Discussion Circles for Non-Fiction Film and Video

For each film viewed outside of class, each person will do one of the following jobs:

Discussion Director: This person needs to come with a plan of how he or she wants the group to discuss the film. At a minimum, this person should bring in 10 good, open-ended questions about the film. Note how you want to structure the discussion -- what come first. Think through how you will engage the group participants. Techniques such as asking participants to write down a memorable scene, to provide a visceral reaction to the film as a whole, to discuss possible changes they would make to the film, to connect the film to their own lives, etc. are all worth considering. It is also your job to email any group members who missed the sign-up day to alert them of their job.

Research Associate: It is this person's job to read at least two external reviews of the film and come in ready to make observations about how the film was received critically, what films it is compared to, what other films the film maker has made, the effect of the film on society, issues relating to the film's release or reception, etc. Any ancillary information about the film's topic or the film maker should be included.

Cinematography Critic: This person should come in with specific notes on how this film looks and how this relates to the subject of the film. Specific shots and/or scenes must be noted with an explanation of what they mean.

* Editing/ Structure Critic: This person should consider and reflect on the the editing style of the film as well as the overall structure of the film (macro-editing).

* Audio Critic: This person should come in with specific notes on how the audio of this film -- including music -- affects how the film works. Specific effects and sections of the film should be noted.

* Note: Group membership will rotate; please try to do a different job each time you discuss a film. Over the course of the semester, you should try to do each job at least once. If a group only has four people, one person will be assigned as both the Editing/ Structure Critic and Audio Critic.

On the day of each discussion, you should come prepared with a word processed document (a page or two) containing your planned contribution to the group. If you miss class on the day of a discussion circle, there is no way to make up the work, so please plan accordingly.

Use the following chart to keep track of who is doing what in your circle:

Film Title:____________________________

Date to be Discussed:____________________________