“Film scripts for sale in Soho! #newyork #newyorkcity #nyc #movies” by Nat Ireland is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Summary

A guide to planning, researching and creating your DP Film Comparative Study

• Follow the directions for each step below
• Include for your work where it is required

Student Work

• To be placed after students create posts

Steps and Tasks

1. Brainstorm possible films for the task. You must select TWO films from contrasting cultural contexts.
2. Brainstorm and justify at least three different areas of FILM FOCUS for your two chosen films.
3. Brainstorm and justify at least two different CULTURAL CONTEXTS for your two chosen films.
4. Consolidate your ideas and develop at least three different RESEARCH QUESTION topics for your study.
5. Finalize your choices and select your RESEARCH QUESTION. Choose two films for comparison.
6. Develop the main arguments you will make about your topic.
7. Collect evidence from the films that support your argument.
8. Research secondary sources for information that supports your argument.
9. Write your Narration and plan the audio-visual components of your video essay.
10. Record, assemble, and edit your Comparative Study Video Essay.
11. Create a Works Cited document (separately) once your Comparative Study is finished.

Guidance for Your Work

“Simple formative analysis of film elements, no matter how precise or insightful, won’t cut it which is why the research question needs to be crafted in such a way that it provides scope for theoretical and socio-historic exploration. It’s basically an EE in disguise but focusing on two very different textual sources.”

• Thoroughly read the Comparative Study requirements in IB Film Guide PDF (including rubrics)
• Examine the CS Poster 1 (PDF)
• 
• Examine the CS Poster 2 (PDF)
• 
• Watch Garrett’s CS Example and Read Garrett’s Two Column Script
  • Notice the color designating justified film language elements
• Watch another example about South Korean New Wave

Comparative Study Task Components

For this assessment task, each student identifies, selects, and researches each of the following task components.

1. TASK 1: One area of film focus.
2. TASK 2: Two films for comparison from within the chosen area of film focus, one of which originates from a contrasting time (historical) or space (geographical) to the personal context of the student, and the other film identified for comparison must arise from a contrasting cultural context to the first film. Students are required to select films they have not previously studied in depth. The selected films cannot come from the prescribed list of film texts provided for the textual analysis assessment task and, once selected, the films cannot be used by the student in any other assessment task for the DP film course or the extended essay.
3. TASK 3: A clearly defined topic for a recorded multimedia comparative study, which links both the selected films and the identified area of film focus. Each student should invest time in researching, developing, and honing their topic (which in most cases is likely to be expressed in the form of a research question) to ensure it is clear, focused and concise, in order to provide them with the maximum potential for success in this task. The topic should seek to enrich the student’s understanding of the chosen area of film focus and should avoid a plot-driven approach to the comparison.

The assessment criteria for this task requires students to provide a strong justification for the choice of task components as part of the recorded multimedia comparative study. This includes the student’s justification for how films arise from contrasting cultural contexts.

1. FILM Choices List

Which films are you considering for your final Comparative Study? List as many as you wish below as part of an initial brainstorm. Remember that you must select ​​TWO​​ films from contrasting cultural contexts for this task.e.g. CITIZEN KANE	Year, Country, and Director of the film.e.g. 1941, USA, Dir: Orson Welles
Joker	2019, USA Dir: Todd Phillips
Taxi Driver	1976, USA Dir: Martin Scorcese
Uncut Gems	2019, USA Dir: Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie

2. Areas of FILM FOCUS

• Research Film Movements
• Research Film Genres
• Research Film Style (difference between genre and film style defined)
• Research Film Theory

Film Focus Possibility – identify the broad focus area and then add specifics (e.g. “THEORY – Auteur theory” or “GENRE – Horror”). Develop at least THREE options…you can create more by adding more rows.	Justification for this Film Focus. Be as specific as possible.
Character Study	All the possible film choices focus around the mental state of one character
Crime	Each film has an element of crime as part of the central plot. Specifically murder.
Drama	Each of the films are story driven, not relying on flashy visuals or constant action.

3. Chosen CULTURAL CONTEXT

For this assessment task, “cultural context” involves consideration of some of the following factors, some of which may be blended (such as socioeconomic factors).

• Economic, Geographical, Historical, Institutional, Political, Social, Technological

Identify at least TWO Cultural Context possibilities for your chosen films.	Justification for this Cultural Context. Be as specific as possible.
Political	Between these films (Particularly Joker and Taxi Driver)  they portray politicians and politics in different lights.
Social	The seventies had a much different Social structure than 2019 did. There was less understanding of Mental health for example.

4. RESEARCH QUESTION Possibilities

Consolidate your thoughts above and develop at least ​THREE​​ different research question possibilities. More are possible by adding additional rows to the table below. FYI these will be shared with the full class for discussion of strengths and weaknesses.

Your Chosen Area of Film Focus	Topic for Comparative Study (written as a research question)
Character Study	How has the portrayal of mental health changed since the 1970s?
Crime	How have crime films featuring anti-heroes changed since the 1970s?
Drama	How have Drama films evolved from the 1970s?

5. Final Decisions

Using your topic options in the table above, select ​ONE​​ to be your final topic for this Comparative Study task. NOTE: There are examples from the IB of what this should look like below this table.

Your Chosen Area of Film Focus	Film 1	Film 2	Contrasting Cultural Context	Topic for Comparative Study practice task (written as a research question)
Character Studies	Joker	Taxi Driver	Social Differences	How has the portrayal of mental Health changed since the 1970s?

6. Developing Your Topic

Develop 3-5 main arguments that can be made about your topic based on your research question and chosen film focus.	Brainstorm how you could support these arguments within your video essay.
The portrayal of Mental Health is more accurately portrayed today	Joquin Phenox based his performance on an actual condition
The causes for this decline in mental health are better understood now	Taxi driver cites the Vietnam war, while Joker cites Abuse from his parents

7. Selecting Supporting Evidence (Primary)

00:21:12

Identify at least 15 scenes from your chosen films that will help support the arguments you have outlined above. Screen clip a frame from each scene below.	Write notes about how this scene helps support your argument. (These notes will help form your voice-over narration.)
	This is the turning point for Arthur when he makes his final decision to Kill Murray rather than himself. More selfish
	This is the scene where Travis goes to save the young girl instead of assassinating the mayoral candidate.  Less selfish
	This scene is when Arthur brings a gun into the children’s hospital. He is also fired, because of this and hits his head in a phone booth
	This scene describes the medical condition that Arthur has
	This scene is when Travis describes his disgust with the “scum” of the city and how he wants to cleanse it.
	This scene shows the problems that Travis has after blowing his chance and being rejected by the girl he’s obsessed with
	This scene is when Travis is practicing his quickdraw in the mirror. It is the start of his violent tendencies
	This is the first of Travis’s efforts to in his mind “Clean up the streets”
	The stair dance scene is Arthur’s high point in the film before he goes onto the show. It shows his feeling of being free
	This is when Arthur is at his breaking point and he kills the three men on the subway.
	This scene is when Arthur discovers his mother’s abuse of him and why he has his condition.
	The scene where Arthur kills his mom shows helps to show his mental decline, not to mention his words about not having been happy in his life
	This scene shows Travis’s failed assassination attempt and his change of heart.
	This scene shows the beginning of Travis’s obsession over Betsy
	This scene shows  some of Travis’s mental decline as he is willing to fight Betsy’s co-worker  just to talk to her

*Add more rows as needed.

8. Selecting Supporting Evidence (Secondary)

Identify at least 3-5 secondary sources (articles, books, websites, video essays, etc.) which provide information that help support your arguments being made. In this column include the specific source citations.	Summarize the detailed information from the secondary source that you can use in this column. (You can copy+paste if they are from online sources.)
Joker (2019) Psychology Analysis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66vtGedN4F8	Arthur has a ton of clinical symptoms (see 1:30 for list) At the beginning, there are more signs of the major depression. The middle of the film has more to do with Psychosis. The end goes back to the mood disorder, this time hypomania, after just about everything in his life crumbles. His murders is him adjusting to a cruel world and does not have anything to do with his mental illness “the joker has always been a mirror into American cultural fears”
Taxi Driver – Breaking Down Bickle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBEa_roMi7s	“We are so far in his head, we buy into his delusions” He starts more lighthearted, laughing and joking with the man interviewing him. He takes pleasure in his own discomfort Travis’s obsession is saving someone who doesn’t need to be saved. The movie is about watching and observing Travis rather than an overarching story Travis too used to being rejected so he is not ready when Betsy goes out with him He is unable to read social cues He only considers becoming violent himself when he picks up a passenger that is violent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6NylCTFrp4&feature=youtu.be	Travis has many bad habits and doesn’t ever fit in slow motion indicates contempt The Tablets Travis takes is the simmering rage inside him Travis tries to repel his angry thoughts

*Add more rows as needed.

9. Writing Your Narration

Using the information, scene choices, and external sources you have compiled in parts 6-8, you will now write your voiceover narration and match it up to your chosen visual examples.

For the final Comparative Study, your narration should be no longer than 10 minutes in length.

Assemble in Two-Column AV Formatt in Celtx (Tutorial) or use Google Docs

Remember that you need to:

• COMPARE and CONTRAST your two chosen film using the arguments and evidence you identified in parts 6-8
• Begin your narration with a detailed justification for the chosen cultural contrast
• Use an equal balance of the two selected films.
• Write in a third-person voice to construct your argument (similar in tone to your Extended Essay and other
  comparative analytical work you have written in Film class).
• Identify where any WRITTEN TEXT will appear on the screen and highlight this (to reference during the
  creation/editing stage)

Voiceover Narration Ideas	Which visual evidence/scenes line up to this part of the narration?

10. Assembling the Comparative Study

Now you will collect all media resources needed for the task and construct your video essay.

REQUIRED STEPS

• Import the digital copy of your chosen films into editing software
• Identify and extract chosen scenes and clips
• Place and edit clips into a rough timeline for your video essay
• Record audio narration (both partners should participate in narrating this practice task)
  into an audio file using recording equipment (Zoom recorders, iPhone, DSLR Rode video
  mic, etc.)
• Import your recorded narration audio file into your project timeline
• Assemble, edit and fine-tune clips and narration until your video essay takes shape
• Create and add any required textual information in the timeline (including black slate at the start)
• Audio mixing of narration and movie clips (adjust levels so that narration and movie sounds complement each other)
• Export the final video essay movie file
  • Upload Unlisted draft to YouTube for peer review
• Create Works Cited list separately (Google Doc)

*NOTE: Separate tutorial and tips sessions will be held throughout this process to provide guidance on recording your voice-over narration and mixing the audio levels successfully.

Examples of Possible Task Components (from the IB)

Area of film focus	Film 1	Film 2	Possible topic for comparative study
Film movement: German Expressionism	The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)	Edward Scissorhands (1990)	How and with what effect are specific film elements of German expressionism used within a chosen contemporary film?
Film movement: French New Wave	Breathless (1960)	Badlands (1973)	The influence of the French New Wave on New Hollywood’s use of innovative film elements in its representation of youth and violence.
Film genre and film style: Black comedy	No. 3 (1997)	The Big Lebowski (1998)	To what extent do “black comedy” films differ according to cultural context?
Film theory: Soviet Montage	Battleship Potemkin (1925)	Koyaanisqatsi (1982)	To what extent are specific features of Soviet montage theory faithfully employed in a contemporary experimental film?

External Assessment Criteria SL and HL

• Thoroughly read and examine your work with the Comparative Study Rubric (PDF)

Peer Review Checklist

 

TASK COMPONENTS (ACTION)		Notes / Suggestions
__	Assemble Findings
__	Develop a personal and critically reflective perspective
__	Identify and gather appropriate audio-visual material to support the study
	SCREENPLAY
__	Justify the chosen topic and selected films
__	Make sure that the text is in a formal academic register (can be in the 1st person)
__	Balance between visual and spoken elements
__	Make clear reference to your sources as on-screen citations (text on-screen)
__	Make sure primary weight of evidence for the study from the two chosen films
__	Make sure each film is given equal consideration
__	Make sure film language information is communicated clearly throughout (avoid “to be” verbs – make statements like “blah is this.”)
__	Make sure information is communicated logically rooted in film language
__	Have another student highlight the WHAT WHY HOW in your draft screenplay
	VIDEO ESSAY
__	Recorded voice and edited commentary numerous times until happy with the material
__	Make sure your name and the school’s name ARE NOT IN THE ESSAY
__	Make sure to have 10 second title card with: 1. Area of film focus, 2. Titles of the two films for comparison, and 3. The chosen topic
__	Include breaks in your recorded commentary to enable other audio-visual material included in the study to be clearly heard (if needed)
__	Make sure film clip length matches points being made
__	Make sure still images have citations on-screen, if you have them
__	Make sure text on screen is legible and spelled correctly
__	Make sure information is communicated audibly (levels are good for all sound)
__	Make sure information is communicated visually appropriate manner
__	Make sure background music is from Creative Commons and is cited
__	Make sure edits are clean
__	Make sure presentation is 10 minutes maximum, including title card and credits
__	Make sure two films are listed in sources

Teens are overwhelmed, partly because they don’t yet have the skills to manage the unprecedented amount of stuff that enters their brains each day.  – from LifeHacker.com

“Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.”

“You can do anything, but not everything.”

― David Allen, (GTD) Getting Things Done for Teens: Take Control of Your Life in a Distracting World

SUMMARY

This week I managed to get my Mtgw Italy assignment done as far as I needed to and I also revised my College essay.

PRACTICE ROOM (TUTORIALS)

• Set a timer
• Spend up to 60 minutes in this ‘room’
• Complete…
  1. First Time User
  2. Introduction To Film

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

You are going to learn to develop your own version of David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD) process in this ‘room.’

• Set a timer
• Spend 45 minutes in this ‘room’
  • Spend 20 minutes watching The Art of Stress-Free Productivity: David Allen 
  • Spend 10 minutes watching Getting Things Done (GTD) by David Allen – Animated Book Summary And Review
  • Spend 5 minutes reading Help Teens De-Stress With These ‘Getting Things Done’ Hacks
  • Spend 10 minutes writing a small paragraph reflection
• DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

• Set a timer
• Spend 15 minutes in this ‘room’
• Rewatch David explain ‘Maps’ from 19:57 to 21:16 of the video

Examine Two GTD Maps: Basic and Detailed

1. Detailed map by guccio@文房具社 icensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
2. Basic map from BiggerPlate.com embedded below

GTD-based Trusted System

• Examine and pick a trusted system from the 4 options listed below to ‘capture’ your work
  • A trusted system is your method for managing your tasks in a way that you consistently get things done

1. 1. Trello.com with a – GTD Template
      • We use Trello in this class to manage group projects
        • You will create a Trello account a few weeks from now regardless
        • You might want to start now
      • We start using Trello in the second semester
      • Watch Mr. Le Duc Creating a Trello Account and Add GTD Template Tutorial (3:45)
      • 
      • You can get the free Trello app at the Apple Store or Google Play
      • 
   2. Your phone
   3. Paper and pen or pencil
   4. Examine LifeHacker.com’s GTD Resources
      • Try a To-Do List That Lives in Your Tabs

OUTSIDE (PRODUCTIVITY & THE BRAIN)

• Go for a 15-minute walk, if it is safe to do so  and follow the advice from David Allen
  • Bring a notepad
  • Walk and relax and allow your mind to wander
  • If you land on something that needs your attention, write it down
  • Continue throughout your walk
• DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

OPTIONAL EXERCISE

• Read Getting Things Done for Teens: Take Control of Your Life in a Distracting World by David Allen

STUDIO (CREATING MAPS)

• Set a timer
• Spend up to 15 minutes
• Then watch David Allen summarize the steps
  • “Very simple folks! …
    1. Just WRITE STUFF DOWN
    2. Decide the ACTIONS and OUTCOMES embedded in them
    3. Get yourself a MAP OF ALL THAT so you can step back and take a look at it.
    4. And then, basically, you USE THE MAP TO DECIDE, “OK, here’s the course that we’re going to go on.”
    5. You then LAUNCH the ‘ship’ on a trusted course in the short term, as well as on the long horizon that you’re moving on.
    6. And then, on a regular basis, you need to REASSESS, “OK, we need to take in NEW DATA, CLEANUP, RECALIBRATE, and REFOCUS for the next leg of the journey.”
  • It’s that simple…”
• ‘Capture’ all the ACTION ITEMS you can in your GTD Trusted System

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

I learned that I should not put things off. One problem I faced was when filling out an application for UW, the website was really slow. I solved this problem by taking the time and doing other things while waiting for the website to work.

“Day 092/366 – To Do List” by Great Beyond is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Your toughest work is defining what your work is! –  Peter Drucker

SUMMARY

This week I managed to complete the ToK puzzle and ESS graph assignment. I managed to make progress on my calculus IA and I made progress on my book.

PRACTICE ROOM (TUTORIALS)

In this ‘room’ you are going to try Getting Things Done (GTD).

STEP 1: MAKE A LIST

Things I need to do

1. Extended Essay – research, writing, revising
2. College Applications
3. Calculus IA
4. ESS IA
5. Sneakonthelot part 3
6. RTW Germany assignment
7. Math HW
8. ToK puzzle
9. Study Spanish
10. ESS Graphs assignment
11. Independent Reading project
12. Finish Book

STEP 2: NOTICE WHAT YOU NOTICED

Priority list

1. Calculus IA
2. ESS IA
3. Sneakonthelot part 3
4. College Applications
5. Extended Essay
6. RTW Germany assignment
7. Ess Graphs project
8. ToK puzzle
9. Math HW
10. Study Spanish
11. Finish Book
12. Independent Reading Project

STEP 3: SET A TIMER

1. Set a timer for your first task
   1. Decide how long you think it will take before you start
2. Start working
3. Repeat this process for 45 minutes for as many tasks as you can complete, then take a 15-minute break
   • Get up and get a drink of water
   • Get up and go for a walk
   • Every 20 minute blink your eyes 20 times while looking at least 20 feet away
     • This is good for your eyes

Start steps 1 through 3 again, repeat for your school day

OUTSIDE (PRODUCTIVITY & THE BRAIN)

• Set a timer
• Spend up to 20 minutes in this ‘room’
• Watch the first 30 seconds of this Oct. 2020 interview with David Allen

• Reflect on GTD and getting to the top of the colorful list above for a minute
  • How can the GTD process help you tame the crazy-busy dragon of modern life?

• Then, go for a 15-minute walk, if it is safe to do so
• Write a few sentence reflection
• DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

OPTIONAL EXERCISE – Literally, read the article and go for another walk 🙂

“I coach C-suite executives and rising stars from the earliest startups to Fortune 100 companies. My passion is to help ambitious leaders achieve their full human potential.”  – Read more about Katia…

• Set a timer
• Spend up to 15 minutes reading…
  • FastCompany Magazine article about Katia Verresen’s techniques and GTD, https://www.fastcompany.com/3026827/the-brain-hacks-top-founders-use-to-get-the-job-done
• Then, go for another 15-minute walk, if it is safe to do so
• DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

I learned that I like to work for a half-hour with a 5-minute break. One problem I solved was my distractions. I got distracted when my phone would buzz, so what I did is I flipped it over so it was less noticeable when I got a notification.