Christmas Presents

As I sit here the sky looks full of snow so fingers crossed for a white Christmas. I wanted to update both Year 12 and Year 13 as to what is expected from you, over Christmas, with regards to Film Studies.

You need to be very aware that after Christmas we only have five months until your AS and A2 exams; with that in mind it is imperative that deadlines are adhered to and focused study is carried out especially during the holidays.

Year 13

1. Complete your Reflective Analysis (1000 Words). Use the Mark scheme, pages 65-67 to help you and the check list I have created. Remember, you must reflect on your Screenplay and evaluate your practical application of learning.
2. Re- watch News from a Private War and make detailed notes in your book; you must focus on the different viewpoints of the dealers, the police and the slum dwellers. This will help you place the film in context and understand the social background.
3. Re-watch both films and select four scenes from each film which can be compared and contrasted. Select scenes that show similar or opposing messages and values and those that deal with the issues of power, poverty and conflict. You could even explore characters from both films. Please ensure that your notes are supported with the relevant screenshots.
4. Ensure all of your folders and class notes are up-to-date.

Year 12

1. Complete your reflective analysis for your storyboard (750 words). Use the mark scheme, the relevant text book pages and the check list. These will be handed out tomorrow.
2. Ensure that the storyboard is completed with the accompanying information
3. Ensure all of your folders and class notes are up-to-date as they will be checked during the first week back.

Merry Christmas,

Mrs Q

Picking Your Brains

Hello all,

I have many questions... How are you finding using this blog? How often do you check for new content? How useful have the posts been in helping with your work? What has been the most useful blog post so far? Is the blog written in language that you understand and can access easily? What suggestions can you make about how you can you use your individual blogs? Have you used the gadgets on the side of the page?

Please post a comment below so that I can use your feedback to help the blog evolve.

Miss R x

Finding Your Way Around... A Book!

This is the FRONT COVER of a book. As the age old adage states, one must never judge a book by its cover. Still, there is often a lot to be learnt. Such as... the title of the book, the author, the publisher...

The CONTENTS page of a book will list, in the order that they appear in the book, the different chapters or sections of the book with, often, a short synopsis of what is included in the section. There will be page references so that you know where to turn in the book.

The INDEX of a book is found at the back and can make it easy to find information that might otherwise be difficult to locate. The index is organised alphabetically.

Think of the key word (such as, for example, a film genre, a film director etc) and search for it in the index. When you find the key word, it will have a list of numbers after it - these are the pages on which the topic is mentioned.

Remember, an index is not an exhaustive source and will not have every word you can think of. If you cannot locate your topic or key word in the index check, firstly, that you have spelt it correctly; if this doesn't get you any more success, try to think of another word associated with the topic and search for that.

The GLOSSARY is also usually found at the back of a book. It will contain terminology specific to the content of the book it is in. If, when you are reading the book, you don't understand some of the words used, search for them in the glossary and you will find their definition there.

Using the Library

Oh my, Year 13, we do seem to be making quite a palaver out of using the library!

In Birmingham Central Library the Film Studies area is on the third floor. You can click here to find out what's on the other floors.

Chances are that, as I have explained before, many of the books will be Reference Only. This means that you cannot remove the books from the building but you can take them to the desks, look through them, make notes on them and photocopy any pages that you think are important. It also means that if you need these books they will always be in the library for you.

Remember to use the Birmingham Libraries Online Catalogue to check whether the books you want are in the library before you leave home.

Information on Birmingham Central Library

Opening Hours: Monday 9am-8pm, Tuesday 9am-8pm, Wednesday 9am-8pm, Thursday 9am-8pm, Friday 9am-8pm, Saturday 9am-5pm

Computers: There are computers throughout the building, providing free access to a wealth of information on the internet. Sessions last for one hour. You can drop in or make a free booking for one hour per day. There is a small charge for printing: A4 - 10p per copy

Photocopying: There are photocopiers for public use in each department. The charges for photocopying are as follows: A4 - 10p per copy, A3 - 20p per copy.

Keeping Up to Date With Film - 2

Further down this page, on the right hand side, is a Film Reviews gadget.

If you scroll to the right using the arrows on the top of the gadget you will come to 'Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo Film Reviews'. If you don't know, both men are BBC radio broadcasters and are well-renowned for their knowledge of and opinions on film.

Click the link on the bottom of the synopsis and a podcast will open in your media player. I think you'll all quite enjoy listening to these two!

FM1 - Micro Analysis Model

Below is a mini-sample of a micro analysis based on a scene from the film 'Twilight'. Please note the length of the mini clip I have analysed and the micro-features I am focusing on to create meaning. This is a model that you can use to inform your own analyses but remember not to copy this as that would be plagiarism.

I have highlighted where each of the micro-features are mentioned as well as the spectator and the director.

The key is:

• Director
• Spectator
• Sound
• Performance
• Cinematography

Explore how sound, performance and cinematography create meaning for the spectator in the chosen sequence (0.19.53 - 0.20.02) from Catherine Hardwicke's 'Twilight'.

The scene opens with a two shot of Bella and Edward. They are walking down a hallway crowded with students and lined with lockers. As they walk towards the camera the spectator realises that the diegetic sounds of the students in the hallway have been kept to a minimum. By doing this, the director ensures that the dialogue between Bella and Edward is undisturbed and marks the two out as the most important part of this scene.

Edward is looking intently at Bella and he askes her, 'Why didn't you move with your mother and Phil?' The spectator can see that Bella is taken aback by the bluntness of the question as she blinks, looks away and opens her mouth several times before speaking. When she does reply, she pulls her arms closer around herself, making her seem unhappy to the spectator. Edward's expression, meanwhile, is intense and the spectator can tell that, although he does not look directly at Bella, his body and face are angled towards her and he is listening to every word.

This is an activity it is worth you doing with your own analyses. Make sure that you have mentioned each of the micro-features, the director and the spectator.

Remember - avoid waffling and be succinct!

Year 13 Screenplays

Can all Year 13 please email their screenplays (Mrs Quoroll's work) to Miss Ryan's email address by the end of the day on Friday.

Thank you.

Annotated Catalogues

Year 13, your annotated catalogues are now well overdue.

Several weeks ago I gave you each a copy of an example Annotated Catalogue that I had created. The idea behind me giving you this was for you to see a model that you can replicate in your own work.

As you can see, the films come first, with the focus film being the very first item in the catalogue. The films are followed by the books, internet and, finally, the material not selected.

Each of the items in the catalogue must be Harvard referenced and followed by an annotation (up to 50 words) that explains how this item will support your presentation.

Do not just waffle about it being 'a good film' or it being 'a book that got good reviews'. Be specific. These items are in your catalogue because you are using them in your presentation so explain why (not how) you are using them.


FM3 Catalogue

Year 13 Mock - City of God and La Haine

Urban Stories – Power, Poverty and Conflict

It is important to remember that when watching these films you bring your own awareness of the world to the ‘filmic’ experience. You ultimately use your way of seeing the world (your ideology) and your understanding of the world to help you ‘read’ these films.

Complications of studying these films:

1. They are set within different cultures and social contexts
2. We are attempting to understand the film from a different positioning. For example, in La Haine, a different ethnic background, City of God, a male perspective
3. They are in different languages and are sub- titled

How can you be successful?
In order to understand the film from a different viewpoint; we are able to identify similarities between our own direct experience of the world and the character’s experience e.g. the idea of pain, anger, jealously, infatuation. Secondly, we reflect on the experience of others we know and thirdly, we draw on our ‘mediated’ view of the world. Key to understanding these films are an understanding of their accurate historical, cultural, social and political background.
Culture

It is important to consider the cultures we are presented with. ‘Youth Culture of the suburbs of Paris in the 1980s’ in relation to La Haine and ‘Gang Culture in the slums of Rio de Janeiro’ in relation to City of God. It may be worth exploring the words ‘subcultures’ and ‘countercultures’ and considering whether either could be attached to the films? The text provides helpful explanations of these terms.

Power in both Films

Key questions that you must feel confident with in relation to both films:
Who has power?
Who is weakened because of that power?
Is it economic power (wealth/business)?
Political power (the ability to make laws/ govern)?
Ideological power (control over education and the mass media)?
Social power?
Remember that relationships of power can and do exist within all social organisations and social groups: the family, street gangs, the police and between friends.

What we have covered so far in order to develop confidence with the exam:

1. Consideration as to power, poverty and conflict in the city
2. Definitions of urban, stories, power, poverty and conflict
3. Background information into the ‘Les Banlieues’ or ‘projects’
4. Discussing and watching News from a Private War (this is definitely worth watching several times)
5. A focus on the characters in both films (mind maps and individual ppts/blog entries)
6. Stylistic features and micro features (camera work, use of colour/clock, music and mise- en-scene – La Haine)
7. Messages and values – particularly violence, style over substance? (C of G), racism and the police’s role, La Haine
8. Detailed exploration of scenes from both films
9. Exploration of chapters from film guides

What can you do to prepare for the mock?

1. Re-watch both films and News from a Private War - essential!!
2. Read over the chapters shared in class and your class notes
3. Use the text book chapter to help you; especially the blue box case studies on the ‘Social, Historical and Political Contexts’
4. Consider the similarities and difference between the films

Topics to revise:

· Social, historical and political context of both films
· Key scenes in both films – how are they similar and dissimilar
· Messages and values of both films
· Characters and how they reveal youth culture to the audience – consider the micro and macro ways of doing this

We will have Monday and Tuesday next week – so we can go through any problems then.

Good Luck!
Don't forget Screenplay deadline is this Thursday - I need 1800 words from you all. Well done with the progress you have made so far.