Exploration of formal and thematic elements of films counts highly here. Less important are essay form and mechanical correctness. Sloppy work and poor proof reading however will be penalized. There is one short formal essay, three pages in length, and one medium length formal essay, six to eight pages in length. They will be evaluated equally on mechanics, expression, structure, and ideas.
Essays are structured papers.
Furthermore, they are written only after having given careful thought to the topic of the essay. They are the result of a lengthy process that involves researching the topic, thinking about various aspects of the topic, giving preliminary form to ideas, writing a working draft, and revising the draft. They should not be turned in without proofing for spelling and other mechanical errors. Evaluation will be based on paper organization and development. I expect papers at this level to be free of mechanical errors.