Art Review: Selecting Your Subject and Research Questionson Your Art Form

To help your group make its selection of art, take a look at these resources. (For gallery exhibits and live performances, look for events taking place before MARCH 23rd.)

Fargo Film Festival

This is on NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fargo Forum

The Spectrum

The High Plains Reader

Fargo Events:

More Fargo Events:

NDSU Calendar of Events:

NDSU Theater

(Next to Normal is coming!)

Local Concerts and Nightclub Music

NDSU Art Gallery

Explore additional websites on your own, especially for areas beyond Fargo.

Note-Taking and Keeping Track of Sources

Throughout your research, look at Writing Today, p. 511 to locate documentation info foreach kind of source you find.

Record, print, or otherwise save documentation info for each source.

Take notes and/or highlight documents for understanding and data. Be sure to correlate notes and documentation.

Also look over pp. 512-527, including the sample Works Cited page on 527.

Start-Up Research for Project #2

For this segment of your project, you want to learn about the type of art you are reviewing so that your evaluation of the work you’ve chosen is knowledgeable and informed. This is a kind of “start-up” or background research.

Below is a list of questions for various types of art. Find your group’s type of art, then divide up the questions. Each group member will research their designated questions.

FILMS

SCRIPT AND STORY

•What is a script?

•What is the role of the scriptwriter? How much control does a scriptwriter ultimately have?

•Who wrote the script? Has that person written any other scripts?

•What is the film’s plot or sequence of events?

•Is the plot credible? Is it coherent?

•Has the film received any awards for script?

PRODUCTION

Who produced the film?
What does a producer do? Why is the producer important?
How much do small, “indie” films generally cost to produce, and how much do the largest “Hollywood” blockbusters run?
How would you describe the production values of the film?
When was the film created and released?
Has the film received any awards for its production?

DIRECTION

•Who directed the film?

•Is that person known for work on any other films?

•Directors are a critical element of any film—what do they do?

•Has the film received any awards for its direction?

SET

•Where is the film set and what are some features of this film’s set?

•How expensive was the set?

•What different indoor and outdoor sets were used in the film? Were real-life locations selected or did the producers actually build a set for their film?

•How well does the set work? Has it received any awards?

ACTING

•Who are the actors, and what characters do they play?

•What style or method of acting is being employed? What, traditionally, are the main kinds or schools of acting?

•How is acting usually judged? When is acting “good” or “bad”? What criteria are used to judge acting?

•Have any actors in this film received awards?

SPECIAL EFFECTS

•How would you describe the film’s effects?

•Who created the effects?

•How were the effects created?

•What works well with the effects? What doesn’t work so well?

AUDIENCE

•How does this want to be viewed or how should it best be approached? That is, what kind of art is it? Where would you put this film on our art perspectives wheel?

•Who is the targeted audience for this film? See sample audience analysis.

•How well attended has the film been so far?

MUSIC CDS

PRODUCTION

How is an album produced? What does the producer(s) do?

•How would you rate the CD’s production values? These would include sound quality, sound quality on the album (production values)?

•How well has the CD sold or how well is it currently selling?

TARGETED AUDIENCE

•What audience does the CD seem to be aiming for?Take a look at this online conversation about the demographics of country western music. Also see this sample audience analysis of a film for help.

•How does this want to be heard or how should it best be approached? That is, what kind of art is it? Where would you put this film on the art perspectives wheel we examined in class?

CONTENT

What are the songs on the CD?
What are the various genres of music? What genre of music is on the album?
What styles and modes of music are used throughout? What moods and “coloring”?
How are the songs on the CD arranged? What logic is being used in their ordering?Does the album have a theme or something tying the separate pieces together?
How well-paced is the album?

COMPOSITION AND ARTISTRY

•Who wrote the music on your CD?

•Who wrote the lyrics?

•Who plays what instruments?

•Any initial thoughts on the quality of song writing?

PACKAGING AND AESTHETICS

•Is album art an important component of the work?

•Does the CD include bonus material, written lyrics, or other special features?

•What kind of art is on this album? Think about the art perspectives wheel we examined in class.

Forthcoming:

Live Concerts & Performances, Including Stand-Up Comedy

Gallery Exhibits

Plays