters https://vimeo.com/351206225?embedded=true&source=video_title&owner=35164731Links to an external site.
o The Contemporary World Cinema Project provides a collection of video essays by country. https://edspace.american.edu/worldcinema/2021-collection/chile-gloria-2013/Links to an external site.
o Cinema Novo in Modern Era
https://edspace.american.edu/worldcinema/2021-collection/brazil-neighboring-sounds-o-som-ao-redor-2012/Links to an external site.
Where can I see what kind of movies are there, I just started this class?
Videos About Latin American: A List
As part of this course, you will craft an essay that critically analyzes 1 or 2 films related to contemporary Latin American cinema. Unlike the traditional writing assignments in other courses, you will present this analysis as an audiovisual essay, also known as video ensayo. The video essay format allows us to write about and analyze movies using the very same audiovisual medium of film to not only say or write what we think but to show our analysis visually.
By working with the very images and sounds from the films in question, the video essay opens up new possibilities of expression for our analysis. This is a guide with detailed instructions and guidelines for creating your video essay. Video essays, also referred to as videographic criticism, have emerged in the past decade as a new form of Film Studies research. The video essay will include a variety of scaffolded components designed to help you complete the project and reflect critically throughout the process about your understanding of Latin American cinema, from both a personal standpoint and within a broader academic framework. All these components together will count for 35% of your final grade.
The video essay format allows us to write about and analyze movies using the very same audiovisual medium of film! Not only can we use the images and sounds from the films in question, the video essay also opens up new possibilities of expression for our analysis. Writing, research and video editing all benefit from collaboration, peer review, and drafts before the final product is complete. For these reasons, our course has been designed with low stakes learn by doing activities (individual and in pairs/small groups), peer review exercises, and scaffolded assignments that will build towards the final video essay. You are encouraged (and in some cases will be required) to brainstorm ideas with one another and the professor, to workshop your writing, to problem solve technical glitches, and to share practical advice for cutting and editing. During the month of April, there will be dedicated time during class to workshop and develop your video essay.
What do I have to do?
For this initial assignment, you must write a one page summary of what you plan to study in your semester long essay (video essay). In order to do this, you must:
1. Choose a Latin American country and 2 films
The first step is to pick a country. Once you have picked a country, it’s time to pick two films from that country. You are free to choose any film from a Latin American country made after the year 2000. Be strategic about your decision.
Tips for choosing films:
o choose at least one film that we will study during the semester;
o choose a film that you have not watched before or that you watched and did not understand very well;
o consider a film that has been overlooked by the critics, for instance, an experimental or independent movie;
o consider movies from directors that have been recognized by their peers or that have been awarded in film festivals globally or regionally;
o do not evaluate the film based on how much you like it. The best movies to analyze are the ones that intrigue or trouble us.
Once you decide on your film, you must stick to it for the rest of the semester.
Advise: Do your research before you make your choices. What kinds of films have been made in your country over the last 20 years? Have things changed from an earlier period? Is there a film that seems particularly representative from your country – or something that seems very much out of the ordinary? (How do you determine this?) Investigate various films before submitting your choice. (You will be working intimately with these films – so you want to have watched them before you commit to them.)
2. Contextualize your film(s) and its cinema
To start getting a feel for the country you have selected, this first set of research assignments are meant to contextualize some elements before you start research more earnestly.
Cultural, Political and Historical Context: The second part of this assignment is to indicate concurrent historical/political, cultural, and cinematic occurrences. This should be presented as quickly and as dirty as possible; bullet points are OK, and (FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT ONLY) material may be cut-and-pasted from other resources (you should indicate where the information is coming from; Wikipedia is OK for this assignment ONLY); you, however, must organize the chronology in an easily understood manner. The easiest way to organize elements might be by decade, but particular historical or cinematic events may offer up a different division. Some significant historical/political events may require a great amount of space to consider, and yet cinematic elements may be underdeveloped for the same period. DO NOT COVER EVERY HISTORICAL OR CULTURAL OCCURRENCE: pick and choose to determine the major events, and the elements that might influence cinematic development.
This is an example of a chart you could make to help you organize your information:
Screen Shot 2024-01-13 at 11.02.58 AM.png
