The Blob” Analysis: Overview

Review the following description of a formal film analysis. This is the type of analysis you will be writing for “The Blob” Analysis and Essay 2.

A formal analysis of a film or films requires that the viewer breaks the film down into its component parts and discusses how those parts contribute to the whole. Formal analysis can be understood as taking apart a tractor in a field: you lay out the parts, try to understand the function and purpose of each one, and then put the parts back together.

In order to do a convincing formal analysis, you’ll need to be familiar with certain key terms (See key terms in News). Returning to the tractor analogy: it’s helpful to be able to understand and to use terms like “carburetor” when you take a tractor apart – especially if you hope to explain your process to an onlooker.

(Excerpt from “Writing About Film”, Dartmouth Writing Program. Accessed January 2012)

“The Blob” Analysis: Instructions

This is a body paragraph assignment. Write two paragraphs using the terms in the glossary (the link to which is found on News). Each body paragraph must include all the elements of a full body paragraph (topic sentence, supporting details and examples, and concluding sentence).

Review the key terms.
Watch “The Blob” (viewed in class).

Select several key terms. Group them together by type. For example, if you choose to talk about camera angles, include the terms Medium Shot, Long Shot and Eye Level Shot in the paragraph (you can choose for yourself what terms to discuss). You must discuss at least three terms in your paragraph.
Write two paragraphs that analyzes “The Blob” using the key terms you chose. Be sure to include examples from the video. Each paragraph needs to be a minimum of 200 words and a minimum of five sentences (2 paragraphs at 200+ words = 400+ words total).
Sample Analysis Paragraph

During the YouTube video “The You in University” the Director incorporates different camera shots. Due to the fact that the two minute video was filmed as a documentary, an eye-level-close-up shot is common throughout the film. An eye level-shot requires the cameras view to be eye level with the Actor/Actress in the frame, which is done so the audience can clearly see the interviewee and the emotions they are portraying. In addition to eye-level shots, medium shots were used to center the focus of the character on screen during the scenes in the film that required the camera’s viewpoint to contain a person’s head to their waist; for example, when the Dean of Admissions was interviewed about the Evangels the viewer can see from his head to his knees also incorporating the sophisticated background of bookshelves and trophies into the shot. Throughout this film one can tell when the camera is held in the cinematographer’s hand to achieve a Hand-Held shot and when is set on a table or shelf in order to keep the camera steady on the character in the frame. One of the most effective shots in the film was a reaction shot to the star basketball player walking down a hallway on campus. As he walked by a group of girls came running at him screaming in excitement and asking for his autograph, in the background two elderly women seem to have a look of confusion on their faces.