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174 Film Research Paper Topics To Inspire Your Writing

174 Film Research Paper Topics

Also known as a moving picture or movie, the film uses moving images to communicate or convey everything from feelings and ideas to atmosphere and experiences. The making of movies, as well as the art form, is known as cinematography (or cinema, in short). The film is considered a work of art. The first motion pictures were created in the late 1880s and were shown to only one person at a time using peep show devices. By 1985, movies were being projected on large screens for large audiences.

Film has a rich and interesting history, as well as a bright future given the current technological advancements. This is why many professors will really appreciate it if you write a research paper on movies. However, to write a great paper, you need a great topic.

In this blog post, we will give you our latest list of 174 film research paper topics. They should be excellent for 2023 and should get you some bonus points for originality and creativity. As always, our topics are 100% free to use as you see fit. You can reword them in any way you like and you are not required to give us any credit.

Writing Good Film Research Paper

Before we get to the film topics for research papers in our list, you need to learn how you can write the best possible film research paper. It’s not overly complicated, don’t worry. Here are some pointers to get you started:

Start as early as possible Start your project with an outline that will keep you focused on what’s important Spend some time to find a great topic (or just use one of ours) Research every angle of the topic Spend some time composing the thesis statement Always use information from reliable sources Make sure you cite and reference properly Edit and proofread your work to make it perfect. Alternatively, you can rely on our editors and proofreaders to help you with this.

Now it’s time to pick your topic. We’ve made things easy for you, so all you have to do is go through our neatly organized list and select the topic you like the most. If you already know something about the topic, writing the paper shouldn’t take you more than 1 or 2 days, however if you have no desire to spend a lot of time on your assignment, thesis writing help from our professionals is on its way. Pick your topic now:

Easy Film Research Topics

We know most students are not too happy about spending days working on their research papers. This is why we have compiled a list of easy film research topics just for our readers:

  • What was the Electrotachyscope?
  • Research the history of film
  • Describe the first films ever made
  • Talk about the Kinetoscope
  • Who were Auguste and Louis Lumière?
  • An in-depth look at film during World War I
  • Talk about the evolution of sound in motion pictures
  • Most popular movie actors of all time
  • The life and works of Charles Chaplin
  • The life and works of Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein
  • Discuss the Mutoscope device
  • Talk about the introduction of natural color in films

Film Topics To Write About In High School

If you are a high school student, you probably want some topics that are not overly complicated. Well, the good news is that we have plenty of film topics to write about in high school. Check them out below:

  • An in-depth analysis of sound film
  • Research the shooting of Le Voyage dans la Lune
  • Talk about the Technicolor process
  • Research the film industry in India
  • The growing popularity of television
  • Discuss the most important aspects of film theory
  • The drawbacks of silent movies
  • Cameras used in 1950s movies
  • The most important cinema movie of the 1900s
  • Research the montage of movies in the 1970s
  • The inception of film criticism
  • Discuss the film industry in the United States

Interesting Film Paper Topics

Are you looking for the most interesting film paper topics so that you can impress your professor and your fellow students? We are happy to say that you have arrived at just the right place. Here are our latest ideas:

  • Are digital movies much different from films?
  • Research the evolution of cinematography
  • Research the role of movies in Indian culture
  • The principles of a cinema camera
  • Technological advancements in the film industry
  • The use of augmented reality in movies
  • Talk about the role of film in American culture
  • An in-depth look at the production cycle of a film
  • The role of the filming crew on the set
  • Latest cameras for cinematography
  • An in-depth look at the distribution of films
  • How are animated movies made?

Controversial Movie Topics

Why would you be afraid to write your paper on a controversial topic? Perhaps you didn’t know that most professors really appreciate the effort and the innovative ideas. Below, you can find a whole list of controversial movie topics for students:

  • An in-depth look at Cannibal Holocaust
  • Controversies behind Fifty Shades of Gray
  • A Clockwork Orange: the banned movie
  • All Quiet on the Western Front: a controversial war movie
  • Discuss The Texas Chain Saw Massacre movie
  • Apocalypse Now: one of the most banned movies
  • Brokeback Mountain and the controversies surrounding it
  • Talk about The Last Temptation of Christ
  • The Birth of a Nation: the movie that was banned in America

Movie Topics Ideas For College

As you probably know already, college students should choose topics that are a bit more complex than those picked by high school students. The good news is that we have compiled a list of the best movie topics ideas for college students below:

  • Methods to bring your sketches to life
  • Discuss problems with documentary filming
  • War movies and their impact on society
  • What does a director actually do on the set?
  • Talk about state-sanctioned movies in China
  • Research cinematography in North Korea
  • Talk about psychological reactions to films
  • Research the good versus evil theme
  • African Americans in the 1900s cinematography in the US
  • Discuss the creation of sound for films

Hottest Film Topics To Date

Our writers and editors did their best to compile a list of the hottest film topics to date. You can safely pick any of the topics below and write your essay or research paper on it. You should be able to find plenty of information online about each and every topic:

  • The life and works of Alfred Hitchcock
  • Talk about racial discrimination in war movies
  • The psychology behind vampire movies
  • The life and works of Samuel L. Jackson
  • Classic opera versus modern movie soundtracks
  • Hollywood versus Bollywood
  • The life and works of tom Hanks
  • Research the Frankenstein character
  • Major contributions by women in cinematography
  • The life and works of Harrison Ford
  • The 3 most popular topics for a moving picture

Good Movie Topics For 2023

We know, you probably want some topics that relevant today. You want to talk about something new and exciting. Well, we’ve got a surprise for you. This list of good movie topics for 2023 has just been added to the blog post, and you can use it for free:

  • The life and works of Will Smith
  • Why do people love movie monsters?
  • Talk about the popularity of fan movies
  • The life and works of Morgan Freeman
  • Gender inequality in UK films
  • Research movies that were produced because of video games
  • The life and works of Anthony Hopkins
  • The importance of the Golden Raspberry Award
  • Outer space: the future of cinematography
  • Compare today’s filming techniques to those in the 1950s
  • The importance of winning a Golden Globe Award

Fascinating Film Topics

Are you looking for some of the most fascinating film topics one can ever find online? Our experts have outdone themselves this time. Check out our list of ideas below and choose the topic you like the most:

  • Talk about the development of Star Wars
  • Talk about spaghetti western movies
  • Discuss the filming of Pride and Prejudice
  • Research fantasy films
  • The most popular movie genre in 2023
  • What makes a movie a blockbuster?
  • Filming for the Interstellar movie
  • Peculiarities of Bollywood cinema
  • Talk about the era of Hitchcock
  • Discuss the role of motion pictures in society
  • Talk about Neo-realism in Italian movies
  • Research the filming of A Fistful of Dollars

The History Of Film Topics

Writing about the history of film and cinematography can be a good way to earn some bonus points from your professor. However, it’s not an easy thing to do. Fortunately, we have a list of the history of film topics right here for you, so you don’t have to waste any time searching:

  • Research the first ever motion picture
  • Discuss the idea behind moving images
  • Research the Pioneer Era
  • Talk about the introduction of sound in movies
  • Talk about the Silent Era
  • Who created the first ever movie?
  • Discuss the Golden Era of cinematography
  • The era of changes in 2023
  • The rise of Hollywood cinematography
  • Discuss the first color movie
  • Research the first horror movie
  • Discuss the phrase “No one person invented cinema”

Famous Cinematographers Topics

You can, of course, write your next research paper on the life and works of a famous or popular cinematographer. You have plenty to choose from. However, we’ve already selected the best famous cinematographers topics for you right here:

  • The life and works of Sir Roger Deakins
  • Research the cinematographer Vittorio Storaro
  • An in-depth look at Bill Pope
  • Research the cinematographer Gordon Willis
  • The life and works of Wally Pfister
  • An in-depth look at Robert Burks
  • Research the cinematographer Stanley Cortez
  • The life and works of Conrad Hall
  • An in-depth look at Rodrigo Prieto
  • The life and works of Claudio Miranda
  • Emmanuel Lubezki
  • An in-depth look at Jack Cardiff
  • Research the cinematographer Michael Ballhaus
  • The life and works of Kazuo Miyagawa

Famous Films Topic Ideas

The easiest and fastest way to write an essay or research paper about movies is to write about a famous movie. Take a look at these famous films topic ideas and start writing your paper today:

  • Research A Space Odyssey
  • Research the movie Seven Samurai
  • Cinematography techniques in There Will Be Blood
  • Discuss the film The Godfather
  • An in-depth look at La Dolce Vita
  • Research the movie Citizen Kane
  • Cinematography techniques in Goodfellas
  • An in-depth look at the Aliens series
  • Cinematography techniques in Singin’ in the Rain
  • Research the movie Mulholland Drive
  • An in-depth look at In The Mood For Love
  • Research the movie City Lights

The Future Of Movies Topic Ideas

Did you ever wonder what the movies of the future will look like? We can guarantee that your professor has thought about it. Surprise him by writing your paper on one of these the future of movies topic ideas:

  • The future of digital films
  • Discuss animation techniques of the future
  • The future of cinematography cameras
  • How do you view the actors of the future?
  • Will digital releases eliminate the need for DVDs?
  • The role of streaming services in the future
  • Talk about the direct-to-consumer distribution concept
  • Is cinematography a good career for the future?
  • Will movie theaters disappear?
  • Virtual reality in future films
  • The rise of Pixar Studios

Awesome Cinema Topic Ideas

Our experts have just finished completing this section of the topics list. Here, you will find some of the most awesome cinema topic ideas. These should all work great in 2023, so give them a try today:

  • The concept of the Road Movie
  • Review the film “Donnie Brasco”
  • The popularity of musical movies
  • A comprehensive history of cinematography
  • Discuss the A Beautiful Mind movie
  • Compare watching movies now and in the 1990s
  • Talk about film narrative
  • The importance of the main characters in a movie
  • The process of selecting the right actor for the role
  • Well-known produces in the United States
  • The most popular actors in 2023
  • Research Nazi propaganda films

Simple Cinema Essay Ideas

If you want to write about cinematography but don’t want to spend too much time researching the topic, you could always choose one of our simple cinema essay ideas. New ideas are added to this list periodically:

  • Discuss the concept of limited animation
  • War movies during World War II
  • The importance of James Bond for Americans
  • What is docufiction?
  • The traits of a filmophile
  • The success of early crime movies
  • An in-depth look at Hanna-Barbera
  • The transition from VHS tape to DVD
  • Best comedy movies ever made
  • Discuss the Film Noir genre
  • What is a Blaxploitation?
  • The best samurai film ever produced

Movies And The Internet Topics

  • How does piracy affect the movie industry?
  • An in-depth look at Netflix
  • Research the top 3 movie streaming websites
  • Compare and contrast Netflix and Amazon Prime
  • Should movies be shared for free online?
  • The effects of online streaming on piracy
  • Is pirating movies illegal everywhere?
  • Illegal downloads of movies in North Korea
  • Piracy: a form of film preservation
  • The most pirated movies of the 21st century
  • Research the best ways to stop film piracy
  • The economic impact of movie piracy in the United States

Rely On The Best Thesis Writing Service

Are you preparing to start working on your thesis? Or perhaps you just need some help with a research paper or an essay related to films and the movie industry. Our thesis writing service is exactly what you have been looking for! We have the writers and the experts you need if you want to do a great job on your next academic writing project. And remember, you will get assistance fast and cheap from a team of ENL writers, editors and proofreaders. We are a reliable academic writing agency with years of industry experience, so collaborating with us is 100% secure.

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Films I may write essays on for school.....

Boris Karloff and Gloria Stuart in The Old Dark House (1932)

1. The Old Dark House

Donald Curtis, Faith Domergue, and Kenneth Tobey in It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955)

2. It Came from Beneath the Sea

Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, and Rex Harrison in Cleopatra (1963)

3. Cleopatra

Jason and the Argonauts (1963)

4. Jason and the Argonauts

The Gorgon (1964)

5. The Gorgon

Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight in Midnight Cowboy (1969)

6. Midnight Cowboy

Vincent Price and Diana Rigg in Theater of Blood (1973)

7. Theater of Blood

Griffin Dunne and David Naughton in An American Werewolf in London (1981)

8. An American Werewolf in London

Harry Hamlin and Judi Bowker in Clash of the Titans (1981)

9. Clash of the Titans

Anthony Edwards, Robert Carradine, Donald Gibb, Ted McGinley, Julia Montgomery, and Matt Salinger in Revenge of the Nerds (1984)

10. Revenge of the Nerds

William Petersen in Manhunter (1986)

11. Manhunter

Winona Ryder and Christian Slater in Heathers (1988)

12. Heathers

Christopher Eccleston in Let Him Have It (1991)

13. Let Him Have It

Cannibal! The Musical (1993)

14. Cannibal! The Musical

Patricia Arquette, Johnny Depp, Bill Murray, Jeffrey Jones, Sarah Jessica Parker, Martin Landau, Lisa Marie, and George 'The Animal' Steele in Ed Wood (1994)

15. Ed Wood

Nicole Kidman in To Die For (1995)

16. To Die For

Jennifer Lopez and Sean Penn in U Turn (1997)

18. Office Space

Drew Barrymore in Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)

19. Riding in Cars with Boys

Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson in Ghost World (2001)

20. Ghost World

Red Dragon (2002)

21. Red Dragon

Oldboy (2003)

23. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

Bill Murray in Broken Flowers (2005)

24. Broken Flowers

Robin Williams in Man of the Year (2006)

25. Man of the Year

Yasiin Bey and Jack Black in Be Kind Rewind (2008)

26. Be Kind Rewind

Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Christopher Plummer, Tom Waits, Heath Ledger, Colin Farrell, Verne Troyer, Andrew Garfield, and Lily Cole in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

27. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, David Koechner, J.K. Simmons, Kristen Wiig, and Dustin Milligan in Extract (2009)

28. Extract

Leonardo DiCaprio in Shutter Island (2010)

29. Shutter Island

Joaquin Phoenix in I'm Still Here (2010)

30. I'm Still Here

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, and Amy Adams in The Master (2012)

31. The Master

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

32. Moonrise Kingdom

Jeff Goldblum, Robert Loggia, William Atherton, Ray Wise, Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, Ronnie Rodriguez, and Bob Ross in Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie (2012)

33. Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie

Amour (2012)

More to explore

Recently viewed.

Cinema Scope: 70 Film Research Paper Topics

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Table of contents

  • 1 What Is the Good Film Research Paper Topic? 
  • 2.1 Film History Research Paper Topics
  • 2.2 Research Paper Topics on Specific Film Genres
  • 2.3 Cinematic Movements
  • 2.4 Film Directors
  • 2.5 Research Paper Topics on Film Theories
  • 2.6 Censorship and Film Controversy Research Topics
  • 2.7 Global Cinema Research Paper Topics

Exploring the world of cinema through academic lenses offers a rich and diverse field of study. From the evolution of movie genres to the impact of legendary directors, these topics invite a deep dive into the art and history of filmmaking. Whether it’s analyzing cinematic movements that have changed the course of history or exploring theories that unlock new ways of viewing, there’s a rich tapestry to explore. 

Additionally, exploring contentious aspects like censorship and controversy adds a layer of societal context to the study. For those with a global perspective, investigating it worldwide offers insights into diverse narratives and styles. This guide is a gateway to understanding the multifaceted nature of cinema, providing a solid foundation for any film research paper.

What Is the Good Film Research Paper Topic? 

Choosing good movies to write an essay on requires a balance between personal interest and academic value. Start by considering what aspects of cinema fascinate you the most. Are you intrigued by classic noir or the evolution of computer-generated imagery in modern movies? Once you identify your area of interest, narrow it down to a specific theme or question. For example, instead of broad movie topics ideas like ‘The History of Hollywood,’ focus on ‘The Influence of Hollywood on Global Cinema.’

You should also think about film research paper topics with many primary sources . Libraries and online databases can offer many resources on various subjects. Look for a topic that sparks debate or offers a fresh perspective . For instance, examining the role of women filmmakers in shaping modern cinema can provide insightful discussions.

Lastly, align your topic with the scope of your research paper . If you have a word limit or a specific research method in mind, make sure your topic fits these requirements. A well-chosen topic makes the research process enjoyable and enriches your understanding of the industry.

Need help with writing a research paper? Get your paper written by a professional writer Get Help Reviews.io 4.9/5

Interesting Filmmaking Research Paper Topics

Diving into the world of cinema, there are numerous good movies to analyze for a paper and intriguing filmmaking topics to explore. From analyzing landmark movies to unraveling film research topics, each area offers a unique perspective. Whether it’s crafting movie research papers or dissecting film paper topics, the possibilities for insightful essays are endless.

Film History Research Paper Topics

  • The Evolution of Silent Films to Talkies.
  • Impact of World Wars on Early 20th Century Industry.
  • Technicolor’s Revolution in Film Aesthetics.
  • Hollywood’s Golden Age: An Era of Innovation.
  • New Wave: Breaking Traditional Boundaries.
  • The Rise and Influence of Independent Films.
  • Blockbusters’ Era: Shaping Modern Cinema.
  • Digital Age Transformations in Filmmaking.
  • Cult Classics: Defining and Impacting Genres.
  • The Role of Festivals in History.

Research Paper Topics on Specific Film Genres

  • Horrors: Evolution of Fear through Decades.
  • Comedy in the Industry: More Than Just Laughter.
  • The Journey of Sci-Fi: From Fiction to Reality.
  • Romance Films: Reflecting Societal Changes in Love.
  • Documentary: Truth Telling or Narrative Crafting?
  • Westerns: The American Frontier in Cinema.
  • Film Noir: Style, Themes, and Influence.
  • Musicals: Synchronization of Sound and Story.
  • Animations: Technological Advances and Storytelling.
  • Actions: The Development of Hero Archetypes.

Cinematic Movements

  • French New Wave: Redefining Cinematic Rules.
  • Italian Neorealism: Post-War Reality.
  • German Expressionism: Visual Style and Emotion.
  • Soviet Montage: Revolutionizing Film Editing.
  • Dogme 95: Challenging Hollywood Norms.
  • British Kitchen Sink Realism: Post-War England Stories.
  • The Hollywood Renaissance in the Late 20th Century.
  • Bollywood’s Rise: India’s Cinematic Identity.
  • Latin American: Voices of the Marginalized.
  • The Impact of Scandinavian Cinema.

Film Directors

  • Alfred Hitchcock: Master of Suspense.
  • Akira Kurosawa: Bridging East and West.
  • Stanley Kubrick: Visionary and Controversial.
  • Sofia Coppola: Feminine Perspectives.
  • Steven Spielberg: Redefining Blockbuster Cinema.
  • Quentin Tarantino: A Stylized Violence Approach.
  • Martin Scorsese: Depicting American Urban Life.
  • Guillermo del Toro: Fantasy and Reality Blend.
  • Ava DuVernay: Pioneering Diverse Storytelling.
  • Christopher Nolan: Complex Narratives.

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Research Paper Topics on Film Theories

  • Auteur Theory: Director as the Creative Force.
  • Feminist Theory: Representation and Identity.
  • Structuralist Theory: Unpacking Cinematic Language.
  • Psychoanalytic Theory: Cinema and the Mind.
  • Queer Theory: Breaking Norms.
  • Marxist Theory: Cinema as a Cultural Product.
  • Postmodernism: Breaking Conventional Narratives.
  • Ecocriticism: Nature and Environment.
  • Reception Theory: Audience’s Role in Interpretation.
  • Realism: Truth versus Artifice.

Censorship and Film Controversy Research Topics

  • The Hays Code: Censorship and American Cinema.
  • Propaganda Films: Influence and Ethics.
  • Banned Films: Cultural Contexts and Reasons.
  • The MPAA Ratings System: Impact and Controversy.
  • Sexuality in Cinema: Taboos and Acceptance.
  • Political Censorship in the Industry.
  • Violence in Films: Societal Impact and Debate.
  • Religious Sensitivities and Censorship.
  • Race and Stereotyping in Hollywood Films.
  • Freedom of Speech vs. Film Censorship

Global Cinema Research Paper Topics

  • Nollywood: Nigeria’s Booming Film Industry.
  • South Korean Cinema: A Global Impact.
  • Iranian Cinema: Artistic Expression Under Restrictions.
  • French Cinema: Romance, Realism, and Revolution.
  • The Rise of Chinese Blockbusters.
  • Brazilian Cinema: Social Issues and Narratives.
  • Australian Cinema: Landscape and Identity.
  • Japanese Anime: Cultural Export and Influence.
  • Ukrainian Cinema: Cultural Renaissance and Evolution Post-Independence.
  • Canadian Cinema: Emerging Voices and Stories.

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150 Amazing Film Research Paper Topics for Students

Table of Contents

If you are a film student, then often you will have to work on film research papers. But for writing a research paper, you must have a good topic. Right now, do you want to prepare a film research paper? Are you looking for the top film research topics? No worries! We know how hard it is to come up with the right topic for a dissertation. So, to help you out, here, we have prepared a list of the best film research paper topics for you to consider. Continue reading this blog post and get exclusive film dissertation topic ideas.

Film Research Paper Topics

How to Find a Good Topic for a Film Research Paper?

In film studies, there are plenty of film research paper topics available. Out of those topics, you will have to identify a good topic for your assignment. The topic selection becomes easier if your professor gives a set of ideas or themes for you to choose from. Sometimes, your professor will ask you to create your own idea for research. At that time, choosing one right topic from endless topics would become hard.

Are you confused about how to identify the right film research topic? Don’t worry! Here is what you will have to do to find out a good film dissertation topic of your choice.

  • Create a list of your favorite filmmakers, films, or genres. Then, based on your interest or category, narrow down your search.
  • It is not necessary to go with topics related to your favorite filmmaker or film. You can also think about a certain film history period and research the film techniques, themes, etc. used in that period.
  • Deep research is necessary to identify the right topic. By exploring credible sources such as literature, books, media platforms, and published research papers, you can collect more research or dissertation ideas.
  • From the list of ideas gathered, you can choose a topic that matches your area of interest and has a wide research scope.
  • If the topic is too broad, make sure to narrow it down. Because the narrow topic will help you cover all the major points before the deadline and keep your readers engaged.

Also, before finalizing the topic, check whether your selected topic stands in line with your professor’s research paper writing guidelines.

List of Excellent Film Research Paper Topics

Film studies is a broad field of study where you can conduct research on any areas such as film technology, film history, film genre, music, sound design, etc. Here, we have listed some best film research paper topic ideas in various categories. Go through the whole list and pick an ideal film topic for writing your academic paper.

Film Research Paper Topics

Film History Research Paper Topics

  • Movies about the history of religions.
  • The importance of representation in movies.
  • African-Americans in cinematography.
  • Science-fiction movies- History
  • The globalization of popular culture: Hollywood vs. Bollywood.
  • Discuss the contribution of Fellini to cinematography.
  • How technology has transformed the art of filmmaking?
  • Discuss the contribution of women in the film industry.
  • Hitchcock’s sacred power.
  • The progress of animation in movie production.
  • The effect of the film industry on different generations.
  • Analyze the life before CGI.
  • War Justification in American Cinema
  • Charlie Chaplin and the Silent Movie Era.
  • Changes in Hollywood and its dominance of cinematography.
  • Evolution of Hollywood movies  
  • Discuss the cinematographic excellence of Roger Deakins  
  • History of British Cinema  
  • The Lion In Winter – A movie that nailed historical accuracy  
  • Discuss the contribution of Steven Spielberg  
  • Song of the Road – The first Indian movie at the Academic Award  
  • Analyze the impact of LGBTQ+ Representation in Contemporary Cinema.
  • War Justification in the worlds’ Moving Pictures
  • Changes in Hollywood and Its Dominance of the Cinematography

Horror Film Research Paper Topics

  • Special effects in horror films.
  • Explain the Folklore elements in the screenplay.
  • Discuss the popular fear elements used in horror films.
  • Alfred Hitchcock: The Master of Suspense.
  • Psychological and behavioral responses to horror films.
  • The fusion of comedy and horror.
  • Racial discrimination in horror films.
  • The use of religion in horror movies
  • The youngsters’ perception of horror films.
  • The idea of suspense in horror films.
  • George Romero: The greatest director of horror movies of all time  
  • Compare the works of Sam Raimi and John Carpenter  
  • Michael Myers: The most famous killer in horror movies  
  • Chucky: One of the most scariest movies have ever made  
  • Discuss the use of Psychopathy and Delusions in horror films with examples  
  • A side effect of watching horror movies  
  • The reflection of society’s fears in horror movies
  • The specific use of genre theory in the horror game
  • The human fondness for horror movies
  • Monster creatures from horror movies
  • Stephen King and his legacy in the genre of horror

Horror Film Research Paper Topics

Film Music Research Paper Topics

  • The use of music in modern movies.
  • The power of recorded nature sounds.
  • The art of sound design in movies.
  • The progress of music in films.
  • The effects of music on movie perceptions.
  • Bollywood-made musicals.
  • The art of storytelling with sound
  • Picture versus sound.
  • Broadway musicals are made into movies.
  • The development and cultural influence of musicals in the 20th century.
  • Christina Aguilera’s career in musicals.
  • Classical Opera versus Modern Music on Screen
  • Analyze the soundtrack and music in films.
  • Cradle of future pop stars.
  • The mental effects created by music in movies.
  • Theoretical aspects of studying film music.
  • Music in cinema as a director of the semantic series.

Monster Film Research Topics

  • Mythology in monster movies.
  • The aspects of human monstrosity in films.
  • The history of monster movies.
  • The science behind Hollywood’s movie monsters.
  • Explore fear in monster movies.
  • Vampires through history: The evolution of the undead cinema.
  • Examine the portrayal of aging in Cinema.
  • The Monster vs. Frankenstein: Who Is More Human?
  • The psychological appeal of movie monsters.
  • Discuss the monster movie culture in the 21st century.
  • Compare Prophecy (1979) and It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955)  
  • Discuss the first monster film  
  • Impact of monster movies on children  
  • A side effect of watching monster movies  
  • Use of VFX and Special Effects in monster films  

Outstanding Film Research Paper Topics

  • TV shows: A new film franchise.
  • Masculinity and violence in films.
  • Movies through the eyes of their directors.
  • What are the effects of censorship on films?
  • The role of colors in movies.
  • Comics and Superheroes in films.
  • The role of animals in movies.
  • Investigate the Use of AI in Film Production, Visual Effects, and Storytelling.
  • Animation: Giving life to sketches.
  • The cultural effects of war movies.
  • The power of documentary movies to change the world.
  • Walt Disney and the psychosocial implications of his characters.
  • The ethical issues involved in documentary filmmaking.
  • The effects of Hollywood stereotypes.
  • The art of creating stories using video editing.

Unique Film Research Paper Topics

  • The role of film directors in giving life to stories.
  • The important qualities of a successful movie director.
  • The role of film critics and reviews on box office performances.
  • Transitions and visual effects in movie editing.
  • The social and cultural effects of movies .
  • Contribution of Arthur Conan Doyle to detective movies  
  • Good versus Evil: A classing theme of the movie  
  • Discuss the cinematic innovations that have changed the movie industry  
  • Discuss the most important inventions the movie industry experienced within the past two decades  
  • The directorial debut of Tom Hanks  
  • How depression years are depicted in American movies?
  • Discuss the technological evolution of the global film industry from 1975 to 2022
  • The Works of Christopher Edward Nolan and Sam Raimi: A comparative analysis
  • Evolution of Indian cinema from 1950 to 2022
  • Discuss the contribution of Edgar Allan Poe to detective movies
  • Compare and contrast European and Asian horror movies
  • Discuss the comparative mythology and dark side in screenwriting
  • Critical analysis of the silent era of the movie industry
  • How African-Americans get represented in American movies
  • Analyze the evolution of the zombie in contemporary cinema

Interesting Film Dissertation Topics

  • The importance of a character in a film.
  • The influence of the digital revolution on the film industry?
  • Drama as a cultural phenomenon.
  • Diverse film elements are needed for creative writing.
  • The evolution of urban filmmaking.
  • Difference between commercial cinema and non-commercial cinema.
  • The usage of irony in films.
  • Discuss the popular cinema genres in the world.
  • Analyze the localization efforts of Hollywood films.
  • The relationship between literature and film.
  • Explore the role of men and women in blockbuster movies.
  • Assess the importance of global film awards in improving the quality of filmmaking.
  • Analyze the roles given to black actors and white actors in Hollywood movies.
  • Study the key differences between theater performances and film shooting.
  • Analyze the principles of filmmaking with respect to casting and editing.
  • Discuss the impact of online streaming services on the quality of traditional cinema content.
  • Study the impact of film in a rural area.
  • Explain the role of a short film in making a feature film.
  • Research the cultures of theater and film in the big city of a country.
  • Explain the economics of cinema.

Read more: Demonstration Speech Topics and Ideas That Will Impress the Audience

Brilliant Film Research Topics

  • The art of cinematography.
  • Indie Movies: An attitude or a genre?
  • Good versus Evil concept in movies.
  • The cinema of shortcuts.
  • Multiple actors play a single role.
  • The influence of social media on movie results.
  • What makes a great film director?
  • Humanity versus technology in modern films.
  • The role of fashion design in the film industry.
  • Video streaming platforms and the future of cinema.
  • Success factors of the American film industry.
  • The influence of movie genres on different audiences.
  • Film Noir: A style expanding through genres.
  • Comics in the film industry.
  • The persuasive effectiveness of shortcuts.
  • Freudian Practice in Cinematography.
  • The effects of streaming platforms on cinematography.
  • The idea of drama in movies.
  • The psychological aspects of filmmaking.
  • The art of storytelling in modern movies.

Impressive Film Research Questions

  • Different Types of Narrative Structures in Screenplays and Books
  • Violence and Masculinity in Hollywood Blockbusters.
  • Looking for Truth in Film: Observational vs. Direct Cinema.
  • Reconstructing atmospheres using ambient sounds: Recorded Nature Sounds.
  • Comedy and horror combined in a chaotic genre mashup.
  • History of the Vampire: The Cinematic Evolution of the Dead
  • Using the content of documentaries, kids may develop their interethnic tolerance.
  • The Cultural and Educational Project of the Cinema Museum and Its Importance in Historical Education.
  • The history of development and current status of the post-apocalyptic storyline in American movies.
  • The characteristics of contemporary cinema in relation to the development of historical politics.

Awesome Ideas for Film Research Paper

  • Digital Storytelling: Narrative Elements from Hollywood.
  • Analyze the Personality Traits of the Best Film Directors.
  • Musicals: from stage to screen.
  • Analyze the animation in the Movies Frozen and Zootopia.
  • Share your viewpoints about the use of mythology in horror movies.
  • Analyze the hidden elements in Disney movies and their effects on children.
  • Write about the history of the Japanese animation industry and new technology.
  • Historical and Mythical Time in the Marvel and DC Series.
  • Analyze the new developments in the area of illustrations.
  • Explore the phenomenon of visiting film locations and the economic impact on local communities.

Film studies basically approach movies from historical, theoretical, and critical perspectives. To write a brilliant film research paper, from the list of 150+ topics recommended above, choose the best topic that matches your interest. In case, you are not sure what film research topic to select or how to write an informative film research paper, then contact us for help.

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217 Film Research Paper Topics & Ideas

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  • Icon Calendar 18 May 2024
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Film research paper topics provide a rich, multifaceted canvas for critical analysis. One can explore genre theory and its evolution, scrutinizing the symbiotic relationship between society and film genres, such as sci-fi, horror, or romance. Another fruitful area lies in auteur theory, assessing the unique stylistic fingerprints of directors, like Kubrick, Hitchcock, or Miyazaki. Delving into film adaptations provides an opportunity to study narrative transformation across different media. Studying representation in film, be it racial, gender, or cultural, opens a lens into societal norms and biases. In turn, there is the exploration of film technologies and their influence on the cinematic experience. Film criticism and its role in shaping public perception can also be an intriguing topic. With every cinematic element providing a potential research topic, film studies truly cater to diverse academic interests.

Best Film Research Paper Topics

  • Impacts of Technological Advancements on the Animation Film Industry
  • Portrayal of Mental Health in Contemporary Cinema
  • Cultural Stereotypes in Global Film Industry
  • Feminist Theory Analysis in Alfred Hitchcock’s Films
  • Violence and its Effect on Teenagers in Action Films
  • Representation of History in Steven Spielberg’s Movies
  • Examination of Homosexuality in Bollywood Cinema
  • Depiction of Science and Technology in Science Fiction Films
  • Philosophical Themes Explored in the Matrix Trilogy
  • Influence of Film Noir on Modern Thrillers
  • Comic Book Adaptations: Success and Failure Factors
  • Cinema’s Role in Promoting Environmental Awareness
  • Portrayal of AI and Robotics in Films: A Comparative Study
  • Evolution of Special Effects in the Film Industry
  • Relationship Between Music and Narrative in Film
  • Examination of Sociopolitical Contexts in Iranian Cinema
  • Impacts of Hollywood on Global Film Cultures
  • Aesthetic Evolution in French New Wave Cinema
  • Exploring Symbolism in Stanley Kubrick’s Films
  • Influence of the Silent Era on Modern Film Techniques
  • Alien Depictions: Reflection of Societal Fears in Film
  • Use of Dreams and Subconscious in David Lynch’s Films
  • Examination of Masculinity in Clint Eastwood’s Westerns
  • Evolution of Animation: From Disney to Studio Ghibli
  • Exploring Religion and Spirituality in Indian Cinema

Easy Film Research Paper Topics

  • Interpreting Magic Realism in Guillermo del Toro’s Films
  • Analysis of Adaptation Theory in Book-to-Film Transitions
  • Modern Film Criticism: Influence of Online Review Platforms
  • Exploration of Absurdism in Coen Brothers’ Films
  • Social Media Portrayal in Contemporary Film
  • Influence of Film on Public Perception of Historical Events
  • Analysis of Horror Tropes in Japanese Cinema
  • Portrayal of Childhood and Growing Up in Animated Films
  • Impacts of Censorship Policies on Film Creativity
  • Narrative Techniques in Quentin Tarantino’s Films
  • The Role of Fashion and Costume in Period Films
  • Ethical Considerations in Documentary Filmmaking
  • Representation of Post-Apocalyptic Themes in Cinema
  • Exploring Cultural Identity in African Cinema
  • Analysis of Musical Scores in Film Noir
  • Examination of Adaptation of Video Games Into Films
  • Portrayal of Space Travel in Science Fiction Films
  • Evolution of Stop Motion Techniques in Cinema
  • Cultural Interpretations of Love and Romance in Films
  • Examination of Dystopian Themes in Animated Films
  • Analyzing the Concept of Anti-Heroes in Film
  • Exploring Satire and Parody in Comedy Films
  • Portrayal of Race and Ethnicity in Hollywood Cinema

Film Research Paper Topics & Ideas

Interesting Film Research Paper Topics

  • Depiction of Cybercrime in Contemporary Cinema
  • Influence of German Expressionism on Tim Burton’s Aesthetic
  • Use of Color and Lighting in Guillermo del Toro’s Films
  • Examination of LGBTQ+ Representation in Hollywood Cinema
  • Roles of Politics in the Cuban Film Industry
  • Portrayal of Disability in Modern Films
  • Treatment of Time Travel in Science Fiction Films
  • Analyzing the Evolution of Cinematography Techniques
  • Cultural Influences in South Korean Cinema
  • Roles of Nostalgia in Recreating Period Pieces
  • Importance of Film Score in Creating Atmosphere
  • Analysis of Propaganda Techniques in North Korean Cinema
  • Representation of Women in Action Films
  • Ethical Implications of Animal Use in Film Production
  • Impacts of Streaming Platforms on Film Distribution
  • Evolution of Film Censorship: A Comparative Study
  • Examination of Familial Relationships in Animated Films
  • Interpretation of Surrealism in Luis Buñuel’s Films
  • Examination of Biopics: Historical Accuracy vs. Dramatic License
  • Impacts of Film Festivals on Independent Cinema
  • Exploring Existentialism in Ingmar Bergman’s Films

Film Research Paper Topics About Students

  • Influence of Silent Cinema on Modern Filmmaking Techniques
  • Portrayal of Social Media’s Impact on Adolescents in Contemporary Movies
  • Bollywood vs. Hollywood: A Comparative Study of Storytelling Styles
  • Representation of Mental Health in Animation Movies
  • Foreign Language Films: Enhancing Global Cultural Understanding among Students
  • The Role of Women in Classic Film Noir: A Critical Analysis
  • Analysis of Auteur Theory in Modern Independent Cinema
  • Evaluating the Accuracy of Historical Dramas: A Fact vs. Fiction Study
  • Roles of Music in Creating Emotional Impact: A Study on Film Scores
  • Racial Stereotyping in Blockbuster Movies: A Comprehensive Study
  • Interpreting Symbolism and Metaphor in Fantasy Genre Films
  • Exploring Subliminal Messages in Advertising and Product Placement in Films
  • Understanding the Social Impact of LGBTQ+ Representation in Cinema
  • Examining the Evolution of Special Effects in the Film Industry
  • Influence of Japanese Anime on Western Animation Styles
  • Significance of Set Design in Creating Realistic Period Films
  • Ethics in Documentary Filmmaking: Truth vs. Storytelling
  • Roles of Cinematography in Enhancing Narratives in Films
  • Impacts of Sci-Fi Films on Popular Science Understanding Among Students
  • Subtext and Satire: The Power of Political Commentary in Movies
  • Narrative Techniques in Autobiographical and Biographical Films
  • Artistic Censorship: Its Impact on Creative Freedom in International Cinema

Film Research Paper Topics Made by Students

  • Transformation of Comic Books to Silver Screen: A Historical Analysis
  • Gender Representation in Oscar-Winning Films Over the Decades
  • The Evolution of Horror Films: From Psycho to Paranormal
  • Motion Capture Technology: Changing the Landscape of Animation Films
  • Examination of Propaganda in World War II Era Cinema
  • Unpacking the Influence of Music Scores in Emotional Storytelling
  • Analyzing Film Noir: The Aesthetics of Grit and Shadows
  • Impacts of Streaming Platforms on Traditional Movie Theatres
  • Silent Era to Talkies: How Did Sound Revolutionize Cinema?
  • Special Effects Techniques: The Making of Modern Sci-Fi Movies
  • The Hero’s Journey: Exploring Mythological Themes in Films
  • Ethical Dilemmas in Documentaries: A Study on Bias and Objectivity
  • Dissecting the Psychological Depth of Christopher Nolan’s Films
  • Censorship in Films: A Comparative Study Between Countries
  • The Role of the Auteur in Independent Filmmaking
  • How Disney Reinvents Fairy Tales: A Feminist Perspective
  • Bollywood vs. Hollywood: Contrasting Storytelling Techniques
  • Exploration of Coming-of-Age Themes in Teenage Films
  • Stereotyping in Movies: Assessing the Consequences on Society
  • Roles of Cinematography in Creating a Film’s Atmosphere

Film Research Paper Topics About Popular Movies

  • Influences of Classic Literature on “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy
  • Propaganda and War-Time Politics in “Casablanca”
  • Exploring Social Alienation in “Taxi Driver”
  • Cinematography Techniques Used in “Citizen Kane”
  • Implicit Racism Portrayed in “Gone with the Wind”
  • Animation Evolution: A Study on the “Toy Story” Series
  • Gender Stereotypes in Disney Princess Films
  • Symbolism and Surrealism in “Pan’s Labyrinth”
  • Cult Status and Cultural Impact of “Pulp Fiction”
  • Examination of Crime and Morality in “The Godfather”
  • “Fight Club” and the Commentary on Consumerism
  • Psychological Analysis of the Protagonist in “A Clockwork Orange”
  • Role of Music in the Narrative of the “Star Wars” Saga
  • Concept of Love in Richard Linklater’s “Before” Trilogy
  • “The Shining” and Its Divergence From the Original Novel
  • “Inception” and the Philosophy of Dream Interpretation
  • The Relevance of “1984” in the Age of Mass Surveillance
  • Science and Fiction: A Study on “Interstellar”
  • Decoding the Metaphor of “The Matrix”
  • “The Dark Knight”: A Modern Take on Heroism and Villainy
  • Biblical Themes in Darren Aronofsky’s “Noah”
  • Investigating Historical Accuracy in “Schindler’s List”

Film Research Paper Topics on History

  • The Impact of World War II on Hollywood: Propaganda and Patriotism
  • The Rise of Film Noir: Exploring the Dark Side of Post-War America
  • Cultural Significance of Epic Historical Films: From “Gone with the Wind” to “Gladiator”
  • Uncovering Hidden Histories: Films That Shed Light on Forgotten Events
  • The Representation of Ancient Civilizations in Hollywood: Myths and Realities
  • The Birth of Cinema: Exploring the Early Pioneers and Their Historical Films
  • Propaganda in Film During the Cold War: From East to West
  • The Role of Women in Historical Films: Portrayals and Progressions
  • Depicting the Civil Rights Movement on the Silver Screen: From “Selma” to “The Help”
  • The Historical Accuracy of Biographical Films: Balancing Fact and Fiction
  • The Representation of Colonialism in Film: Perspectives and Power Dynamics
  • The Cinematic Portrayal of World War I: From “All Quiet on the Western Front” to “1917”
  • Political Upheaval and Film: Exploring Revolutionary Movements on Screen
  • The Historical Evolution of War Films: From Silent Era to Modern Blockbusters
  • The Representation of Indigenous Peoples in Historical Films: Stereotypes and Subversions
  • Holocaust’s Theme in Movies: Documenting Trauma and Commemorating History
  • The Role of Historical Films in Shaping Collective Memory: Remembering the Past
  • Film and the Civil Rights Movement: Documenting Activism and Progress
  • The Portrayal of Historical Figures: Heroes, Villains, and Complex Characters

Research Paper Topics on Music in Films

  • Musical Transformations: Exploring the Evolution of Film Scores
  • Melodic Narrative: The Role of Music in Conveying Storytelling Elements in Films
  • Harmonic Innovations: Examining the Impact of Experimental Music in Cinematic Soundtracks
  • Rhythm and Emotion: Analyzing the Connection Between Beat and Mood in Film Music
  • Melancholic Melodies: Investigating the Use of Music to Evoke Sadness in Movies
  • Orchestral Powerhouses: Unveiling the Influence of Symphonic Scores in Epic Films
  • Sonic Identity: The Significance of Musical Themes in Establishing Character Presence in Movies
  • Vocal Expressions: Exploring the Role of Singing in Enhancing Cinematic Narratives
  • Cinematic Soundscapes: Investigating the Use of Ambient Music in Establishing Atmosphere
  • Cultural Harmonies: Examining the Representation of Different Music Genres in Film Scores
  • Experimental Soundtracks: Analyzing the Use of Avant-Garde Music in Artistic Films
  • Jazzy Tones: Unveiling the Influence of Jazz Music in Enhancing the Cinematic Experience
  • Musical Archetypes: Exploring the Portrayal of Heroes and Villains through Music in Films
  • Electronic Ambience: Investigating the Role of Techno and Electronic Music in Movie Soundtracks
  • Musical Narrative Arcs: Analyzing the Structure and Development of Musical Scores in Films
  • Emotional Resonance: Examining the Connection Between Music and Audience Response in Movies
  • Historical Harmonies: Unveiling the Role of Period Music in Depicting Different Eras in Film
  • Musical Cues: Exploring the Use of Leitmotifs in Creating Musical Associations in Cinema
  • Cross-Cultural Fusion: Investigating the Incorporation of World Music in Film Scores
  • Genre-Bending Soundtracks: Analyzing the Influence of Non-Traditional Music in Different Film Genres

Horror Film Research Paper Topics

  • Evolution of Horror Cinema: From Silent Movies to CGI Monsters
  • The Role of Sound Design and Score in Creating Horror Atmosphere
  • Psychoanalysis and Fear: The Hidden Messages in Classic Horror Films
  • Ghost Stories in Film: Cultural Differences in Horror Narratives
  • Horror Tropes and Their Social Commentary: A Deep Dive
  • Relevance of Classic Monsters in Modern Horror Films
  • The Impact of Globalization on Horror Film Narratives
  • Found Footage Films: The Realism in Fear and Dread
  • Women in Horror: Representation and Character Development
  • Dissecting Cinematic Techniques in Iconic Horror Scenes
  • Psychological Horror vs. Slasher Films: A Comparative Study
  • Portrayal of Mental Illness in Horror Movies: Is It Responsible?
  • Exorcism and Religion: The Unholy Alliance in Horror Films
  • Horror Comedy: The Unique Balance of Scares and Laughs
  • Adaptation of Horror Literature into Film: Successes and Failures
  • Body Horror: Physical Mutation as a Symbol of Inner Turmoil
  • Dark Tourism in Horror Films: Spooky Locations and Their Histories
  • Post-Apocalyptic Horror Films: Reflecting Societal Anxieties
  • Creature Features: The Significance of Non-Human Antagonists
  • Examining the Unsettling Nature of Uncanny Valley in Horror Movies
  • Interplay of Light and Darkness in Horror Cinematography
  • Reception Studies: How Do Different Cultures Respond to Horror Films?
  • Queer Representation in the Horror Genre: Progress and Challenges

Film Research Paper Topics About Monster Movies

  • Evolution of Monster Depictions in Cinema: A Historical Analysis
  • Cultural Implications of Monster Symbols in Japanese Kaiju Films
  • Transcending Fear: Psychoanalytic Theory in Monster Movies
  • Dissecting the Female Monster: Gender Dynamics in Horror Films
  • Monsters as Metaphors: Environmental Themes in Monster Cinema
  • The Gaze of the Other: Racial and Ethnic Subtexts in Monster Films
  • Unveiling Monstrosity: The Role of Cinematography in Monster Reveals
  • CGI vs. Practical Effects: Creating Convincing Monsters in Modern Cinema
  • How Do Score and Sound Design Enhance the Fright Factor in Monster Movies?
  • Parallels Between Classical Mythology and Contemporary Monster Films
  • The Lure of the Lovecraftian: Cosmic Horror in Monster Movies
  • Alien Invaders: The Intersection of Monster and Science Fiction Genres
  • Transformation and Fear: The Role of Werewolves in Cinema
  • Gothic Influence on the Evolution of Vampire Movies
  • The Horror of the Familiar: Domesticity as a Setting in Monster Films
  • Monstrosity Reimagined: Postmodern Approaches in Monster Cinema
  • Archetypes and Stereotypes: Monster Character Analysis in Film
  • Sequels and Series: Examining the Longevity of Monster Movie Franchises
  • Deconstructing Zombie Cinema: Metaphors of Disease and Decay
  • Audience Reactions and Expectations: A Study on Monster Movie Reception
  • Silent Era to Sound: The Influence on Early Monster Movies
  • Comedy in the Midst of Horror: Analyzing Humor in Monster Films

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movies that inspire to write

10 Movies That Inspire To Write

Writing is great, but unfortunately, you cannot have endless inspiration. Very often, even the best and most popular authors lack inspiration. You just have no thoughts and no lust for writing. It is good if you write for yourself and no one depends on you, and you do not depend on anyone. However, if you are a student who needs to create an essay urgently, you cannot wait to be inspired.

Who can inspire me to write? This is the question many students and freelancers usually ask. If you have a terrible writer’s block, you can consider custom essay writing services that may help you cope with the lack of inspiration however there are other ways.

Some students need to describe or review specific movies in essays, while others are looking for inspiring movies to write their essays on. Whatever you are struggling with, check the following selection of inspiring movies that will make you one of the more creative writers in your circles (or in your college).

1. Julie and Julia

Julie and Julia

Julie and Julia is a real-life story about a blogger directed in 2009. If you have not seen this movie yet, you definitely should. Julie is a blogger who cooks based on recipes of Julia Child and writes about them.

The history of Julia Child is highlighted very well in this film. Though everything seems quite banal at the beginning, the plot turns around unexpectedly. The movie is very interesting since it connects two stories from different times. The two main characters of the story never meet, and neither they have never met in real life.

Do check out this story of a blogger, her struggles, and the ways she copes with them.

Misery

Misery was directed in 1990 based on one of the best-selling novels of Stephen King written in 1987. As one can guess, this is not a comedy but rather an irony. The film grabs the attention of many writers as the plot is centered on a best-selling novelist.

This is the only movie based on King’s novels has won an Academy Award. If you are a fan of psychological horrors , this movie is for you. You will find it scary, exciting and yet very inspiring. The movie makes writers think hard about their goals and priorities.

3. Almost Famous

Almost Famous

The story of a sheltered writer who is just 15 years old who is working on his freelance assignment for the Rolling Stone magazine. The plot grabs your attention from the very first minute. You will love the characters and the very realistic plot.

The story is semi-autobiographical, and this makes it even more captivating. The main character’s love for rock music is central to the film. The struggle character for inspiration and writing is something very noticeable and analysis worthy.

4. Shakespeare in Love

Shakespeare in Love

One of the best stories about writers that will make you feel the spirit of England 400 years ago. It’s a light romantic comedy you’ll enjoy.

If you are a Shakespearean fan, the movie is for you. Even if you simply adore great historical movies, you will undoubtedly enjoy the film as well. The atmosphere is extremely accurate. There are plenty of themes to be observed and analyzed in this movie.

The film presents an interesting angle on how Romeo and Juliet was written. We get to witness how Shakespeare struggles and how suddenly he finds his inspiration. Who else, if not this greatest writer, can be the best example for modern writers?

5. You’ve Got Mail

You've Got Mail

If you are a writer or just a student who needs good movies to write about, the movie You’ve Got Mail is just the thing for you. It is both exciting to write your own piece of literature and just an amazing story to review in your essay or movie review.

The plot is focused on the book industry. Today, you have the luxury to use the Internet to help you write and find great ideas. However, this story takes place in times when the Internet was just appearing as a way of communication.

Two people who are nearly enemies in real life are the closest people online since they do not know each other. Their communication was anonymous. It is very inspiring because it shows how important and really romantic letter writing is.

6. Moonlight

Moonlight

The movie was directed in 2016. It is one of the best films to inspire writers , although the plot is far from writers’ routine. However, the story resonates with its viewers. The plot consists of three stages of life of one boy as he goes from being a teen to an adult.

Maybe you will not learn how to write from this movie, but you will get other inspirations and ideas for your assignments. Be aware of the choices of palette and tone in your stories.

7. Dead Poets Society

Dead Poets Society

This movie is for you if you do not like literature yet. An English teacher will show you the beauty of literature and writing through his non-standard methods. If you still have no idea why language and literature are so exciting and brilliant, learn some tips and get inspired by watching this movie.

You will learn how literature can impact everyone’s soul. This story would be perfect for teachers, actually. However, if you are a student, you should watch it as well without any doubt. Writers will find it even more special.

8. Becoming Astrid (Swedish: Unga Astrid)

Becoming Astrid

This is a biographical drama directed in 2018 about the life of Swedish writer, Astrid Lindgren. Not many people have seen it since the movie was produced in Denmark and Sweden.

Astrid Lindgren is an author whose books are known to nearly every child in the world. Astrid Lindgren receives letters from kids from all corners of the globe. While working in a local newspaper, an 18-year-old girl falls in love with a chief editor who is 30 years older than her.

Astrid gets pregnant and goes to Denmark to give birth to her son Lars. Unfortunately, she must leave her son with a Danish family for a while until he is several years old. This is a true story of a writer who is admired all over the world.

Learn about the true struggles of people in those difficult times and see how, no matter what, they found inspiration to write and still enjoy life.

9. The Ghost Writer

The Ghost Writer

The Ghost Writer is a well-known political thriller, the main character of which writes memoirs for a retired Prime Minister. He doesn’t assume the work can be hard and thinks everything will be easy. However, later on, the writer realizes how much he risks his own life since the information he manages to find out should have never been known to him.

10. The Words

the words

An amazingly inspiring movie about a writer who can’t find the inspiration and fails to submit the book on time. Suddenly, he finds a manuscript that seems quite interesting to him. Due to the lack of inspiration, the writer decides to submit it as his own. It turned out to be a big success, and he becomes extremely popular.

However, one day, his life turns into a nightmare when an unknown man says he knows the book he published was not written by him. If you are a student or author who is looking for inspiration online or from other sources, be careful of plagiarism.

The movie is a great reminder that we have to cite the sources properly no matter what we are writing. Even if you find brilliant words, remember they are written by someone else.

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Barry is a technologist who helps start-ups build successful products. His love for movies and production has led him to write his well-received film explanation and analysis articles to help everyone appreciate the films better. He’s regularly available for a chat conversation on his website and consults on storyboarding from time to time. Click to browse all his film articles

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Film making has become part and parcel of current human life. This makes  Film Research Paper Topics , Tips & Ideas to Use as Inspiration an affluent area of making money and even highly examinable in the schools. As such, as a veteran or aspiring filmmaker, researcher or student in that field, it is commendable to always have at your fingertips various current ideas to use as inspirations when working on such a topic. Consequently, this article seeks to keep you at par with the various current film research paper topics, tips & and ideas for inspiration. There are various film research paper topics  by WriteMyEssays.info  that the history of film making and research suggest to be very easy to work with as a beginner or student. Given the vast history of filmmaking, there are so many research topics and below is a list of the most relevant.

If you are searching for an essay writer on film topics you’ll need the best essay writing service company.

Film Research Paper Topics

There are various  film research paper topics  that the history of film making and research suggest to be very easy to work with as a beginner or student. Given the vast history of filmmaking, there are so many research topics and below is a list of the most relevant.

Science fiction movies

The digital era tends to appreciate science fiction movies so much. This gives this film research topic a wide range of markets, making it almost naturally acceptable. Science fiction movies as a film research paper topic also allow you to structure your script to your liking, provided it has a flow and is understandable.

African-Americans in the American Cinema

Writing about African-Americans has always been a marketable film research paper topic from time immemorial. This is given the diversity in the treatment and reception of African-Americans across the American continent. The success and rise to positions of power and leadership by the African-Americans, the rise in the anti-racism campaigns , the factual existence of people who still consider blacks as slaves and various topics surrounding the African-Americans allow you to structure your script as you so wish.

Women’s role and contribution in the film industry and society in general

Women have drastically evolved from their previous submissive nature into measuring up with their male counterparts in societal duties. Notably, in the film industry included, women have risen to the occasion to take up leadership and other roles in society and other fronts of life. This makes women in themselves a highly marketable film research paper topic.

The evolution of filmmaking

Like every other thing, filmmaking has evolved with technology over the decades. This is an exciting and highly marketable film research paper topic. The human mind tends to appreciate the knowledge of history and evolution of a field that has since become part and parcel of human life.

The Importance of Representation in Movie

The human brain tends to want to understand everything, especially the things that have since become a part of human life, like filmmaking. Consequently, the importance of representation in movies is a topic that tends to spike a debate anywhere across the globe. This makes it a highly marketable film research paper topic.

Tips & Ideas to Use as Inspiration

As a person working in the filmmaking industry, you need to know the tips and amp and ideas and to use them as inspiration when writing a particular film. When choosing an inspiration, it is commendable to go with a topic you are passionate about to make it easily navigable for you. Below is a list of ideas that tend to carry so much inspiration. This site also will help you find out more creative ideas.

  • Your background may form a perfect inspiration as you perfectly understand it.
  • The culture and heritage of a particular group of people don’t necessarily have to be ethnic.
  • Deserted areas tend to be good inspirations as the human mind is naturally curious and would want to know what goes on there.
  • Former old film .
  • A day in one’s life.

What are the current trends in filmmaking and research? The answers to this question tend to solve a good percentage of your problems in the film industry.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 113 great research paper topics.

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One of the hardest parts of writing a research paper can be just finding a good topic to write about. Fortunately we've done the hard work for you and have compiled a list of 113 interesting research paper topics. They've been organized into ten categories and cover a wide range of subjects so you can easily find the best topic for you.

In addition to the list of good research topics, we've included advice on what makes a good research paper topic and how you can use your topic to start writing a great paper.

What Makes a Good Research Paper Topic?

Not all research paper topics are created equal, and you want to make sure you choose a great topic before you start writing. Below are the three most important factors to consider to make sure you choose the best research paper topics.

#1: It's Something You're Interested In

A paper is always easier to write if you're interested in the topic, and you'll be more motivated to do in-depth research and write a paper that really covers the entire subject. Even if a certain research paper topic is getting a lot of buzz right now or other people seem interested in writing about it, don't feel tempted to make it your topic unless you genuinely have some sort of interest in it as well.

#2: There's Enough Information to Write a Paper

Even if you come up with the absolute best research paper topic and you're so excited to write about it, you won't be able to produce a good paper if there isn't enough research about the topic. This can happen for very specific or specialized topics, as well as topics that are too new to have enough research done on them at the moment. Easy research paper topics will always be topics with enough information to write a full-length paper.

Trying to write a research paper on a topic that doesn't have much research on it is incredibly hard, so before you decide on a topic, do a bit of preliminary searching and make sure you'll have all the information you need to write your paper.

#3: It Fits Your Teacher's Guidelines

Don't get so carried away looking at lists of research paper topics that you forget any requirements or restrictions your teacher may have put on research topic ideas. If you're writing a research paper on a health-related topic, deciding to write about the impact of rap on the music scene probably won't be allowed, but there may be some sort of leeway. For example, if you're really interested in current events but your teacher wants you to write a research paper on a history topic, you may be able to choose a topic that fits both categories, like exploring the relationship between the US and North Korea. No matter what, always get your research paper topic approved by your teacher first before you begin writing.

113 Good Research Paper Topics

Below are 113 good research topics to help you get you started on your paper. We've organized them into ten categories to make it easier to find the type of research paper topics you're looking for.

Arts/Culture

  • Discuss the main differences in art from the Italian Renaissance and the Northern Renaissance .
  • Analyze the impact a famous artist had on the world.
  • How is sexism portrayed in different types of media (music, film, video games, etc.)? Has the amount/type of sexism changed over the years?
  • How has the music of slaves brought over from Africa shaped modern American music?
  • How has rap music evolved in the past decade?
  • How has the portrayal of minorities in the media changed?

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Current Events

  • What have been the impacts of China's one child policy?
  • How have the goals of feminists changed over the decades?
  • How has the Trump presidency changed international relations?
  • Analyze the history of the relationship between the United States and North Korea.
  • What factors contributed to the current decline in the rate of unemployment?
  • What have been the impacts of states which have increased their minimum wage?
  • How do US immigration laws compare to immigration laws of other countries?
  • How have the US's immigration laws changed in the past few years/decades?
  • How has the Black Lives Matter movement affected discussions and view about racism in the US?
  • What impact has the Affordable Care Act had on healthcare in the US?
  • What factors contributed to the UK deciding to leave the EU (Brexit)?
  • What factors contributed to China becoming an economic power?
  • Discuss the history of Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies  (some of which tokenize the S&P 500 Index on the blockchain) .
  • Do students in schools that eliminate grades do better in college and their careers?
  • Do students from wealthier backgrounds score higher on standardized tests?
  • Do students who receive free meals at school get higher grades compared to when they weren't receiving a free meal?
  • Do students who attend charter schools score higher on standardized tests than students in public schools?
  • Do students learn better in same-sex classrooms?
  • How does giving each student access to an iPad or laptop affect their studies?
  • What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Montessori Method ?
  • Do children who attend preschool do better in school later on?
  • What was the impact of the No Child Left Behind act?
  • How does the US education system compare to education systems in other countries?
  • What impact does mandatory physical education classes have on students' health?
  • Which methods are most effective at reducing bullying in schools?
  • Do homeschoolers who attend college do as well as students who attended traditional schools?
  • Does offering tenure increase or decrease quality of teaching?
  • How does college debt affect future life choices of students?
  • Should graduate students be able to form unions?

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  • What are different ways to lower gun-related deaths in the US?
  • How and why have divorce rates changed over time?
  • Is affirmative action still necessary in education and/or the workplace?
  • Should physician-assisted suicide be legal?
  • How has stem cell research impacted the medical field?
  • How can human trafficking be reduced in the United States/world?
  • Should people be able to donate organs in exchange for money?
  • Which types of juvenile punishment have proven most effective at preventing future crimes?
  • Has the increase in US airport security made passengers safer?
  • Analyze the immigration policies of certain countries and how they are similar and different from one another.
  • Several states have legalized recreational marijuana. What positive and negative impacts have they experienced as a result?
  • Do tariffs increase the number of domestic jobs?
  • Which prison reforms have proven most effective?
  • Should governments be able to censor certain information on the internet?
  • Which methods/programs have been most effective at reducing teen pregnancy?
  • What are the benefits and drawbacks of the Keto diet?
  • How effective are different exercise regimes for losing weight and maintaining weight loss?
  • How do the healthcare plans of various countries differ from each other?
  • What are the most effective ways to treat depression ?
  • What are the pros and cons of genetically modified foods?
  • Which methods are most effective for improving memory?
  • What can be done to lower healthcare costs in the US?
  • What factors contributed to the current opioid crisis?
  • Analyze the history and impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic .
  • Are low-carbohydrate or low-fat diets more effective for weight loss?
  • How much exercise should the average adult be getting each week?
  • Which methods are most effective to get parents to vaccinate their children?
  • What are the pros and cons of clean needle programs?
  • How does stress affect the body?
  • Discuss the history of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
  • What were the causes and effects of the Salem Witch Trials?
  • Who was responsible for the Iran-Contra situation?
  • How has New Orleans and the government's response to natural disasters changed since Hurricane Katrina?
  • What events led to the fall of the Roman Empire?
  • What were the impacts of British rule in India ?
  • Was the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki necessary?
  • What were the successes and failures of the women's suffrage movement in the United States?
  • What were the causes of the Civil War?
  • How did Abraham Lincoln's assassination impact the country and reconstruction after the Civil War?
  • Which factors contributed to the colonies winning the American Revolution?
  • What caused Hitler's rise to power?
  • Discuss how a specific invention impacted history.
  • What led to Cleopatra's fall as ruler of Egypt?
  • How has Japan changed and evolved over the centuries?
  • What were the causes of the Rwandan genocide ?

main_lincoln

  • Why did Martin Luther decide to split with the Catholic Church?
  • Analyze the history and impact of a well-known cult (Jonestown, Manson family, etc.)
  • How did the sexual abuse scandal impact how people view the Catholic Church?
  • How has the Catholic church's power changed over the past decades/centuries?
  • What are the causes behind the rise in atheism/ agnosticism in the United States?
  • What were the influences in Siddhartha's life resulted in him becoming the Buddha?
  • How has media portrayal of Islam/Muslims changed since September 11th?

Science/Environment

  • How has the earth's climate changed in the past few decades?
  • How has the use and elimination of DDT affected bird populations in the US?
  • Analyze how the number and severity of natural disasters have increased in the past few decades.
  • Analyze deforestation rates in a certain area or globally over a period of time.
  • How have past oil spills changed regulations and cleanup methods?
  • How has the Flint water crisis changed water regulation safety?
  • What are the pros and cons of fracking?
  • What impact has the Paris Climate Agreement had so far?
  • What have NASA's biggest successes and failures been?
  • How can we improve access to clean water around the world?
  • Does ecotourism actually have a positive impact on the environment?
  • Should the US rely on nuclear energy more?
  • What can be done to save amphibian species currently at risk of extinction?
  • What impact has climate change had on coral reefs?
  • How are black holes created?
  • Are teens who spend more time on social media more likely to suffer anxiety and/or depression?
  • How will the loss of net neutrality affect internet users?
  • Analyze the history and progress of self-driving vehicles.
  • How has the use of drones changed surveillance and warfare methods?
  • Has social media made people more or less connected?
  • What progress has currently been made with artificial intelligence ?
  • Do smartphones increase or decrease workplace productivity?
  • What are the most effective ways to use technology in the classroom?
  • How is Google search affecting our intelligence?
  • When is the best age for a child to begin owning a smartphone?
  • Has frequent texting reduced teen literacy rates?

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How to Write a Great Research Paper

Even great research paper topics won't give you a great research paper if you don't hone your topic before and during the writing process. Follow these three tips to turn good research paper topics into great papers.

#1: Figure Out Your Thesis Early

Before you start writing a single word of your paper, you first need to know what your thesis will be. Your thesis is a statement that explains what you intend to prove/show in your paper. Every sentence in your research paper will relate back to your thesis, so you don't want to start writing without it!

As some examples, if you're writing a research paper on if students learn better in same-sex classrooms, your thesis might be "Research has shown that elementary-age students in same-sex classrooms score higher on standardized tests and report feeling more comfortable in the classroom."

If you're writing a paper on the causes of the Civil War, your thesis might be "While the dispute between the North and South over slavery is the most well-known cause of the Civil War, other key causes include differences in the economies of the North and South, states' rights, and territorial expansion."

#2: Back Every Statement Up With Research

Remember, this is a research paper you're writing, so you'll need to use lots of research to make your points. Every statement you give must be backed up with research, properly cited the way your teacher requested. You're allowed to include opinions of your own, but they must also be supported by the research you give.

#3: Do Your Research Before You Begin Writing

You don't want to start writing your research paper and then learn that there isn't enough research to back up the points you're making, or, even worse, that the research contradicts the points you're trying to make!

Get most of your research on your good research topics done before you begin writing. Then use the research you've collected to create a rough outline of what your paper will cover and the key points you're going to make. This will help keep your paper clear and organized, and it'll ensure you have enough research to produce a strong paper.

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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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Film and Theatre Studies Research Topics

Published by Carmen Troy at January 6th, 2023 , Revised On August 11, 2023

Introduction

Film and theatre studies focus on the critical analysis of experiential learning. Film and theatre have been popular areas of interest among students of arts. As a student of film and theatre, you will be expected to study cinema history and the social importance of cinematography and films to learn the techniques and methods used for the production of films. This blog post provides several film dissertation topics and theatre dissertation topics so you can make a meaningful contribution to the literature.

Here is our selection of film and theatre research topics that we think you should consider.

Topic 1: An Exploration of Gender Role in Blockbuster Films and the Perspectives of Assigning Roles

  • Topic 2: A Comparative Study of Hollywood and Bollywood: An Exploration of Research of Movies

Topic 3: A Detailed Analysis of the Principles of Making Films: An Exploration of the Relevant Principles of Making Films

Topic 4: assessing the significance of awards for making a better film, topic 5: analysing female sexuality in the film: a detailed research on the perspectives of society, topic 6: an explorative study of the performances of an actor in theatre and film.

  • Topic 7: An explorative study of the Cultures of Theatre and Film in the Big City of a Country

Topic 8: Detail Perspectives of the Impact of Theatre in the Urban Area

Topic 9: explorative research on the impact of film in a rural area, topic 10: the relevance of casting and editing for making a film.

These film and theatre dissertation topics have been developed by PhD-qualified writers of our team , so you can trust to use these topics for drafting your dissertation.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting  a brief research proposal  from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an  introduction  to the topic,  research question ,  aim and objectives ,  literature review  along with the proposed  methodology  of research to be conducted.  Let us know  if you need any help in getting started.

Check our  dissertation examples  to get an idea of  how to structure your dissertation .

Review the full list of  dissertation topics for 2022 here.

You may also want to review our arts dissertation topics, fashion dissertation topics and literature dissertation topics if you don’t find an intriguing idea below.

2022 Film and Theatre Studies Research Topics

Topic 1: the role of writers’ creativity in film’s success- a comparison between hit and flop hollywood movies.

Research Aim: This study aims to find the role of writers’ creativity in a film’s success in Hollywood. It will show how the writer’s imagination, emotions, creativity, and other factors affect the movie’s story. And how does it affect its success when it comes to the cinema? It will compare and contrast various successful and flop Hollywood movies to analyze whether the writer’s creativity is crucial for the movie or not. Lastly, it will recommend whether producers give the writer’s creativity prime attention or not.

Topic 2: Impact of Online Streaming Services on Traditional Cinema’s Content Quality and Investments - A Case of Netflix TV Shows Production

Research Aim: This research intends to find the impact of online streaming services on traditional cinema’s content quality and investments. It will show whether the introduction of online content besides mainstream cinema has affected its content or continues the way it used to create. It will use Netflix as a case study to show whether its introduction and significant investments affected the Cinema equilibrium in terms of investments in cinema and content produced by it. Lastly, it will indicate whether both models can work simultaneously or if one has to give up.

Topic 3: Do Film Sequels Overshadow the Original Story? Or Do they Help to Reconnect with the Original Story? A Case of “The Lord of the Rings”

Research Aim: This study sheds light on the impact of film sequels on the success of the original story. It will show whether sequels overshadow the actual story or do they help to reconnect with the original story. Moreover, it will find how factors such as the introduction of new characters and actors, replacement of old actors, addition and removal from the actual story, etc., affect the success of the original story.

Topic 4: The Economics of Cinema: Impact of Large Production Houses’ Monopoly in Production and Distribution on the Quality of the Movies

Research Aim: This study assesses the impact of large production houses’ monopoly in production and distribution on the quality of the movie. It will show that these economic actors control production and distribution factors in the movie markets. It will see how big production houses operate in Hollywood and influences the entire Hollywood economic process of movie production, distribution, rights allocation, etc. Lastly, it will also show how small players penetrated this market of strong entry to a barrier.

Topic 5: Does a Script Makes a Movie Successful or the Actors? An Exploratory Analysis Finding the Factors which Make a Movie Successful

Research Aim: This research will identify the factors which make a movie successful. It will specifically find whether a good script makes a movie successful or the actors. It will assess various movies through a film literature framework to see whether a specific movie was actors-dominated or script overshadowed the actors, or it was a mix of both. Moreover, it will show how a film producer can utilize both to make a good movie.

Film and Theatre Dissertation Research Topics

Research Aim: The research aims to investigate and analyse the role of gender in doing blockbuster films. The aim of the research seeks to understand the importance of gender roles in assigning a task. The aim of the research explores the roles of genders to discover new areas of filmmaking.

Topic 2: A Comparative Study of Hollywood and Bollywood: An Exploration Research of Movies

Research Aim: The research aims to explore the different perspectives of Hollywood and Bollywood movies and explore the areas for improvement. The research explores the comparisons between these two types of film. The study supports various arguments about making two different types of movies.

Research Aim: The relevance of the research focuses on the principles of making films. The research highlights the importance of utilizing principles in the field of theatre. The research aims to explore various perspectives of principles that help to justify the topic of the film.

Research Aim: The research aims to evaluate the importance of awards for making a good film. The aim is to focus on the detailed analysis of the awards and their cultural perspective on making a film.

Research Aim: The research aims to analyse the perspectives of society in the case of representing female sexuality in the movie. The study analyses the stereotypical presentation of women onscreen that describes how women were initially treated in society. The detailed analysis of the research explores the role of film in highlighting a sensitive issue of women.

Research Aim: It studies the detailed analysis of the actor’s performances and how external and internal factors affect the performances of actors in a film.

Topic 7: An explorative study of the Cultures of Theatre and Film in the big city of a country

Research Aim: The aim of the research is in making a detailed exploration of the cultures of theatre and film. It highlights the differences in culture from both perspectives.

Research Aim: The research aims to analyse the impact of theatre and its advancement in an urban area. The aim is to explore the reflection of theatre on the mind of a human being.

Research Aim: The aim of the research focuses on the impact of film on the mind of the people of rural areas. It explores the forms of various films that create an effect on the life of the rural area.

Research Aim: This research highlights the importance of casting and editing and its critical casting and editing perspectives in film. It focuses on the principles of casting and editing for making a film.

Topic 11: Perspectives of Youth for Making a Cinema: A Detailed Analysis of the Influential Factors of Making a Cinema.

Research Aim: It highlights the mindset of youth for making a cinema. It focuses on the factors that influence making a successful piece of art.

Topic 12: The Role of the Short Film in Making a Big Cinema

Research Aim: The research focuses on making a short film can be an essential step for making a big one. This research highlights the various perspectives of making a short film. It helps to explore the historical perspectives of making a big cinema.

Topic 13: A Detailed Exploration of the Impact of History and Culture on Making Modern Cinema

Research Aim: The research focuses on the importance of history and how it impacts making modern cinema. It highlights the steps of records of cinema.

Topic 14: A Critical Analysis of Horror Movies: A Case Study on a Horror Movie

Research Aim: The aim explores the perspectives of horror movies and it impacts society. It supports arguments based on evidence.

Topic 15: An Exploration of the Revolution of the Movie with Perspectives on History and Culture

Research Aim: The research aims to explore the evolution of cinema’s history and highlight every perspective of the revolution. It focuses on the impact of the revolution on making a film.

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How to find film and theatre studies dissertation topic.

To find a film and theatre studies dissertation topic:

  • Watch diverse films and plays.
  • Analyze themes, techniques, and social relevance.
  • Research historical contexts.
  • Explore theoretical frameworks.
  • Identify unexplored areas.
  • Select a topic resonating with your passion and academic scope.

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Impact of Films: Changes in Young People’s Attitudes after Watching a Movie

Nowadays films occupy a significant portion of the media products consumed by people. In Russia, cinema is being considered as a means of individual and social transformation, which makes a contribution to the formation of the Russian audience’s outlook, including their attitudes towards topical social issues. At the same time, the question of the effectiveness of films’ impact remains an open question in psychological science. According to the empirical orientation of our approach to the study of mass media influence, our goal was to obtain new data on the positive impact of films based on specific experimental research. The task was to identify changes in the attitudes of young people, as the most active viewers, towards topical social issues after watching a specifically selected film. Using a psychosemantic technique that included 25 scales designed to identify attitudes towards elderly people, respondents evaluated their various characteristics before and after watching the film. Using a number of characteristics related to the motivational, emotional and cognitive spheres, significant changes were revealed. At the same time, significant differences were found in assessments of the elderly between undergraduate students and postgraduate students. After watching the film, postgraduate students’ attitudes towards elderly people changed in a positive way, while undergraduate students’ negative assessments only worsened. The revealed opposite trends can be explained by individual differences of respondents, which include age, educational status as an indicator of individual psychological characteristics, the experience of interaction with elderly people and, as a result, attitudes towards elderly people at the time before watching the movie. The finding that previous attitudes mediate the impact of the film complements the ideas of the contribution of individual differences to media effects. Most of the changes detected immediately after watching the movie did not remain over time. A single movie viewing did not have a lasting effect on viewers’ attitudes, and it suggests the further task of identifying mechanisms of the sustainability of changes.

1. Introduction

With the development of information technology, a person’s immersion in the field of mass media is steadily increasing. A significant portion of consumed media products is occupied by cinema. According to sociological surveys, going to the cinema is the most popular way of spending leisure time in Russia today ( http://www.fond-kino.ru/news/kto-ty-rossijskij-kinozritel/ ); the audiences of cinemas are growing, the core of which are 18-24 years olds, as well as the frequency of visits—every tenth Russian goes to the cinema several times a month ( https://wciom.ru/index.php?id=236&uid=1785 ; https://wciom.ru/fileadmin/file/reports_conferences/2018/2018-04-03_kino.pdf ; http://www.fond-kino.ru/news/portret-kinoauditorii-rezultaty-monitoringa-za-i-kvartal-2019-goda/ ), the opportunities and frequency of Internet viewings is expanding, while interest in TV shows is also increasing. The importance of the role that cinema plays in Russia is also confirmed by the close attention currently being paid to the development of the cinema industry: the priority topics of state financing are defined (e.g., “Law and order: the heroes of modern society in the fight against crime terror, extremism and corruption”, “On the continuity of military generations, on the successors of military traditions”, "Images, patterns of behavior and creative motivation of our contemporary—a man of labor, in the military or a scientist"), while state programs are being launched to open new cinema theatres in small towns. Сinema becomes a “tool for broadcasting state ideology to the masses” (according to S. Zizek [ 1 ]), and is also being considered as a “means of individual and social transformation” (according to T. Kashani [ 2 ]) [ 3 ]. As a result, films are expected to form beliefs, influence opinions and change attitudes, including towards topical social issues.

However, the question of the efficiency of films remains open in psychology. In general, this is a key issue for mass communication research: how much emotion, cognition and behavior are changed under the influence of mass media [ 4 , 5 ]. There are various concepts about this: from “theories of a minimal effect” to “theories of a strong effect” [ 6 ]. Thus, for example, cultivation theory considers that mass communication contributes to the assimilation of commonly accepted values, norms and forms of behavior [ 7 ]; and a meta-analysis of studies leads to the conclusion that there is a relationship between the broadcast mass media image of reality and people’s attitudes towards it [ 8 , 9 ]. Despite criticisms, cultivation theory is currently being developed [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. On the other hand, supporters of the opposite viewpoint point out the weak effects of mass communication, caused, for example, by the fact that people are becoming more and more subject of their mass media activity as a result of a wider variety of sources of information now and expanding their choices [ 14 , 15 ].

It seems difficult to identify a single mechanism of mass media impact on the human psyche and behavior and to obtain an unambiguous answer to the question about its efficiency [ 6 ]. This is due to the interconnection of various factors that mediate the influence of mass media (personal experience, realistic content, depth of identification with heroes, personality traits, etc.) [ 16 , 17 , 18 ], as well as those factors that constantly impact persons besides those in the media. Therefore, our thoughts and ideas about this issue are largely based on empirical research data, and are not limited to one theory [ 19 ].

When referring to research of cinema, we can find data on the diverse effects of film exposure. It should be noted that the effectiveness of the impact is determined by what it is directed at: it is more difficult to change human behavior than to influence opinions or attitudes [ 4 , 6 ]. In this regard, there is still a debatable problem on the influence of the media on the aggressive behavior of people [ 20 ]. This research focuses on the potential of pro-social, "humanistic" impact of films and their effectiveness in solving topical social issues. The studies reveal the influence of films on people’s beliefs and opinions, stereotypes and attitudes. Movies can have a significant impact on gender and ethnic stereotypes [ 21 , 22 ], change attitudes towards certain groups of people and cause newly formed opinions on various issues. For example, HIV films contributed to sympathy to people living with HIV [ 4 ], TV series with transgender characters contributed to positive attitudes towards transgender persons [ 23 ]; the portrayal of mental disorders in movies had an effect on people’s knowledge about and attitudes toward the mentally ill [ 24 , 25 ]. Also, viewing an empathy-arousing film about immigrants induced more positive attitudes toward them [ 26 ], and watching a movie offering a positive depiction of gay men reduced homophobia [ 27 ]. Other films influenced people’s attitude towards smoking and their intentions to quit [ 28 , 29 ], while a series with a positive donation message helped viewers to make decisions about their own donation [ 30 ]. It has been shown that emotional involvement in viewing, evaluated using surveys drawing on theories of social learning and social representations, increases the effectiveness of influence [ 30 ]; immersion in narrative, that correlates with the need for cognition, and is characterized by a shift of focus from the real world to the depicted one, explains the power of impact within the framework of transportation theory [ 31 , 32 ].

Cinema can change people’s opinions on specific issues without affecting more stable constructs: for example, the film “JFK” dedicated to the Kennedy assassination influenced judgments about the causes of this crime, but generally did not change the political beliefs of the audience [ 33 ]; at the same time, the movies “Argo” and “Zero Dark Thirty” changed viewers’ opinions about the U.S. government that reflected in an improvement in sentiments about this government and its institutions [ 34 ]. Movies create images of other countries and stimulate interest in them. For example, European films shaped young viewers’ ideas about other European countries—such results were obtained in a study of the role of films and series in the daily life of young Germans through interviews and focus groups [ 35 ]. Another study showed that whether the movies were violent, scary or happy, the more the viewers were immersed in the stories, the more favorable impressions they had of the places featured in them [ 36 ].

Various positive effects of films on children and adolescents were revealed. Dramatic films taught teenagers about social interaction with the opposite sex and adults [ 37 ], had a positive impact on their self-concept [ 38 ], and, as shown by experiments, increased ethnic tolerance [ 39 ]; humanistically oriented movies improved skills of children in communicating with peers, increased their desire to help and understand others [ 40 , 41 ].

One of the prime examples of positive impact is Cli-fi movies, which clearly show what we can expect in the near future, and offers ways to think about what can be done to avoid the darkest predictions. Thus, after watching the film “The Day After Tomorrow” (2004), viewers recognized their responsibility for the Earth’s ecology and the need to change consumer attitudes towards nature [ 42 ]. In general, the screening of films on climate issues increases the number of online requests and media discussions on these issues [ 43 ].

It should be noted that when analyzing the impact of films, conclusions about their effectiveness are the result of different methodological approaches, which have varying advantages and limitations. Content analysis reveals the images, attitudes, stereotypes broadcast by films (e.g., stereotypical portrayals of India [ 44 ], or images of scientists and current scientific ideas [ 45 ]) on large data sets; however, questions remain about effectiveness, strength and sustainability of the impact on the audience. The influence of films can be investigated through a survey of viewers; based on this, conclusions are drawn about the links between a person’s attitudes and his/her viewer experience, such as in the study of gender attitudes and their correlations with teen movie-viewing habits [ 21 ]. In experimental studies, exposure effects are detected using pre- and post-film questionnaires; however, the time interval between testing and a film screening, such as a few weeks before viewing the film or a several days after [ 26 , 27 , 29 ], can lead to distortion of the results that are caused by the influence on the viewers’ attitudes of other factors besides the film; moreover, usually it is not investigated whether new attitudes are retained over time. Often the effects of films are analyzed in experimental conditions where participants watch only short cut scenes from existing films [ 24 ], which limits the extrapolation of the results.

According to the empirical orientation of our approach, the goal was to obtain new data on the positive impact of films based on a specific experimental study. The task was to identify changes in young people’s attitudes towards topical social issues after watching a specifically selected film. Participants had to watch the full version of an existing fiction film. They were tested just before and immediately after watching the movie in order to avoid the influence of other variables on viewers’ attitudes. Repeated testing (two weeks after the first viewing) was intended to reveal the sustainability of the changes caused by the film.

In the process of developing the design of the work, it was specified what attitudes would be studied. The choice was determined, first of all, by the social relevance of the topic, but outside the focus of the media in order to reduce the impact of other media sources, and on the other hand, by the availability of a suitable film. Important topics as ethnic stereotypes, attitudes toward people with disabilities, etc. were considered. However, the choice of the topics had to be restricted for various reasons. For example, identifying attitudes toward certain professions (e.g., engineer), whose prestige has significantly declined in Russia in recent decades, was difficult due to the lack of relevant films popularizing them. At the same time, despite the availability of humanistically oriented films dedicated to people with disabilities, the identification of changes in attitudes to them was complicated by the need to take into account additional factors caused by increased attention to the topic and active discussion in various media, which could distort the influence of a film.

Given the limitations and opportunities for the implementation of research tasks, the subject of this study the attitudes towards elderly people. At present, attention to the topic concerning elderly people is growing in Russia, but there is still a prevalence of negative stereotypes [ 46 ]. A characteristic manifestation of age discrimination against the elderly—ageism—is a biased attitude towards them, especially among young people, as well as a low assessment of their intellectual abilities, activity and "usefulness" for society.

Studies show that the mass media have a significant impact on negative attitudes towards the elderly [ 47 ]: children have already demonstrated the same stereotypes of the elderly that were depicted in the media [ 48 ], while young people at large viewed the elderly in general as ineffective, dependent, lonely, poor, angry and disabled, which corresponded to the negative representations of elderly people in the most popular teen movies that cultivated their stereotypes [ 49 ]. Research of TV films from the 1980s–1990s revealed the stereotypes of elderly people as being social outsiders [ 50 ], but at the same time a display of positive prejudice contributed to an increase in tolerance towards them within society.

Improving the attitudes of young people towards elderly people is an important social and educational task, the solution of which involves the use of diverse opportunities. Various social projects can be implemented for this purpose, for example, "friendly visitor" types of programs in which young people visit the elderly [ 51 , 52 ], but also mass media, including films, which have a high potential for impact [ 53 , 54 ]. It was found that watching documentary films had a positive effect on both knowledge about aging and attitudes towards the elderly [ 55 ]; these films significantly improved empathy towards elderly people among university students [ 56 ].

We suggested that fiction movies, popular especially among young people, could contribute to changing existing biased attitudes towards elderly people. Based on this, the hypothesis states that there is a connection between watching a positive film about the elderly and changes in young people’s attitudes towards them in a positive way.

2.1. Participants

A total of 70 individuals participated in this study. Group one contained 40 students of The State Academic University for Humanities (25% male and 75% female). The average age was 19 (M = 19, standard deviation SD = 2.4). Group two consisted of 30 postgraduate students from Russian Academy of Sciences (47% male and 53 % female). The average age was 24 (M = 24, standard deviation SD = 1.6).

All subjects gave their informed consent for inclusion before they participated in the study. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the local ethics committee (Review Board).

2.2. Materials

2.2.1. film.

The film—“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” (2011), the main characters of which were elderly people, was chosen to be shown to the respondents ( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1412386/ ). Prior to this, a qualitative analysis of empirical material revealed the impact of this film on the attitudes towards elderly people among Russian viewers of different ages. Their reviews on the film, taken from Internet resources devoted to cinema, indicated cognitive effects, expressed in positive changes of ideas about the elderly; the film was perceived quite optimistically and gave hope [ 19 ]. It was supposed that the movie that humorously shows various situations happening to the elderly heroes would also affect the opinion of young people about elderly people, as it allowed to look at them from new viewpoints, to see that age is not an obstacle to having a full life, and even, conversely, open up new prospects.

2.2.2. Measures

To achieve the goal of the study, a psychosemantic approach is used, which is the most appropriate for studying a person’s attitudes towards various objects of reality by reconstructing individual meanings [ 57 ]. This approach allows us to determine the differences in evaluations of the same object (caused by mass media as well), made by different groups of respondents at different times. For example, changes in the stereotypes of viewers were revealed in relation to representatives of another nation (Russians about the Japanese) during viewing of a TV show [ 57 ]. In this work, the psychosemantic technique was used, developed specifically to identify attitudes towards the elderly (based on the Kelly’s Repertoire lattice method) [ 46 ]. The technique included 25 7-point scales, according to which respondents rated elderly people. For comparative analysis, the modern youth were evaluated by participants with the same scales.

The respondents also noted the frequency of watching movies ("every day"/"several times a week"/"several times a month"/"several times a year and less"), and evaluated the level of enjoying the film shown ("did not like"/"rather did not like than liked"/"rather liked than disliked"/"liked").

2.3. Procedure

The study was conducted in three stages: the respondents filled out the psychosemantic test before watching the film, then immediately after viewing and again in 2 weeks. During stage 3, only group one participated in the study.

The respondents did not see the film before participating in the study.

2.4. Statistical Methods

In accordance with the data characteristics, non-parametric comparative methods were used. To determine the differences in the assessments before and after watching the movie, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used. To determine the differences in the assessments between different groups of respondents, the Mann-Whitney U test was used. The IBM SPSS Statistics 20 statistical software package was used for data processing.

3. Results and Discussion

As a result of the preliminary data analysis of the group one (students), significant differences were obtained in the assessments given by them to the elderly before and immediately after watching the movie (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p < 0.05). However, the analysis of the combined sample (students and postgraduate students) did not reveal such significant differences. Therefore, it was decided to compare the assessments of these two groups of respondents. It appeared that the evaluation of elderly people differed among students and postgraduate students before the film was shown (18 of 25 scales, Mann—Whitney test, p < 0.05). This result could be explained by the individual differences of the participants (students and postgraduates), which led to the necessity to correct the hypothesis and form additional research tasks, including the comparison of groups. Further analysis was carried out separately for each group of respondents, but not for the united group.

Significant differences shown by respondents of the group one before and immediately after watching the film (students) were found in 12 out of the 25 scales ( Table 1 ).

Changes in assessments of the elderly people after watching the film (students).

Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Only the significant differences are represented: b—based on negative ranks, c—based on positive ranks. * inversive scales: a higher rating means a more negative attitude

The group of students revealed changes associated with ideas about activities. The respondents saw the elderly as having less initiative, and being purposeless and weak. Moreover, they defined elderly people’s way of life as more passive, having no desire for knowledge or for living a full life. The results immediately after watching the film demonstrated that the audience perceived the elderly as being those who strived less to learn new things and perceived them to be less positive and more limited in their interests. Also, the changes of assessments related to the emotional sphere were discovered. The elderly were characterized as even more unrestrained and conflict-prone with a tendency towards depression and showing no emotions.

Comparative analysis of assessments of elderly people before and after watching the film, given by respondents of the group two (postgraduate students), showed significant differences on 14 of the 25 scales ( Table 2 ). Postgraduate students evaluated the elderly, unlike students, more positively after watching the film. Changes on 9 common scales (purposeless - purposeful, cheerful - prone to depression, passive - initiative, conflict - peaceful, traditional - modern, etc.) for students and postgraduate students turned out to be of different directions. After watching the film, the elderly seemed to be more purposeful, active and successful, responsible and with a good sense of humor. There were changes in assessments of the emotional sphere (more cheerful, peaceful) and cognitive (more intelligent) in references to novelty and life in general (the strive to learn new things, the desire for a full life).

Changes in assessments of elderly people after watching the film (postgraduates).

Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The significant differences are only represented: b—based on positive ranks, c—based on negative ranks. * inversive scales: higher rating means more negative attitude.

Thus, the data revealed changes in attitude towards the elderly people after watching the film. According to a number of their characteristics related to motivational aspects—regulatory, emotional and cognitive spheres—significant changes were revealed, but the tendency of these changes was unexpected. After group one (students) watched the film, a tendency of worsening assessments was found. It was also determined that before the film, students described the elderly more negatively as being less intelligent and interesting, more conflict prone, angry and aggressive than young people (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p < 0.01). This generally negative attitude can be explained by a special view of quite young people on the "old age". But why, despite the attempt of the filmmakers to make the image of the elderly positive enough, did the film fail to change students’ attitude? Instead, it made the image of elderly persons even less attractive. Meanwhile, there was an opposite trend in group two (postgraduate students). Their assessments of elderly people after watching the film changed for the better. The postgraduate students, unlike undergraduate students, had already demonstrated a more "adequate" view on the elderly before watching the film. Despite a number of negative assessments, the elderly were seen by them as smart and striving for a full life, sociable and interesting.

Comparison of the two groups of respondents confirmed significant differences between students and postgraduate students in the evaluation of the elderly after watching the film ( Table 3 ). The assessments given by undergraduate students and postgraduates differed significantly on 21 out of 25 scales.

Comparison of groups of undergraduate students and postgraduates by assessments after watching the film.

Mann-Whitney U test. The significant differences are only represented.

The opposite tendencies found in assessments after watching the film could be explained by differences in individual characteristics of respondents, which were not initially considered in our study as factors mediating the impact of the film: age of respondents (more subtle differentiation), educational status, as an indicator of individual psychological characteristics and experiences of interactions with elderly people. The suggestion of differences between students and postgraduates by personality is consistent with the results of other studies [ 58 ], and is indirectly confirmed by the fact that only about 1 out of 40 students become postgraduate students (data for Russia). In our study, differences between students and postgraduate students already manifested in differences in their attitudes towards the elderly before watching the film.

Then the film, which showed some negative aspects of life for elderly people (loneliness, needlessness, diseases, fears, physical limitations “comic” behavior), despite the optimistic ending, could strengthen the negative attitudes of very young people (students) towards the elderly, whose images might not yet be fully formed. On the other hand, postgraduate students might have a more complex view on elderly people, because of age and more diverse interactions with the elderly, for example, in scientific work. In this case, their perceptions of the film could be focused on its positive ideas, strengthening their previously formed positive image of an elderly person. In addition, postgraduate students, who have chosen the scientific career path, most likely have a high level of analytical skills that contributed to more complex perceptions of the world and a deep assessment of the phenomena that could affect their attitudes towards the older generation and the interpretation of their images in the movies. At the same time, the characteristics of the film itself, as well as the cultural differences between its creators and viewers, might cause additional negative impacts on students’ perceptions. Comedy, as a genre, could have an opposite effect. Younger people perceived the desire of older characters to give their lives new meanings in their own way and they saw a futility in these attempts. Respondents with more experience could be more tolerant to the specifics of the genre, and their perception of the film was more complicated and implemented in a broader context.

Thus, comparison of the results of the analysis for both groups of respondents suggests that the different changes in viewers’ attitudes towards objects of reality that occur after watching a movie can be explained by differences in the attitudes before watching the film. This effect can also be explained by the degree of identification with the characters [ 31 , 59 , 60 ], which is influenced by the previous attitudes of the viewers. For example, a study of the impact of films on attitudes towards migrants showed that greater identification with the characters induced more positive attitudes toward immigration, but only when previous prejudice was low or moderate [ 26 ]. In this regard, the various effects of the film on students and postgraduate students could be caused by the different degrees of their identification with the characters of the film, despite the fact that a large difference in age with the characters could complicate this process for all participants in the study. The conclusion that previous attitudes mediate the impact of the film complements the ideas of the contribution of individual differences to media effects [ 61 ]. In addition, this conclusion has practical value: in order to achieve the desired impact of films, it is necessary to identify the viewers’ individual attitudes before a screening.

At the third stage of the study, it was examined whether changes remained over time. Two weeks after watching the movie, respondents (group one) re-took the test.

Significant differences were found only on 4 scales (strives to a full life - lost the meaning of life, craving for spirituality - limited interests, quickly tired – high in stamina, traditional - modern) ( Table 4 ). The continuing changes in the characteristics related to the inferiority and limitations of elderly people’s lives may indicate the most striking and memorable moments in the film that had the greatest impact on viewers. The assessments of the other characteristics did not differ significantly from those that were identified before watching the film. That leads to the conclusion that a single movie viewing, in general, did not have a lasting effect on the viewers’ attitudes toward the elderly. Most of the changes discovered immediately after watching the movie did not remain over time. Studying the mechanisms of the formation of sustainable changes is a task for future research. One of the directions of such research could be to investigate the influence of additional cognitive processing (e.g., discussion after watching the movie) on the viewers’ attitudes towards objects and the sustainability of changes over time.

Changes in assessments of the elderly people 2 weeks after watching the film (students).

Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Only the significant differences are represented: b—based on negative ranks, c—based on positive ranks. * inversive scales: a higher rating means a more negative attitude.

The correlation between the gender of the respondents and changes in attitudes after watching the film was determined by comparing the assessments separately for males and females in each group. As a result, in group one, women were found to have significant differences in ratings on 13 scales, and men in three, two of which were common (no desire to learn anything - the desire to learn new skills, traditional - modern, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p < 0.05). The data showed greater changes in the attitudes among women than among men after watching the film. At the same time, a comparison of the male and female participants in the group two did not reveal such results. The analysis found an equal number of significant differences in assessments (on 10 scales) before and after watching the film (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, p < 0.05). Thus, it can be assumed that gender had a lower impact on changes in attitudes after watching a film than other individual characteristics of respondents.

The data on the frequency of watching movies was obtained: 56% of respondents watch movies several times a week and more often, 44%—several times a month and less often. However, there were no differences between these viewers in the assessments before and after watching the film (Mann-Whitney U test, p < 0.05). The degree of general interest in cinema did not affect the change of viewers’ attitudes after watching the film.

It was not possible to determine the connection between liking the film and the changes in attitudes, since the differentiation of respondents by this factor was not found. Only six young people noted they did not like the film, while the others gave it a positive evaluation.

The study has limitations caused due to an assumption of no significant differences between students and postgraduates in the effectiveness of the film’s impact on them. The revealed differences between undergraduate students and postgraduate students led to the initial sample of young people being divided into two samples with smaller sizes already used during the research. In addition, for the same reason, some variables that could more accurately demonstrate the differences between students and postgraduate students and explain the effects of the film were not considered. The respondents’ attitudes before watching the film were taken into account, as well as additional factors on the impact effectiveness, such as the degree of general interest in cinema and liking of the viewed film, which could presumably increase its impacts. But a deeper study, for example, of the processes of identifying viewers with the film characters, probably linked to the viewers’ attitudes before watching, could reinforce these findings.

4. Conclusions

As a result of the study, changes in the viewers’ attitudes after watching the film were identified. Young people changed their assessments of regulatory, cognitive and emotional characteristics of the elderly people after watching a film about the elderly. At the same time, significant differences were found between students and postgraduate students in their assessments of the elderly. After watching the film, students’ negative attitudes towards elderly people got worse, while postgraduate students’ assessments, on the contrary, changed for the better. The revealed opposite trends can be explained by individual differences between the respondents, which include age, educational status as an indicator of individual psychological characteristics, experience of interaction with elderly people and, as a result, attitudes towards elderly people at the time before watching the film. Most of the changes in the viewers’ attitudes detected immediately after watching the movie did not remain over time.

In general, the study confirms the potential for a positive impact, as in the case of improving the postgraduates’ attitudes, but at the same time demonstrates the need to take into account the individual differences of viewers to achieve desired results. In particular, differences in attitudes before watching a movie are probably causes of differences in the effectiveness of the film’s impact. The initially negative attitude towards elderly people among students could contribute to the negative influence of the film on them. The obtained results form the basis of further research and pose the important questions: clarifying the contribution of individual differences to the effectiveness of the impact, forecasting the positive influence of movies on different groups of people and determining the mechanisms of the sustainability of changes.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the engagement and involvement of the research participants.

The research was carried out within a state assignment of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, project №0159-2019-0005.

Conflicts of Interest

There is no conflict of interest.

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Film and television studies at American University

If you’re new to the American University Library’s website and have not used our resources much, this is a guide to the resources that should be considered when getting started with film studies research. Brief descriptions of the results of a sample search in various databases are used to illuminate the breadth and depth of the databases listed.

The filmmaker Atom Egoyan is the example used partly because his name is distinctive and doesn’t yield too many false hits and secondly his work isn’t mainstream or what one might consider popular so search results weren’t expected to be unmanageably large. The results should be substantial enough to indicate the strengths of some of the databases available to the AU community and encourage individuals researching lesser known films and filmmakers.

Atom Egoyan (1960-) was born in Cairo, raised in Canada,  and is an ethnic Armenian. He began making films in the early 1980s and is probably best known for   Exotica (1994), The Sweet Hereafter   (1997), and   Ararat   (2002). His films often deal with the themes of isolation, alienation, and loss. He has won many international film awards and has been the subject of considerable critical attention.  

In the sample searches the keywords “atom” and “egoyan” were searched together but not as a phrase – in order to capture all incidences of his name including subject headings that placed his last name first and articles that may have included a middle name or initial.

NOTE : Unless noted, remote access to these databases, such as from your home or office, is restricted to American University students, faculty, and staff. For a full list of our ALADIN databases (with descriptive notes), go to the Databases link on our homepage. Also note some of the databases do not contain full-text. For assistance in locating articles found in the citation-only databases, please contact the AU Library Reference Desk or call (202/885-3238).

Don't forget print The list is composed only of electronic resources, but thorough film studies research still requires extensive use of print resources as well. For a guide to some of the standard film studies reference books available at the AU Library go to our  Film and Television Studies Print Reference Guides .

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  • Arts & Humanities Citation Index This link opens in a new window Mostly interviews with the filmmaker.
  • Encyclopedia Brittanica Online References to Egoyan in the context of Canadian cinema and in the Performing Arts sections of various Book of the Year editions.
  • FIAF International Film Archive This link opens in a new window Results from a broad international collection of film periodicals. A high percentage of articles are written in languages other than English. The database cites articles from a variety of scholarly, industry and aficionado journals on film. It contains no full-text of articles.
  • Google Scholar This feature of the ubiquitous search engine claims to be the definitive way to search for scholarly articles on the web. Results vary wildly from scholarly articles to cryptic web pages. Results are ranked by the number of times the works are cited in other scholarly publications. When Google Scholar is used from an AU affiliated computer, search results will include a search in catalog link to find consortium owned books or will include a Full text at AU link if an article is available in an AU database. Editors choice.
  • Internet Movie Database (IMDB) This free database contains biographical information and a thorough filmography of works for which Egoyan has written, directed, produced, edited, and/or acted. Each film has its own entry. Entries include a wide variety of information including credits, filming locations, box office, trivia, and user comments. Editors choice.
  • Movie Review Query Engine This free database with links to full-text movie reviews must be searched by individual title. Editors choice.
  • PapersFirst (Worldwide Conference Papers) This link opens in a new window This is a database with partial full-text coverage. It’s not strong in film studies subjects.
  • Periodicals Index Online (PIO) This link opens in a new window This article index focuses on thirty-seven subject headings in the humanities. Film Studies are lumped into Performing Arts. Since PIO is just an index, it doesn’t contain full-text articles but does provide links to full-text in other databases when available. There is overlap with other full-text databases on this list so for film studies research this need only be consulted in the course of an exhaustive literature search. Periodicals Archive Online does provide full-text articles and includes one relatively thorough review of a book about Egoyan.
  • Proquest Research Library At the bottom of the search screen, select "magazine"
  • VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever An online e-book of the print movie guide. VideoHound provides very brief information about films such as cast, crew and plot summary.
  • WorldCat (OCLC FirstSearch) This link opens in a new window Primarily book citations (including some in French, Spanish, German, and Italian), and film/video citations. Note: Worldcat is a union catalog of holdings from libraries around the world and since a given title may have been released in different editions or different formats, it’s not unusual to find multiple (and sometimes many) records for the same title.
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How to write a research paper about a movie?

The movie industry is ever-growing along with the technology producing it. There is always that new sound and mesmerizing video editing that make movie lovers obsessed with their favorite film. The movies elicit opinions and emotions that warrant discussions thus creating a need for a research paper that intend to find out why a movie is loved compared to others. The popularity of a movie id dependent on a lot of factors that the research intends to find out. Here are techniques from already written essays at Essay Kitchen on how to conduct and write a research paper about movies. 

What is a research paper?

A research paper is an academic writing that analyzes and argues a certain point. The researcher provides their perspective on the topic and additional information and findings from other sources. A good research paper, however, isn’t dependent on having an interesting topic rather it’s about following the research paper’s instructions carefully. There are three types of approaches for a research paper one can choose from: argumentative, expository, and analytical. When writers works with book review topics , Choosing the right approach can go a long way in improving the research paper.

Check professional examples

To understand the best practices and structures of an essay, you can look for professional examples. Services which provide Research papers online have a ton of examples that showcase how to best write an essay. There is a certain structure that is required for writing to be considered a research essay that a writer is required to implement. A research paper is different from other writings such as a research proposal with the difference lying in intentions of the two essays. A research paper is intended to gauge a student’s academic knowledge on a subject while a research proposal is a writing meant to persuade an audience on the importance of a research project. Looking at professional examples will aid in the differentiation.

Search for a pre-written essay

A writer should search for a pre-written essay on movies to search for additional information and most importantly avoid plagiarism. Reading pre-written essays on the topic according to services which provide research papers online aids the writer to understand more of the topic and gives inspiration and ideas on how to formulate their paper. Also, it enables the writer to decide which approach to the topic is unique and not following the viewpoints of others. It awakens the imagination and allows research on areas the previous essays failed to cover. In writing, honesty is integral to the reputation of a writer and thus plagiarism is not allowed according to conditions of https://edujungles.com/paper-writing-service . Looking at past essays about movies will ensure that the writer does not perform any regulations when speaking on the same topic or can acknowledge the original author if they quote their passages.

How to choose a movie?

Choosing a good movie is what determines what your theater experience will be like. These are the points to consider when choosing the perfect movie:

The audience should be a consideration when choosing a movie and you should ensure that the movie best appeals to a certain audience. Age and explicit content are the factors that draw the line on which the audience is entitled to watch which movie.

Choosing an essay about movies should follow a theme emanating from either an occasion or mood of the day. There is a variety of themes to choose from such as love, justice, friendships, and history

The genres include action, animation, comedy, romance, adventure, fantasy, and thriller. All these genres provide an identity to the movie therefore one should choose a movie they best identify with.

The list for actors is endless and everyone has had a favorite actor at some point. You can, therefore, choose a movie because your favorite actor played a role in it

Create a writing plan

Creating a writing plan is essential to having a conclusive research paper on movies. A writing plan will outline the movies being considered and the pros and cons judged. The movies are therefore graded regarding viewer ratings, starring actors and genre of the movie. A good writing plan will ensure that you cover the reasons why and movie is considered more appealing than the others and a personal opinion if that is the description of a good movie essay. A writing plan ensures efficiency and excellent time management that provides the writer with the freedom to make time for resting.

Write from your heart 

Movies are fun and a personal opinion creates a bond between its lovers. Being open to how you feel on Netflix movies is what provides authenticity.

The last step of a research paper is proofreading. Plugins such as Grammarly will help you get rid of the spelling errors and plagiarism.

Movies are an interesting production and new techniques continue to emerge every day. To complete an ideal research paper on movies, the writer must show their understanding of the movies and provide a discussion that is supported by facts. A personal opinion on the movies is also welcomed as it offers a new perspective regarding the movie. For instance, the protagonist of the movie may be well-liked but in your opinion, you don’t find him likable. Getting to research to prove your point of thought is what makes a good research essay.

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How To Write A Research Paper

Step-By-Step Tutorial With Examples + FREE Template

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | March 2024

For many students, crafting a strong research paper from scratch can feel like a daunting task – and rightly so! In this post, we’ll unpack what a research paper is, what it needs to do , and how to write one – in three easy steps. 🙂 

Overview: Writing A Research Paper

What (exactly) is a research paper.

  • How to write a research paper
  • Stage 1 : Topic & literature search
  • Stage 2 : Structure & outline
  • Stage 3 : Iterative writing
  • Key takeaways

Let’s start by asking the most important question, “ What is a research paper? ”.

Simply put, a research paper is a scholarly written work where the writer (that’s you!) answers a specific question (this is called a research question ) through evidence-based arguments . Evidence-based is the keyword here. In other words, a research paper is different from an essay or other writing assignments that draw from the writer’s personal opinions or experiences. With a research paper, it’s all about building your arguments based on evidence (we’ll talk more about that evidence a little later).

Now, it’s worth noting that there are many different types of research papers , including analytical papers (the type I just described), argumentative papers, and interpretative papers. Here, we’ll focus on analytical papers , as these are some of the most common – but if you’re keen to learn about other types of research papers, be sure to check out the rest of the blog .

With that basic foundation laid, let’s get down to business and look at how to write a research paper .

Research Paper Template

Overview: The 3-Stage Process

While there are, of course, many potential approaches you can take to write a research paper, there are typically three stages to the writing process. So, in this tutorial, we’ll present a straightforward three-step process that we use when working with students at Grad Coach.

These three steps are:

  • Finding a research topic and reviewing the existing literature
  • Developing a provisional structure and outline for your paper, and
  • Writing up your initial draft and then refining it iteratively

Let’s dig into each of these.

Need a helping hand?

good movies to do research papers on

Step 1: Find a topic and review the literature

As we mentioned earlier, in a research paper, you, as the researcher, will try to answer a question . More specifically, that’s called a research question , and it sets the direction of your entire paper. What’s important to understand though is that you’ll need to answer that research question with the help of high-quality sources – for example, journal articles, government reports, case studies, and so on. We’ll circle back to this in a minute.

The first stage of the research process is deciding on what your research question will be and then reviewing the existing literature (in other words, past studies and papers) to see what they say about that specific research question. In some cases, your professor may provide you with a predetermined research question (or set of questions). However, in many cases, you’ll need to find your own research question within a certain topic area.

Finding a strong research question hinges on identifying a meaningful research gap – in other words, an area that’s lacking in existing research. There’s a lot to unpack here, so if you wanna learn more, check out the plain-language explainer video below.

Once you’ve figured out which question (or questions) you’ll attempt to answer in your research paper, you’ll need to do a deep dive into the existing literature – this is called a “ literature search ”. Again, there are many ways to go about this, but your most likely starting point will be Google Scholar .

If you’re new to Google Scholar, think of it as Google for the academic world. You can start by simply entering a few different keywords that are relevant to your research question and it will then present a host of articles for you to review. What you want to pay close attention to here is the number of citations for each paper – the more citations a paper has, the more credible it is (generally speaking – there are some exceptions, of course).

how to use google scholar

Ideally, what you’re looking for are well-cited papers that are highly relevant to your topic. That said, keep in mind that citations are a cumulative metric , so older papers will often have more citations than newer papers – just because they’ve been around for longer. So, don’t fixate on this metric in isolation – relevance and recency are also very important.

Beyond Google Scholar, you’ll also definitely want to check out academic databases and aggregators such as Science Direct, PubMed, JStor and so on. These will often overlap with the results that you find in Google Scholar, but they can also reveal some hidden gems – so, be sure to check them out.

Once you’ve worked your way through all the literature, you’ll want to catalogue all this information in some sort of spreadsheet so that you can easily recall who said what, when and within what context. If you’d like, we’ve got a free literature spreadsheet that helps you do exactly that.

Don’t fixate on an article’s citation count in isolation - relevance (to your research question) and recency are also very important.

Step 2: Develop a structure and outline

With your research question pinned down and your literature digested and catalogued, it’s time to move on to planning your actual research paper .

It might sound obvious, but it’s really important to have some sort of rough outline in place before you start writing your paper. So often, we see students eagerly rushing into the writing phase, only to land up with a disjointed research paper that rambles on in multiple

Now, the secret here is to not get caught up in the fine details . Realistically, all you need at this stage is a bullet-point list that describes (in broad strokes) what you’ll discuss and in what order. It’s also useful to remember that you’re not glued to this outline – in all likelihood, you’ll chop and change some sections once you start writing, and that’s perfectly okay. What’s important is that you have some sort of roadmap in place from the start.

You need to have a rough outline in place before you start writing your paper - or you’ll end up with a disjointed research paper that rambles on.

At this stage you might be wondering, “ But how should I structure my research paper? ”. Well, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution here, but in general, a research paper will consist of a few relatively standardised components:

  • Introduction
  • Literature review
  • Methodology

Let’s take a look at each of these.

First up is the introduction section . As the name suggests, the purpose of the introduction is to set the scene for your research paper. There are usually (at least) four ingredients that go into this section – these are the background to the topic, the research problem and resultant research question , and the justification or rationale. If you’re interested, the video below unpacks the introduction section in more detail. 

The next section of your research paper will typically be your literature review . Remember all that literature you worked through earlier? Well, this is where you’ll present your interpretation of all that content . You’ll do this by writing about recent trends, developments, and arguments within the literature – but more specifically, those that are relevant to your research question . The literature review can oftentimes seem a little daunting, even to seasoned researchers, so be sure to check out our extensive collection of literature review content here .

With the introduction and lit review out of the way, the next section of your paper is the research methodology . In a nutshell, the methodology section should describe to your reader what you did (beyond just reviewing the existing literature) to answer your research question. For example, what data did you collect, how did you collect that data, how did you analyse that data and so on? For each choice, you’ll also need to justify why you chose to do it that way, and what the strengths and weaknesses of your approach were.

Now, it’s worth mentioning that for some research papers, this aspect of the project may be a lot simpler . For example, you may only need to draw on secondary sources (in other words, existing data sets). In some cases, you may just be asked to draw your conclusions from the literature search itself (in other words, there may be no data analysis at all). But, if you are required to collect and analyse data, you’ll need to pay a lot of attention to the methodology section. The video below provides an example of what the methodology section might look like.

By this stage of your paper, you will have explained what your research question is, what the existing literature has to say about that question, and how you analysed additional data to try to answer your question. So, the natural next step is to present your analysis of that data . This section is usually called the “results” or “analysis” section and this is where you’ll showcase your findings.

Depending on your school’s requirements, you may need to present and interpret the data in one section – or you might split the presentation and the interpretation into two sections. In the latter case, your “results” section will just describe the data, and the “discussion” is where you’ll interpret that data and explicitly link your analysis back to your research question. If you’re not sure which approach to take, check in with your professor or take a look at past papers to see what the norms are for your programme.

Alright – once you’ve presented and discussed your results, it’s time to wrap it up . This usually takes the form of the “ conclusion ” section. In the conclusion, you’ll need to highlight the key takeaways from your study and close the loop by explicitly answering your research question. Again, the exact requirements here will vary depending on your programme (and you may not even need a conclusion section at all) – so be sure to check with your professor if you’re unsure.

Step 3: Write and refine

Finally, it’s time to get writing. All too often though, students hit a brick wall right about here… So, how do you avoid this happening to you?

Well, there’s a lot to be said when it comes to writing a research paper (or any sort of academic piece), but we’ll share three practical tips to help you get started.

First and foremost , it’s essential to approach your writing as an iterative process. In other words, you need to start with a really messy first draft and then polish it over multiple rounds of editing. Don’t waste your time trying to write a perfect research paper in one go. Instead, take the pressure off yourself by adopting an iterative approach.

Secondly , it’s important to always lean towards critical writing , rather than descriptive writing. What does this mean? Well, at the simplest level, descriptive writing focuses on the “ what ”, while critical writing digs into the “ so what ” – in other words, the implications . If you’re not familiar with these two types of writing, don’t worry! You can find a plain-language explanation here.

Last but not least, you’ll need to get your referencing right. Specifically, you’ll need to provide credible, correctly formatted citations for the statements you make. We see students making referencing mistakes all the time and it costs them dearly. The good news is that you can easily avoid this by using a simple reference manager . If you don’t have one, check out our video about Mendeley, an easy (and free) reference management tool that you can start using today.

Recap: Key Takeaways

We’ve covered a lot of ground here. To recap, the three steps to writing a high-quality research paper are:

  • To choose a research question and review the literature
  • To plan your paper structure and draft an outline
  • To take an iterative approach to writing, focusing on critical writing and strong referencing

Remember, this is just a b ig-picture overview of the research paper development process and there’s a lot more nuance to unpack. So, be sure to grab a copy of our free research paper template to learn more about how to write a research paper.

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7 New Movies Our Critics Are Talking About This Week

Whether you’re a casual moviegoer or an avid buff, our reviewers think these films are worth knowing about.

  • Share full article

By The New York Times

CRITIC’S PICK

All Furiosa, no Max.

In the driver’s seat, an angry-looking Taylor-Joy is shrouded in shadow except for her eyes. Through the windshield, the War Rig and a fire can be seen in the distance.

‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’

The latest installment in George Miller’s apocalypse thriller series premiered at Cannes this week. It tells the origin story of the Imperator Furiosa, the breakout character from the 2015 “Fury Road,” played then by Charlize Theron and now by Anya Taylor-Joy .

From our review:

Furiosa’s reticence is strategic, as well as a trait she shares with Mad Max himself, the model for her taciturn avenger. While Furiosa is hiding in plain sight in the Citadel, her circumspection protects her, but it also accentuates her existential plight. She’s alone, spiritually and in every other respect, at least before meeting Praetorian Jack (not that they’re chatty). Hers is a lonely burden and, as the story and the fighting continue, it gives “Furiosa” a surprising emotional heaviness which can make this exciting, kinetic movie feel terribly sad.

In theaters next week. Read the full review .

You know that it’s no good.

‘back to black’.

This biopic follows the pop star Amy Winehouse’s rise to fame and her tumultuous personal life, including her complicated relationships with her father and her boyfriend.

Given the movie’s light-fingered treatment of some facts around the two most important men in Winehouse’s life, the picture starts to sharpen. “Back to Black” is far from the first biopic that smooths the edges off real people for the Hollywood treatment. But because the movie’s stated aim is to re-center Amy in her own story, it feels gross.

In theaters. Read the full review .

Unimaginative friends.

Young Bea (Cailey Fleming) discovers a group of forgotten imaginary friends and teams up with her neighbor Cal (Ryan Reynolds) to reunite them with their BFFs.

Any child over 5 will predict the Keyser Söze twist in Bea and Cal’s relationship. But this is a film that spells out its intentions for an audience still learning its ABCs, a film where Michael Giacchino’s misty violins never stop insisting how to feel, where Krasinski’s goofy dad literally wears a heart on his chest.

A pregnancy comedy that doesn’t quite deliver.

In this comedy from Pamela Adlon, two lifelong best friends (Michelle Buteau and Ilana Glazer) navigate changes to their relationship when one embarks on single motherhood.

Sometimes a pile of good ingredients doesn’t make something delicious, and I guess that’s what happened here. The marketing for “Babes” suggests something akin to “Bridesmaids,” the runaway 2011 hit that reminded Hollywood that raunchy comedies starring women can be hilarious and profitable. “Bridesmaids” owes some of its punch to its rapid-fire rhythm, the pileup of relentless jokes both verbal and physical. “Babes” has plenty of raunch, but it’s otherwise very different.

These strangers are too familiar.

‘the strangers: chapter 1’.

This reboot of a 2008 horror film rehashes the standard home invasion plot: a sweet young couple in a secluded cabin face off against masked tormentors.

The film’s few thrilling moments have little to do with blood and guts and more with the juxtaposition of dread and song, as when Joanna Newsom’s lilting hymn “Sprout and the Bean” and Twisted Sister’s power anthem “We’re Not Gonna Take It” pop up unexpectedly to disorient the action. These and other oddball musical interludes provide too-fleeting hints of what might have been had this film sought a novel household takeover, not the same old.

A slice of life with a side of gochujang.

‘in our day’.

In the latest from Hong Sang-soo, young people visit an actress, Sangwon, and an aging poet, Uiju, in separate encounters connected only by the image of spicy pepper paste being added to a cup of ramyun.

[The director’s] gochujang-inflected noodles provide a simple pleasure made all the more satisfying in recent days for Uiju, who, on doctor’s orders, is abstaining from drinking and smoking. But he can’t quite resist on either front, reflecting a sentiment from early in the film when Sangwon, offering up treats to a friend’s cat, says, “What’s the point of living, anyway? Eat your fill.” It’s a glimmer of existential wisdom buried in the mundane, if you look at it the right way. Most of the film is made up of these moments. Isn’t life like that, too?

A lockdown movie that’s refreshingly chaotic.

In Bertrand Bonello’s horror film set during the coronavirus lockdown in France, a moody teenager is cloistered in her room, where reality, nightmares and the videos she watches to occupy her time begin to blend together.

The film begins and ends with a subtitled message written by Bonello to his daughter, to whom he dedicated the film. It acknowledges the unique despair of her generation — of children accustomed to climate change and school shootings; their best years spent online, trapped at home during a global pandemic. This message is also what makes “Coma” surpass the trappings of a lockdown movie: It may be anchored to that period, but it speaks to an existential crisis that defines many right now.

Compiled by Kellina Moore.

Explore More in TV and Movies

Not sure what to watch next we can help..

“Megalopolis,” the first film from the director Francis Ford Coppola in 13 years, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Here’s what to know .

Why is the “Planet of the Apes” franchise so gripping and effective? Because it doesn’t monkey around, our movie critic writes .

Luke Newton has been in the sexy Netflix hit “Bridgerton” from the start. But a new season will be his first as co-lead — or chief hunk .

There’s nothing normal about making a “Mad Max” movie, and Anya Taylor-Joy knew that  when she signed on to star in “Furiosa,” the newest film in George Miller’s action series.

If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings   on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime  and Hulu  to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

Sign up for our Watching newsletter  to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.

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VIDEO

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COMMENTS

  1. 90 Popular Film Research Paper Topics to Inspire You

    Here are some captivating film research paper topics on music. The Evolution of Film Scores: From Silent Cinema to the Digital Age. The Role of Music in Establishing Film Genres. Iconic Film Composers: The Musical Styles of John Williams and Ennio Morricone. The Impact of Jazz on Film Noir Soundtracks.

  2. 15 Movies That Inspire Me to Write

    It helps to place a writer in a cinematic mindset so that they can represent realistic dialogue, scenes, and emotions in their work. "Garden State" for existential crisis inspiration. Huffington Post. 4. Garden State (2004) A young actor returns home for his mother's funeral and tries to make sense of his past.

  3. 174 Film Research Paper Topics

    Research the film industry in India. The growing popularity of television. Discuss the most important aspects of film theory. The drawbacks of silent movies. Cameras used in 1950s movies. The most important cinema movie of the 1900s. Research the montage of movies in the 1970s. The inception of film criticism.

  4. What are Good Movies to Analyze for a paper? : r/movies

    The Holy Mountain, Primer, Memento, Fight Club, Donnie Darko, Pie, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Eraserhead, A Clockwork Orange, End of Evangelion, Drive, The Tree of Life, Mulholland Drive, The Fountain, Antichrist, Requiem for a Dream. However, I personally would suggest Enemy with Jake Gyllenhaal. Fantastic movie with layers and layers and layers ...

  5. 10 Disney Movies You Can Write a Paper On

    Find out which of these 10 Disney movies will work into your next paper. 1. Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Video unavailable. Watch on YouTube. Watch on. Dorky linguist Milo Thatch and a team of adventurers rediscover the submerged kingdom of Atlantis. Academics: It's a gold mine for history and anthropology students.

  6. Films I may write essays on for school.....

    Jason and the Argonauts. 1963 1h 44m G. 7.3 (31K) Rate. 69 Metascore. The legendary Greek hero leads a team of intrepid adventurers in a perilous quest for the legendary Golden Fleece. Director Don Chaffey Stars Todd Armstrong Nancy Kovack Gary Raymond. 5.

  7. Film Research Paper Topics: Exploring Cinema with PapersOwl

    Global Cinema Research Paper Topics. Nollywood: Nigeria's Booming Film Industry. South Korean Cinema: A Global Impact. Iranian Cinema: Artistic Expression Under Restrictions. French Cinema: Romance, Realism, and Revolution. The Rise of Chinese Blockbusters. Brazilian Cinema: Social Issues and Narratives.

  8. 17 Essential Movies For An Introduction To Essay Films

    1. Man with a Movie Camera (1929) dir. Dziga Vertov. An exercise in technical experimentation, Man with a Movie Camera is the pioneering, not to mention most lauded, of Vertov's filmic polemics: espousing not only a new, necessary way of life, but a means of living that is created through cinema.

  9. 150 Amazing Film Research Paper Topics for Students

    Conclusion. Film studies basically approach movies from historical, theoretical, and critical perspectives. To write a brilliant film research paper, from the list of 150+ topics recommended above, choose the best topic that matches your interest. In case, you are not sure what film research topic to select or how to write an informative film ...

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    Interesting Film Research Paper Topics. Depiction of Cybercrime in Contemporary Cinema. Influence of German Expressionism on Tim Burton's Aesthetic. Use of Color and Lighting in Guillermo del Toro's Films. Examination of LGBTQ+ Representation in Hollywood Cinema. Roles of Politics in the Cuban Film Industry.

  11. 10 Movies That Inspire To Write

    6. Moonlight. The movie was directed in 2016. It is one of the best films to inspire writers, although the plot is far from writers' routine. However, the story resonates with its viewers. The plot consists of three stages of life of one boy as he goes from being a teen to an adult.

  12. Film Research Paper Topics: Tips & Ideas to Use as Inspiration

    January 11, 2022. Film making has become part and parcel of current human life. This makes Film Research Paper Topics, Tips & Ideas to Use as Inspiration an affluent area of making money and even highly examinable in the schools. As such, as a veteran or aspiring filmmaker, researcher or student in that field, it is commendable to always have ...

  13. Film Studies Research Guide: Research Topics

    This section of the Film Studies Research Guide provides assistance in many of the particular subjects in Film Studies. The pages discuss particular issues and list key resources on those topics. You can get to the topical pages from the main navigation bar above or from the links below.

  14. 113 Great Research Paper Topics

    113 Great Research Paper Topics. One of the hardest parts of writing a research paper can be just finding a good topic to write about. Fortunately we've done the hard work for you and have compiled a list of 113 interesting research paper topics. They've been organized into ten categories and cover a wide range of subjects so you can easily ...

  15. Film and Theatre Studies Research Topics

    Here is our selection of film and theatre research topics that we think you should consider. Topic 1: An Exploration of Gender Role in Blockbuster Films and the Perspectives of Assigning Roles. Topic 2: A Comparative Study of Hollywood and Bollywood: An Exploration of Research of Movies. Topic 3: A Detailed Analysis of the Principles of Making ...

  16. Impact of Films: Changes in Young People's Attitudes after Watching a Movie

    This research focuses on the potential of pro-social, "humanistic" impact of films and their effectiveness in solving topical social issues. The studies reveal the influence of films on people's beliefs and opinions, stereotypes and attitudes. Movies can have a significant impact on gender and ethnic stereotypes [ 21, 22 ], change attitudes ...

  17. Good Movies to Write About

    Big Hero 6 is action-packed, hilarious, and heartwarming. It also has a fantastic soundtrack. You may have already seen this movie, but this is a movie you can watch repeatedly and still enjoy it. It is a good movie for film review writing because it has a huge cast of characters.

  18. 7 Best Movies to Motivate You to Write

    Top 7 Sources of Creativity for Your Inspiration. 1- Frida (2002): Innovative and creative Frida Kahlo is mostly known for being one of the most outstanding artists of the 1930s. But what her contemporaries saw was only the result of the chain of events. One of the top important chain elements was her whirlwind romance.

  19. 500 Good Research Paper Topics

    Keep reading for our list of 500 vetted research paper topics and our magic formulas for creating your own topic! Of course, if you want help learning to write research papers tailored to your individual needs, check out our one-on-one writing coaching or academic writing workshop.

  20. Film Studies: So you want to research a film or filmmaker

    The list is composed only of electronic resources, but thorough film studies research still requires extensive use of print resources as well. For a guide to some of the standard film studies reference books available at the AU Library go to our Film and Television Studies Print Reference Guides .

  21. How to write a research paper about a movie?

    Movies are an interesting production and new techniques continue to emerge every day. To complete an ideal research paper on movies, the writer must show their understanding of the movies and provide a discussion that is supported by facts. A personal opinion on the movies is also welcomed as it offers a new perspective regarding the movie.

  22. How To Write A Research Paper (FREE Template

    Step 2: Develop a structure and outline. With your research question pinned down and your literature digested and catalogued, it's time to move on to planning your actual research paper. It might sound obvious, but it's really important to have some sort of rough outline in place before you start writing your paper.

  23. 7 New Movies Our Critics Are Talking About This Week

    Warner Bros. 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'. The latest installment in George Miller's apocalypse thriller series premiered at Cannes this week. It tells the origin story of the Imperator Furiosa ...