Improving Your Textual Analysis

Assessment Criteria

In a full textual analysis essay there are three areas of assessment:

  1. Your research into and evaluation of how the film/example reveals the wider of the cultural contexts
  2. Your understanding of the film elements (micro & macro features) & use of terms to describe specific examples
  3. Your ability to make links to the film as a whole and the themes / issues at the heart of the film

Here is a link to the mark scheme for a textual analysis essay.


So how does this work in practical terms?

Whenever you are writing a film essay you should adopt the TEAS approach. This stands for:

  • Term & Example
  • Analysis
  • Significance

Here is a slide show on TEAS in IB Film:

Marked Exemplar

Please click here to view a marked exemplar essay

Review your Pan’s Essay
  1. Please reread your essay on The Second Task sequence from Pan’s Labyrinth.
  2. What feedback and comments did you receive from your teacher?
  3. Identify one or two targets for improvement in the Batman Essay
Develop your analysis (adjectives)

Here is a site which will give you lots of adjectives. You should use it to get range, breadth  and sophistication into your analysis. Of course a thesaurus will also help and so will, you know….reading!

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