On Directing Film | Short Essay Assignments

Short Essay Questions

The 60 short essay questions listed in this section require a one to two sentence answer. They ask students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the text. Students must describe what they've read, rather than just recall it.

Short Essay Question - Preface and Chapter 1: Storytelling

1. What is the backdrop of On Directing Film? From what setting did the author base the text?

2. What did Mamet write in the Preface regarding the blind author who decided to become a screenwriter?

3. What writers and filmmakers did Mamet refer to in the Preface and Chapter 1 regarding screenwriting and film direction?

4. What are the different approaches Mamet discussed as methods of storytelling in film, in Chapter 1?

5. How did Mamet describe Eisenstein's theory of montage?