Category: Contexts

Posted on in Contexts, Genre, Narrative, Representation

Macro Analysis Refresher

There are three key areas to any textual analysis essay:

  • Micro Features Analysis (within your chosen 5 minute sequence)
  • Macro Features Analysis (within the whole film)
  • Cultural Context Analysis (the wider significance surrounding the film / content)

We have four lessons to review what we already know and fill any gaps in your understanding.

Essential Macro Features
  • Genre
  • Narrative
  • Representation
  • Context
The Feynman Technique

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”

Resources

The class will be working in two halves and each of those halves will have one of the terms to define and apply. Follow this link to the slideshow that you will be working on.

Task 1
  • Using the Feynman Technique to define what is meant by one of these terms and how they can be used to analyse a film.
  • Define and explain the concept simply in one slide of your shared slideshow.
    • You should use the blog to help you.
Task 2
  • In pairs or threes discuss one of these ideas in relation to one of the films we have studied last year.
Posted on in Contexts

Dark Knight – Dark Ideas

TASK

Read, discuss, understand this key note article on Batman by Pete Turner.

  1. Some terminology to define before we read:
    • Ideology
    • Socio-Political Context
    • Vigilante
    • Dominant Hegemony
    • Authoritarianism
    • Dichotomy
  2. Read the article aloud around the class.
  3. Stop/start discussion on the article and specific sections of it:
    1. Vigilantism, justice and vengeance
    2. By any means necessary – the tactics of Batman
    3. Inequality in Gotham
    4. The masses
  4. Complete notes on the article during the discussion
  5. Highlight key quotes from the article to use in next week’s essay
  6. Generate a Harvard reference for the article to use in the bibliography of the essay
Reflective Journal
  1. Embed article
  2. Summarise 3-5 key arguments in the article as bullet points.
  3. Reflect on the importance of reading articles / reviews on films we are studying (50 words)
Posted on in Contexts

9/11, The War on Terror & The Dark Knight

Contention / Thesis

‘All cultural products, including film, are a reflection of the time in which they were made!’ Discuss

How can we test this idea? We can see if it applies to our films? Therefore…

Is it possible to see, in the characters and themes of The Dark Knight, the significant events after 9/11 attacks and the ensuing ‘War on Terror’ prosecuted by the American government?

Can we also get a sense of social attitudes at that time and how Gotham, it’s inhabitants, the police and Batman echo this social structure (and divide)?

This is a video which covers most of the important historical contexts.

Watch it and make notes

…The War on Terror

Task

Note making document.

There are a lot facts in the above video on the socio-political context in America after post 9/11. Also it explores some of the social divides created by wealth or lack of it.

As we’re watching this video, make a note of how you think these are echoed in The Dark Knight.

What conclusions do you each about the nature of The Batman post 9/11?

Reflective Journal

Embed the video into your journal

Summarise in 3-5 bullet points the key historical events that you argue echo in The Dark Knight.

Posted on in Contexts

Context & Pan’s Labyrinth

In order to understand and appreciate a film more fully we need to study the context….

OK…so…what is context then?

Historical Contexts

These are the historical events which surround a film’s production. The film itself might also be a response to a specific historical event (as in Pan’s Labyrinth). In that sense there may be two sets of historical contexts.

In this case though we are going to explore the historical context which is the subject matter of the film, The Spanish Civil War and it’s aftermath.

Cultural & Artistic Contexts

These are the cultural references made within the film. No artistic endeavour is made in a bubble. We need to recognise that an artist (film maker) is drawing on his/her cultural experiences and using those to underline certain ideas and themes that they wish to explore.

Article 01
Article 02

Critical Reception – Reviews

We must accept that people will have differing responses to a film. It is always helpful to engage with other responses that might reinforces our own view or give us alternative perspectives:

Review 1
Review 2
Research Task:
  1. Read / study the materials you have been allocated above.
  2. Summarise the content of the material.
    1. Find quotes / information that is useful to helping you understand the film.
    2. Make a reference (use Harvard reference) of your sources.
  3. Contribute to a shared research presentation on the contexts which surround and inform Pan’s Labyrinth.
  4. Embed the slide show into your reflective journal and identify 5 distinct ideas from our context research.
Posted on in Contexts, Textual Analysis

Welcome to Film Studies IB

Welcome to a new adventure in Film…Studies.

We will give you the opportunity to learn about the key roles in film production in a hands on way. Together we will  explore film in a variety of ways and will encourage you to study films that you love.

Here is a rough outline of the course.

The IB is an international course and at its heart is a desire, ‘to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.’

Film is a wonderful way to give you a window into the wider world and to learn about other cultures and perspectives. So, whilst we will be looking at some British & American films we will be also exploring films made in other countries.

So the first film we will be working on together is a Spanish Film called Pan’s Labyrinth.

You can watch the whole film here, but will need to use your school Google account to access it. Otherwise we have several DVD copies.

You need to watch this film in it’s entirety over the next weeks. We will be exploring this film in lots of different ways and there are bound to be spoilers, so please make sure you have watched it by next Monday (there may be a test to check you have watched…)