Writing Assignment: Media Analysis

For this media analysis, you will analyze how one part affects the whole media production.

Note that you should select only a single piece of media; you should not be discussing more

than one film, for example. You should choose one1 of the following parts to explore:

 Genre: Explain how the production you chose fits into its genre.

 Camera: Analyze how the camera’s use (camera angles, for instance) affects the

overall production.

 Lighting: Describe how lighting is used to enhance or detract from the production.

 Actors/Characters: Analyze how the actors OR the characters themselves enhance or

detract from the production.

 Symbols: Explain what the symbols are and how their usage affects the overall

production.

 Music: Describe how the music enhances or detracts from the media production.

 Sound Effects: Analyze how the sound effects enhance or detract from the

production.

 Special Effects: Explain what special effects are used and how they affect the viewing

experience.

 Comparison to a Literary Work: (Note: This option may only be chosen if the film you

chose is also in print form.) How are the book and film similar? How are they

different? Which is better, and why?

Your purpose in this assignment is to explain how or why something works; therefore, you

should not include a full summary of the media production. Instead, you can provide context

where needed so the reader understands what is happening. The body of the essay must focus on your analysis. You can use the ideas contained in the Media Analysis lesson

presentation and the Writer’s Handbook link to help you.

As with all college writing, your essay should have a strong thesis statement in addition to an

introduction, body, and conclusion.

Other than your chosen film, television show, and/or book, you are required to cite at least

one other credible2 source for this essay. This resource from the course will help you

understand more about evaluating sources. Moreover, if you use specific information from

the media production and/or print source, such as a quotations, you should include your

chosen media source on your Works Cited page, too. Use proper parenthetical citations or

signal phrases, and be sure to include MLA documentation and a Works Cited page for this

assignment (this resource from the course will help).

Review the rubric to see how your work will be assessed on this assignment.

Thesis hints: You might use these guidelines in crafting your thesis:

If you are analyzing elements in a production:

In (add your one chosen production), (add character 1), (add character 2), and (add character 3) were

used to (add how they enhanced the production or explained the production’s message).

OR

If you are comparing/contrasting a book and film:

(Add book) contained (add one aspect that made the book better than the film), but (add film) used

(add one aspect that made the film better than the book) and (add a second aspect that made the

film better than the book) to better capture the reader’s imagination.

Here are more specific thesis guidelines:

If you are analyzing elements in a production:

In the movie The Lorax, the characters Lorax, Once-ler, and Alocius O’Hare were used to show how

environmentalists are fighting against profit-driven industries that are harming the environment and

depleting natural resources.

The guidelines for this assignment are as follows:

Length: This assignment should be at least 500 words.

Header: Include a header in the upper left-hand corner of your writing assignment with the

following information:

 Your first and last name

 Course Title (Composition II)

 Assignment name (Media Analysis)

 Current Date

Format:

 MLA-style source documentation and Works Cited3

 Your last name and page number in the upper-right corner of each page

 Double-spacing throughout

 Standard font (TimesNewRoman, Calibri)

 Title, centered after heading

 1” margins on all sides

 Save the file using one of the following extensions: .docx, .doc, .rtf, or .txt

Underline your thesis statement in the introductory paragraph.