filled out the work sheet about dramatic convention in BARN BURNING (SCENES OF JUSTICE AND INJUSTICE SUCH AS CAMERA ANGLE, LIGHTING, ACTING CHOICES) THE EXAMPLE AND AND INSTRUCTION IN THE SHEET AND THEN write a paragraph about occurrences of your dramatic convention in your chosen film. Again, this will be a primary source paragraph, so you do not need to bring any research other than common knowledge about your film (date, director) and your list of instances of your dramatic convention in the film Specific Instructions: Your Primary Source ParagraphWrite only ONE paragraph. Standard academic paragraphs are usually no fewer than 8 sentences long, and no more than 24 sentences long. Writing too long is just as bad as writing too short, though you can write a long first draft and then edit it down for length. A single paragraph means that you indent once, at the start of the paragraph, but do not indent again.Start the paragraph with your version of this topic sentences:[Film Title], a film of [author’s] [“Short Story,”] uses [Dramatic Convention.]Eg., Bernice Bobs Her Hair, a film of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story, uses mirror shots. OR, Elephants, a film version of Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Hills Like White Elephants,” uses Dawson Casting.In a sentence or two, introduce the most important elements of the film: Eg. Produced in 1976 as part of a project from Films for the Humanities, this story stars Shelley Duvall as Bernice, a Jazz-age girl who is not very popular until she considers a haircut. If it’s not common knowledge, define the dramatic convention (If you use someone else’s definition, use quotation marks!) Eg. Dawson Casting is the Hollywood habit of casting adults to play teenaged roles. Develop the paragraph by giving examples of the dramatic convention from the story in question. Unless you are using a convention that only happens once in the film, you want to have a minimum of 3 examples (and a maximum of 7), each with its own timestamp. You may want to include a quote from the film or the story as a “landmark” for the scene you are referencing, but you do not have to.
primary_research_worksheet__1_.docx
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“Primary Research” Worksheet:
__________________________ in _____________________________________.
[Dramatic Convention]
[Title of Film]
Based on: ___________________________ by ___________________________.
[“Title of Short Story”]
[Author]
Date the film was made:
Writer of the Screenplay:
Director:
Production Company (find either on IMDB or at the start of the film):
List main characters and the actors who played them:
List of Instances of Dramatic Convention (with time-stamps for each):
Note: If you are analyzing a dramatic convention that is present throughout the film (such as “black and white film”) or occurs more than a dozen times
(such as “subtitles”), give time-stamps of the 4 to 8 moments when it seems most important / powerful / telling. If you are analyzing a dramatic
convention that only occurs once in the film (such as “dolly zoom”), then give the time-stamp for that single occurrence, plus time-stamps for the 4 to 8
most important moments in the plot of the film.
EXAMPLE “Primary Research” Worksheet:
Mirror Shots in Bernice Bobs Her Hair
Based on “Bernice Bobs Her Hair” by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Date the film was made: 1976
Writer of the Screenplay: Joan Micklin Silver
Director: also Joan Micklin Silver
Production Company: Learning in Focus
List main characters and the actors who played them:
•
•
•
Bernice: Shelley Duvall
Marjorie: Veronica Cartwright
Warren: Bud Cort
List of Instances of Dramatic Convention (with time-stamps for each):
1:07 – Our first view of Marjorie (and Genevieve) is in the mirror at the party. It continues to 1:31, as
the girls discuss makeup and boys, without us ever seeing the girls themselves – only their reflection.
1:33 – We see Bernice (no mirror)
1:59 – Two more girls have appeared in the background, one to complain to Marjorie about her
brother Otis being “stuck with your cousin for over an hour.”
2:05 – At that point Bernice walks in and we see her REFLECTION from a side mirror in the reflection
of the main mirror, and then see her reflection in the main mirror as well – a double Bernice!
2:15-2:36 – Bernice takes Marjorie’s place beside Genevieve, in front of the main mirror (again, we’re
barely seeing any of the real women – only reflections and bits of hands). Bernice complains about
the heat.
2:49 – back to Bernice (from the scene of Marjorie outside) as Genevieve and her friend head out,
leaving Bernice alone in front of the mirror until 2:56.
6:41 – Cut to Marjorie & her Mother doing their hair together: “She’s ruining my summer!” We see
Marjorie from the back, and her reflection from the front. Marjorie complains about how boring Bernice
is. Mother is NOT looking in the mirror at all and isn’t reflected; she’s facing a different direction from a
corner.
7:40 – Bernice, slinking back to her own room, sits in front of the mirror (until 7:44) but DOES NOT
LOOK AT HERSELF. She looks to the side. She looks down. She’s not facing what she is.
12:23 – When Bernice stands to leave her room and see “young Draycott Dano” (sp?) we see the
back of her head reflected, but mostly just see her.
13:52 – A new scene starts, with Marjorie getting home from the movies and finding Bernice sitting in
the corner chair of her room (where her mother was) with no chance of seeing her reflection. Marjorie
confidently moves in front of the mirror.
14:14 – Majorie turns away from the mirror to ask “Do you mean it?” and “You’ll do everything I tell
you to do.” She’s thinking outside herself. The whole rest of the scene, with her giving Bernice advice,
is done without the mirror.
The mirror reappears (18:19) in the bedroom as Marjorie advices Bernice to use cream “on your face,
on your hands, your elbows, your knees.” Bernice, tellingly, is using a jellybean as lipstick, just as
Marjorie did in the first scene. It is here that Marjorie suggests bobbing Bernice’s hair “would make a
terrific line” (19:04)
19:13 – Marjorie sets name cards for their dinner party. A mirror in the background reflects the back of
hers and Bernice’s heads as Marjorie dispenses more advice. But as Marjorie heads upstairs, leaving
Bernice to herself, Bernice shrinks back – which takes her further away from the mirror! (19:38) To
face company, she must cross in front of the mirrors (19:52).
20:20 – “I want to talk to you for a minute.” Marjorie steers Bernice past a mirror to take her into the
pantry and complain that “You aren’t even trying!”
35:36 – as the car pulls up in front of the Barber Shop, we see the car through the window and the
reflection of the car in the mirror. The main mirror reflects the kids getting out of the car, and we move
closer to the mirror as they enter. We see Bernice and the others in the foreground, the mirror in the
background.
The barber hardly looks in the mirror.
37:50 – Bernice takes one last, longing look at her long hair before being turned away from the mirror.
As the snick snick noise of the haircut continues, we DON’T see the mirror. We see individuals looking
uncomfortable, especially Marjorie (a bit of her is reflected from behind in a much smaller mirror) and
Warren, but really all of them. Even the second barber is shown – all without use of the mirror that
dominates one wall.
38:48 – “Well I guess that’s it, Miss.” And we see Bernice’s reflection only as she’s turned to face the
mirror with her new short hair. Warren leans into the frame of the mirror, looking stunned.
39:05 – The camera pulls back and Bernice turns around, so we can see her face on instead of a
reflection. “How do you like it?” We see Bernice face on, but the others we can see are reflectsion –
and most of them don’t speak. Off-screen voices assure her it looks “It’s… different” and “It’s… it’s
really interesting” and “It looks… fine.” “Yeah, that’s it Bernice. It looks fine.” (39:13). Warren’s
reflection says “Bravo.” Roberta’s reflection says she thinks it looks “real sweet” and that she likes it.
But Bernice is the only real girl there (and she’s sad as well as separate).
40:50 – Bernice in front of her bedroom mirror, sadly brushing her shorn hair. We ONLY see her
reflection. Marjorie’s reflection joins her, apologizes, makes suggestions.
42:08 – “Well… goodnight, Bernice.” “Goodnight, Marjorie.” And M’s reflection vanishes as the side of
her head passes in front of the camera. Bernice stares at her reflection a moment longer….
…
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