Writing a Comparison/Contrast of Two Videos
Assignment: These instructions may apply to several assignments to write a point-by-point comparison/contrast of two different video versions of the same Shakespearean play. Check your syllabus or assignment sheet for details that pertain to your particular assignment, including a list of the plays from which you may choose. See also the document “Writing a Video Critique,” which contains much information pertinent to this assignment concerning selecting videos, identifying videos and where you found them, choosing elements to discuss, developing your paper with specific details, and making your paper mechanically correct.
Selection of videos: For this comparison/contrast assignment, it is acceptable to include a video you have previously seen, as long as you watch it again this semester.
Thesis: The thesis of your comparison/contrast should state the subjective judgment that the body of the essay will support concerning the overall similarities and/or differences you see between the two video versions of the play. Your thesis might concern an essential similarity between the two (such as that both are successful or unsuccessful productions), the greater effectiveness of one video over the other, or an important reason for the differences between the two, such as a difference in genre (a film vs. a television production) or in time period (a film made in the 1940s vs. the 1990s).
Similarities vs. differences: The body of your paper may focus on similarities, differences, or both similarities and differences. In general, however, differences between the two videos will be far more interesting and instructive than similarities.
Organization: Organize your comparison/contrast point by point (element by element) rather than subject by subject (production by production). Each main paragraph of the body should concern a particular element (such as setting, visual appeal, soundtrack, or the effectiveness of a particular scene or character) as it appears in BOTH videos and make specific references to BOTH videos. No body paragraph should discuss only one video. Point-by-point organization forces you to put the similarities and/or differences side by side rather than in separate paragraphs.
Length: Your comparison/contrast paper should be about two (2) typed, double-spaced pages in length—no shorter than 1½ pages and no longer than 2½ pages. (Concerning font size, see the course syllabus.)