3 activities encouraging to students to increase their ability to Analyse an OTS using media language: including a link to YouTube Casino Royale OTS

1. Media Studies at
SCHS
Media Language:
FILM
Analysing the Codes,
Conventions and Narrative
of an Opening Title
Sequence

2. ACTIVITY 1: creating a filmSYNOPSIS
Title: Film Title: Genre & Narrative
Genre and narrative: what is the story – sum it up in one
sentence: try to include the genre in the sentence. OUTLINE
your opinion of the film (try to write like you were a critic for
the film writing for a newspaper or film review magazine)
casino Royale OTS

3. ACTIVITY 2: FREEZE FRAME
Title: film title: Analysing one frame
Stop the film on a variety of stills using different camera angles, and shot
types. Select the best one (the one with most to write about) and write a
micro-essay (paragraphs and very, very short maximum 200 words) to
answer the points below
Questions:
 What can you see in the ‘frozen image’?
 How are the elements of the image positioned in the frame?
 How does lighting and colour affect what you seen?
 What is the distance between camera and subject, camera angle,
movement
 of the camera during the shot?
 Does the frame offer information, ideas or impressions?
 What and/or who can you see in the shot?
 Why is the shot composed like this? What different would it make if it
were composed differently?
 Where do you think the camera is?
 How many cameras do you think there are?
 Why is the camera positioned like this?
 What different would it make if it were somewhere else?
 When does the camera move from one shot to the next?
 How does one shot differ from another?
 What can you tell about the time/place/setting?
 How does the setting/lighting contribute to the atmosphere/meaning of
the shot?
 How are characters positioned?
 How is your attention drawn to the characters?
 How is the attention maintained?
 What can you tell about the characters from how they are dressed?
 What impression is given of the characters by their costume/body
language?
 Does it say anything about their status or relationship?
 Who is the focus of this scene and how can you tell?
 How is this frame pivotal to the Narrative?

4. ACTIVITY 3 PAGE 1
STRUCTURE AND STYLE: TELLING A STORY TO A VIEWER
Title: Opening Title Sequence: Structure and Style
Watch the whole OTS twice making notes as you do so – then
present your findings as a second micro-essay of 4-500 words OR a
Powerpoint presentation to answer the main codes and conventions
outlined below.
Camera
What is the Sequence of Shots at the beginning of the film? What
does it tell us about the Character or place? Find example of
different Camera Angles using Extreme Close Up, Close Up,
Medium or Wide Shot? How are shots used to emphasise
something important? Is the camera moving or still? What camera
angles are used and what is the effect? How are Transitions used
and to what effect?
Colour
Describe the colours? Is it black and white/full colour/desaturated
etc, why do you think that is? Does this Style remind you of any
other film / OTS you have seen? What are the
differences/similarities? How would you describe the colours? Do you
think colour is important and why do you think this Aesthetic
decision was made? Is it consistent throughout or does it change;
why? Is there an attempt at Verisimilitude?
Character
Are these realistic characters? How many are there: why do you
think there are this many? How are they like or unlike people in real
life? How do they behave differently? How is Mis-En-Scene used to
build the Character? To what extent is Stereotyping used? How
much do we learn about the characters in the sequence? What is
suggested about the characters behaviour and values/ Can you
predict the next steps in the Narrative?
Story/Narrative
How does the sequence Narrative begin and how does it end and
resolve itself? How does the Storyline in this extract motivate the
actions of the characters? Do you like the characters and can you
identify with their story? Does it establish interest in watching
further? Is an Enigma/Hook established?

5. ACTIVITY 3 PAGE 2
STRUCTURE AND STYLE: TELLING A STORY TO A VIEWER
Title: Opening Title Sequence: Structure and Style
Sound
What sound do you hear in the sequence? Notice both Diagetic &
Non-Diagetic. Consider; Musical Score, Dialogue, Ambient
Sound, Silence & Sound Effects. For each decide what you hear
and why it is there. For example: what instruments can you hear?
Does the music help tell Narrative or help the Audience engage?
How does it do this? What happens when the music stops: is it
significant? Are there different ways characters talk to each other?
What do you learn about them from volume / accents/ tone / how
they speak to each other?
Settings
Where does the sequence take place; how many Locations are
depicted? How do you know; how has the production team
constructed a believable space – consider Mise-en-Scene? Is it a
particular country? Does it remind you of anywhere you have been?
What are the main settings in the film? List them? How do they help
the audience to understanding the meaning of the text?
Audience
Who do you think the film is aimed at, who is the Preferred
Audience? How does it satisfy their tastes? What pleasures are
satisfied? In your opinion which other/similar films would they
enjoy? To what extent are you the Target Audience?
Titles
Deconstruct the Title sequences – which of the following are
included; Distribution And Exhibition Company, Sound Or
Editing Companies, Production Studio, Title, Cast Details,
Production Team? Identify which and in which order they appear:
make note of the exact language, Typography and timings
allocated to each. Why do you think this each is included and in that
order? Who is the most important? How obvious is each? Do any
present over the top of action/over a black screen? How
artistic/creative is the presentation? How much CGI is utilised? Is
the style linked to the Genre or Style of the film?