IB Text Analysis Worksheet: TEMPLATE

“Director/Conductor” by La Chachalaca Fotografía is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Summary

A guide to planning, researching, and creating your IB Film Text Analysis

  • Follow the directions for each step below
  • Include for your notes, where required

Student Work

Across The Universe

Pan’s Labyrinth

Handmaid’s Tale

Guidance for Your Work

“The TA is an exam. Failure to turn in the work within the 4 weeks, unless the teacher requests extenuating circumstances directly from the IB, should be considered a fail.” – IB Film

13.5 Hours To Complete

  • Please track how long it took you for each stage

Step 1 – Preparation: Spend 2 Hours

Total Time:

Step 2 – Pick a Film, Watch It, and Write Notes: Spend 4.5 Hours

Total Time:

The goal of IB Film is to expose students to films from all over the world and to increase their critical and practical understanding of film as a creative art form and reflection of its time period, society, and political and cultural environment. As a result, this class requires the viewing of a wide variety of films. In some cases, these films may carry an R rating, or, in the case of films made before 1968 and some foreign films, will have no rating at all. Please be assured that all the films selected for this course have a high degree of artistic merit and that many have won numerous awards and are considered part of the film canon. However, if you object to any film shown that does carry an “R” rating, you will always have the opportunity to request that an alternative film be assigned, and/or be excused from class and not view the film.

  1. Watch the trailers and pick ONE of these films (or the two episodes) (10 minutes)
    • Pan’s Labyrinth [Spain/Mexico] Director Guillermo Del Toro 2006 (Rated R)
    • Across the Universe [USA] Director Julie Taymor 2007 (Rated PG-13)
      • Trailer
      • Available on Hulu and other streaming services
      • Google Drive (Film, Commentary, and Extra Features)
    • The Handmaid’s Tale, Season 1 Ep. 01 and 02 [USA] Director Reed Morano 2017 (Rated R – Mature Rating on Hulu)
  2. Review Drew’s TA Guide Sheet (he scored very high!) (10 minutes)
  3. First Viewing: Watch the film and record your reactions (2 hours)
    • Take notes (below in this post)
      • How does the film (various scenes) affect you?
      • Remember every scene is like a mini-movie
      • Pay attention to which scene best represents the film, for you
  4. Second Viewing: Notice the cinematography, mise en scene, actor movement, wardrobe, sound (diegetic, non-diegetic, music, etc.) choices (2 hours)
    • Review the Big List of Film Terms for cinematic elements, mise en scene (what’s represented on screen), and sound
    • Write notes (below in this post)

Step 3 – Choose Your Extract, Watch It, Write Notes, and Research: 2.5 hours

Total Time:

  1. Open your TA Bibliography Google Doc (In Your IB Google Drive Folder – Mr. Le Duc created)
    • You will add your MLA sources as you research
  2. Choose your 5-minute extract (scene)
  3. Re-watch this scene numerous times and write notes in the Task Analysis Guide (below) (15 minutes)
  4. Research to support your notes (1 hour)
    • Cultural context Evidence: Textual analysis and sources
      • Answer these questions:
        • To what extent do you demonstrate an understanding of the cultural context of the film text?
        • To what extent do you support your understanding of the cultural context with research from appropriate and relevant sources?
    • Add to your notes in the Task Analysis Guide
  5. Re-watch your scene numerous times and add to your notes (15 minutes)
  6. Research to support your notes (1 hour)
    • Re-read Criterion B Film Elements Rubric
      • Evidence: Textual analysis and sources
        • To what extent do you evaluate how the extract makes use of film elements to convey meaning in the chosen film?
        • To what extent do you support your observations with the appropriate use of relevant film vocabulary?
    • Write notes (below in this post)

Step 4 – Compose A Rough Draft using The Text Analysis Guide: 2 hours

Total Time:

  1. Watch Mr. Le Duc’s Convert a Table into Text with Editpad.org tutorial and do the following: (5 minutes)
    1. Copy and paste the two columns of your Text Analysis Guide notes (below) into editpad.org
      • This will convert your two-column table layout into a regular text document
    2. Copy and paste from editpad.org into your Google Docs TA Paper Template
  2. Thoroughly re-read and examine your work with the Text Analysis Rubric (PDF) (10 minutes)
  3. Compose your rough draft (1.75 hours)
    • Weave in your research the following
    • WHAT: Your observation about a film element in the 5-minute scene
    • WHY: Relate the film element to the shot or scene’s emotional or narrative importance
    • HOW: Explain how the film element works in the context of this scene
    • SO WHAT: Justify it with the cultural context, as needed

Text Analysis Guide (For your 5 Minute Scene)

TASK COMPONENTS (INQUIRY)NOTES
The extract may be up to five minutes in length and must be a single, continuous sequence of the film
Time of 5-minute clipPLACE 5 MINUTE TIME INTERVAL HERE…
PART 1 –  The film, your scene, why it is of interest, and how your scene relates to the whole film.
Brief Summary of ExpositionWriter, Director, Producer, studio, year released Main characters, conflict, identify the genre. Identify the aspect ratio.
Context of Extract in Film – briefly describe the sceneAt what times does your scene occur, how it begins, and how it ends. Do not describe it further. The judges have seen the movie.
The Rationale for Selection – relation to the entire movieWhy is it interesting and why does this scene best illustrate the themes of the whole movie?
PART 2 – Remember to integrate the Director’s intent with each of the following areas in this section
Narrative
Script – Not just dialogue but in terms of being the spine of the storyExplain how this scene advances the plot. How do the events of this scene clarify/complicate matters? How does this scene affect/cause future events? What new information is revealed or suggested about a character? Is there anything deliberately withheld? Anything unusual in the dialogue? Word choice? Delivery? Accents? Repetition?
Cinema Photography
a) Camerawork – describe shots in specific termsShot size: ELS, LS (stage), full shot, MS, CU, ECU. Camera angles: bird’s eye, high angle, eye level, low angle or Dutch (oblique), camera movement: pan, tilt, dolly or tracking, handheld, Steadycam, or moving crane. Invisible V conspicuous. Are tracking shots motivated by character movement?
b) CompositionOpen/closed composition, aspect ratio, rule of thirds, Kubrick single-point perspective.
c) Depth of FieldConsider foreground, mid, ground, and background. Deep focus is associated with wide-angle lenses. Could be flat. Narrow ranges of focus may be the result of telephoto lenses.
Mise-en-scene – The overall look and feel of a movie
a) Position of characters and objectsIdentify the dominant, does movement guide our focus, character proxemics patterns (intimate,  personal, social, and public distances). How does the director add meaning to these choices? Is one character encroaching on another’s space? Watch for space being used to portray relationships/changes in relationships. Watch for windows, doors, parallel lines that frame people or objects.  Entrapment. Look for actor placement. Front – actor facing camera, greatest intimacy. One-Quarter Turn – very popular. Profile – character lost in the moment, a bit more distant than the previous two. Three Quarters Turn – useful to convey anti, socialness, Back of Head, most anonymous shot.  Creates a mystery or feeling of alienation.
b) LightingLow or high key. How does the director use light to focus our attention? Key, fill, and backlighting. What is the source of lighting in the context of the scene?
c) Color schemeHow does the director use color and what is the director’s intent for doing so? Look for color symbolism or color associated with characters. Color to suggest a mood. Color as foreshadowing. Contrasting colors ( the monolith v white room)
d) Set/location/propsSet design. Studio or on, location, describe props, scenery, what was the Director ́s intent for using them? How dense is visual information? Stark, moderate, or highly detailed?
e) Costume, hair, make upPeriod, class, gender (emphasize or diminish), age-appropriate, silhouette (close-fitting or baggy), fabric (plain, sheer, rough, delicate), accessories. Color is very important in relation to character.
f) Acting/body languageActing style, body language, blocking, period, or contemporary. Individualized (Joker), Stylization. Look for subtext (character says one thing but means something else). Consider typecasting as a shortcut to characterization.
Sound – watch scene w/o pictureLive sound, sound effects, and music. Sound can be diegetic, meaning characters would hear it, or non, diegetic, meaning that characters would not hear it, such as narration or music over the credits. Explore the relationship between diegetic and non, diegetic sound when appropriate.
MusicIs the music telling you what to feel?  Music can be used as a counterpoint to the action.
EditingEllipsis (time compression) and cross-cutting, fades, dissolves (fades between scenes), wipes,  matching cuts, straight cuts, dialogue overlap, and sound bridges. Consider how long each shot lasts.
Part 3: Analyzing the Film as a Product
Sociocultural ContextIn what way was this movie a product of its time? What does the audience learn about the culture or historical context of the film?
Target AudienceTeens/adults or male/female age group, college education art crowd, liberal, conservative, Christian
Generic Expectationshttp://www.filmsite.org/filmgenres.html also research  http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Tropes
ThemesMan V Man, or one of the others, is this film an allegory?
Motifs/SymbolsWhat specific devices support your definition of the theme? Look for recurring elements.
Film CriticismBoth contemporary and current. Use brief quotes from two different sources. Record the details:  reviewers’ names and publication names/dates
TASK COMPONENTS (ACTION)
Compose Paper
Part 4: Sources
Source 1
Source 2
Source 3
Source 4
Source 5
Source 6
Source 7
Source 8
Source 9
Source 10
TASK COMPONENTS (REFLECTION)
Revision 1Proofreader:
Revision 2Proofreader:
Revision 3Mr. Le Duc

Step 5 – Get Draft Peer Reviewed: 30 Minutes

Total Time:

  1. Get it peer-reviewed with the TA Worksheet (PDF) (30 minutes)
    • Peer Reviewer: Look for evidence of each section of the document
    • Look for WHAT, WHY, HOW for each statement in the paper
      • There should be at least one WHY or HOW or every WHAT statement
    • Look for cited research to support statements, where it makes sense
    • Write comments to help the author
      • Add them as “Add Comments” on the side, so you do not add to the word count of the document

Step 6 – Revise: 1 Hour

Total Time:

  1. Revise your draft (1 hour)

Step 7 – Get Feedback from Mr. Le Duc and Revise: 30 Minutes

Total Time:

  1. Get feedback from Mr. Le Duc
  2. Make final revisions and check format (30 Minutes)

Step 8 – Finalize Paper and Cover Page: 15 Minutes

Total Time:

  1. Clear cover page with the Title of Film & Timecode (5-minute film extract)
  2. Sans serif 12 point font
  3. In-text citations
  4. Less than 1,750 words maximum

Step 9 – Finalize Bibliography and Check Format: 15 Minutes

Total Time:

  1. Update your TA Bibliography Google Doc (In Your IB Google Drive Folder)
    • Finish and check the format of your MLA sources as you research

Step 10 – Upload to Turnitin.com: 10 Minutes

Total Time:

  1. Upload your TA paper (from Your IB Google Drive Folder)
  2. Upload your TA Bibliography Google Doc (from Your IB Google Drive Folder)

External Assessment Criteria SL and HL

Peer Review Checklist

Production Project – Session 2

Learn How to Write a Screenplay | New York Film Academy

https://www.google.com/search?q=film+screenwriting&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjf-8D5-qT0AhVxHzQIHSe1Dy8Q_AUoA3oECAEQBQ&safe=active&ssui=on#imgrc=tgp_E2aft_oZfM

SUMMARY

Role: Screenwriter

Intention (SMART Goal)

Creating specific stage direction

PRE-PRODUCTION – INQUIRY

Leader(s) in the Field / Exemplary Work(s)

Winston Groom

Training Source(s)

Russel James Hasanauer is an editor and cinematographer, known for Big Mouth (2010), Angel of the City (2014) and Persona (2005)

Project Timeline

Nov 1-5: Research and Training

Nov 8-12: Pre-Production

Nov 9-15: Production

Proposed Budget

$1.80

PRODUCTION – ACTION

The (FILM, SOUND, or GAME Creation)

Bullying a Bully

Skills Commentary

In order to meet my goal of creating specific screen direction, I kept the script very concise and simple in order to avoid confusing the actors. I did this by using simple stage directions such as “exit stage left”.

POST-PRODUCTION – REFLECTION

21st Century Skills

Ways of Thinking (Creativity, Innovation, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving)

I analyzed the log line drawings and focused on the most simple aspects of the actor’s movements. I communicated these aspects through direct language

Ways of Working (Communication & Collaboration)

I communicated with my group effectively by carefully listening and implementing my group’s input into my screenwriting and the choices that I helped to make as a team.

Tools for Working (Info & Media Literacy)

In order to gain skills in screenwriting, I watched “How to Format a Screenplay – 5 Basic Elements: 101” by Indy Mogul. The most essential thing that I learned from this video is to be clear with whether the direction in the script is all in past, present, or future tense.

Ways of Living in the World (Life & Career)

Throughout this film project, I have learned how to make creative solutions to problems quickly in order to meet deadlines. I also learned the importance of leaving an appropriate amount of time for uploading files and labeling them. In the professional world, this will help me to make sure that I have laid out a cohesive plan to meet every task that makes up a large project.

Reactions to the Final Version

Josie: “The screen right and left directions within the screenplay were good and probably helped clarify things for your group”

Self-Evaluation of Final Version

Our final version was successful because of our focused camera angles, edits that synced with the audio, and lighting that emphasized the action. There were minor aspects of the film that could have been refined such as the duration of shots, but for the most part the final version had all of the aspects of a solid short film. In my script, I could have written with a more intentional rhythm.

What I Learned and Problems I Solved

For example, my group originally used copyrighted music in order to edit to a rhythm. Since we could only use student created music, I played a cover of the copyrighted song on the drums in the green room.

Grammar and Spelling

Edublogs spelling and grammar check.

Editor

Nathan

Story of Film – Episode 6 – Sex and Melodrama

1953-1957: The Swollen Story: World Cinema Bursting at the Seams

Distracted School Day Feedback

Summary

  • My project aimed to show some of the distractions that take place in my distanced learning environment. I filmed this video with my friend Casey in order to include the added distractions of having a friend around while you try to do a task.

Logline

  • A distracted student fights against distractions to complete schoolwork.

Intent / Goals

  • My technical goal for this project was to include four edits (mine were standard cut, cutting on action, smash cut, and fade in/ fade out) that logically fit the flow of my video. My creative goal was to try adding my own music and new shots into the film.
  • I wanted my audience to feel a sense of distraction.

Research

  • Editor and sound designer Walter Murch
  • What about them was interesting, compelling, and qualified them to be studied by you? Walter Murch is extremely qualified in editing, directing, writing, and sound design. His career in film began in 1969 and since then, he has won three Academy Awards, being called “the most respected film editor and sound designer in the modern cinema” by Roger Ebert, a highly acclaimed film critic.

Questions

  • 1. Did the edits help the story progress?
    2. Was the log line clearly portrayed?

Peer Feedback

  • Hunter: “The beginning made sense but toward the end things got confusing / less coherent”
  • Josie: “The drums in the background were good. The drums sped up as things got more hectic and matched the chaos of the video. Considering the log line, the cadywompus stuff could have been considered as a distraction.”
  • Mr. Favorite: “First shot was out of focus which made the video less good and took the viewer out of the story. Through the middle into the end, the story was not easy to understand.”

Evidence of Editing: “Spider-Man 2 – Stopping the Train Scene (7/10)”

  • What about editing language understanding did you notice?
  • Many rapid standard cuts caused the scene to have a lot of suspension and showed the mind of Peter Parker as he tried to find solutions in the environment around him to stop the train
  • Many J cuts were used with the music. Music that suggested that something bad or dramatic was going to occur played before that dramatic event would happen
  • Very heavy use of cutting on action were used which made the audience feel as though we were in the train ourselves
  • Cutaways to the back or bird’s eye view of the train allowed for the scene to feel more intense because it put the conflict into full perspective, revealing that it was causing damage to surrounding buildings as well as the train track
  • What did you like about the film clip?
  • Great shot at 0:10 where the camera is under the train track
  • Crowd reaction made us feel like we were rooting for Peter
  • Great job from Tobey Maguire by using charming and funny facial expressions and reactions
  • At 0:49 there is a great shot were the city seems to warp into the train track, making the track seem much more frightening then it actually is
  • Body language conveys a great mix of suspense and comedy
  • Write what you learned from this week’s exercises?
  • I learned what the 7 key rules of editing are and how they are used
  • I also learned how to identify different editing techniques in a movie scene and why they were used in that scene

Sources

Spider-Man 2 – Stopping the Train Scene (7/10) | Movieclips

J and L Cut Notes

  • J Cut: The scenes audio precedes the image
  • L Cut: Audio from one shot carries over to the next
  • Used to create more natural dialogue scenes
  • Without J and L cuts a dialogue scene can seem cold or mechanical which can be an effective stylistic choice
  • J Cuts can make a scene feel urgent by cutting a scene short
  • L Cuts can drag a scene out
  • J and L cuts create significance by showing images associated with the audio
  • Cuts
  • Cutting on Action: Cutting shots while the character is still in action
  • Cut Away: Cutting to an insert shot, can be used to show the thoughts of a character
  • Cross Cut: Cutting between locations, can increase tension, also used to see thoughts of a character
  • Jump Cut: A cut between the same shot, showing the passage of time, can make the scene look hurried
  • Match Cut: Cuts from one shot to a similar shot by matching the action or the composition, can be used in dialogue
  • Transitions
  • Fade in / fade out: Dissolving to or from black
  • Dissolve: Blending a shot into another
  • Smash Cut: Intense transitions. Intense to quiet or vice versa.
  • Iris: Opening and closing the iris of the lens to transition from and into black
  • Wipe: One edge becomes a new scene, wiping across the old scene. Can include other shapes.
  • Invisible Cut: Gives the illusion of a single take by pointing the camera at darkness and bringing it out of that same darkness for the second take. The same effect can be achieved with the camera movement instead of darkness.
  • Transitions can be combined for great effect

Feedback

  • We will be learning how to combine different transitions and cuts next month.

Story of Film -Episode 5 – Post-War Cinema

1939-1952: The Devastation of War…And a New Movie Language

60 Second Film: Ballin to the Extreme

Summary

This film is about shooting hoops. My goals for this film were to shoot fun video clips with my friends and to learn how to use the basic features of the Shotcut film editing software.

Feedback Question

  • Did the film have enough substance?
  • Was the film edited well?

Comments

“love the start – ball to the camera catches our attention. shaky camera work, fast cuts, and finger in the lens at one point a bit hard to watch for extended time… low substance I agree. Joyful mood” – Brian Favorite. Paraphrased: “Create a story line and take influence from strong messages to incorporate into the film”

“The film has a lot of substance but there wasn’t a lot of a story to the idea. I liked the editing and I think it was done well”. – Naomi Barer (fellow student in my class)

“I like the comedic aspect of it when u intentionally missed and showed a clip of a make”. – Cooper Carlson (fellow student in my class)

Story of Film – Episode 4 – The Arrival of Sound

Episode 4 – The Arrival of Sound[edit]

The 1930s: The Great American Movie Genres…

Film Analysis: Across the Universe

Summary

  • I choose Across the Universe, a musical/romance the features Beatles song, to analyse because I like the music of the Beatles a lot.

Film Analysis

Film TitleAcross the Universe
Year2007
DirectorJulie Taymor
CountryU.S.A.
GenreMusical/Romance
If you could work on this film (change it), what would you change and why?I wouldn’t have named the characters by the names of Beatles songs because it didn’t add to the story add just made it cheesy.

Ask yourself the following questions:

TOPICYOUR NOTES
1. Who is the protagonist?Jude, a young British worker
2. Who is the antagonist?Dr. Robert
3. What is the conflict?The Vietnam War.
4. What is the theme? (summarize in one or two words)Learn more…Romantic musical
5. How is the story told (linear, with flashbacks, flash-forwards, at regular intervals)Learn more…Regular Intervals
6. What “happens” in the plot (Brief description)?Jude joins the navy and jumps ship in order to find his father who he had never met. He finds him at an ivy league college and while he was there he meets Max and Lucy, Max’s sister. Lucy’s boyfriend dies in the Vietnam War and all three of them move to New York. While there they begin to live in New York, Max is drafted into the war and many anit-war war protests occur in the streets.
7. How does the film influence particular reactions on the part of viewers (sound, editing,
characterization, camera movement, etc.)? Why does the film encourage such
reactions?		The film encourages a suspicion for Dr. Robert by portraying him as a kind of hippie king pin. He acts very confident and is filmed in very strong, psychedelic, multi colored, and saturated lighting making the viewer feel as though he has those around him in some kind of trance. He is given the song “I am the Walrus” by the Beatles. The lyrics of this song make him sound like some kind of twisted mastermind, which appealed to the crowd. Later on in the film, it becomes clear that Robert had actually been using his influence and psychedelic drugs to entice women to fall for him.
8. Is the setting realistic or stylized? What atmosphere does the setting suggest? Do
particular objects or settings serve symbolic functions?Learn more…		The setting is stylized to make it look overly colorful at some times and at others to make it look like an illusion. The colorful and surreal scenes are meant to look like a burst of the hippie culture of the 60s. In parts of the movie where heavy visual affects are used to warp the setting, it is meant to show the greater significance and tragedy of the scene, notably in Max’s recruitment scenes and medical scenes. Jude used strawberries to represent the lives of the soldiers who were fighting in Vietnam.
9. How are the characters costumed and made-up? What does their clothing or makeup reveal about their social standing, ethnicity, nationality, gender, or age? How do costume and makeup convey character?Learn more…Jude is clothed in working class British coats. Max is introduced in casual clothing that is similar to his friends at the university but he later takes up the hippie outfits of his New York room mates. Jude keeps wearing his working class coats throughout the movie unlike the other characters which shows his attachment to his life in Britain and the other characters’ embrace of their new life in New York.
10. How does the lighting design shape our perception of character, space, or mood?Learn more…The lighting in the movie often accurately shows the underlying mood of the scene. In a sweet moment by the sea with Jude and Lucy, the lighting is soft and golden. It makes the surrounding dock wrecks somewhat scenic. This in turn makes the scene Jude and Lucy’s escape from the troubling events that were occurring in the world in that time.
11. How do camera angles and camera movements shape our view of characters or spaces? What do you see cinematically?Learn more…In dramatic scenes like the strike at the buildings in New York, the camera appropriately moves around the action and creates an energetic and chaotic effect. It emphasizes the anger of the people in the scene. In other scenes, the camera follows a character who has left the action, adding a depth of emotion to an otherwise straight forward scene.
12. What is the music’s purpose in the film? How does it direct our attention within the image? How does it shape our interpretation of the image? What stands out about the music?Learn more…The music serves as a template to build upon in order to express a particular character of group of character’s feelings in that given time. The originally feel of many of the Beatles songs used in the film are given new meanings with the original covers and ways that they were used in the film.
13. How might industrial, social, and economic factors have influenced the film? Describe how this film influences or connects to a culture?Learn more…The film portrays the political climate of the 1960s. It shows the protests toward the Vietnam war and the devastating effects of the war with one of the main characters, Max, being drafted, and the death of Lucy’s first boyfriend in the war. The film also touches on the civil rights movement and the death of Martin Luther King Jr.
14. Give an example of what a film critic had to say about this film.Use credible sources and cite sourcesExample: “The Shawshank Redemption Movie Review (1994) | Roger Ebert.” All
Content. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 June 2015.Find good sources…		“Nothing’s gonna change my world” Roger Ebert. All content. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 September 2007. “This isn’t one of those druggy 1960s movies, although it has what the MPAA shyly calls “some” drug content. It’s not grungy, although it has Joe Cocker in it. It’s not political, which means it’s political to its core. Most miraculous of all, it’s not dated; the stories could be happening now, and in fact, they are.”
15. Select one scene no longer than 5 minutes that represents well the whole film and shows relevant cinematic elements. Explain why.PLACE THE TIME STAMP FROM THE SCENE HERE… Example: 0:33:10 – 0:36:40
16. In the selected scene: write a sentence for each of the elements below:
a. Screenwriting:Switches back and forth from American soldiers fighting in Vietnam African Americans getting attacked by police, and the funerals of the victims of both events.
b. Sound Design:Captures violence, screaming, and explosions.
c. Camera Movements:Changes on different subjects in order to show the event.
d. Light Setup:Uses natural outdoor lighting and natural lighting from church windows.
e. Soundtrack:A cover of “Let it Be” by the Beatles.
18. What’s the socio-cultural context of this film?Learn more…Compares the tragedy and the grief and loss that is felt by both victims of the Vietnam War and African Americans who had had their rights infringed upon by police and the government.

Mr. Le Duc’s Film Analysis Resources