Overview: writing film essays is largely common sense. As with all essays, you need a clear structure of:
introduction>body>conclusion.
How you organise your body paragraphs largely depends on what the topic in question asks of you. As a rule of thumb, you should try to have a minimum of 5 body paragraphs. This is because, an essay with two body paragraphs might not contain enough depth or variation for the higher grades. Four paragraphs in the body of an essay is likely to mean that your parargraphs do not contain enough depth for the higher grades. So, although there are no hard and fast rules, my recommendation is that you write 3 body paragraphs and do justice to them.
The Planning and Writing Process: although this seems like a rather daunting list, you can do it quite quickly once you get used to it. By following the process, you are less likely to overlook important parts of the topic, and you are much more likely, through the planning you will discover whether or not the topic you have chosen is viable (i.e. able to be answered in a detailed manner using the knowledge that you have).
1. Read all the topics. Cross out those which aren't suitable and then concentrate on those which are.
2. Choose your topic - it should be the one that allows you to answer all parts of the topic, and for which you have the
most film techniques and details revised.
3. Circle the key instructional verbs - "describe" and "explain". This should remind you to do this in your essay.
4. Underline the key content words - these will be words like "techniques", "character", "setting", "ideas...
5. Now brainstorm. - all the details about what it is the topic asks you to describe.
6. Now, do a second brief brainstorm for the explain part of the topic - these will usually ask you to come up with ideas
about such things as how a character contributes to ideas, or how an event contributed in an important way to the
film. Think theme for all these things. Add details (evidence), and techniques to your brainstorm.
7. Decide the order of your paragraphs - your describe paragraph should always go first, then your two explain
paragraphs, but you need to decide which order your explain paragraphs will be written.
8. Write your essay.
9. Check your essay.Have you answered all parts of the topic? Have you explained your ideas carefully enough for your
marker to understand them? Have you included film techniques in your discussion? Have you got lots of specific
evidence to support your ideas? Is your writing accurately written - punctuation and spelling check? Have you
organised your essay into paragraphs?
Structuring a film essay: you do not have to follow the structure below, but it is a useful indication of ways in which you may structure your essays.
E.g. Describe at least ONE important event at (or near) the end of the text(s). Explain why the event(s)
helped you understand the director’s idea(s). Discuss visual / oral text features in your response.
(NZQA sample examination paper, 2011 from www.ncea.govt.nz)
Paragraph 1 (introduction) - should contain the title of the film, the director, your opinion in relation to the topic, the
ideas you will be discussing, key words from the topic, and a suggestion of the ideas and techniques you will be
discussing.
Paragraph 2 (first body) - describe the character or setting (or whatever the topic asks you to describe), using lots
of supporting details from the film.
Paragraph 3 (second body) - explain your first idea. The topic will guide you in what this might be. It could be that
you have to explain why a character was important, for instance. Whatever it is that your topic asks you to explain, it
is important that your supporting evidence makes reference to film techniques which support your idea, and
explanations of how they do this.
Paragraph 4 (third body) - explain your second idea. Follow the instructions for paragraph 3.
Paragraph 5 (conclusion) - sum up your ideas, using strong response words.
Model Process and essay (incomplete)...
introduction>body>conclusion.
How you organise your body paragraphs largely depends on what the topic in question asks of you. As a rule of thumb, you should try to have a minimum of 5 body paragraphs. This is because, an essay with two body paragraphs might not contain enough depth or variation for the higher grades. Four paragraphs in the body of an essay is likely to mean that your parargraphs do not contain enough depth for the higher grades. So, although there are no hard and fast rules, my recommendation is that you write 3 body paragraphs and do justice to them.
The Planning and Writing Process: although this seems like a rather daunting list, you can do it quite quickly once you get used to it. By following the process, you are less likely to overlook important parts of the topic, and you are much more likely, through the planning you will discover whether or not the topic you have chosen is viable (i.e. able to be answered in a detailed manner using the knowledge that you have).
1. Read all the topics. Cross out those which aren't suitable and then concentrate on those which are.
2. Choose your topic - it should be the one that allows you to answer all parts of the topic, and for which you have the
most film techniques and details revised.
3. Circle the key instructional verbs - "describe" and "explain". This should remind you to do this in your essay.
4. Underline the key content words - these will be words like "techniques", "character", "setting", "ideas...
5. Now brainstorm. - all the details about what it is the topic asks you to describe.
6. Now, do a second brief brainstorm for the explain part of the topic - these will usually ask you to come up with ideas
about such things as how a character contributes to ideas, or how an event contributed in an important way to the
film. Think theme for all these things. Add details (evidence), and techniques to your brainstorm.
7. Decide the order of your paragraphs - your describe paragraph should always go first, then your two explain
paragraphs, but you need to decide which order your explain paragraphs will be written.
8. Write your essay.
9. Check your essay.Have you answered all parts of the topic? Have you explained your ideas carefully enough for your
marker to understand them? Have you included film techniques in your discussion? Have you got lots of specific
evidence to support your ideas? Is your writing accurately written - punctuation and spelling check? Have you
organised your essay into paragraphs?
Structuring a film essay: you do not have to follow the structure below, but it is a useful indication of ways in which you may structure your essays.
E.g. Describe at least ONE important event at (or near) the end of the text(s). Explain why the event(s)
helped you understand the director’s idea(s). Discuss visual / oral text features in your response.
(NZQA sample examination paper, 2011 from www.ncea.govt.nz)
Paragraph 1 (introduction) - should contain the title of the film, the director, your opinion in relation to the topic, the
ideas you will be discussing, key words from the topic, and a suggestion of the ideas and techniques you will be
discussing.
Paragraph 2 (first body) - describe the character or setting (or whatever the topic asks you to describe), using lots
of supporting details from the film.
Paragraph 3 (second body) - explain your first idea. The topic will guide you in what this might be. It could be that
you have to explain why a character was important, for instance. Whatever it is that your topic asks you to explain, it
is important that your supporting evidence makes reference to film techniques which support your idea, and
explanations of how they do this.
Paragraph 4 (third body) - explain your second idea. Follow the instructions for paragraph 3.
Paragraph 5 (conclusion) - sum up your ideas, using strong response words.
Model Process and essay (incomplete)...