How to write your essay

HOW TO WRITE YOUR ESSAY

There are two strategies. The first is to write about each bullet point separately. Candidates have scored the top marks in this way, although you might find that harder to do, as often all four might be linked to the point you are making. The other is to write about all four bullet points together as you go along. What you must avoid is describing what happens in the extract. The examiner is only interested in your analysis: for this you can consider the WWWWWH - Who, What, Where, When, Why, How approach: Who is represented here; What social groups are represented; Where are they represented; Why might they be represented in this way; How are they represented?

Questions you might ask yourself or points to consider are: WHY does one character have more screen time than another; why are there close-ups on the characters' faces; why the shot might be framed in a certain way; what does the non-diegetic sound contribute to the atmosphere; how does the setting help to represent the characters in a certain way; how the pace of the editing affects the representation of the characters as powerful or weak...

STARTING YOUR ESSAY: MISE EN SCENE

No need for any contextual introduction. Go straight for the chase. For example: "The mise en scene in this extract is extrememly important. The girl within the clip is the only character wearing ordinary feminine clothing. Her bright, pale top is clean, which has connotations of purity and innocence. This reinforces her youth when she is juxtaposed with the older characters wearing outdoor wax jackets, which connote masculinity and manual work."

REMEMBER SOUND AND EDITING

Examiners report that candidates often concentrate much more on camera angles and mise-en-scene than they do on sound and editing, but you must give each bullet point equal importance to gain the highest marks.

Questions you might ask yourself about sound and editing are:

How does the mixing of the sound track effect the representation of a certain social group?

What effect do sound effects have?

Does the sound track link to any particular social stereotype?

Does the sound track link to any particular theme?

How does the sound create tension?

Does the sound 'bridge' any scenes, and what effect does this have?

Words to include in your essay:

Juxtaposition

Verisimilitude

Connotation

Definitions:

Juxtaposition (placing two things close together or side by side for comparison or contrast)

Verisimilitude (the appearance of truth or reality)

Connotation (associated or secondary meanings of an image, words or sound)

Examples:

The girl's trendy outfit reinforces her youth when she is juxtaposed with the older characters in wax jackets and working clothes.

The close-ups of characters using tools and working on the projects creates verisimilitude, as does the establishing shot of the field where the summerhouse is being disassembled.

The young woman in the "Dr Who" extract is wearing a tight, fitted, bright red dress and high-heeled shoes, which have connotations of lust and stereotypical ideas of female attractiveness. Here, the woman is being objectified as the Master's "possession", another symbol of power.