Choose a scene or sequence from a film which has a sad or an exciting or a tense atmosphere.

Say what happens in the scene or sequence, and explain how the techniques of film make this scene sad or exciting or tense.

Although this question can apply to many scenes in “The Hunger Games”, you will refer to the Reaping Day scene in this first media essay. All through your essay, you should stay mostly focused on Reaping Day but you can also mention how it impacts upon the film as a whole. As well as this, you should select one of the emotions in the question and focus on that. For the Reaping scene, you should focus on tension.

INTRODUCTION:

Writing an essay on a film isn’t much different from writing on any other type of text. In fact, the introduction stays exactly the same. It is okay for you to reword the question or include words from it in your introduction. Your introduction should follow the following structure:

TITLE – What is the film called?

AUTHOR – Who directed it?

REFER TO TASK – Reword parts of the question

SUMMARY - First include a summary of the film and then the scene you will cover.

LINK TO QUESTION – What techniques will you be focusing on?

Example:

“The Hunger Games”, directed by Gary Ross, is a dystopian film with many tense scenes. It tells the story of a future version of America, called Panem, where the people are being punished for rising up against the government and must now send 24 children to fight to the death every year. However one contestant, Katniss Everdeen, takes on her authoritarian government and begins to show the people of Panem that this way of ruling is wrong. One scene with a particularly tense atmosphere is the Reaping Day scene, where Prim’s name is called and Katniss volunteers to go in her place. Ross makes fills this scene with tension through the use of camera shots, mise-en-scene and the character of Katniss.

WRITING MEDIA PARAGRAPHS

In a standard English essay, you have probably used the acronym PCQE (POINT, CONTEXT, QUOTE, EVALUATE). Film essays use something very similar. They use PATE (POINT, ACTION, TECHNIQUE, EVALUATE).

POINT – Topic sentence, mentioning question and area of focus for paragraph.

ACTION – Add a little context. What part of the scene are you looking at?

TECHNIQUE – Camera shot, mise-en-scene, sound, dialogue, contrast, character, etc.

EVALUATE – What does the technique add to the scene? Analysis and evaluation.

Using this structure, complete five paragraphs on the ideas below. I have highlighted the techniques in bold for you. Be sure to analyse these as fully as you possibly can.

PLAN:

1.  Editing (shots of children lining up and joining others) – Tracking, mid shots, close ups of feet – preparing for something bad.

2.  Mise-en-scene (costume) – everybody is dressed in their best clothes. Contrast (costume and colour) – Effie Trinket.

3.  Camera Shots (following Katniss’ view of Prim)/Character (Katniss) – responsible for Prim, anxious and nervous for her.

4.  Mise-en-scene (Propaganda screens) – forcing people to watch, reminds them of their place & establishes government’s control.

5.  Sound – silence apart from Katniss’ screaming. Followed by more silence as District salutes Katniss.

CONCLUSION

Your conclusion should be pretty similar in content to your introduction. You should still include TART (TITLE, AUTHOR, REFER TO TASK) although instead of summarising the film, you should summarise your main arguments.

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

·  Your topic sentences should include a linking phrase (“moreover”, “as well as this”, “also”, etc), reference to the question and let the reader know what you are going to be focusing on.

·  Your analysis should be at least 3 times the length of your reference to technique.

·  Do not just retell the story. Pretend the marker has already seen the film and all you need to give them is the occasional little reminder of what happened at each point.

·  Be sure to know each character’s name!

·  Your comment on each technique should focus on how it adds tension or how it relates to the themes you have discussed in class. Don’t just write every single thing you think it could mean – stay on task!

·  Not knowing how to write a conclusion is not a good enough excuse for not finishing your essay.

·  Showing how the scene relates to the film as a whole will tell the marker that you have really thought carefully about not only the scene but the entire film.