1. AS 1.2 Visual Text Essay Writing
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

2. Examples of question…

3. Main idea of our text…
…the ultimate loss of innocence and that sometimes it is the most innocent of all (children) who eventually suffer the most. “Childhood is measured out by sights and sounds and smells before the dark hour of reason grows.” This quote is suggesting that childhood is a time of fun, laughter and games and ought to be cherished.
Friendships, Innocence and naivety, propaganda, man’s inhumanity to man, cruelty of war…

4. …chosen question…has 2 parts
Describe at least ONE important event at (or near) the end of the text(s). Explain why the event(s) helped you understand the director’s idea(s). Discuss visual / oral text features in your response.

5. Visual Features
Verbal Feature
Camera Techniques: Shot Wide Angle
Long Shot
Full Shot
Mid Shot
Close Up
Extreme Close Up Camera Techniques: Angle
Over The Shoulder shot
Point of View shot
High Angle
Low Angle
Eye Level
Camera Techniques: Movement
Tracking shot
Crane shot
Aerial shot
Pan shot
Tilt shot
Zoom shot
Dialogue
Props
Sound Effects
Costume
Music
Special Effects
Use of Silence
Lighting
Voice over
Colour
Use of Settings or Location

6. …planning
Event…
Why the event helped us to understand director’s message

7. t

8. TAKO introduction…
[Power Sentence] In the film The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, the director Mark Herman uses the important event of the deaths of Bruno and Shmuel at the end of the text to help the viewer to understand the idea of the ultimate loss of innocence and that sometimes it is the most innocent of all (children) who eventually suffer the most. “Childhood is measured out by sights and sounds and smells before the dark hour of reason grows.” This quote is suggesting that childhood is a time of fun, laughter and games and ought to be cherished. The director has used the verbal features of music and sound effects and the visual features of costume and lighting to effectively portray the importance of this final scene.

9. TAKO introduction…
[Power Sentence] In the film The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, the director Mark Herman uses the important event of the deaths of Bruno and Shmuel at the end of the text to help the viewer to understand the idea of the ultimate loss of innocence and that sometimes it is the most innocent of all (children) who eventually suffer the most. “Childhood is measured out by sights and sounds and smells before the dark hour of reason grows.” This quote is suggesting that childhood is a time of fun, laughter and games and ought to be cherished. The director has used the verbal features of music and sound effects and the visual features of costume and lighting to effectively portray the importance of this final scene.

10. SEXY paragraphs… .
S: Statement
Statement at the start of the paragraph that says what technique this paragraph is going to deal with .
Firstly, the director uses the [visual/ verbal] technique of [the technique you are going to discuss first] to show [refer back to the theme you have chosen to discuss]

11. SEXY paragraphs… .
E: Examples
Specific examples from the text that would illustrate the chosen technique.
An example of this technique is shown when… [refer to a specific scene in the text where this technique is shown and use some of these questions to guide your response].What can you see? What is happening? How/where does the camera move? What sounds or music can we hear or is there silence? What is important about this?

12. SEXY paragraphs… .
X: eXplain the deeper meaning
Explain the intended effect of the techniques, what is the director’s intention. Use quotes (for verbal technique of dialogue) from the text that support(s) your explanation.
By using this technique the director… [use some of these questions to explain the deeper meaning of the technique] What does the use of this technique reveal about the development of a character? What does this technique show about relationships between characters? What mood does this create? What issue or theme does this technique make us think of? Whose point of view does it place us in? Where else in the film is a similar technique used to further illustrate the point the director is trying to make.

13. SEXY paragraphs… . Y: Your deeper understanding .
The deeper meaning the author wanted to bring the reader. placing the text(s) in a wider personal and societal context to prove relevance and importance to themselves and their world
Overall, the director has succeeded in… [use some of these questions to guide your response. How does the technique make us react a specific way? How does the film make us like/dislike/sympathise etc. with specific characters? How does the film make us consider specific issues? Why is it important we feel a certain way about characters? Why is it important that this mood is created at this point? Why do we need to see the point of view through a certain character? How is this text similar to other films, stories etc.? How is this part of the film relevant to my life? How does this part of the film relate to real people’s lives? What does the director want us to think about? Why?

14. SEXY paragraphs… 3 of these.

15. Conclusion… .
Just like your introduction eased your reader in to your essay, your conclusion is your chance to say something really interesting about your topic.
Sentence 1: Say your view
Write a sentence saying the view that you took in your essay. Hint: look at what you said in your introduction.
Sentence 2: Write a Mini Summary
Write a sentence that states in an interesting way, some of the information you discussed in your essay so far. Like a mini-summary of your key points.
Sentence 3: Say ONE THING that interested you the most.
Write a sentence stating one thing that you found really interesting from your whole essay. It might be something that you thought was your most important point. Or, some clever thought you had as you wrote. Do not write something completely new into the conclusion.
Sentence 4: Sum Up
Finally, just sum up. Round off your essay with a single sentence. What was in it for you as the viewer…