SSRPSmall Scale Research Project

Research

The primary objective is to develop your research skills.

It is also designed to make you aware of the challenges, difficulties and interests involved in sifting through a variety of sources and resources.

Choose a research topic or area that interests you and (hopefully) an area that you know something about

TOP SSRP TIP

Not all of the material and resources that you discover will be relevant. You must learn to discard what is not of value. As well as present neatly your useful findings.

The critical framework is also important. For example, the research around a particular group of films will be quite different depending on whether the focus is on, say, STAR, or GENRE or ETHNICITY.

You are required to conceive your research project around one specific film. However you will also be required to reach out to include at least two other films.

The one film is your Focus Film (your primary source); the other two films are used to support arguments stemming from the central Focus Film.

The key success with the SSRP is your own motivation.

A ‘motivated’ research project is one in which you have a personal interest and a genuine desire to become better informed about the area of study.

Applying a Critical Framework

The most popular critical frameworks with students are:STAR/PERFORMERAUTEUR &GENREAll of these frameworks depend on identifying a set of recurring characteristics and then considering interesting manifestations of these (as well as interesting variations) in particular film examples.

AUTEUR & STAR/PERFORMER are similar. They are both person-based. It is possible to talk about the characteristic ‘signature’ of an auteur film maker or star/performer.

The Autuer or Star/Performer brings such distinctive qualities to a film that it partly determines overall meaning and response.

Social, Political and Cultural Studies, Gender Issues and Ethnicity are three critical frameworks that, in different ways, encourage a more explicit engagement with ideology (or ‘messages and values’).

These frameworks may be addressed through a person-based approach where, for example, the politics, gender or ethnicity of those involved in making a film or a body of work is investigated for its impact on meaning and audience response. This can be contemporary or historical films and/or film makers.

Institution and Technology critical approaches often require students to research the economics of the film industry.

This approach may be person-centred (e.g James Cameron and 3-D) or institution centred (economic logic of 3-D for 21st Century Audience)

You could do an historical study. For example you would investigate the moment when a major development look place.

First Stage: Map out an area of study.

Second Stage: Decide on a critical framework

The research project is meant to be Small Scale and Focused. Please do not offer a general, wiki-pedia style overview of your area.