How to write a film analysis essay: An ultimate guide

Students can receive various topics for essay writing during their university courses. The assignment can request to write an essay based on the research, personal impressions, or combine these sources. A film analysis essay is a liberating task for students’ creativity, as it allows them to free their imagination and engage in artistic discussion. However, even film analysis essays require careful preparation and should follow general writing rules to reach desired top writing.

How to prepare for writing a film analysis essay

Writing a quality essay from scratch without preparation is tricky, but several preliminary steps can significantly facilitate this task. They are time-consuming, so it is better to start them in advance. However, their completion can save you more time in the future, and you will be able to write your essay smoothly without googling every small detail.

• Watch the film before starting the paper. It may sound obvious, but it is necessary to form your opinion about the film. While reviews and articles from professional critics can be helpful, they cannot substitute your personal impression that will become a basis of an original paper. Even if you do not like this genre or movie style, try to watch it to avoid small yet noticeable mistakes in plot detail and characters’ features. 
• Identify the aspect that you need to cover in your essay. Formulation of the specific task depends on the professor, and they can vary it depending on the course. For example, general writing courses can ask you to express your opinion, while humanities courses can request essays that analyze film within its genre and time of creation or examine sociological and historical aspects demonstrated. Each of these cases requires a specific approach, so consider it when planning the essay.
• Select suitable sources for the essay. Selection of sources is the easiest aspect of writing when you need to focus on your perception. In this case, you need to reference only a film and a database with its information, while other sources are optional. If you need to perform historical or sociological analysis, you should look for academic articles or professional reviews. If you need to compare films or analyze them from an artist’s viewpoint, find several features of the movie or creator’s style to create a solid basis for your conclusions.
• Create an outline. An outline is a short expression of the main ideas you will present in the paper. It is a scheme for a future essay, and it can be useful if you need to remember your plan after a short break. Besides, the outline is the best start for creating a paper structure. 

Organization of a movie analysis essay

Essays that analyze the movie have a pretty similar structure to any other papers, so you can create them with ease if you are an expert writer. However, if you lack broad experience, here are the main features of college and university-level essays. Firstly, you need to divide your thoughts into separate paragraphs. The paragraph should start with a topic sentence that expresses its main thought and shortly explains supporting arguments. You should provide details for these arguments later and ensure that they flow smoothly from one into another. The last sentence of the paragraph should be a restatement of its main thought to remind the reader about your idea.

The introduction and conclusion are valuable parts of a good essay but don’t make them too long. They should stimulate the reader’s interest and provide them with starting information about the movie. An introduction should end with a thesis statement that concentrates on the main idea of your essay. It takes time to formulate a persuasive thesis statement, but this effort is worth it. The thesis demonstrates the writer’s engagement with the topic, affecting the perception of the text. A conclusion should start with the thesis restatement so that you can show the connection between the initial idea and your arguments. 

The recommendations above are quite apparent, and most students who have taken writing courses in the USA have a general understanding of the requirements for an academic paper. Nevertheless, many students who lack time to practice paper writing or are unsure about their proficiency in English need help in completing writing assignments. Cheap sample papers are an excellent way to inspire your writing and polish your skills. CustomWritings essay writing company allows students to buy sample papers for various topics from professional writers. The company website will enable students to specify custom requirements for their order and select desired deadline and complexity level. The writing service can provide valuable assistance and personalized advice for a customer who wants to improve their writing skills and use professional help to improve their writing.

The formal aspect of a film analysis essay

Even if you have a bright idea that can become a vivid thesis supported by persuasive arguments, you need to follow basic writing conventions and formatting rules to ensure that the professor understands the thought expressed. Writing about the film is different from essays on more science-related topics, such as medicine, ecology, or information technologies. However, here are several pieces of advice that can help format your written paper.

1. Use timecodes when referring to the film. You will need to refer to specific scenes or plot details when writing about the film, and it is better to mention the timecode instead of simply specifying them as “a scene where character A kisses character B” or something like that. The same applies to the analysis of the film visuals. If you need to mention the operator’s work, graphics, or special effects, it is better to mark them with timecodes. Some professors can request pasting frames in the essay, but it is better to check this requirement in the instructions before adding them.
2. Check movie referencing rules and use reputable sources. Different referencing styles vary in requirements for information that you need to add to the bibliography entry about the movie. You can use public database services, such as IMDb, to access basic data about the film, such as release year, cast, leading creators, or actors. However, suppose you want to mention additional information, such as awards or festivals where the movie starred. In that case, you should refer to the website of a festival or award-contributing companies. In some cases, information in magazines or newspapers can be suitable too.
3. Use a grammar checker or ask another person to review your essay before submission. Grammar check is the final stage of essay writing, and it is better not to skip it. Even a straight A-grade student can miss a comma or two, which can worsen the overall impression even from the most talented paper. Grammar checkers are available online for free, so choose the most convenient one and ensure that no writing mechanics issues appear in your custom essay.