A (mostly) visual analysis

Each student will analyze the visual humor in a short film by Buster Keaton.

1. You will be assigned a short
   • View list of Keaton shorts here.
2. Create a Wikipedia-style article for your short on Screenpedia. (The best articles will be uploaded to Wikipedia.)
   • Here's a handy 7-minute video tutorial to help you out.
   • Your article must be written on Screenpedia using your assigned account.
   • Your article must contain the following sections, with appropriate subheadings (as can be seen in these Wikipedia articles: The Frozen North and The Goat):
     1. Introduction (two or three sentences, in Wikipedia style)
     2. Plot (minimum three paragraphs)
     3. Cast
     4. Production (a few notes about the making of the film; does not have to be detailed, but should include information from a Keaton book)
   • One bonus point each for:
     • Inserting a screenshot you created.
     • Properly inserting a citation for any reference material you used.
   • Submit your article by emailing its URL to jbutler@ua.edu by 11:59 p.m., Tuesday, 9/27. Worth 10 points.
3. Create screenshots with VLC Media Player or other software from your Keaton short. You must capture at least one from every shot in the short.
   • Submit all of your screenshots on a flash drive. Due in class Tuesday, 9/27. Worth 5 points.
4. Select a short segment (minimum 5 minutes) and write an analysis of comic moments in it.
   • Illuminate the comic moments with at least five screenshots.
     • Use the theories of humor we discussed to explain why they are comic.
     • Submit in print in class Tuesday, 10/4. Worth 20 points.
5. The entire assignment is worth 35% of your final grade.