On Monday, I finished the Beginnings, Hooked or Bust concept of the task that we've been given by Ms. Richardson which we will watch the first 10-15 minutes and we are going to answer some questions. Below are the questions:
The Power of One: Film Study
The First 10-15 Minutes
A typical film question will focus on those crucial first 10-15 minutes! Why? Because the director must catch and hold your attention for fifteen minutes or you won't watch the film.
1. Soundtrack: What sort of music? What impression does it give?
The music was a African music which I think is a traditional music. It gives an impression that the audience is watching an informative and bygone movie about African culture.
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2. Visual. What is the first shot of?
First of all, the quality of the movie represents it’s a past event in Africa.
The first shot that is used is the zoom in shot that shows the map of Africa
and slowly zooming the place of the scene.
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3. Visual. What camera technique is then used to “focus” us on the area of interest?
The movie used the zoom in shot technique to show the area of interest which
is an image of South Africa with a two giraffe and trees. |
4. Visual. Written text scrolls onto the screen. What key information are we given here?
The key information that this gives us is that it helps us to determine
what, when, where is the scene is happening, it is for us to understand
the movie more. Specifically as the history of Afrikaners and African
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5. Visual. A dissolve is then used on the shot. What to? What effect?
It is used to insert next scene with a transition.It is the fade-out effect
which it is slowly disappearing and as it fades the two giraffes gets real.
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6. Visual. What landscape do we pan over?
It is the place where are the characters are which is in Africa.
To display the place the scene takes place and it is where PK lives
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7. Audio. Soundtrack: Whose voice? What film technique? What key information is given here about character?. What effect?
It is the voice of the main character of the movie, PK or Peter Philip.
It is the voice-over technique. The key information that is given by the
character is that he narrates his childhood.
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8. Visual. Shots: There are a number of medium shots of PK being born and then with his Nanny, mother and Tonderai. What shots strongly shows the respect PK’s mother has with the nanny?
The medium close-up when PK’s mother was giving birth to him.
There’s also a zoom shot then wide shot where Tonderai was
breastfeeding and PK’s mother was there sitting reading a book
which shows that she has trust for Tonderai.
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9. Visuals: What medium shot shows racial harmony?
It is when PK was breastfed from Tonderai and also when PK and
the African boy was sitting next to each other playing the piano.
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10. Audio. PK's voice-over: “For the first time in my life, I felt afraid.” Here the key theme of fear is introduced. Where else in the film must he face fear of some sort? (2 egs)
When he go to a boarding house and it is his first time being away
from his family and he is still a boy that time. Of course, when he
found out that his mother died.
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11. Visual.Shot: 1.Close Up on face of PK as his mother hugs him goodbye. What emotion is shown by this Close Up 2.also, CU on Nanny a little later — what emotion?).
Sadness because he knows he needs to go and he definitely will miss
his mother but at the same time happiness and encouraging.
It is because her mother is happy to give her cherished treasure
to her child and in her eyes shows that she is saying that he can do it.
It is sad with care. She is sad that the boy she raised is now leaving
without anyone to guide and help him.
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12. Visual. Symbolism: PK's mother gives him an ostrich shell bracelet. What does it symbolise for her? How is it used later in the film?
The bracelet means a treasure to her which was given to her loving
husband when they first fell in love. PK also gave it to his first love.
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13. Audio. To a school run by Afrikaners. What do we learn from the preacher's speech ? (soundtrack/screenplay).
That they are really eager to get the African’s land and they have bad relationship with the English people. In his speech, we learned that they hatred the English people and Afrikaners are strong enough to own the land.
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14. Audio. PK's voiceover on his first lesson in history. What do we learn about the Afrikaners? Why does PK take the blame for this?
The Afrikaners tried to beat the English but they failed and the English people imprisoned Afrikaners children and women.
Because it is how and what the people perceive from him.He takes the blame for this because the Afrikaners believe that all English people should be put down and of course, he is English so they pressed him down.
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15. Visual. Shot: CU on Botha. How does he express his contempt for PK
His face was in dark expression, eyebrows meets together, eyes on brood and he even spit on PK’s face.
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16. Visual (and Audio) Theme of racism: How is PK punished for being English?
He was bullied by the Afrikaner students around him. Peeing in his face and body, spitting saliva in front of his face and etc. His voiceover and dialogues shows what is he experiencing with them
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17. Visual. Botha the bully: Over the shoulder shot, from the point of view of PK, low angle, emphasises what?
It emphasises that he is taller than PK and he has the power to do commands to him.
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What am I learning?
- I am learning about film techniques and terminologies.
How does this work show my learning?
-This work shows my analysis of the topic and shows that I understand the movie and the film terminologies that been taught to us.
What am I wondering about?
- I wonder if this work is being seen by Ms. Richardson and if she is reading this blog :).
