Movie Evaluation Essay

Is the phrase “I'm supposed to write an evaluation essay on a movie and pretty much explain and review it” continually echoing and it reverbs back and forth inside your head?

Feature movies and sometimes documentaries are instrumental when it comes to research sources. They are frequently used as supplementary learning tools in institutions of higher learning. Analysis of film is a common assignment in college and trust me “you don’t need to be an English Professor to be a good film reviewer.”

Your professor will select a specific film or maybe a documentary for a reason because it probably relates to the current material at hand. A perfect movie evaluation essay will explain how the movie or film has enhanced the learning experience and also should provide an account of your thoughts and ideas regarding the movie.

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What is a movie evaluation essay?

A movie evaluation essay is a process of analyzing a movie in terms of semiotics, narrative structure, cultural context, and mise-en-scene, among other approached that are open for anyone to use as long as the proper structure is followed. A movie evaluation essay is a form of rhetorical analysis, and it critically analyzes and evaluates discourses, which in this case are phrases and also images that bring out different meanings and emotions to different viewers of the movie and should be subject to review. Like other forms of writing in college or university, movie evaluation essays need to have the support of evidence and clear arguments, just like a research paper thesis statement or an argumentative essay.

 

There are different types of movie analysis

Here I will list the most common approaches to movie evaluation essays, and this does not mean that I have listed all of them, but there are, of course, others that you will learn from the class or when having group discussions. The most critical thing is to understand what your professor expects, with this guide you are guaranteed to understand you're prompt better and also you can be able to understand any questions regarding movie evaluation essays and know which method to use appropriately. The approaches I am going to discuss can sometimes be used to discuss aspects in one movie analysis since most films try to capture many aspects ranging from cultural to narrative aspects of film-making.

 

SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS

Semiotic analysis is the meaning behind symbols, and it involves analogies and symbolism and to add similarities as well. I will try and explain this using the simplest way possible. If you were to describe a person who you do not know and you’ve never met, then you’d use probably signs from the person, for example, unkempt hair, torn shirt, unzipped trouser to relay specific information to your brain based on the characteristics of this person and you’d think the person is careless: but if you meet a person with a briefcase, well-polished shoes, tucked in shirt and proper kempt hair then the information that will be relayed to your brain is that this person is responsible and you can even manage to hold a decent conversation with. A soldier is typically associated with cultural ideas of a country’s security, border security, and also toughness.

 

The semiotic analysis explains to the audience how to understand codes used in movies and their meaning. No object or symbol in a film lacks significance in the form of ideas they bring forward to the viewer. An example of a sign is a person dressed in a black t-shirt with a big sign on the front side with a rock band singer, she is holding a guitar, and she has black nail polish and black makeup plus dyed hair you can easily conclude that she is a goth or maybe a rebel in some way. Color red brings an emotion of anger and resentment and perhaps violence, but in some other form, it has a meaning of love same as diamond is a symbol of love and commitment among spouses. 

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE ANALYSIS

The narrative structure can be defined as the analysis of story elements, which include the plot structure and the theme.  The narrative structure can be analyzed by using questions like “who,” “what,” “and “where,” and specifically, “How” and “when” are used to examine plot structure.

To adequately describe a story in a movie, we need to answer some questions:

• Which location is the story set?

• Which events lead to the start of the story?

• Who are the top characters?

• Any conflicts they face?

• What happens when they face conflict?

• What is the outcome?

• What is the impact of the conflict on the characters?

 

To accurately describe the plot structure of the movie, we need to answer some questions:

• How was the conflict that arose in the movie set up, and how did it happen?

• How are the top characters introduced, and when?

• How is the story pushed along to the point of the characters facing conflict?

• When is the central conflict set up, (how) to thrust the film to the conclusion?

• When and how does the conflict gets resolved and its effects on the whole story set-up?

 

How to write an evaluation essay on a movie

• Make it a habit to review every movie you come across since it will always get easy once you’re into the habit of reviewing movies.

• Make sure you have read and well-understood the prompt and also grasped what your professor expects you to do. Select a specific issue and go ahead to focus on it by making proper arguments. Selecting multiple arguments will only lead to a downward pull since you won’t manage to analyze all issues perfectly.

• Since there is not that much strictness when grading movie evaluation essays in terms of the format. I would advise you to write in any style you prefer if at all your professor has not instructed any special style to be used. Most professors won’t specify any particular writing style, so use the style you’re most comfortable with.

• Always try to match the tone of each review with the style of the film. For example, a serious tone can match up with a crime film whereas a scary tone would match a thriller or horror movie

• Make sure to watch the movie while noting down different aspects of what you will write at a later stage. Make sure to review your materials and to watch over and over again the movie to make sure you do not miss any part of the film or documentary. 

• Come up with a thesis and an outline and make sure you have your evidence ready to vase your argument on. Your thesis should answer what your prompt dictates because this is an academic assignment, and it’s purely based on a set of instructions.

• Use your evidence effectively and by this I mean, you should go ahead and make sure you do not state the evidence and describe it, but you should adequately explain what the evidence is used for, why it’s being used and for what purpose it’s being used and in what context it’s being used in your argument.

Evaluation Essay VS Writing a Review

Although evaluation essays and reviews do have some broad similarities, both are entirely different types of essays with significantly different structures.

Is the phrase “I'm supposed to write an evaluation essay on a movie and pretty much explain and review it” continually echoing and it reverbs back and forth inside your head?

Feature movies and sometimes documentaries are instrumental when it comes to research sources. They are frequently used as supplementary learning tools in institutions of higher learning. Analysis of film is a common assignment in college and trust me “you don’t need to be an English Professor to be a good film reviewer.”

Whether it’s a book, movie, music, a product or a restaurant, reviews are the best way to help you decide whether a particular item or place is a good fit for you. Reviews are constructive in terms of offering information to other people who are yet to try a product or service. Many people are turning to reviews when researching products they want to purchase or services they want to hire.

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Writing great reviews that attract several readers can be viewed as a form of art that is perfected with time. Practice makes perfect; therefore, the more you write, the more you develop the skill of writing reviews.

 

Tricks for writing a compelling review

1.    Understand the subject

 

The key to any compelling review is the understanding of the subject. Take your time to research whatever it is you’re writing about. If it is a restaurant, for example, you will have to visit it and experience their services and meals first hand. Don’t rely on other people’s information to write your review even if you trust the source of information. If it is a movie, you will need to watch it keenly, and if it is a book, you will have to read it and understand. This is the kind of research required to come up with a great review. You might also need to take notes to help with your writing later. You could, for example, take notes on a movie you are reviewing, note down the critical points and use them later when you’re writing your review. Taking photographs is also another method you can use to gather information. The pictures can be used later to help you write your review. You can even decide to upload them for your review to give the reader a unique perspective on things.

 

2.    Structuring your review

 

Armed with your research, the next step is to structure your review and plan how to write it. Determine how you will organize your review using the points you have. You can go through review samples online to fully grasp the concept of how to write one.

You should also figure out what the angle of your review will be. That is, will your review be negative or positive. Decide what perspective you want to go with.

If your review is to be submitted to your professor, a magazine, or a blog; ensure that you find out whether there are any instructions that you should follow. Adhere to the word limit, writing format, or any other guidelines. Ensure also to check whether there is any deadline so you can submit your review at the required time.

 

3.    Knowing the audience

 

Understanding your audience is a very critical step. Your audience needs to feel that you can relate to them and that you know what they are looking for in your review. When writing a review of a horror movie, for example, you should keep your audience in mind and come up with something that you know they can relate to. You should be able to draw them in and keep them entertained. The review should be somewhat helpful to the audience. The main aim here is not to bore your readers since this will not work in your favor. However, understanding the right approach could mean that you can educate your audience about a particular topic in your review as long as you keep it interesting.

 

4.    Writing the review

 

Begin by describing what your review is about, remember to keep it brief. This gives the reader an impression of what you’ll be talking about. Provide the reader with some background information also to ensure that you’re on the same page. For example, if it is a movie review, give a summary of the movie (don’t give the entire plot of the movie as this can spoil it for your reader), name the actors, the director, and maybe name some previous movies directed by the same person. If it is a restaurant, you can talk about the chef, the owner, and a little history where applicable.

Give your readers plenty of details about the product or service you’re reviewing and have some evidence to back up your claims. Talk about your entire experience if it’s a restaurant, along with talking about the food, state whether the place was clean, and how the staff treated you. If it is a book, state your argument and back it up with some evidence. Keep it as accurate as possible and state any details you feel are relevant to a particular situation. Be confident enough to express strong opinions but, at the same time, be realistic. 

Don’t use general facts to write a review. Remember that the reader wants to know about your personal experience. If possible, you can attach photos or links to give the readers a visual idea of what you’re reviewing. 

Don’t write a review while you’re upset; this might bring out strong feelings that will cloud your judgment. Alternatively, take some time to calm down and write a fair review. Highlight what was done right and what was done wrong. Remember to keep it as truthful as possible. Try and place yourself on the other side of the story and consider the possible reasons for the situation. This shows your readers that you are understanding and honest and could give the validation of an authentic review.

Remember to keep your review as interesting and entertaining as possible. You can add any extra information that you think will be helpful to the reader.

If I wrote a review for LHS on Google reviews, I would write. 

 

 

 

 

 

“I’ve truly enjoyed my stay here; the pool on the roof is a must-try for any new student.”

5.    Proofreading and Editing 

 

The final step of the review is proofreading and editing. Go through your entire review a couple of times to the full review and make the necessary corrections. Check that you have used the correct grammar and punctuation. Confirm that all your tenses are in the correct form. You can have someone else go through your review and inform you of anything that needs correcting. Ensure that you adhere to any rules provided, if any. Once you’re confident that everything is where it should be, you can go ahead and submit your review.

Are you writing an evaluation essay on your worst movie? Do you find the entire process daunting, or are you struggling to reach the required word count? Watching a movie for an essay is probably the best/worst thing ever, and we can help with your movie essays if you’re stuck. Worry no more! Our custom writing service got your back!