July 2016 – Assessment (Research and
Analysis)
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You must use screenshots to
illustrate the points that you make in your comparative analysis of the short
films ‘Wasp’ and ‘Gasman’
·
The examiner asks that you go
‘from the specific to the general’
·
This means that you must use
examples form texts to justify your arguments
·
The first example will help you
to construct a response using textual evidence by providing a model two model
answers.
·
Your task is to use the next
other screenshots to model your own A grade answer. Three examples are shown in
this hand-out but you can also choose your own.
·
Write your answer using
screenshots to illustrate your response
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Use the web-log www.penwithmedia.blogspot.com
to help to structure your response
·
Add a bibliography to evidence
sources and wider reading
·
Print your final draft as a
word document and submit it to me for assessment
·
Publish your analysis on your
own web-log. This will form the first part of your research into media texts
for your coursework.
·
Add the cover sheet to your
submission and use the mark scheme to guide your writing
·
The examiner is looking for an
ability to show ‘excellent understanding of the way that technical aspects are
used to construct the extract’s representations’
·
This will form your summer
assessment and will be used to assess your ability in preparation for the A2
course in Media Studies.
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In this wide shot Arnold uses the camera to
create a naturalistic effect, which places us in the scene almost as if we were
one of her children. The shaky hand held camera provides a kinetic energy which
draws us into the film and reflects the chaotic lives of the children and the
disorienting world that their mother has created due to her own
vulnerabilities. Arnold uses natural
lighting to further the effect of realism in the tradition of British
film–makers such as Ken Loach or Mike Leigh, who aim for truth through
recreating reality as closely as possible.
The mise-en-scene in this shot reveals a
lot about the circumstances of this family.
The mother is in her nightdress and barefoot and has just had a fight
with her neighbour. Having been nurtured
by a mother who is struggling to cope, the childrens’ behavior is problematic,
symbolized by the defiant middle finger. This is what we would stereotype as a ‘broken’
family and intervention is probably required to ensure these children are
safe. However, a short film can open the
debate further than a tabloid representation of these issues. It asks us to question ourselves, society and
any pre-conceived ideas about what is best for the children. Art asks us to think about issues and
consider debates. A short film has the power to provoke discussion and confront
complex and difficult issues facing society.
The estate in the background is
recognizable to a wide part of the British population and is almost generic in
terms of housing in the UK. The use of this location could create a
universality to the message of the film. Although the accents place the film in
the South East, the same issues are relevant in all parts of the UK.
