Thursday, March 5, 2020

Hoffman Midsummer Extra Credit Assignment

Find two people who have the other two focuses (so each group should have one person who focused on mise-en-scene, one on camera shot, and one on sound). Together, choose one scene that stood out to you... (A scene is a section of the film that takes place in a single setting.)

Rewatch the scene (most scenes can be found online by searching for "1999 Midsummer Night's Dream" or "Hoffman Midsummer Night's Dream" and a short description of the scene, i.e. "play within the play", "opening scene", "fight scene", "Titania and Oberon", etc. etc. etc. — or you can rent the movie on Amazon or on YouTube) and take even more notes on the scene.

Each person should write one paragraph about the things they noticed about that scene regarding their focus. What did you notice? How did it affect you? How does the film's editing contribute to the meaning of the film? How did the director's choices complement or supplement the plot? What do you think Michael Hoffman wants you to consider as a viewer?

For more questions that might help you write about the scene, check out these links and find questions that pertain to your focus:

http://faculty.washington.edu/kgb/independent/handouts/film_questions.pdf

http://engagingmedia.info/20-questions-to-ask-when-watching-a-film/

https://www.bethinking.org/Media/PDF/Questionstoconsiderwhenwatchingafilm.pdf

Then, create a three-paragraph document that contains all three paragraphs as well as a short introduction of what scene you chose and what happens in that scene. Type it up, include all three names in the heading, and turn in to Ms. Rear by Friday, March 13.