college essay about filmmaking

The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Film Analysis

What this handout is about.

This handout introduces film analysis and and offers strategies and resources for approaching film analysis assignments.

Writing the film analysis essay

Writing a film analysis requires you to consider the composition of the film—the individual parts and choices made that come together to create the finished piece. Film analysis goes beyond the analysis of the film as literature to include camera angles, lighting, set design, sound elements, costume choices, editing, etc. in making an argument. The first step to analyzing the film is to watch it with a plan.

Watching the film

First it’s important to watch the film carefully with a critical eye. Consider why you’ve been assigned to watch a film and write an analysis. How does this activity fit into the course? Why have you been assigned this particular film? What are you looking for in connection to the course content? Let’s practice with this clip from Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958). Here are some tips on how to watch the clip critically, just as you would an entire film:

Give the clip your undivided attention at least once. Pay close attention to details and make observations that might start leading to bigger questions.
Watch the clip a second time. For this viewing, you will want to focus specifically on those elements of film analysis that your class has focused on, so review your course notes. For example, from whose perspective is this clip shot? What choices help convey that perspective? What is the overall tone, theme, or effect of this clip?
Take notes while you watch for the second time. Notes will help you keep track of what you noticed and when, if you include timestamps in your notes. Timestamps are vital for citing scenes from a film!

For more information on watching a film, check out the Learning Center’s handout on watching film analytically . For more resources on researching film, including glossaries of film terms, see UNC Library’s research guide on film & cinema .

Brainstorming ideas

Once you’ve watched the film twice, it’s time to brainstorm some ideas based on your notes. Brainstorming is a major step that helps develop and explore ideas. As you brainstorm, you may want to cluster your ideas around central topics or themes that emerge as you review your notes. Did you ask several questions about color? Were you curious about repeated images? Perhaps these are directions you can pursue.

If you’re writing an argumentative essay, you can use the connections that you develop while brainstorming to draft a thesis statement . Consider the assignment and prompt when formulating a thesis, as well as what kind of evidence you will present to support your claims. Your evidence could be dialogue, sound edits, cinematography decisions, etc. Much of how you make these decisions will depend on the type of film analysis you are conducting, an important decision covered in the next section.

After brainstorming, you can draft an outline of your film analysis using the same strategies that you would for other writing assignments. Here are a few more tips to keep in mind as you prepare for this stage of the assignment:

Make sure you understand the prompt and what you are being asked to do. Remember that this is ultimately an assignment, so your thesis should answer what the prompt asks. Check with your professor if you are unsure.
In most cases, the director’s name is used to talk about the film as a whole, for instance, “Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo .” However, some writers may want to include the names of other persons who helped to create the film, including the actors, the cinematographer, and the sound editor, among others.
When describing a sequence in a film, use the literary present. An example could be, “In Vertigo , Hitchcock employs techniques of observation to dramatize the act of detection.”
Finding a screenplay/script of the movie may be helpful and save you time when compiling citations. But keep in mind that there may be differences between the screenplay and the actual product (and these differences might be a topic of discussion!).
Go beyond describing basic film elements by articulating the significance of these elements in support of your particular position. For example, you may have an interpretation of the striking color green in Vertigo , but you would only mention this if it was relevant to your argument. For more help on using evidence effectively, see the section on “using evidence” in our evidence handout .

Also be sure to avoid confusing the terms shot, scene, and sequence. Remember, a shot ends every time the camera cuts; a scene can be composed of several related shots; and a sequence is a set of related scenes.

Different types of film analysis

As you consider your notes, outline, and general thesis about a film, the majority of your assignment will depend on what type of film analysis you are conducting. This section explores some of the different types of film analyses you may have been assigned to write.

Semiotic analysis

Semiotic analysis is the interpretation of signs and symbols, typically involving metaphors and analogies to both inanimate objects and characters within a film. Because symbols have several meanings, writers often need to determine what a particular symbol means in the film and in a broader cultural or historical context.

For instance, a writer could explore the symbolism of the flowers in Vertigo by connecting the images of them falling apart to the vulnerability of the heroine.

Here are a few other questions to consider for this type of analysis:

What objects or images are repeated throughout the film?
How does the director associate a character with small signs, such as certain colors, clothing, food, or language use?
How does a symbol or object relate to other symbols and objects, that is, what is the relationship between the film’s signs?

Many films are rich with symbolism, and it can be easy to get lost in the details. Remember to bring a semiotic analysis back around to answering the question “So what?” in your thesis.

Narrative analysis

Narrative analysis is an examination of the story elements, including narrative structure, character, and plot. This type of analysis considers the entirety of the film and the story it seeks to tell.

For example, you could take the same object from the previous example—the flowers—which meant one thing in a semiotic analysis, and ask instead about their narrative role. That is, you might analyze how Hitchcock introduces the flowers at the beginning of the film in order to return to them later to draw out the completion of the heroine’s character arc.

To create this type of analysis, you could consider questions like:

How does the film correspond to the Three-Act Structure: Act One: Setup; Act Two: Confrontation; and Act Three: Resolution?
What is the plot of the film? How does this plot differ from the narrative, that is, how the story is told? For example, are events presented out of order and to what effect?
Does the plot revolve around one character? Does the plot revolve around multiple characters? How do these characters develop across the film?

When writing a narrative analysis, take care not to spend too time on summarizing at the expense of your argument. See our handout on summarizing for more tips on making summary serve analysis.

Cultural/historical analysis

One of the most common types of analysis is the examination of a film’s relationship to its broader cultural, historical, or theoretical contexts. Whether films intentionally comment on their context or not, they are always a product of the culture or period in which they were created. By placing the film in a particular context, this type of analysis asks how the film models, challenges, or subverts different types of relations, whether historical, social, or even theoretical.

For example, the clip from Vertigo depicts a man observing a woman without her knowing it. You could examine how this aspect of the film addresses a midcentury social concern about observation, such as the sexual policing of women, or a political one, such as Cold War-era McCarthyism.

A few of the many questions you could ask in this vein include:

How does the film comment on, reinforce, or even critique social and political issues at the time it was released, including questions of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality?
How might a biographical understanding of the film’s creators and their historical moment affect the way you view the film?
How might a specific film theory, such as Queer Theory, Structuralist Theory, or Marxist Film Theory, provide a language or set of terms for articulating the attributes of the film?

Take advantage of class resources to explore possible approaches to cultural/historical film analyses, and find out whether you will be expected to do additional research into the film’s context.

Mise-en-scène analysis

A mise-en-scène analysis attends to how the filmmakers have arranged compositional elements in a film and specifically within a scene or even a single shot. This type of analysis organizes the individual elements of a scene to explore how they come together to produce meaning. You may focus on anything that adds meaning to the formal effect produced by a given scene, including: blocking, lighting, design, color, costume, as well as how these attributes work in conjunction with decisions related to sound, cinematography, and editing. For example, in the clip from Vertigo , a mise-en-scène analysis might ask how numerous elements, from lighting to camera angles, work together to present the viewer with the perspective of Jimmy Stewart’s character.

To conduct this type of analysis, you could ask:

What effects are created in a scene, and what is their purpose?
How does this scene represent the theme of the movie?
How does a scene work to express a broader point to the film’s plot?

This detailed approach to analyzing the formal elements of film can help you come up with concrete evidence for more general film analysis assignments.

Reviewing your draft

Once you have a draft, it’s helpful to get feedback on what you’ve written to see if your analysis holds together and you’ve conveyed your point. You may not necessarily need to find someone who has seen the film! Ask a writing coach, roommate, or family member to read over your draft and share key takeaways from what you have written so far.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Aumont, Jacques, and Michel Marie. 1988. L’analyse Des Films . Paris: Nathan.

Media & Design Center. n.d. “Film and Cinema Research.” UNC University Libraries. Last updated February 10, 2021. https://guides.lib.unc.edu/filmresearch .

Oxford Royale Academy. n.d. “7 Ways to Watch Film.” Oxford Royale Academy. Accessed April 2021. https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/7-ways-watch-films-critically/ .

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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101 Cinema Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Cinema has always been a powerful medium for storytelling, entertainment, and exploring various aspects of society and culture. Whether you are a film student, a cinema enthusiast, or simply someone who appreciates the magic of the silver screen, writing essays on cinema can be an exciting and thought-provoking exercise. To help you get started, here are 101 cinema essay topic ideas and examples that cover a wide range of genres, themes, and perspectives.

The evolution of special effects in cinema: From practical effects to CGI.
The influence of Hollywood on global cinema.
Analyzing the portrayal of mental illness in contemporary films.
The impact of streaming services on the cinema industry.
The representation of gender roles in classic film noir.
The role of music in enhancing the cinematic experience.
The depiction of war in anti-war movies.
Exploring the use of symbolism in Alfred Hitchcock's films.
The representation of race and ethnicity in superhero movies.
The influence of European art cinema on American filmmaking.
The rise of independent cinema and its impact on mainstream films.
The portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters in modern cinema.
Analyzing the portrayal of historical events in biographical films.
The impact of censorship on cinematic creativity.
The portrayal of mental health issues in horror films.
The role of female directors in shaping contemporary cinema.
The representation of disability in cinema: Breaking stereotypes.
Analyzing the use of color in Wes Anderson's films.
The portrayal of addiction in films: Substance abuse and recovery.
The influence of literature on cinematic adaptations.
The role of the auteur theory in film criticism.
The portrayal of aging and mortality in cinema.
The representation of indigenous cultures in cinema.
Analyzing the use of non-linear storytelling in Quentin Tarantino's films.
The impact of the internet on film distribution and piracy.
The depiction of technology in science fiction films: Dystopia or utopia?
The role of the film industry in promoting social change.
Analyzing the portrayal of mental health in animation films.
The representation of war veterans in post-war films.
The influence of Italian neorealism on contemporary cinema.
The portrayal of the American Dream in Hollywood films.
Analyzing the use of silence in silent films.
The representation of disability in animated films.
The role of film festivals in promoting independent cinema.
The impact of globalization on the diversity of cinematic content.
The depiction of crime and justice in film noir.
Analyzing the portrayal of addiction in mainstream cinema.
The representation of indigenous women in cinema.
The influence of French New Wave on modern filmmaking.
The role of sound design in creating suspense in horror films.
The portrayal of LGBTQ+ history in cinema.
Analyzing the use of long takes in contemporary films.
The representation of mental health issues in documentaries.
The impact of product placement on cinema and consumerism.
The depiction of post-apocalyptic worlds in science fiction films.
The role of costume design in historical epics.
Analyzing the portrayal of political corruption in cinema.
The representation of women in action films.
The influence of German expressionism on horror cinema.
The role of cinematography in capturing emotions in romantic films.
The portrayal of disability in superhero movies.
Analyzing the use of lighting in film noir.
The representation of LGBTQ+ relationships in romantic comedies.
The impact of film remakes on audience reception.
The depiction of mental health institutions in cinema.
The influence of Asian cinema on Western filmmaking.
The role of film soundtracks in shaping the narrative.
Analyzing the portrayal of addiction in biographical films.
The representation of masculinity in action films.
The impact of the Hollywood studio system on film production.
The depiction of supernatural phenomena in horror films.
The influence of silent cinema on contemporary filmmaking.
The role of production design in creating immersive cinematic worlds.
Analyzing the portrayal of mental health in coming-of-age films.
The representation of disability in romantic dramas.
The impact of 3D technology on cinema.
The depiction of dystopian societies in science fiction films.
The role of makeup and prosthetics in transforming actors.
Analyzing the portrayal of political leaders in historical films.
The representation of women in film criticism.
The influence of African cinema on global filmmaking.
The role of voice-over narration in enhancing storytelling.
The portrayal of mental health in animated children's films.
The impact of film marketing on audience expectations.
The depiction of artificial intelligence in science fiction films.
The representation of LGBTQ+ youth in coming-of-age films.
Analyzing the use of handheld camera in contemporary cinema.
The influence of Mexican cinema on American filmmaking.
The role of editing in creating suspense in thrillers.
The portrayal of disability in war films.
The impact of film censorship on artistic freedom.
The depiction of the future in science fiction films.
The representation of women in the horror genre.
Analyzing the portrayal of mental health in period dramas.
The influence of African-American cinema on representation.
The role of sound effects in creating tension in horror films.
The portrayal of disability in sports films.
The impact of film ratings on audience perception.
The depiction of time travel in science fiction films.
The role of animation in addressing social issues.
Analyzing the portrayal of mental health in science fiction films.
The influence of Iranian cinema on international filmmaking.
The representation of women in science fiction films.
The impact of film criticism on the success of movies.
The depiction of artificial intelligence in thriller films.
The role of documentary filmmaking in raising awareness.
Analyzing the portrayal of mental health in war films.
The influence of Japanese cinema on Western animation.
The representation of women in historical epics.
The impact of film festivals on the recognition of independent filmmakers.
The depiction of virtual reality in science fiction films.

These essay topic ideas and examples should provide you with a solid foundation to start exploring the fascinating world of cinema. Remember to choose a topic that genuinely interests you and allows you to express your own thoughts and analysis. Happy writing, and enjoy the journey through the magic of cinema!

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