This document provides guidance for students on completing a film analysis coursework assignment focusing on micro features of film including mise-en-scene, performance, cinematography, editing, and sound. It instructs students to choose a short film sequence, analyze no more than three micro features, and write a 1500 word essay exploring how the chosen features construct meaning and response. The document offers advice on getting started, analyzing the sequence, potential essay structure, and questions to consider in the analysis.

1. AS Film Studies
Unit FM1
Exploring
Film Form:
THE MICRO-

2. What the exam board say…
• An analysis of a film extract - 1500
words (30 marks)
• Candidates are required to explore how
one or more of mise-en-scène,
performance, cinematography, editing, and
sound construct meaning and provoke
response in a film extract.
• Candidates are encouraged to support
their work with illustrative visual material.
• Recommended length of extract:

3. What are you supposed to be
looking at?
• The focus of FM1 is primarily but not exclusively
on micro features. For example the genre may
have an impact on the constructions of the
scene and thus how the micro features are used,
or the sequence may be a key narrative turning
point
• You need to be able to analyse a sequence of
film using micro features
• Key to this coursework is that you show

4. Getting started…
• You should now have chosen
your sequence and have lots of
notes on the micro features. It
should now just be a case of
writing the essay and preparing
your presentation.
• Whether you have done this or
not, here is some further

5. MICRO
MISE-EN-SCENE
Getting started… PERFORMANCE
CINEMATOGRAPHY
EDITING
SOUND
• You must choose to write
about one - three of the
micro features
• You may have noticed
that exam board have
separated performance
from mise-en-scene. Just
remember this is to do

6. Analysing your sequence
• Once you have chosen your film sequence you
should watch it several times making notes on
your chosen aspect(s).
• If you have not yet chosen which aspect of film
language you are going to focus on then these
screening will help you to do this.
• Remember you should focus on a maximum
of three aspects of film language.
• Observation
The analysis must have detailed Evaluation
Example references to
Costumetext soshow may Jeff enters the
the is used to you When find it easier This suggests he is
to write your
details about how the brightly lit bar, he is alienated from those
notes
characters are feeling dressed in grey whereas around him and gives the
• in three columns of the otherbright do audience astate ofof his
all
to help characters depressed sense mind
are dressed in
you this:
colours

7. Analysing your sequence
• After taking your notes
• You should then start to group your
ideas and see if you can come up
with an overall reading of the clip:
• After looking at the cinematography in
the sequence from Jurassic Park it is
obvious that the camerawork is used
to make the audience feel the panic
that the characters feel.

8. Analysing your sequence
• Your introduction should outline
the film, the director and the
sequence that you are to focus
on. You may which to include a
short (2-3 sentence) synopsis of
the film (outline of the story).
• The main body of the essay
should be your analysis. The best

9. Some questions to get you
thinking:
• In this essay you have to go beyond
identifying and describing in
formal/technical terms how micro
features are deployed. It is necessary to
address the question of how the
strategies used by the filmmakers impact
on the spectator.
• You need to be able to explain
adequately why a film extract affects you

10. Essay Structure
• Title (example)
• How does cinematography, mise-en-scene
and sound construct meaning and provoke
a response in a sequence from The
Descent (Neil Marshall, 2005)
• You would change the underlined sections
to fit your chosen micro features and film

11. Essay Structure
• Introduction
• Your introduction should end by
identifying which film and which
sequence you are going to use in
your analysis. You should ‘place’ the
sequence in the film briefly and again
briefly outline what happens in your
sequence. Your introduction should
show your reader that you understand
the importance of micro features in

12. Essay Structure
• Middle Paragraphs
• The main paragraphs within your essay should show a
systematic and thorough evaluation of the
impact/effect of your chosen micro features on your
film’s audience.
• Your essay will appear more fluid and fluent if you
work systematically through your sequence in the
order it runs, identifying and discussing micro features
as they ‘appear’.
• Micro features are used interdependently by
filmmakers and you will need to discuss how your
chosen features work together, as well as
separately, to create meaning and response.

13. Essay Structure
• Conclusion
• Your conclusion should summarise the
meanings and responses you think
your chosen micro features have
generated. You should also comment on
whether or not you think the micro features
you have analysed have produced
meanings and responses effectively in
your chosen sequence.
• You should also feel free to include images

14. Some advice
• You are encouraged to use frame grabs to avoid
over describing a scene, thus allowing you to
produce a more analytical piece of work
• Extracts ideally should be self contained
sequences or part of a sequence which in itself
has a definable beginning and end point
• Extracts should be of genuine interest to you –
so that the work is motivated by a sense of
enquiry
• Characteristic feature(s) that are the focus for
the analysis should be clearly recognisable

15. Next steps..
• GET STARTED
• If you haven’t chosen your
sequence you need to ASAP, as
this is the hardest part
• Follow the instructions in this
PowerPoint
• And have the first draft of your
essay to hand into me on (SEE

16. More help
• Click here for example micro
essays Click here for how you
will be marked
• Email me for help
tj@rws.uk.net Even better
come and see me BUT DO IT
BEFORE THE DEADLINE!