An IB Film essay is multilayered (like an onion). Here is a graphic, which tries to explain those layers:
1) The inner most layer must have as it’s focus the micro features of the sequence.
2) The middle layer is on the macro features of the film.
- In this case genre & representation
So, for example:
- How do the characters, setting & iconography fit (or not) into the vampire horror genre?
- How is your scenes significant in the representation of Orlok or Eli & to what degree do their characters redefine the ideology surrounding vampires?
3) The last layer is the context layer:
- German Expressionism
- Spanish Flu
- Mistrust of the outsider (aristocrat or child)
How are those references evident in the scene and what is the meaning is attached to those contextual references that deepens our understanding of the film?
