Textual Analysis and Representation

Candidates should be prepared to analyse and discuss the following: technical aspects of the

language and conventions of the moving image medium, in relation to the unseen moving image

extract, as appropriate to the genre and extract specified, in order to discuss the sequence’s

representation of individuals, groups, events or places:

Camera Shots, Angle, Movement and Composition

• Shots: establishing shot, master shot, close-up, mid-shot, long shot, wide shot, two-shot, aerial shot, point of view shot, over the shoulder shot, and variations of these.
• Angle: high angle, low angle, canted angle.
• Movement: pan, tilt, track, dolly, crane, steadicam, hand-held, zoom, reverse zoom.
• Composition: framing, rule of thirds, depth of field – deep and shallow focus, focus pulls.

Editing

• Includes transition of image and sound – continuity and non-continuity systems.
• Cutting: shot/reverse shot, eyeline match, graphic match, action match, jump cut, crosscutting, parallel editing, cutaway; insert.
• Other transitions, dissolve, fade-in, fade-out, wipe, superimposition, long take, short take, slow motion, ellipsis and expansion of time, post-production, visual effects.

Sound

• Diegetic and non-diegetic sound; synchronous/asynchronous sound; sound effects; sound motif, sound bridge, dialogue, voiceover, mode of address/direct address, sound mixing
• Soundtrack: score, incidental music, themes and stings, ambient sound.

Mise-en-Scène

• Production design: location, studio, set design, costume and make-up, properties.
• Lighting; colour design. 

It is acknowledged that not every one of the above technical areas will feature in equal measure in

any given extract. Therefore examiners are instructed to bear this in mind when marking the

candidates’ answers and will not expect each aspect will be covered in the same degree of detail,

but as appropriate to the extract provided and to the discussion of representation.

Candidates should be prepared to discuss, in response to the question, how these technical

elements create specific representations of individuals, groups, events or places and help to

articulate specific messages and values that have social significance. Particular areas of representation that may be chosen are:

1. Gender
2. Age
3. Ethnicity
4. Sexuality 
5. Class and status
6. Physical ability/disability
7. Regional identity