Here are the instructions and guidelines for each of the 14 components of complete projects on individual films. Students who wish to contribute projects for inclusion in this archive should provide all the components and follow the format described here. In addition, however, we would be pleased to link to similar projects that use a modification of our format or a different format altogether. Our suggestion is that contributors think, in general, of drafting the pieces of their projects in the order that they are listed here, for we begin with immersion in the film itself, then widen to contextual critical material on both the historical topic and the film as the research base for the original scene analysis and issue essay, before winding down with material that leads to further study. And some of the instructions and guidelines assume that students have been working through the list in this order.
Filmography: such basic facts about the films as the names of the studio, the filmmakers, the actors, and awards.
Synopsis: an outline of the plot with a focus on its historical subject, aimed especially at an audience unfamiliar with the film or the subject.
Source: an indication of the basis for the historical information in the film (this section probably cannot be finalized until the research for the historical and filmic context sections has been completed).
Scene Log: a scene-by-scene breakdown with time marks for easy reference to any part of the film.
Key Passages: a transcription of some important parts of dialogue likely to be referred to in discussions of the film.
Reviews: a sampling of contemporary response to the film through an annotated list of reviews.
Historical Context: an original encyclopedia-type essay on the historical subject of the film plus an annotated list of print, video, and online resources on the historical subject for further study.
Filmic Context: an annotated list of print, video, and online resources to enable further study of the film itself, that is, resources for studying the representation of the historical subject.
Scene Analysis: a short original essay on an important scene in the film.
Issue Essay: a longer original essay on an issue in the study of film and history that the film raises.
Comparison Films: suggestions for viewing and studying other films on the same or a similar historical topic.
Image Gallery: a few pertinent images from or related to the film or to the historical subject.
Sound Bites: a selection of quotes about the historical subject or the film designed to stir discussion.
Works Cited: a compilation of the resources cited in the Reviews, Historical Context, and Filmic Context sections.
