IN-CLASS ESSAY INSTRUCTIONS Contents Date Introduction Topic Research Outline Instructions References Structure of Paper Grading of Paper Date In class, Wednesday, November 20 Introduction Read this before you proceed further: 1. This document contains live links to internet material; therefore, access it while online. 2. Make-up for this assignment is only possible with a legitimate documented excuse and only during my office hours. 3. Writing a biography of a director you have not been assigned will earn you an automatic F. You have been warned! 4. Do not send me e-mails if you have questions about this assignment; instead come and see me during my office hours. 5. Bring to class a one-page outline of the paper. See instructions below. Warning: The outline is not optional, so if you don’t bring an outline as prepared per instructions below, you will get an automatic F for the paper. 6. No references can be from anything written by me, nor can it be from Wikipedia or any other encyclopedia. (However, you can consult these materials while doing your research—you just can’t use them as references.) 7. You will hand in the outline together with the sheets of paper that will be provided (which you must number and have your names on all of them) on which you will write your essay neatly arranged. 8. Your in-class essay must be structured as per instructions below. 9. You will not be permitted to use any other materials besides the one-page outline. 10. You will lose points for failing to follow any one or more of these instructions (including the possibility of getting an F). Warning: If you do not 11. Your essay must reflect the references you provide. hand in a proper outline Therefore, do not choose your references willy-nilly. (with references), you will get an automatic F for the paper. Topic As stated in class, your topic for the essay is to write a biography of a black film director as assigned by your last name: so, if your last names, as they appear in school records, begin with any of the letters A-B, then your assignment is Oscar Micheaux; C, then your assignment is John Singleton; D-F, then your assignment is Melvin van Peebles; Page 1 of 4 G-H, then your assignment is Tyler Perry; I-J, then your assignment is Anton Fuqua; K, then your assignment is Carl Franklin; L, then your assignment is F. Gary Gray; M-N, then your assignment is Ryan Coogler; O-R, then your assignment is Jordan Peele; S, then your assignment is Ava DuVernay; T-V, then your assignment is Raoul Peck; W-Z, then your assignment is Amma Asante; WARNING: Writing a biography of a director you have not been assigned will earn you an automatic F. (Yup. I left out Spike Lee because he is too well-known.) Warning: If you do not Research hand in a proper outline (with references), you will If you have difficulty finding materials, please go see a librarian at get an automatic F for the Lockwood Library. paper. Outline Instructions The only item you must bring to class and which you will be allowed to consult is the outline, so pay close attention to these instructions: You will be handing in the outline together with the paper. Therefore at the very top of it indicate your name as it appears in school records, course number, and semester. On the reverse side, list alphabetically five to six relevant references in APA style. Examples are available here. The outline cannot comprise paragraphs of prose. It must be structured in bullet form for all the different sections that make up your paper (see instructions below) , The outline must be detailed enough to serve as a good summary of what you are going to write. Your outline must have headings that correspond to the structure of the Your outline should look something like this paper—see below. There should be no quotations in the outline. It must be typed single-spaced on one side only in 12 point Times Roman. Read this sentence again. On the reverse side of the outline list the five to six relevant references in APA style—see below. NOTE: there are many guides available on the internet on how to produce a research paper outline. One of them is available here. Page 2 of 4 Warning: If you do not References hand in a proper outline You must provide five to six relevant references on the reverse side (with references), you will of the outline. (Suggestion: go see a librarian at the Lockwood Library get an automatic F for the for help in obtaining these references.) paper. Structure of Paper Every academic paper has a coherent structure, based on logic (and a long tradition). Many students find it difficult to come up with one when they are doing their last-minute “stay-up-all- night” papers. To make things really, really easy, I have created a structure for you. Therefore, you must write your paper using the following structure together with the appropriate headings. (You will lose many points for failure to do so.) I. Your introduction to the essay Provide a very brief summary of the early life of the filmmaker. (Use this subheading: Introduction) This should be the shortest section of your paper. II. The body of your essay Describe the life journey of your assigned filmmaker on his/her way to becoming a filmmaker. (Use this subheading: Before Becoming a Filmmaker) (Note: most filmmakers begin their adult lives doing something else before they turn to filmmaking.) Describe the career of your assigned filmmaker as a filmmaker. (Use this subheading: Career as a Filmmaker) Identify any one film made by your assigned filmmaker and describe what kind of reviews the film received from reviewers. (For the subheading use the title of the film) (Note: a good source of film reviews is Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert, and IMDB.) III. Your conclusion Finally, for the conclusion discuss what you have learned about the filmmaker that really impresses you. (Use this subheading: Conclusion.) Page 3 of 4 Grading of Paper While grading your paper, I will be comparing your paper to those of others in class to determine your grade. Approximate points allocation for your paper: 25% for the discussion section; 25% for the conclusion; 25% for the remainder; and 25% for outline and list of references (which must be in APA style). Page 4 of 4 .