Second Essay

For those of you who want to start thinking of topics for your second essay (due December 4th), here are some guidelines.

The essay will be slightly longer than your first one: between 1800-2000 words (6-7 pages). You'll follow the same MLA format for citations. You are expected to use at least three exterior sources, and one of these should be your text Australian Cinema in the 1990s. Don't choose a topic that merely mirrors the chapter headings or main points (i.e. "disability in Sweetie")--instead try to use the readings and class discussions as a guideline to create a topic based on your own unique interests and concerns.

Your topic focus should be on films we have viewed in the second half of class so far, starting with Jane Campion's Sweetie. It is recommended you write about one of the films viewed in class, however, if you want to write about another film by one of the filmmakers we've studied, for example Jane Campion or Peter Jackson, this is permissible. If you want to write about a filmmaker we have not studied closely in class, for example Gillian Armstrong (who directed My Brilliant Career and Last Days of Chez Nous) or Baz Luhrmann, you may, but you need to get your topic approved by me first. It makes sense to focus on Australian films by Australian directors, but if you'd like to go outside of this guideline, again, give me a heads up. I would prefer that your essays focus on ONE film, not a survey of an entire career or ouevre.

I highly recommend that you all submit an abstract for your essay via email before you start working, to make sure your topic is on track. The abstract should be a paragraph in length and should clearly state your topic, in the form of a thesis statement and mentioning your main line/s of inquiry. The abstract can substitute for your first paragraph of your essay and you should aim to have the abstract contain the same kind of information you'd include in an opening paragraph.