IB Film 1
Summer Assignment
Welcome to IB Film!
By the end of the two-year course, you will look at film differently and will begin to
develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for film as an art form and a way to
communicate ideas.
The purpose of the summer assignment is to begin the process of learning how to look at
film in a different manner. Some people refer to this method as “reading film”.
Assignment Details
All films have messages. In English class, we tend to refer to this as “theme”. In film
class, we discuss the message that the director wants to deliver to the viewer. After
we decide on a possible message(s), we explore the ways or techniques that the
director used to create that message(s).
Early in the course we will focus on basic techniques such as character, dialogue,
cinematography (camera shot selection) and editing technique. Later, we will discuss
more advanced techniques such as the use of color.
For this assignment, use the terms and techniques with which you are most comfortable.
1. Watch a film of your choice at home (using a DVD or a service such as Netflix). It
may be a film that you have seen before, even many times before. You must have
the ability to pause and restart the film in order to take notes.
2. As you watch, take notes on any part of the film you think might be important to
a basic understanding of the film’s message.
3. After you watch the film for the first time, consider its message. Then watch the
film again and look for evidence. Add the evidence to your notes. This is when
you will need to pause and restart the film.
4. The final product for this viewing is a five-paragraph, 450 word analysis of the
film. The thesis statement for the essay should be written in this format.
a. Director + “in his/her film” + title + “uses” + main technique + “to
reveal the message that” + your idea of the film’s message.
b. Example - Francis Ford Coppola, in his film The Godfather, uses montage to
reveal the universal idea that success in business can have a corrupting
influence on family.
5. Organize your essay in the traditional manner with an introduction,
several body paragraphs and a conclusion.
6. This essay (typed and double spaced) is due no later than the second day of class.
Questions? Email me at [email protected].