CIE Textual Analysis & representation essay approach

1. 3
It’s the magic number!
(Yes it is…it’s the magic number)

2. TODAY’S OBJECTIVE
 to grasp the 3 step paragraph plan and to practice
using it on a very short extract of TV drama
TODAY’S OUTCOME
 for each student to produce a detailed paragraph using
the 3 step plan on a single, VERY short extract.

3. A 3 minute wake up
In groups of 3. You have 3 minutes to write down as
many famous trios as you can think of. These can be from
any area of popular culture. Here’s 3 to get you going ...

5. The Rule of 3
 The Rule of Three, or Power of Three, suggests that
things that come in threes are funnier, more satisfying,
more effective, and/or more memorable, than other
numbers of things. Hence, in listing examples of things,
three are usually provided.

6. Don’t believe me? Ask Barack Obama
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wch9VIbdkog
or De La Soul:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLBx3g8cowY
or Bob Dorough, the man who taught America their multiplication tables
and who De La Soul sampled for the track above
Schoolhouse Rock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU4pyiB-kq0

7. So... a 3 step plan seems
the way forward!
A three step plan will be:
 Memorable
 Straightforward
 and Efficient (it will save you valuable thinking time)

8. • A short intro to explain to
the examiner which scene
you are focussing on.

9. EXAMPLE:
“The sequence opens with an unusual bird’s eye view
shot of a young, male character lying awake in bed,
staring into space.
OR
“The next scene of interest is when the main character
Tony is in the bathroom and his dad is trying to get in.”

10. CAMERA
This establishing shot begins in close up but then slowly zooms out to reveal
more contextual information for the audience. The composition appears
carefully planned by the Director and places the character dead centre, even to
the point where he is between the pillows of the bed.
EDITING
This single shot is held for a long time and positions the audience on the side
of our main character, Tony. This is simply achieved by the Director through
use of camera time.

11. SOUND
There is very little diegetic or non-diegetic sound used at this point so as
not to distract the audience and this again helps us to focus upon the
main character.
MISE EN SCENE
Although the room is high key naturalistic lighting, there is use of light
and shadow to create the effect of sunlight through the curtains. The
teenager’s gaze is fixed at the ceiling and the prop of the naked bodies
duvet cover could be interpreted in a number of ways. It more than likely
reflects the stereotypical teenage boy interest in sex.

12. Explanation: What meaning do the
above choices create?
i.e. what stereotype this enforces,
emotions/viewpoints within the
audience, positive or negative
representation etc.

13. Through the combination of these techniques, the Director immediately
presents us with an interesting teenage character who in some ways
subverts the usual stereotype in that he is unusually neat, organised
and orderly but then also adheres to the stereotype with the character’s
interest in his own appearance and also in the opposite sex.
Put it all together and you get …

14. “The sequence opens with an unusual bird’s eye view shot of a young,
male character lying awake in bed, staring into space. This establishing
shot begins in close up but then slowly zooms out to reveal more
contextual information for the audience. The composition appears carefully
plannned by the Director and places the character dead centre, even to the
point where he is between the pillows of the bed. This single shot is held
for a long time and positions the audience on the side of our main
character, Tony. This is simply achieved by the Director through use of
camera time. There is very little diegetic or non-diegetic sound used at this
point to distract the audience and this again helps us to focus upon the
main character. Although the room is high key naturalistic lighting, there is
use of light and shadow to create the effect of sunlight through the
curtains. The teenager’s gaze is fixed at the ceiling and the prop of the
naked bodies duvet cover could be interpreted in a number of ways. It
more than likely reflects the stereotypical teenage boy interest in sex.
Through the combination of these techniques, the Director immediately
presents us with an interesting teenage character who in some ways
subverts the usual stereotype in that he is unusually neat, organised and
orderly but then also adheres to the stereotype with the character’s interest
in his own appearance and also in the opposite sex.”

15. Q. How many seconds of the extract have we analysed here?
A. 10 seconds
Q. How much have we written?
A. 244 words
And…we haven’t even covered everything we could discuss
about the first 10 seconds!!

16. Q. What other examples of use of camera, editing, sound and mise en
scene create meaning in this opening 10 seconds?
• Church bell
• Shadows
• Lack of movement
• Tidy bed
• No dialogue, no voiceover – don’t know what he’s thinking about