Can you give Guidance on writing Film Reviews?

1. 61

   Lady_Eposted 14 years ago

   Can you give Guidance on writing Film Reviews?
   
   I've been on HP for just 3 months and would like to write a few Hubs reviewing films. Can someone please drop me  a few notes on the best format for Writing reviews, without giving the whole story away. (I could check similar Hubs, but would prefer to know the appropriate format.
   Thanks for your time.

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2. 59

   Chelsea Stylesposted 14 years ago

   Lady E,
   
   I am very new to this site.  I am also far from an expert.  However, I write film reviews.  Officially, I have only written one (on HubPages).  I plan to have a lot more under my belt in the future.
   
   With that said, my advice would be to write from the heart.  That may sound corny or over simplistic.  Never the less, I am being sincere.  No one wants to read a book report.  People can get facts and figures from Wikipedia.
   
   In my opinion, the best reviews are the ones that explain how the movie made you feel (or not feel at all).  I don’t have any official “format” tips.  I can only encourage you to write about what moved you and why others should be moved.
   
   Check out my site if you get a chance.  Maybe you’ll have some format tips for me.  Please feel free to share them.  http://hubpages.com/hub/All-About-Eve
   
   -Chelsea Styles

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3. 57

   JBunceposted 14 years ago

   I'd have to agree with the comment about writing from the heart. I've written about 74 hubs since August, most of them movie reviews, and have written online reviews in one space or another for about 20 years... and the single most important thing, I think, is to be honest about what you felt. When you write a review you're essentially saying "I've seen this movie and this is what I thought about it".
   
   As far as format, I don't think you have to follow one too closely.  In my own reviews, I generally limit plot description to no more than one paragraph and put that at the very beginning, to get it out of the way. That's probably the least important part of the review. And I try to sum things up at the end in a way that brings things to a logical conclusion... so the last line reads like a logical last line and not something that could have been put anywhere in the review. But this is just my personal style, of course, and you may have your own.
   
   At any rate, good luck. And have fun.

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4. 76

   girlincapeposted 13 years ago

   There's no real, official, format, but writing film reviews involves much more than just reacting to the movie on a gut level. On a website like this, how you felt might be important, but the most important thing is to explain what this movie is contributing to movie culture as a whole. It's not as important to say whether it is good or bad as it is to say what about it is/was new and different.

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5. 63

   Number6posted 13 years ago

   Hi, I enjoy writing film reviews too and there is a basic format to follow:
   
   1)Title- Make it catchy. Play with the film title or maybe give clues as to whether you enjoyed the film or not. I did not enjoy Dinner for Schmucks so I wrote a review titled Dinner for Schmucks is Not on the Menu.
   
   2) Make the opening paragraph a general summary of the film and give early indications on your overall impression of the film.
   3)You can use the following paragraph to continue the summary, but don't give away the ending!!!
   
   4) What did you like about the film, looking at the plot, the characters, the dialogue, the setting, the music, the list is exhaustive but be descriptive. Remember there are usually some positives in a film unless it is a complete turkey.
   
   5) Now the negatives- but give good reasons. Was it cliched?
   Was the plot weak? Was the continuity terrible?
   
   6)Talk about the characters and how the actors portrayed them. Could you identify with them? Did you care about them? You can mention also the direction of the film, this will prove you really know your stuff.
   
   7) Resummarize briefly. This is the make or break of whether you have inspired a reader to either see the film or give it a big fat miss. It could be that it was a sci-fi film and that is not your bag, but don't slate it for that reason alone. Bear in mind that someone out there would embrace it, so say who it would may be appeal to. As a final point you could may be even score the film star ratings.
   
   Ultimately though it is your use of the English language that will win the day.

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6. 46

   arthurchappellposted 13 years ago

   Summarize the plot and give your views on the performances, cinemaphotography, etc - Give a link to a page on the film, most will  be mentioned on Wikipedia or the International Movie Data Base (IMDB) pages. Don't give surprises or the ending away without some kind of spoiler alert for anyone not wishing to read on to that. Exceptions might be made for a film like Titanic in that everyone knows the ship sinks, etc.

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7. 70

   LaurelBposted 13 years ago

   All this is great advice. I have a hub that goes more in-depth into writing standard film reviews, if you're interested. Usually don't do this shameless self-promotion, but I think it's pertinent to the question. You can find it at http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Review-a-Film.

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