A (mostly) visual analysis

Each student will analyze the visual humor in a short film by Buster Keaton. The entire assignment is worth 35% of your final grade.

1. You will be assigned a short Buster Keaton film.
   • View list of Keaton shorts here.
2. Read these two resources
   1. Keaton's Wikipedia article.
   2. The section of James Curtis, Buster Keaton, that deals with your short film. You may want to read the entire segment on Keaton' work during this time period.

Part one

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 two 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.
  • Creating at least two links to Wikipedia articles.
  • 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.

Numéro deux

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.

Section C

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.