SUPERHERO MOVIES

GCSE – Exam Revision

In this session, we will…

Provide you with an example exam paper

Go through the first two questions of exam

Revise terms for analysis Revise conventions of superhero movies

Analyse two scenes from The Avengers

Exam – Paper 1

Exploring Film – Superhero Movies 1.5 hours 4 questions Clip from Film (analysis) – 2 questions Print Resources (creative task) – 2

questions Total 50 marks (10,10,10,20)

Question 1 – Analysis

Tends to make reference to a specific micro feature (eg. Camerawork, editing, etc)

Identify the micro feature Explain the relevance of the micro

feature Combine with another feature to

examine audience response (eg. Tension, excitement)

Terms for Analysis

Mise en Scene Sound Cinematography Lighting Editing

Remember: MuSCLE

Question 1 – Example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD5olEUvL6k (The Avengers)

Identify one example of editing from this scene

How is editing used in this sequence? How is editing and sound used to

convey the emotional conflict in this sequence?

Question 2 – Conventions Asks you to identify one convention from

the sequence You have to relate this to another

Superhero film Explain why the convention is used in

other films

Remember...

Superman’s Tights Can Produce Nasty Smells

STCPNS

Conventions

Question Answer

What is the typical setting of a superhero film?

How do we separate the themes in superhero movies?

Which character types typically feature in the superhero genre?

Often a major American city. Lots of crime. Hero will have secret hideout/HQ

Public / Private

Hero Villain Princess

Conventions

Question Answer

What term do we use to describe a significant object that the plot revolves around?

What props would we typically expect to see in a Superhero film?

What is the typical narrative of a superhero film?

MacGuffin

Gadgets (Iron Man’s suit, Batman’s utility belt), Iconic Superhero weapon (Thor’s Hammer, Captain America’s shield)

Good vs Evil, Todorov (equilibrium, disequilibrium, equilibrium)

Question 2 – Example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP7qoEcHEd4 (The Avengers)

Identify one typical convention of the Superhero film used in this clip

Describe how this convention is used in another Superhero film

Explain why this convention is used in superhero films that you have studied

Summary

What is question 1 of your exam about? What is question 2 about? How do we remember terms for

analysis? How do we remember terms for

conventions? Name two typical conventions of a

superhero film