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!