Adapted from the NZQA resource. Instructions for Focus on Film.

1. Analyse significant aspects of visual and/or oral text(s) through close viewing
and/or listening, supported by evidence.
English 2.10
Focus on film
Credits: 3

2. WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO?
You will select a sequence
from a film and analyse it.
You will publish your
analysis on your blog.
You can work on this both
in and out of class.
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3. Conditions
This is an individual
assessment but we will
practise with another
film first.
You can collect
information, watch the
film and develop ideas
in and out of class.
You will select the
sequence to analyse. You
can choose one from the
YouTube links on our
class Ultranet page.
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4. 1. Watch a film
2. Choose a sequence from the film and practise answering the analysis
questions.
3. Watch another film.
4. Choose a sequence from the Ultranet YouTube links to analyse.
5. Choose 6 analysis questions to answer.
6. Create a blog post with the questions, answers and screen shots from the
sequence.
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The Procedure

5. Aspects to analyse: choose 6 questions.
1. Analyse the key idea in the extract. How is each key idea developed? What links with
yourself or the world can you identify?
2. Analyse the purpose of the extract. What is the director aiming to achieve, and
how? What links with yourself or the world can you identify?
3. Analyse the attitudes of the characters in the extract. What do they tell us about
society and how do you know this?
4. Analyse the context of the extract. What does it show about the social, cultural,
political, or historical context and how? What links with your own world can you identify?
5. Analyse the genre of the extract. How are elements of the genre being shown and
why? What links with other films in the genre can you identify?
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6. 6
Aspects to analyse
6. Analyse the use of at least two shots and/or camera movements in the
extract. What is the purpose of each and how is this developed?
7. Analyse the use of lighting in the extract. How does it create mood or
develop character/ideas in the extract? How does it manipulate or affect the
audience?
8. Analyse the use of music in the extract. How is it used to develop character,
ideas, or mood?
9. Analyse the use of at least two costumes in the extract. How are they used
to develop character or ideas?
10. Analyse the use of at least two pieces of dialogue and/or voiceover in the
extract. How is each piece used to develop characters or ideas?

7. Aspects to analyse
11. Analyse the use of mise-en-scene in at least two shots in the extract. How is it
developed to convey meaning?
12. Analyse the use of setting combined with camera shot in the extract. How is it
developed to convey meaning?
13. Analyse the way two film elements work together to create meaning. How do they
compliment/contrast with each other, and why?
14. Analyse the editing in the extract. How are the shots sequenced, and why? How does
the editing contribute to meaning?
15. Analyse how any other film convention(s) not mentioned above have been used to
develop the characters or ideas in the text.
Important!
Use supporting evidence in each answer. Your answers must show analysis.
Information should not be repeated, so choose the focus of each answer carefully.
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8. Review Questions
1. Have I written about the visual language features used in the film?
2. Have I linked the use of specific features to their effects?
3. Have I noticed how features have been used together?
4. Have I linked the ideas that the features help develop to myself or the wider
world?
5. Have I linked the ideas that the features help develop to human experience and
society?
6. Have I understood the director’s purpose?
7. Have I thought about how the text’s genre might influence the film?
8. Have I got specific supporting evidence for my points from the film?
9. Have I answered 6 questions?
10. Have I published my work on my blog?
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9. Assessment Schedule
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Achieved Merit Excellence
Analyse aspects of
visual and/or oral text(s)
through close viewing,
through and/or
listening supported by
evidence.
Analyse aspects of
visual and/or oral text(s)
convincingly through
close viewing and/or
listening, supported by
evidence.
Analyse aspects of
visual and/or oral text(s)
perceptively, close
viewing and/or
listening, supported by
evidence.

10. Bibliography
Adapted from NZQA resources.
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