Independent Study Overview
Independent Study Overview
Goal: According to the International Baccalaureate, the aim of this assessment is “to encourage students to engage in some depth with a cinematic tradition that is unfamiliar to their own culture.”
Product: You will produce a script (two-column) for a complete short documentary production exploring an aspect of film theory or film history, based on the study of films from more than one country. In addition to the script, you will also write a rationale and an annotated bibliography.
- Product requirements
- The rationale must offer a brief, reasoned explanation of the concerns explored by the topic in no more than 100 words.
- The two-column script must be typed (12-15 pages) using a 12-point Courier font, single spaced. It is important that you treat your topic from a film perspective rather than a literary one.
- The annotated list of sources should refer to all materials used in researching the topic and all materials used in the documentary itself, including films from which extracts will be shown in the documentary and quotations from experts or academics. Annotations should give the source and/or location of the reference. A comment on the relevance of each source must be included.
Students at the high level (HL) must make reference to a minimum of four films from different countries. The films must originate from more than one country.
Topic Examples
- Rites of passage - A study of cinematic representation of adolescence
- The “outsider” - A study of how representation of the outsider are constructed, with particular reference to the films of Kurosawa and their Western remakes.
- Propaganda and film - A study of film as political and/or social propaganda.
- Images of horror - A study of the development of horror films through cinematic techniques of their reflections of cultural fears.
Research
Web-Based Research
Use this search engine that only looks through specialized film websites. It is a REALLY good tool. Enjoy...
BFI Research
Those good folk over at BFI (British Film Institute) have come up with detailed research options and bibliographies for a whole variety of topics. This will really help you find articles and books of substance that will help you in your research. They have info on a wide variety of topics, ranging from Auteur Theory, to 007, to Iranian Cinema, to Animation, to Censorship, to Modern Noir, to Women in Film, to Gay and Lesbian Cinema, to Charlie Chaplin and Alfred Hitchcock. Check them out here:
Research - Continued...
The following are some suggestions that are worth consulting in the planning and creation of your independent study
Text Resources
- Examples of research by previous students
- Abstracts of university theses
- Key textbooks
- A range of magazines
- Glossaries of key terms
- Quotes by theorists
Image resources
- Contrasting film posters
- Movie stills and DVD covers
- Film magazine covers
- Moving image resources
IT resources
- Recommended websites
- Online academic film journals
How to go about the Research Project
Whilst this project does involve lots of research and the bringing together of many ideas, sources, images and quotations, it is aimed at being a fun and enjoyable project - this is why it is soooo important that you choose a topic that is of interest to you. Let's face it, film history and theory is a HUGE topic and there are endless areas to choose from - when there are very few limitations on what you can study, it can be very daunting to select your topic. In order to narrow this down, start by thinking about the following questions...
- Why did you become a film student in the first place?
- What interests you most about film?
- Which types of films do you enjoy watching most?
- What topics or areas of study have you enjoyed most in this course? How could you turn them into an appropriate topic for your Independent Study?
- Who is your favorite director? Why? Which other directors have a similar style?
- Which genre do you enjoy watching most?
- Which genre do you enjoy studying most? (This may be the same as the previous question, but it may well be different too)
- Are there countries that have a particularly rich film history that interest you?
If you are finding it really difficult to choose the topic, come and have a chat with me and we should be able to narrow down your options together. Once we have come up with your broad topic, research can begin. You should change direction if you are finding the topic too problematic - but only after consultation with me!
Define the topic
- What is the bare outline of the area for discussion?
- Break down the topic into sub-topics or key concepts.
- Develop a broad overview of the topic by browsing sources.
- Become fully conversant with the necessary terminology.
Develop a research strategy (See Ms. Simon!!)
- What is the scope of the project?
- How much information will be needed?
- What is the appropriate level of the project?
- How manageable is the project?
- Can it be fully developed given the limits of the script?
Locate and retrieve the information
- Determine what type of information is needed—books, articles, current or archive information.
- Identify the likely and unlikely sources or places to find information.
- Ensure that you have all the information you need including the full citation of any references that are collected. When photocopying always write down the title and author of the book.
Evaluate the information
- Establish authority—who is the author and what is their credibility?
- Determine the scope of the work—what is its purpose?
- Evaluate accuracy and relevance.
- Recognize bias and/or point of view.
Determine whether there is enough information
- Look at the length and focus of your topic.
- Are there any unanswered questions?
- Does your topic represent only one point of view?
- Could you include anything further?
Internet Research
Web pages require the same, and sometimes more, caution as any other source. Anyone with access to a server can put material on the Internet. Do not assume statements are true. As a critical user a student should consider the following.
- Who is responsible for the site?
- What is its rationale/purpose?
- Is the information recent or part of an archive?
- Is the site permanent or part of a permanent organisation?
Top Tips
Please include all of the following aspects in your IS...
Include a table like the one below at the bottom of the page underneath your rationale. It will help the examiner understand your key texts.
Film
|
Director
|
Country
|
Year
|
Pulp Fiction
|
Tarantino
|
USA
|
1994
|
Boyz N the Hood
|
Singleton
|
USA
|
1991
|
La Haine (Hate)
|
Kassovitz
|
France
|
1995
|
Cidade de Deus (City of God)
|
Meirelles
|
Brazil
|
2002
|
Make sure you refer to country and talk about influence.
- Why did these films come about?
- What socio-political or socio-cultural influences are there behind them?
- Did they set a trend or make an impact?
- If yes, why?
This does not have to be in huge depth, but it should be addressed.
Make sure you clearly link your images in the appendix to the body of the documentary.
Stage 1: Preliminary Investigation into Documentaries
1. Watch a documentary that you have heard is very good. At the end answer the following questions:
- How did the film catch your attention?
- How did the film maintain your attention?
- What was the target audience of the film? How did it reach out to that audience?
- What was the film's relationship between audio and video? Did you always see what you heard and hear what you saw?
- What was the documentary's attitude towards interviews? Were there many? How were they engaging?
- What was the most successful thing about the documentary?
- What was the least successful thing about the documentary?
- Is there anything that inspired you that you might like to include/reference in your documentary script?
2. Watch TWO more documentaries and repeat the questions above.
3. Watch as least one episode of Mark Cousins' excellent The Story of Film.
Stage 2: Brainstorm Topics and ideas
i. Create a mind map of your favorite film bits. Possibly include the following...
- Favorite films
- Are these films linked in any way? If so, how?
- Favorite directors
- What it is about these directors that you like so much?
- Do these directors have key similarities to other directors?
- Do these directors have special working relationships? (ie do they often work with the same actor/DOP/editor/composer etc)
- Favorite genre
- Favorite foreign film
- Favorite actor/actress
- Most interesting article you've read about film
- Best film book you have read
ii. Having brainstormed your favorite ideas about all things film, zoom in on one or maybe two ideas and think about how you could possibility mould that topic into a suitable Independent Study/Extended Essay. Is there an interesting question that jumps out at you? Remember that you will be living with this topic for the next 3 to 6 months, so it had better be something that you are really interested in!
iii. Write out your chosen topic in just one sentence.
Hopefully your path with now be narrowing a little.
Stage 3: Search Online for sources
Having chosen one of the topics above it is time to do some preliminary investigations.
If your research is not too successful think about how can you improve your search results?
- Use more specific search terms to get fewer but more relevant records
- Use fewer search terms to get more records
- Try changing the words (use synonyms) to see what else pops up
- Search for phrases by enclosing search terms in e.g. “Burt Reynolds”
- Choose search engines that allow you to refine your search e.g. Google, BBCi
- Use Boolean operators to refine your search e.g. “AND” or & or +
Please remember that there are a number of disadvantages with this type of secondary (someone else has already done the investigation/research for you) research
Disadvantages:
- Not all the sites listed will be relevant
- Initial searches will often generate too many sites to look at
- You cannot expect them to answer your questions
- It will only provide initial information
With this in mind, always be judicious about the information you find. How can I tell if a page is any good?
- Web pages require the same (or more) caution as any other source
- Anyone with access to a server can put material on the web
- Do not assume statements are true, verify them.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Who is responsible for the site?
- What are the author’s credentials?
- What is the rationale for the site - is it endorsing a particular viewpoint to the exclusion of others?
- Is there a date when the site was last updated- how long ago did this happen?
- Does the site seem to be permanent or part of a permanent organisation?
- Is the page connected to a reputable institution?
Stage 4: Search in Print/Databases/Podcasts for sources
i. Find as many good sources as you can from elsewhere. Try to find 10 useable articles. Try the following...
- Film Dept books
- SS Library books
- SS Library Research Databases (make sure you check Questia, Jstor, Britannica)
- Sight & Sound Magazine back copies
- Other film podcasts
- DVD commentaries
- DVD extra features/behind the scenes clips
- Interviews with relevant actors/directors
Stage 5: Film Data Research
You must now watch your chosen films through making notes for good clips/moments in the film to use to make your point.
i. Watch each of your key 4 films through once. As you watch each film note down the following:
a. Which clips are most relevant to your topic. Briefly write down the scene, for example, "Foot Madagascar chase sequence" and how it will help, eg, "Depicts Bond's tenacity and brute force"
b. Make sure you write down the time code for each clip (you will thank yourself later). Timeclips go hours:minutes:seconds. ALWAYS write down 6 digits, even if some are 0s. eg 00:11:23 is 11 minutes and 23 seconds into the film.
ii. Once you have watched through all 4 key films once and made your preliminary investigation notes compare your notes for all films to see what key filmic similarities and differences there are. These will go on to form a large part of your argument.
iii. Watch and make notes for up to 8 extra films that could be used, not as main films, but as films worthy of a passing comment (or paragraph at most). Get relevant screenshots now (and note down the timecode) as it will save you from having to pore through the films again later when you are much more rushed for time as the deadline is looming!
iv. Watch each of your main films through again. This time making more detailed analytical notes of clips that are relevant to your argument.
Stage 6: Planning Your Essay
i. Take the key similarities/differences that you found in Stage 5 and play around with their order and sequencing to try and come up with a decent logical argument. Remember that your argument must have all the key ideas linked together and not just haphazardly thrown down.
ii. Remembering that the target audience for your Independent Study screenplay is 16/17 year old teens with an interest in film, think of an inventive and creative way to hook your audience's attention with an engaging opening. Avoid the quotidian and grab their attention at the outset.
iii. Share both the plan and the opening idea with me to get the project green-lit before beginning writing in earnest.
Stage 7: Writing the Essay
i. Check out the grading criteria. Details are on the wiki: http://ontheroad29.wikispaces.com/Independent+Study Specifically check out the document titled 'How to get the top grade in my FIlm Independent Study' which breaks down the grading criteria for you. Keep these criteria in the back of your minds throughout the entire writing process. There is no point in spending hours writing it and then being told to do it all again as it doesn't fit the grading criteria at all. Highlight and rephrase into your own words the top band of the grading criteria.
ii. Write your essay! Show me drafts along the way to make sure you are on target. Make sure that as you write you include the screenshots from your films for your annotated Bibliography.
iii. Hand in your first draft.
Stage 8: Redrafting
i. I am only allowed to comment on one draft of your essay so make it count by handing in something that you are proud of and that really demonstrates your best work. I will give you feedback and then you need to rewrite.
ii. Make sure your work looks as professional as possible with
- A cover page
- Your name and candidate number as a header on every page
- The correct font type and size
- Screenshots are all the same size
- Page numbers as a footer on every page
iii. Rewrite and hand in final copy.
