ncea level 1 film essay exemplars

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How To Analyse NCEA Film in 6 Steps

Written by studytimenz

You’re gonna be asked to analyse The Truman Show at least once in your NCEA career if you’re taking English or Media Studies. If not, it’ll be the creepiest cinematic work in NZ history, Heavenly Creatures. 

From the minds that brought you How to Analyse NCEA Poetry in 6 Steps, StudyTime is happy to present the eagerly-anticipated sequel. This time, on a medium people actually like (film)!

Films can be kind of weird. It can be difficult trying to extract deep philosophical musings from  I am Legend  – but it’s possible. You’ve just got to trust in the power of a well-supported yarn, know your techniques, and realise that there’s no wrong answers in English.

There’s no wrong way to watch a film – as long as you back it up. So, with these six steps from people who have also sat in class watching  Schindler’s List  many times, you’ll be on your way to Excellence. 

1. What to talk about

You’ll notice that the name of the film essay paper is ‘Analyse Visual Text’ – that’s because when we write about films, we’re writing about it in pretty much the same way we would write about books. Films are a part of literature too, and so our essay is on how a creator uses language and techniques to express ideas.

So, what do you actually put in your essay as evidence? The answer:  specified aspects of visual or oral text.  That doesn’t help, so here’s a list:

• Purposes  (what the director is trying to achieve through something in the film).
• Audiences  (who the director wants to be able to  get  something from the film).
• Ideas  (themes, motifs, symbols, etc.)
• Characters  (and what ideas they represent).
• Setting  (everything about context, the location, time, characters, era)
• “Language features” for film  (cinematography, mise-en-scene, editing, design, sound, acting, dialogue, etc.)
• Structure  (narrative sequence (AKA storyline structure), beginnings, endings, flashbacks, etc).

The use of some of these things should help the director to get some kind of idea or purpose across. When you read an essay question, you should be asking yourself:  how and why does one of these aspects give me an answer?

2. Language Features 

Yeah, camera angles are technically a language feature. We don’t get it either. Directors spend a whole lot of money and a whole lot of time to perfectly shoot, reshoot, and edit the scene you’re watching in class –  and everything they did is for a purpose. 

Sometimes, we watch films and something really stands out. A certain shot makes you feel something unexpected, or a character says something quite deep and profound, which hits home. Often, it just feels like a part of the film, until you realise how clever and deliberate it was. Either way, it’s a part of the craft of filmmaking, and you should be writing about it.

Here’s a couple of the main ones explained:

Cinematography 

includes things like camera angles, zooms, colour, and a whole lot more. The more films you watch with this in mind, the more you’ll see differences in directing styles. Wes Anderson uses a pastel colour palette, which gives the Grand Budapest Hotel a real 1900s luxury vibe. Quentin Tarantino, on the other hand, uses a whole lot of red, and so his movies  feel  violent. Cinematography is pretty much everything the camera does. 

Sometimes, cinematography works more with the subconscious than the conscious. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what the camera is doing that’s so important, but if it wasn’t there, it’d be a completely different scene. For example, horror movies often use shaky cameras or quick cuts, and that actually gives us adrenaline. If shaky-camera was used in a rom com, however, it would just make it more difficult to enjoy Ryan Gosling.

Mis-en-Scene

is pretty much everything in a shot. It’s a fancy French name for how and why everything is the way it is and visible to the audience – does the vase in  American Beauty  give audiences the forced impression of homeliness? (Who knows, but write about it.)

is a huge one, and includes ambience (footsteps in a big empty space is a favourite for creepy scenes, as is phones ringing in a boring and stressful office environment the character doesn’t want to be a part of), sound effects, and music (horror movies without music are about 82% less scary).

3. Use Secondary Sources

There’s no way that you’re going to catch every single language feature or film technique watching a film by yourself. Some are so abstract that they’re near impossible – the director’s put it in as a little artistic flourish, knowing full well that they’re going to be missed by the viewing population.  To check this theory out, there’s some really cool videos on cinematography on YouTube, and even some on specific films, like  Blade Runner 2049 .

So, step 3 is to  just Google your film, and find as many articles, reviews, and videos as possible. You’ll be surprised what NCEA gold you can find.

4. The Director-Audience Relationship

As we mentioned earlier, nothing is accidental in film. Someone actually went out and bought that specific vase you’re barely looking at in the scene. 

The most important relationship in the film is the one between the director and us, and everything the director does eventually goes back to the effect it has on the audience. 

When you’re writing your essay, make sure you’re not talking about the film in isolation.

Instead of discussing how the high angle as the Dementor grabs Harry Potter was used to put Harry in a less powerful position, discuss how this was a deliberate choice to create the feeling of the audience looking down on Harry – this is a tool for creating a sense of empathy for our protagonist and viewing him as a vulnerable hero.

And, again, when you’re talking about the director’s purpose (the A in TEXAS) – there’s no wrong answer. 

5. Insight, Interpretation, Appreciation

To really make sure you’re getting Es in visual text, you’re going to have to be showing these three things – especially for Level 3. Weaving these in is a sure-fire way of making your marker happy, and isn’t that what we all want in the end?

Insight refers to looking into the film,  rather than just viewing it at face value. Instead of talking about what the film is about, talk about what it’s  about  (deeper meaning, not plot). Talk about language features and film techniques, talk about purpose, talk about characters as representing us.

Interpretation  pretty much means what it says on the Google Dictionary. You need to have an analysis of the text, and that  means having an idea of what it means to you.  You can literally extract any lesson or moral from the text, and bring it back to society or the human condition (see below) every single time.

Appreciation means respecting the director’s work and craft of the film . This doesn’t mean ending the essay with “10/10 would recommend”, but by emphasising that the techniques the director is using  does  have an effect on the audience and is contributing to a film that makes us feel things or see the world differently. 

6. The Big Three

You think you were going to get through an English article without talking about society? This is English.The Big Three are the three things you want to be bringing your essay back to to get those E8s:  Society:  make links with real world issues and the way our society works (or doesn’t), and the similarities/differences between the society in the text and ours.

The human condition:  this is the abstract name for the experience of being human, or the things that are inherent in humanity: emotions, experiences, vices – we are, after all, only human.

Text in general:  literature is a powerful tool to write about. How does the way this text is constructed compare to others? Is this protagonist a hero or an anti-hero, and why does this make the text important?

So there you have it – you just got a crash course in movies for NCEA. With these six steps, you’ll be well on your way to smashing out the best visual text essay you’ve ever written. Now go and watch  Schindler’s List  again.

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NCEA Level 1 English Annotated Exemplars

6 January 2022

6 minutes to read

• 01. How do you find the annotated exemplars?
• 02. Why are annotated exemplars helpful for your study?
• 03. Let’s look at a student’s Written Text, Merit exemplar from 2018
• 04. Critiques from the examiner:
• 05. Let’s take a look at the Visual Text excellence exemplar from 2018
• 06. Critiques from the examiner
• 07. Want some extra help?

While navigating Level 1 English, the NZQA website will be at the forefront of your studying and revising experience. NZQA has achievement standards, in which you can plan out exactly what is required from you and how to achieve every mark, achieved, merit and, excellence. The site has reports of each year for how the students performed and what mistakes they commonly made. Perhaps the most effective studying material is the annotated exemplars and exam questions.

Perhaps you are thinking about how you are going to pass NCEA Level 1 English? If so, then this could be good to check out! Or maybe you’re looking at how many credits will get you there? If you're feeling particularly philosophical then how about you read this blog on why English is important as a subject ? Maybe you just need a brush up on your essay writing skills, then have a look at this. 

How do you find the annotated exemplars?

Simply log on to the NZQA website, type in level 1 English and there will be a drop-down menu where you can access everything from reports, achievement standards right through to annotated exemplars. You can find this dropdown below.

Why are annotated exemplars helpful for your study?

Have you ever got stuck when revising and struggled with your course work for NCEA Level 1 English? Maybe you're confused as to what the next step is to really gain that higher mark; after all, you’ve had your eye on that excellence for a long time.  Annotated exemplars are the way to go because they give you a clear example as to what an achieved, merit and excellence look like. You can take tips as to how the essays were each written and look specifically at the structure of how the text was developed. These also could be helpful if you happen to have studied that particular written text or visual text. Exemplars give you a clear indication as to what is possible under exam constraints; they can show you how effective planning is as well. There is also notes at the end written by the examiner which will be super valuable for you to unpack and reflect on when comparing them to the overall student’s essay.

Let’s look at a student’s Written Text, Merit exemplar from 2018

Let’s first look at the questions for 2018 which in this case, the student selected this question.

"Describe at least one method the writer used to encourage the reader with the text. Explain how this method helped to engage you? Methods could include, characters, events, relationships, narrative points of view, language techniques, style, conflict and structure." Here, the essay question is all about the methods in relation to the reader and writer relationship. Let’s unpack this more.

In this particular essay, the student is dissecting the written text, Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion.  This text paints a post-apocalyptic world where a human being falls in love with a zombie . Throughout the movie, love and identity are explored. Techniques-wise, the author uses symbolism as a means to highlight music and art throughout the novel.

Music is shown as a clear method to showcase the main character's relationship between R and Julie’s. The song ‘Hello, Goodbye ’ by the Beatles clearly addresses their unique relationship, particularly the dynamic on which they first meet. R is wanting to get to know Julie while she is more afraid, needing some distance from him. The lyrics clearly illustrate contrast with what the other one wants and their different expectations. For example, in the song it states:

“You say, "Yes", I say, "No" You say, "Stop" and I say, "Go, go, go"

This relationship dynamic is further wedged with more distance when the lyric states, ‘You say goodbye, I say hello”. They clearly both want different things and the music as a technique helps to clearly show this for the reader.

Marion further developed their relationship by utilizing the John Lennon song ‘Imagine’. This is shown with the lyric “Imagine all the people living life in peace”. Through this lyric, we are given insight into R and Julie’s new budding relationship. They now trust each other and envision a world where both humans and zombies can live together in harmony. In the 2018 exemplar, the student then stated that they were engaged by the text because they felt that music was often a soundtrack for people’s lives. Through the songs, they were able to get more insight into the characters and therefore connect with them on a  deeper level.

Critiques from the examiner:

One of the crucial parts of reading exemplars is the feedback at the end. For this particular essay, the examiner stated that the student unpacked and detailed the points well. They also mentioned that the student has related the points to the author’s purpose as well as the wider themes beyond the text. If you want to read more head to the NZQA website to find this and other exemplars.

Let’s take a look at the Visual Text excellence exemplar from 2018

First, let’s launch into the question that was selected by the student. “ Describe at least one challenging setting in the text. Explain how setting helped you understand an important aspect of the text.”

Slumdog Millionaire by Danny Boyle showcases multiple settings where the main character, Jamal rises up from where he came from in the slums. In settings like the orphanage and slums, we see the underdog continuously overcome challenges and become very successful.

In the 2018 exemplar, the student addresses the first setting where the Juhu slum is depicted . The scene opens with a chase where the two boys are seen running away from the policeman. This challenging setting is further established through the use of a shaky camera, which follows the boys jumping over the fence. In this way, we can also make the connection that they have a shaky life, unsettled and unstable. This helps to build tension for the next scene. Furthermore, there is a Dutch camera angle that has the camera carelessly placed on the ground, with the boys running past it swiftly.  This further displays the uneasiness of the boy’s environment. However, we do see a clear contrast later when the boys appear to outwit the policeman. Showing this scene and doing it so early on in the film really solidifies the important idea of the underdog triumphing over authority.  When you break down the title of the film as well, Boyle really makes it clear as to what will happen and he contextualizes it very well with the underdog film.

Another very important setting is the game show setting. Prem the host is seen making fun of Jamal, further establishing Jamal as the underdog again. After Jamal gets a question right, the camera angles switch to being more balanced and on even keel footing, with both men shown in the view. This change clearly flips the underdog characterization on its head as Jamal is now appearing to be almost dominating the show. It is both shocking and incredible when Jamal is seen to win “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire”. This is because the class system in India has a very strong presence in society. The fact that Jamal overcame where he came from, shredded his underdog status and got away with winning such a huge prize, is hugely significant.

Critiques from the examiner

The examiner liked the structure this exemplar showed. For example, the clear distinction made between talking about the slum, the orphanage and then the studio. Furthermore, the examiner liked the notion that the student included the reader in the text. For example, when the student wrote “we are encouraged to rise up like Jamal”. This awareness of text and the film director helps to further establish a relationship with the reader by comparing the main character to the reader. It’s always a good point to show some common ground with the reader/examiner as it deepens the relationship and makes more insightful points.

Want some extra help?

Are you wanting a more hands-on approach to writing the best essay you can write? Maybe you're feeling stuck with how your progress is going in class? Or perhaps you are needing more guidance with those menacing exams at the end of the year? In any case, have a log on to Superprof, which is an online tutoring website that specializes in helping to get you to the next level of your NCEA Level 1 journey. The first lesson is free so there is really a strong incentive to get involved and have a look to see if tutoring is right for you. There are hundreds of tutors, each there to help with providing extra resources, insights into exam writing, practical tips and just simply some extra support for when you’re feeling swamped. Log on to Superprof today and start learning how to absolutely nail those NCEA Level 1 exams and Internals!

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About English

English is the study, use, and enjoyment of the English language communicated orally, visually, and in writing, for a range of purposes and audiences, and in a variety of forms.

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