(EAPP )2nd Quarter, Lesson 1
motion pictures and other visual mediums to create an
WRITING A REVIEW OR CRITIQUE PAPER
Writing Reviews
➢ One of the most common types of papers that you
will be asked to write is a review or a
critique. In such a requirement, you are expected to
come up with an honest and critical
evaluation of a work of art, place, industrial design, or
any item that your professor will
ask you to examine.
A closer look at the restaurant review
Ideally, a restaurant review should begin with
background information about the establishment being
reviewed. This portion, however, should be only three
to five sentences long so that it does not become
dragging. For instance, when reviewing a restaurant, a
writer may want to examine the following areas:
 Taste and food presentation
 Ambiance
 Service
 Value of money
 Cleanliness
A closer look at the film review
Generally, a movie review is a genre of art criticism and
journalism. It is a complex overview, usually made by a
professional critic, on films that have just been released,
to help decide what film to watch.
When writing a review, you need to go through each of
them; you may simply select two or three aspects you
feel are most salient in the film:
❖ Plot
The plot of a story is the sequence of events that shape
a broader narrative, with every event causing or
affecting each other.
❖ Acting
Is the art or practice of representing a character on
stage or before cameras.
❖ Cinematography
the art and technology of motion-picture photography.
It involves such techniques as the general composition
of a scene; the lighting of the set or location; the choice
of cameras, lenses, filters, and film stock; the camera
angle and movements; and the integration of any
special effect.
❖ Special Effects
are visual tricks or techniques used by filmmakers in
illusion that may be impractical or even impossible in a
live-action shot
❖ Script
A script is a written version of a play or movie. If you're
auditioning for a movie, you'll get the script to practice
a scene or two. Editing film editing is the art, technique
and practice of assembling shots into a coherent
sequence. The job of an editor is not simply to
mechanically put pieces of a film together, cut off film
slates or edit dialogue scenes
❖ Music Score
A film score is an original piece of music that is written
and tailored for a specific film. Film scores are
composed to enhance a film's story and emotion. Film
score composers create the music for a film based on
the direction given from the director.
“Criticism, like rain, should be gentle through to nourish
a man’s growth without destroying his roots” – Frank A.
Clark.
How to write a Movie Critique?
Movie Critique Paper VS. Movie Review
The key difference is that in the review you get to share
your personal impression while in the critique you need
to objectively discuss the movie production and how it
could be improved. Simply put, movie critique asks for a
critical analysis of the movie while the review focuses
on summarizing and personal opinions and it has
something to do with when you write an essay.
To write a good movie critique you need to do an in-
depth analysis of the movie. Everything
from the plot over sound and video effects to
symbolism are relevant for the critique. You must look
at the movie as a work of art, pay attention to details,
cover different production stages, and find room for
improvement.
GENERAL TIPS FOR WRITING MOVIE CRITIQUE PAPER
1. TAKE NOTES WHILE WATCHING THE MOVIE
Don’t rely just on your memory. To ensure that you don’t
miss any important detail, take notes
while you watch the movie. You can leave out the note-
taking the first time you watch the
movie. However, when you watch it for the second time
prepare to write down any thought that you want to
elaborate on in the paper.
2. OUTLINE WHAT YOU PLAN TO DISCUSS
An outline helps you structure your paper. It guides you
and makes it easier for you to stick to what you need to
cover.
Here’s a suggestion on how you can outline a movie
critique:
❖ Introduction
❖ A short exposition of the story
❖ Analysis of the plot
❖ Analysis of the structure
❖ Analysis of the characters
❖ Analysis of the dialogue
❖ Analysis of the scene (including special effects,
camera techniques, etc.)
❖ Your point of view supported with facts and specific
examples from the movie
❖ Conclusion
3. DO RESEARCH ON THE MOVIE
If there are any interesting facts about the movie,
include them in the paper. Find out if the
movie is an original or a remake, whether it was based
on the book, if there were any changes
in the cast, and so on. Don't share too much about it, a
few facts will do.
4. BE OBJECTIVE
A movie critique can sometimes be associated with
negative emotions. However, the point of a critique isn't
just to criticize. The point is to give an evaluation of the
good and bad aspects of the film. Do your best to put
prejudice or favoritism aside and observe the movie
objectively.
5. USE EXAMPLES
Examples can transform empty claims into unshakable
statements. Include quotes, descriptions of the scenes,
lines from the script, and other forms of examples to
prove your point. Using examples is especially relevant if
you are sharing your own opinion.
THE ELEMENTS OF MOVIE CRITIQUE PAPER
There are certain elements you need to cover in a
critique paper to round up the story. You can
add more elements and dive in more deeply if you
want, but you shouldn’t omit these key elements.
1. GENERAL INFORMATION
Start your paper with a wide shot. Introduce the movie
by answering the basic questions such as:
➢ What made you pick this movie?
➢ Who is the director?
➢ When was the movie released?
➢ What is the genre (action, adventure, comedy,
drama, fantasy, horror, etc.)?
➢ What are the key ideas?
2. THE PLOT
To discuss the plot you need to look at the emotions
that the movie provokes. Identify the main elements,
what kind of storytelling is present, and whether it is
engaging for the viewers. Then, get closer by addressing
the plot’s predictability, if the events were shocking or
bland, was there any tension, and so on. You can define
the plot as logical, melodramatic, full of twists,
coherent, etc.
3. THE MOVIE’S STRUCTURE
For the movie’s structure, you need to observe how the
parts of the movie are related to each
other. The structure involves the following:
➢ How the characters and their stories were
introduced
➢ The rising tension that leads to the climax
➢ The execution of the climax
➢ How the action began to fall
➢ The resolution that concludes the story
Remember that you should follow the line that connects
these parts. Define whether the director managed to
put all the pieces together properly.
4. CHARACTERS
Focus on the main characters in terms of their
personalities, interactions, behavior, motivations, etc.
Concentrate on specific characters that are most
important in this film. Set your priorities straight.
Conclude if the characters' appearance and actions
match the role it fulfills. Also, pay attention to how
convincing the characters were.
5. DIALOGUE
Did the dialogue sound natural? Did the conversation
develop logically? Did the gestures go along with the
dialogue? These are just some of the questions you
should focus on in this
segment. Good and convincing dialogues are essential
for a good film. Therefore, they deserve a segment in
your paper.
6. THE SCENES
This element has to consider both the production and
the acting. You should discuss how well shot the scenes
were, their artistic feel, how the scenes developed, the
effects that were used, how the actors played out the
scenes, and so on. The scenes make the movie what it
is. So, proper scene transition and how they were
interconnected matters.
WRITING A RESPONSE OR REACTION PAPER
A good response paper is often structured in the
following way:
❖ Summary/Synopsis
What are you reacting to? (15% of the paper)
GOAL:
Show that you understand the thesis, main ideas, and
supporting ideas in the piece
you're writing about
❖ Analysis/Evaluation
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the piece?
(70% of the paper)
GOAL:
Show that you understand what the author does well
and what he or she does not do so
well.
Answer the WH-questions like why, why not, what,
what if, what for, where, why there,
who, how, when and etc.
❖ Your Reaction
How do you react to the piece on a personal level? How
does the piece relate to your
experience? (15% of the paper
GOALS:
Share your own impressions and your own experiences
with readers.
Thus, in writing a critique paper, it is important to
organize it in such a way that it can be
easily understood, objectively and logically judged and
carefully drafted.
Here are a few recommendations, which will help you
complete an outstanding reaction paper:
 Read the original article carefully and highlight
the main ideas and points you want to discuss
 Describe your point of view and back it with
additional information if needed
 Use vivid examples;
 Use various sources to make your statement
more argumentative.
What should be in your reaction paper?
A reaction paper comprises introduction, body, and
conclusion.
In introduction the writers state the main premise, in a
body he expresses his ideas and in
conclusion summarizes the results. The reaction paper is
not a summary of the article although
information should be included.
REACTION PAPER – OPINIONATED
REVIEW – OPINIONATED
CRITIQUE – OBJECTIVE/ NON-OPINIONATED
LESSON 2 (?)
POSITION PAPER
A position paper is an essay that expresses a position on
an issue. It gives arguments that support the opinion of
the writer based on the facts collected.
Your job is to take one side of the argument and
persuade the audience that you have well founded
knowledge of the topic being presented.
It is important to support your argument with evidence
to ensure the validity of your claims, as well as to refute
the counterclaims to show that you are well informed
about both sides.
How to organize your position paper?
 Introduction
You have to introduce the topic, and then
provide history or background of the issue. You
may also describe the issue on-hand so do your
research.
 Body
You have to state the opening argument by
briefly describing them. You may also include
details that support the opposing claim. Then,
after writing the counter argument, now write
your second argument followed by your third
argument. Make sure to provide details that
support the argument given.
 Conclusion
Now, you can restate both sides of the
argument, summarize the three arguments
made in your essay. Lastly, provide a call for
action.
DEFENDING A STAND ON AN ISSUE AND WRITING A
POSITION PAPER
 Your claim is your position/stand on a
particular issue, which is what you are going to
defend in your position paper. You should base
your claim on what you can prove on your
evidences.
THE TABLE BELOW SHOWS EXAMPLE OF ISSUES AND
IT’S POSSIBLE CLAIMS/STAND OR POSITION.
ISSUES CLAIM/STAND/POSITION
- Social media gives negative effect on
SOCIAL MEDIA students’ academic performance.
- Social media is helpful to students.
- Divorce should not be legalized in the
LEGALIZATION OF Philippines.
DIVORCE - Divorce will help unhappy couples to
give themselves chance to love again.
- Bullying affects students behavior in
school.
BULLYING - Bullying will not affect students
behavior in school.
TAKE NOTE!
TO BE ABLE TO DEFEND YOUR OWN STAND ON AN - the senders mailing address
ISSUE, YOU HAVE TO TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: Ex.
125 J. Luna St.
1. Clearly identify the issue that you believe is affecting Rosa Villa Homes,Sala
you and your community. You can have 2 or more Cabuyao City, Laguna, 4025
issues.
2. From the issue that you identified, take on a side that DATE
you can defend. - The date when the letter was written.
3. Given the issue that you chose, identify other Ex.
concepts or ideas that you can associate with the issue. June 6, 2020
4. Formulate statements what will express you stand
towards the issues. These statements may convey the INSIDE ADDRESS
message that the issues are having negative effects on - receivers name, job title, and address.
people and the community. Ex.
5. Gather factual evidences to support your arguments The Principal
regarding the issue. The evidence may be taken from Cabuyao Integrated
official statement of the government agencies, political National High School
leaders and academic authorities. Cabuyao City, Laguna
6. Make sure that your statements are strong enough to
convince or persuade your readers into action to SALUTATION
address the issue. - Usually begins with “Dear “ and uses colon (:) at the
end
Ex.
WRITING AN APPLICATION LETTER Dear Sir/Madam:

EMPLOYMENT APPLICATION LETTER BODY

 It is widely known as a “cover letter”. It is used to -Consists of the opening, middle, and closing
introduce yourself to a prospective employer. You paragraphs.
write this to demonstrate your interest in the
company, sell your services and qualifications in COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE
written form, and show that you are fit for a job - A polite way of ending your letter; end with a comma
position. (,)
Ex.
THREE LETTER FORMATS Truly yours,

1. BLOCK FORMAT SIGNATURE

 Which means that all parts of the letter are
aligned to the left.
2. MODIFIED BLOCK FORMAT
 The heading, date, complimentary close, and
signature are placed slightly to the right of the
center of the paper.
3. SEMI BLOCK
 Which is similar with modified block except that
the paragraphs of the body are indented.
- The complete name and signature of the sender
Ex.
Lalisa Manoban
LALISA MANOBAN
TIPS IN WRITING AN APPLICATION LETTER
1. Make it easy to read (and match it with your resume)
2. Keep your writing on one page
3. Make your application stand out with a big header
4. Address the hiring manager by name
5. Use a standard sign-off like “Best” or “Sincerely”

PARTS OF THE APPLICATION LETTER

1. HEADING
2. DATE
3. INSIDE ADDRESS
4. SALUTATION
5. BODY
6. COMPLIMENTARY CLOSE
7. SIGNATURE

HEADING