Annotated Bibliography
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to develop the skills necessary to locate and critique the kinds of sources required for scholarly writing about film. After completing this assignment, students will be able to a) Use library resources to conduct film research; b) Critically analyze the credibility, argument, and usefulness of sources.
Assignment Requirements
1) Part One: Annotated Bibliography
a. This assignment asks you to find and annotate TEN credible sources related to a film from the syllabus. You may choose to research a film not on the syllabus, but you MUST approve this with me first, and approval of the film is completely at my discretion.
b. Tips for finding sources:
i. Start with the library databases and book catalog. These are your best bet for finding credible, peer-reviewed sources. Our film research librarian, Ielleen Miller , has built a useful research page:
ii. If you're having difficulty finding sources that specifically discuss your film, try expanding your search parameters. Consider searching for the director, studio, genre, actor, etc. These sources might not discuss your particular film, but they can provide you with important contextual information. Be sure to describe these connections in your annotation.
1. Finding peer-reviewed articles will be especially difficult for more recent films. For these films, you'll need to be creative with your
research and focus on contextual materials. For example, if you choose to research Dunkirk, you might need to find sources that
discuss Christopher Nolan, war films, etc.
iii. Scholarly, peer-reviewed sources are preferable, but I will also accept credible popular/journalistic sources. That said, a majority (at least 5) of your sources must be academic/peer-reviewed. Reviews might be credible, but they are not peer-reviewed.
iv. BEGIN THIS PROCESS EARLY. Don't wait until the last minute to start. This assignment is worth 40% of your overall grade, so start working well before the end of the quarter. Research takes time.
c. Annotated bibliography requirements (TEN SOURCES REQUIRED):
i. For each of the ten sources, write a critical annotation. Each annotation should be at least 250 words in length and should include the following:
1. A citation in MLA or Chicago format.
1. An explanation of why the source is credible, i.e. the author is a professor at a university, the source is peer-reviewed, the author
writes for the New York Times (a credible publication), etc.
2. A summary of the main argument(s) and idea(s) of the source.
3. At least TWO key quotes from the source.
4. A description of why this source is valuable to your research and/or how it provides crucial context for the film.
ii. Your annotated bibliography should be in alphabetical order.
d. Example:
i. Diawara, Manthia. "Black American Cinema: The New Realism." In Critical Visions in Film Theory, edited by Timothy Corrigan and Patricia White, 594-609.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, [1993] 2010.
1. Manthia Diawara is a Professor of Cinema Studies at New York University. This essay comes from an anthology of important film essays,
edited by two prominent film scholars. Diawara's narrative and aesthetic analysis locates Boyz N the Hood (1991) within a larger movement of 1980s American film that he terms "new black realism."
These films "provide alternative ways of knowing Black people that differ from the
fixed stereotypes of Blacks in Hollywood. The ideal spectators of the films are those interested in Black people's perspectives on American culture.
White people and Whiteness are marginalized in the films, while central positions are relegated to Black people, Black communities, and diasporic experiences" (598).
Diawara argues that the narrative of Boyz uniquely addresses black spectators through its use of narrative time and aesthetic realism: "These films [of new black realism] produce an effect of realism by creating an overlap between the rite of passage into manhood and the narrative time of the story" (606).
This source is valuable because it provides important information for understanding independent black cinema of the 1980s and 1990s. This source also provides crucial historical, cultural, and aesthetic context that is necessary for fully understanding Boyz N the Hood.
e. Extra Credit Opportunity: Up to 10 points for each additional annotation over the required ten
2) Part Two: Reflection Paragraph(s)
a. After completing your research, write a short (250-500 words) paragraph or two that reflects on how your film engages with issues of the humanities. Draw on everything we've learned and discussed about film and the humanities this quarter.