Become an Expert on Any Movie or Book

Do you want to know everything there is to know about your favorite book or movie? Follow these steps below to learn as much as you can about your chosen film/book and share it with others!

Steps

  1. Look on the Internet for good books or movies, or you could just think about a book or movie you already have. It has to be a book or a movie that you think you will enjoy, or you already do enjoy. Look through your books or film collection and choose some ones that you enjoy and would like to learn more about. Decide which one you are going to learn more about.
  2. Read the book several times and understand the plot and the characters. If you wanted to, you could write your own review of the book or write a summary about it to help you understand it better. Think about the characters, the storyline, the good parts of the book and the parts that could be improved. Annotate as you read, marking specific reoccurring elements, motifs, metaphors, and anything relating to a theme that the author portrays.
  3. Watch the film several times. Make sure you understand the plot and what is happening. Think about the characters and how well they act. You could look up the actors and actresses on the Internet and see what films they have been in. Ask other people who have seen the film what they think and some things they liked and disliked, as people could have different thoughts about what happens.
  4. Look on the Internet for reviews about the book or the film, you could post your own. Think about other readers/viewers opinions and share your own. When you post your review, make sure it get across what you think about the book/film.
  5. Think about what makes the book/film good and what could be improved about it. Is it the actors that make it good? Is it the characters? Is it the special effects? Is it the opening? Really understand what you think about the film/book. Think about how it could be improved. Even the best of things can be improved. Could the ending have been better? Would a different actress have played the leading role better?
  6. Search on the Internet for the book/film. There is probably a website for the film and you can find lots of information about the film or book. The writers of the article may have picked up on something that you didn't, so you can learn more about the film/book from another persons point of view. Try lots of different websites as they can offer a range of different information. Aim to find out as much as you can, from the publisher of the book to the director of the film, to the inspiration of the plot to the time it took to film.
  7. Try to write your own article about the book/film on Wikipedia or another place on the Internet. Go into detail about the book/film and all the points above.
  8. Look at the novel/movie from a literary standpoint: look for motifs, analyze confusing scenes, understand the context in which the author was writing, and how it could have affected them.
  9. Join an online forum and share your expertise with others. On line forums would also be a good place to go. There are websites for people who like films or books, and you could join one of these and share your opinions.

Tips

  • Also look in other books. Movies almost always have "Making Of" books published, which are fantastic resources.
  • You have to really love the book or movie to care enough to find out all this information.
  • Try reading the book and the movie because the movie will show you the setting and the book will tell you what the character is thinking.
  • Check out even the most random fan sites for little tidbits of information.
  • Read the book first because movies tend to leave out a lot of details like in the Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter movies. Some people, however, prefer to watch the movie first because if they've already read the book they keep thinking about what was done differently, and can't enjoy the movie.
  • If it is possible and affordable, you could visit the place where the movie was filmed or where it was based to give you an insight into it. You could also visit the setting of the book if it is a real place.

Warnings

  • Don't go too overboard, or you will give yourself a headache.
  • Don't get too involved with learning about your book/film.

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References