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. Learn basic Wikipedia editing and create a Wikipedia-style article for your short on Screenpedia. (The best articles will be uploaded to Wikipedia.)
   • Your article must be written on Screenpedia using your account.
   • Your article must contain the following sections (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)
   • Submit your article via email to jbutler@ua.edu by 11:59 p.m., Tuesday, 9/27.
3. Learn how to make screenshots (probably with VLC Media Player) and 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.
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.
5. Worth 35 points.