Practical Application of Learning (storyboard) Coursework

Brief

There are 3 distinct parts to your PAL coursework.  These are:

1)  Aims and context.

A clarification of the aims and context of the sequence to be completed on the appropriate cover sheet.

2)  Film Sequence Storyboard
(40 Marks)

A photographed storyboard of between 10 and 25 different shots (some of which may be repeated) plus up to 5 found shots (shots which would be difficult to photograph or where locations need to be established).  The 5 found shots must be acknowledged.

3)  Reflective analysis -  approximately 750 words
(10 Marks)
The reflective analysis should select key micro features of the sequence and demonstrate how they make meaning(s) and aim to provoke response(s) in audiences.

1)  Aims and Context

You must include the following information on your aims and context cover sheet:

• Genre of film (or equivalent if it’s not in an obvious genre)

• Whether it’s a short film or extract (and if so, whether it’s opening, climactic sequences etc)

• Target audience

• Key stylistic elements of sequence (cinematography, editing)

2)  The Storyboard

Your coursework task will be to put into practice what you have learnt about how the micro-features create effect and meaning in a film sequence.  You must create a photographic storyboard for a sequence from a movie using all the micro-elements to create a specific and planned meaning.

Descriptors

The slug line defines interior (INT) or exterior (EXT).
It defines the location.
It defines the time of day (Day or night).
The action descriptor should simply say what is happening in the shot.
It should include what characters and what action are present.

ECU – Extreme close up
CU – Close up
MCU – Medium close up
MS – Medium shot
MLS – Medium long shot
LS – Long shot
ELS – Extreme long shot

H/A – High Angle Shot
L/A – Low Angle Shot
POV – Point of View Shot
OTS – Over the Shoulder shot
ZOOM – Inward or outward movement with lens.
TRACK or DOLLY – Inward or outward movement with camera.
CRANE – Vertical camera movement

The dialogue descriptor simply defines the opening and closing dialogue in the shot as well as who speaks it.
This may be a single line or part of a line. In longer speeches, only the opening word and final word should be indicated.
Both diegetic and non-diegetic sound must be described.
It should give an indication of atmosphere – ambient sound. Perhaps traffic in the distance to show an urban scene or water dripping nearby to indicate a cave setting.
It may give information about the music used in the scene
It may tell us about any specific sound effects needed.

Transition will usually simply state ‘cut’ but where required will indicate particular effects such as:
Fade to or dissolve
Match on Action
Graphic Match
Wipe
BEGIN MONTAGE or END MONTAGE.
The duration of each shot should be expressed in seconds. Try to consider realistic times for the actions you are illustrating.

Effect and Meaning

The purpose of the task is to use the micro-features of film to create a planned and specific effect and meaning.  It is important therefore to create a sequence which has a strong effect.  Make it an important sequence from the larger (imaginary) film.  Make it dramatic and strong in meaning.  Think about how you want your audience to feel and react.  Do you want them to feel fear?  Sadness?  Emotion? Romance? Triumph?  Excitement?  Elation?  Repulsion?  Love?  Hate?  Anything else?

Getting Started

Begin by considering the genre of film you wish to work in.  You can choose any genre or combination of genres, sub-genres or hybrids but make sure that you make a definite decision as this will affect your effect and meaning and target audience.

Think about what sort of characters you will include in your sequence, what will they look like?  How will they act?  Will they be conventional or non-conventional?

Think about what will happen in broad terms in the sequence.

Begin by creating a list of things that will happen in the sequence.  Each of these will translate to a shot so they should be only small moments from the sequence.  Number these.

Once this is done, you will have a strong idea of your sequence and will be ready to start filling in the descriptor details.  Use the example below to get a feel for how detailed you need to be.

Example
Storyboard Cabin in the Woods (MC)


Advice
Your storyboard should demonstrate how micro-features are used to create meaning.
Your storyboard should consist of indicative images – images that show the intended compositions and content.
The storyboard must also include descriptors which sit against the images and give more information abut the sequence.
Images should be 16:9 (rectangular).
Restrictions are accepted but images should show framing, composition and mise-en-scene.

Break actions into smaller actions – each with a shot accompanying it.
LS pushes audiences away and CU brings them into the action.
30 degree rule.
180 degree rule.


  Assessment


Storyboard Sequence 

Level 4 32-40 

• Excellent understanding of micro features demonstrated in sequence

• Excellent, creative use of appropriate micro features

• Excellent visualisation, demonstrating high degree of understanding

of appropriate conventions.

Quality of written communication 

• Excellently structured and accurate use of appropriate language to

communicate clearly.


3)  Reflective Analysis

Brief

Reflective analysis:  approximately 750 words.  (10 marks)

The reflective analysis should select key micro features of the sequence and demonstrate how they make meaning(s) and aim to provoke response(s) in audiences. 

Essay Structure

It is important to plan your essay well.  Use the following structure to plan what points you will make and how many words you will attribute to each of them before you start writing.

1.  Introduce your sequence explaining its macro features - what genre it is and what happens in it (in broad terms).  Describe the overall effects and meaning.

2.  Go through the sequence chronologically (in normal time order). Begin explaining how you have used the micro-features to create specific aspects of the effect and meaning.

3.  Break your points into paragraphs and focus on the larger points in detail rather than trying to cover every single aspect of your sequence.

4.  Conclude your account by very briefly summing up your main points.

Assessment

Reflective Analysis

Level 4: 8-10

• Excellent, perceptive analysis of how the sequence uses micro features to make meaning(s) for audiences.

Quality of (written) communication

• Excellently structured and accurate use of appropriate language to communicate clearly.

Script Writing - Crime Drama

Writing the Script 

The script is the first assessed piece of the coursework and it is vital that you produce a high quality piece of work which not only adheres to the codes and conventions of television crime drama but also emulates the format and style of a real industry standard screenplay.

Screenplays have a very strict form and style and you must write your script according to this.  Look at the document below - it provides the basic rules of screenwriting and shows how a screenplay should look.
Screenplay Format



Further Advice

A page of properly formatted screenplay is roughly equivalent to about a minute of screen time.

Scene headings change every time the scene does (that is, whenever the time or location change).  A scene could very easily be just one sentence long - especially if it is an establishing shot.

The first time we are introduced to a new place or person, give a brief description of them.  This shouldn't be in depth but should simply raise a couple of vivid visual points about the person or place which summarise the rest of it.

Don't go heavy on the dialogue.  Less is more when it comes to dialogue - a screenplay is much more than simply what people are saying.  Often the dialogue gets in the way of the action and slows it down.  Shorten it wherever you can.

Break up your action into small blocks of no more than about 5 lines.  There is nothing wrong with having a block of action which is only a single line long.  Show the pacing of your script with the way you write your action.  A fast paced fight scene would consist of very short sentences.  A slow paced mood-setting scene would consist of much longer paragraphs.

Real Examples

The absolute best way of getting to grips with the correct form and style of professional screenplays is to read some examples.

Below are links to the full scripts from various television shows.  There some excellent examples of crime dramas amongst them.  Read as many as you can and see how the screenplay form is used in reality.  Your job is to emulate (copy) this style and form as much as you possibly can.  Write a script which looks and reads like these examples.


Life on Mars - Series 1 Episode 1

Spooks - Series 6 Episode 1

Ashes to Ashes Series 1 Episode 1

Luther Series 1 Episode 1

Luther Series 1 Episode 6

Luther Series 1 Episode 2

Luther Series 1 Episode 3

New Tricks Series 9 Episode

Sherlock Series 1 Episode 2

Being Human Series 1 Episode 1

Micro-Analysis Coursework

Click here for advice on writing the essay.

Micro-Analysis Essay Advice

Film Studies:  AS Level Coursework Essay Advice

Brief:  Write an analysis of how two micro-features create effect and meaning in a 3-5 minute extract from a movie of your choice.

Word count:  1500 – In order to stand any chance of writing the appropriate amount of detail you MUST meet the word count.  1500 words.  No less.

General Advice

Structure:  Make sure that you follow a plan.  There is a sample plan on the other side of this handout.  Use it.

Analysis:  You are not re-telling the story or simply saying what happens.  You must ANALYSE the micro-elements to really ‘get under the skin’ of the movie.

Depth and detail:   Always try to go deeper in your analysis.  Look beyond the surface layer.

Proof reading:  Spelling and grammar mistakes lose you A LOT of marks.  There is no need to make them.  Use a spell check and proof read your essay.

Images –It is an essential part of the assessment to include images from the film.  These should back up or illustrate major points from your essay.

Meanings:  You MUST explain what meaning is created in DETAIL.

What emotions and feelings are created by the sequence?

Think about as many different words which describe the meaning as possible -  Drama, tension, fear, horror, revulsion, suspense, tension, anger, sadness, love, lust, terror, wonder, awe, excitement, envy, pity, loathing.

Genre – How is the genre shown in the sequence? Are there any genre conventions you can talk about?

Character – What information are we told about the characters? Are they strong, weak? Happy? Sad? Angry? Calm? Powerful? Powerless?

Narrative – Do the micro-elements tell us anything about the story? Any clues as to what may happen or insights into what has happened already?

Mark Scheme

The exam board issues a set of criteria which the highest achieving essays will meet.  You should all be aiming for the very highest level and as such would benefit from examining the mark scheme very carefully. 

Make sure that your essay meets the following standards:

Level 4: 24-30 Marks

•            Candidates will be distinguished by an excellent knowledge and confident understanding of the micro features of the film they are concentrating on.

•            This will be reflected both in their ability to refer in detail and with accuracy to their chosen film and in their analysis of how micro features produce meaning(s).

•            Personal response will be characterised by a high level of analysis of the production of meaning(s) through the interaction of film and spectator.

• The interaction between film and spectator will be perceived as complex, subtle and resistant to simplistic assumptions.

Quality of written communication

•            Excellently structured and accurate use of appropriate language to communicate clearly.

Basic Essay Plan

INTRODUCTION:  Introduce what film you are analysing and which micro-elements you are focusing on.  Briefly explain the main storyline, genre and any relevant background info. No more than 150 words.

PARAGRAPH 1:  State which sequence you are analysing. Briefly explain what happens in the sequence. Explain what overall meaning is created in the sequence.

PARAGRAPH 2: Begin at the start of the sequence and start explaining how the micro-elements create meaning.  Analyse both elements at the same time.  Use a new paragraph for each major point.

PARAGRAPH 3 +: Continue through the sequence making your points.

CONCLUSION:  Sum up your main points and state the main meaning created in the sequence.  Do not evaluate how well the director has done his job.

Representation - Richard Dyer

Introduction to Representation - Richard Dyer

Representation Theory - David Chandler

Representation David Chandler

Conventions of Television Crime Drama

The genre of television crime drama is extremely large.  There are many different examples of the genre   with many different styles, formats and sub-genres.  Not all conventions will apply to all texts.  This is merely a list of typical characteristics of crime dramas.  It is unlikely that any one text will exhibit them all but many of them will be present in many examples of the genre.




Examples of Crime Drama

A Touch of Frost
The Wire
Miss Marple
Midsummer Murders
Dexter
Luther
Cracker
Lewis
Monk
Diagnosis Murder
Ironside
Columbo
Kojak
CSI
Scott and Bailey
Poirot
Boardwalk Empire
The Sopranos
Sherlock
Life on Mars
Ashes to Ashes
Starsky and Hutch

As you can see, many crime dramas are named after their lead character.  This is a strong convention of the genre.  The lead character is integral to the show and it is usually very much 'their' story.


Characters
The lead character will often be a detective or some sort of police investigator.  They will usually be a white male - 40 years old plus.  The lead character will have some sort of major personality defect or flaw such as a failed marriage, alcoholism, gambling addiction etc, sometimes there may be a physical one as well eg Ironside is confined to a wheelchair whilst Columbo has a glass eye..

There will often be a sidekick character - a younger and more inexperienced individual.  This is sometimes a woman though women are usually in scientific advisor roles.  If there is a woman there will usually be some sort of sexual tension between the two.

There will often be a group of support characters or 'gang' who help the lead character in their investigation.

There will often be a superior officer or 'police chief' who the lead character must report to and will often be in trouble with.

Narrative and Theme

The narrative will usually be centred around a detective trying to solve a crime - often a murder.  There will be an investigation taking place which involves clues and red herrings.  The killer's identity will often be revealed at the end of the episode.

There will often be chase scenes present.  There may also be an interrogation scene.  There will usually be a teaser or 'hook' sequence at the start which shows the crime being committed or maybe the body being discovered.  Its purpose is to draw the viewer into the narrative.

The theme of justice and good vs evil will be prevalent in the narrative.

Format:  Episodic but usually with stand alone episodes.

Iconography

 Police cars, blue flashing lights, crime scenes, police tape (do not cross), murders, dark lighting, guns and weapons.  Flashlights in dark places.

Sound

Serious and dramatic non-diegetic music.  Often this is very sombre and brooding during dark moments and fast-paced and bombastic as action sequences occur.

Settings

 Interview rooms, urban settings, police stations, crime scenes, forensics labs, morgues, the killer's lair - often dark, ominous and threatening.

Case Studies

Luther:  Series 1, episode 1.

Conventions Conformed to:

The show is named after the protagonist.
Luther is a detective with personal problems - he has a failed marriage and is emotionally unstable, perhaps even suicidal.
He has a younger, more inexperienced sidekick who looks up to him.
He has a group of allies who help him.

What other conventions does this crime drama conform to?  Think about the examples stated above.

Conventions Subverted:

John Luther is not a white man though he is in all other ways a fairly conventional crime drama protagonist.

Are there any other ways that you think Luther subverts or challenges the generic conventions?

A Touch of Cloth

Conventions Conformed to:

This is an example of a parody of the genre and as such it uses the conventions to create comedy.  How many genre conventions can you identify in the first episode of A Touch of Cloth?

Conventions Subverted:

All of the conventions seen in this example are actually subverting the genre at the same time as they are conforming to it as they are parodying the genre.