students to look at elements of the film more ana-
lytically. These captions expand on the in-text pres-
entation and reinforce students’ retention of key
terms and ideas.
“Analyzing” Sections
At the end of each chapter is a section that ties the
terms, concepts, and ideas of the chapter to the pri-
mary goal of the book: honing students’ own analyti-
cal skills. This short overview makes explicit how the
knowledge students have gained in the chapter can
move their own analytical work forward. A short
“Screening Checklist” provides leading questions that
students can ponder as they screen a film or scene.
“Questions for Review”
“Questions for Review” at the end of each chapter
test students’ knowledge of the concepts first men-
tioned in the “Learning Objectives” section at the
beginning of the chapter.
Ebook Options
Looking at Moviesis also available in two alternate
ebook formats:
Inkling format
The first, delivered in the new Inkling environment
(readable in Google Chrome or Apple Safari web
browsers, and on the iPad), incorporates the video
tutorials and other, custom-built, moving-image
features into the text itself. The result is a seamless
blending of the book and its exciting media supple-
ments. For students and teachers who want to
make the most of the digital reading experience,
the Inkling format is the best ebook option.
Norton ebook format
The second ebook format, the Norton ebook,
retains the look and layout of the print text, and
offers some integration of the Looking at Movies
media, but doesn’t provide all of the dynamic fea-
tures of the Inkling ebook. Offered at less than half
the price of the printed text, this ebook option is
best for students and teachers concerned princi-
pally about cost.
Writing about Movies
Written by Karen Gocsik (Executive Director of the
Writing & Rhetoric Program at Dartmouth College)
and the authors of Looking at Movies, this book is a
clear and practical overview of the process of writ-
ing papers for film-studies courses. In addition to
providing helpful information about the writing
process, the new third edition of Writing about
Moviesalso offers a substantial introduction-in-brief
to the major topics in film studies, including an
overview of the major film theories and their poten-
tial application to student writing, practical advice
about note-taking during screenings and private
viewings, information about the study of genre and
film history, and an illustrated glossary of essential
film terms. This inexpensive but invaluable text is
available separately or in a significantly discounted
package with Looking at Movies.Chapter-by-Chapter Pedagogical
Materials on the Web
(wwnorton.com/movies)
Like the book, the Looking at Moviesstudent web-
site is clear, accessible, and focused on helping
students become knowledgeable and analytically
astute viewers of film. Among the site’s features
are multimedia quizzes that use still and moving-
image prompts to reinforce and test student
knowledge of core concepts, chapter outlines and
learning objectives, timelines, printable versions
of the “Screening Checklists” described above, a
glossary with flashcard features, and more.Resources for Instructors
Interactive Instructor’s Guide
This online database provides instructors with free
access to Norton’s extensive collection of teaching
resources. Instructors can search for and down-
load the resources they need by topic and resource
type and can integrate those resources into their
own course materials. Subscribers to this service
also receive automated alerts as new resources are
made available.PREFACExvii