Casablanca Retold

Mary Dalton, Professor of Communication

Question

Why is Film and Media Aesthetics important?

Answer

“I focus so much on critical thinking and writing. The skills are completely transferable. Basically, it’s being able to think about storytelling in complex ways and to understand the ways those stories influence our understanding of the world and our understanding of ourselves as human beings and our place in the world. So, I really don’t think it gets any more fundamental than that.”

Project Description

Create a 3 minute digital essay that analyzes a scene of Casablanca.
Select from the film techniques you have learned up until this moment to create a strong thesis
about its meaning. You must incorporate three of these techniques to support your argument.
Develop compelling supporting arguments and a solid conclusion to your thesis.

Purpose

The project allowed students to draw on aesthetic, thematic, and ideological elements discussed in class to develop an original thesis and supporting arguments employed in the critical analysis of Casablanca.

Learning Goals

I wanted students to develop an original thesis and supporting arguments to demonstrate their understanding of concepts covered in class.

Role of Academic Technology

Brianna worked with students to scaffold the assignment and give students who have not worked with video before technical instruction on acquisition and post-production.

Technology

Adobe Premiere Pro for video editing and the One Button Studio to record narrations.

Target Skills

Critical thinking, analysis, and persuasive argument are central to this assignment whether it is a written essay or a video essay. The video essay also requires production skills.

Outcomes & Perspectives

Showcase

Hunter Laroe
This video essay analyzes the symbolic value of Rick Blaine in Casablanca. Rick serves as a representation of U.S. involvement in World War II.

Colman Feighan
This scene is an analyzation of space and shots among characters when Ilsa and Rick see each other for the first time after Paris. The varied use of shots throughout this scene, along with the space among characters helps to show the underlying context and the emotional history the characters have with one another. The director shows the love triangle between Rick, Victor, and Ilsa, but also highlights Ilsa’s love for Rick.

Maggie Moran
This video essay analyzes the use of lighting throughout the film, Casablanca.

Student’s Perspective

Instructor’s Perspective

“I am always looking for opportunities to link studies and production, and this assignment helped me achieve that goal.”

Assessment

This is a great assignment for students who already have some level of production experience. I have decided to incorporate it as an option for the scene analysis assignment for students this semester. They have an option of completing the essay in written form or in video form.