Year 11 English - Digital media - referencing

Hi All,

Here is a link teaching you how to do in text referencing using the Harvard system:

http://www.usq.edu.au/library/referencing/harvard-agps-referencing-guide#How_to_cite_references_within_the_text_of_an_assignment

Happy writing.

Mrs P.

Yr 11 English - Essay prep

Hi All,

Here are the notes from Monday's session:

Question:
Discuss how our online experiences are influencing and effecting real world interaction.
how we use tech
how much we use it
where we use it
who we use it with
'it' being social networks - Facebook, instagram, twitter
internet usage - research, gaming, photos, YouTube
devices - iPad, iPhone, smartphones, tablets, computers, Digital TV & Radio
interactions - how we interact with other people in relationships and communication
Thesis:
Therefore, our online experiences are starting to influence and effect our real world interaction.

Topics:

• Cyber-bullying and suicide
• Effects on literacy and poor academic results resulting in limited future options
• Digital footprints and job prospects
• Addiction to tech effecting relationships with family and friends
• Changing of social etiquette 
• abiltiy to download content (both legally and illegally) making us isolated
• online dating, how people can't find others in real world.

Remember your essays are due this Friday 23rd.

Happy writing

Mrs P

Year 7 - Lion Witch - PowerPoint 1

Hi All,

Here is a copy of the PowerPoint shown in class on Monday which was taken from Slideshare.

Powerpoint c.s.lewis from jenn1976

Mrs P

Yr 11 - Digital Citizenship - TED talks

Hi All,

Here are the TED talks that will help you along.









Enjoy.

Mrs P

Media 1CD - Reality TV Vids

Hi All,

Here are some additional vids about Reality TV techniques

conflict and resolution

Reality Show Casting Secrets

Media 1CD Reality TV

Hi All,

Here is a copy of the video on reality TV.

Reality TV Basics

Enjoy.

Mrs P.

Year 11 Hero Investigation SWAT Codes

Hi All,

Here is a refresher on the SWAT codes we investigated last year:

Viewing Codes and Conventions:

SYMBOLIC

Symbolic codes refer to the conventions that will develop some form of implicit or suggested meaning within a media text. Symbolic codes include: costume, props, setting, lighting, colour & character performance.

If we see a character wearing black clothing with silver spikes and chain accessories; heavy black boots and make-up which shows a white face with black lips and eyeliner or eye shadow; and black, spiky cut hair hanging partly over a face, we would probably guess that this character represents a Goth. When we see this Goth character we would expect him or her to have a brooding and mystical personality rather than a bright and bubbly one.

Although a Goth has a striking style of dress, we also recognise other, more 'normal', types of costume. A blue uniform may indicate police or a law officer of some sort. An all-white uniform may indicate a health worker and so on. The point is that we make assumptions about characters in film based on what they are wearing.

Elements of costume to look for are anything that a character wears to help show his or her personality and role in the film. We are encouraged to make interpretations about characters by simply looking at how they appear.

• Clothes: style - fashionable or not, colour, fitting well or not, clean or dirty-looking, era  of clothes - today, from times past or futuristic
• Accessories: bags, scarves, jewellery, gloves, hats or headgear, socks and stockings
• Footwear: boots, shoes, sandals or bare feet
• Hairstyles: cut, colour and style
• Make-up: on the face with a natural or characterised look and/or on the body
• Overall appearance: well groomed, scruffy, fashionable, different from others or not.

We learn about the type of person a character represents not only by what is said and how dialogue is spoken, but also through the character's body language, facial expressions and movements. When we look at family members or close friends, the nonverbal clues we see usually indicate the mood they are in. We transfer our knowledge of emotions shown by facial expressions, body language and movement to the stories being told in films, usually without realising it. Some viewers think that acting is easy and that a person simply has to 'do' it. But taking on a role is an in-depth study for any actor. Analysing how to walk or smile or react has to be done very carefully, so that the character's role becomes believable; facial expression and body language have to look normal for that type of character.

For instance, if we see a person bent over a little (body language), walking slowly and carefully (movement), we assume that the person is old or sick. A close-up of the face (facial expression), with appropriate make-up (costume) will tell us which it is: old or sick.

WRITTEN

Written codes are associated with the printed word when it appears on screen. This can also include logos and icons. Elements that fall under written codes include:

Titles, captions, subtitles, credits, Font size and Typeface.

AUDIO

Audio codes are associated with any sound made in a media text.

In film and television, Audio codes deal with everything we hear while watching a feature film. Music, background noises, sound effects and spoken words are all elements included in this category of filmic codes. The element of spoken words is further split in the following way:

• What words are spoken
• Who is speaking - an actor, or a voice-over
• How the words are spoken - accents, slang, formal or foreign language
• The use of silence; we hear this too.

What a character says and how the dialogue is spoken adds to our understanding and acceptance (or not) of the character. If an actor speaks his or her lines well, then we will automatically replace the actor with the believable character that he or she represents.

Audio codes are either digetic or non-diegetic.

Diegetic:

sound that happens within the film. This includes actor dialogue, the music heard by the actors and sounds heard by the actors.

Non-diegetic:

sound that happens outside the film world. This includes voice over narration, film score, soundtrack, off-screen sound fx.

TECHNICAL

• Mise en scene:
• everything is placed in the frame with purpose
• Camera Angles:
• High camera angle:
• looks down on the subject
• viewer has power
• Eye level angle:
• both subject and viewer are equal in power
• Low camera angle:
• looks up at subject
• subject has power
• Birds eye view:
• shot directly above
• Worms eye view
• shot directly underneath
• Camera Shots:
• Establishing shot
• shows setting/location from a distance
• Long shot
• shows setting relating to subject
• Mid shot
• subject waist up and some background
• Close Up
• subjects shoulders and head
• Extreme close up
• detail of object or body part
• e.g. eyes
• Point of view shot (POV)
• usually handheld
• from the perspective of the subject

• Camera movement:
• Tracking shot
• follows action along horizontal plain
• Dolly shot
• follows action along vertical plain
• Panning shot
• camera stationary, but follows the action
• Zoom
• size of shot visibly changes in scale
• Crane shot
• camera moves from ground to aerial shot (or vice versa)

• Rule of thirds
• when the frame is divided, key areas are in ‘hot spots’ and along ‘third’ axis.

• Leading lines
• lines in the frame that draw the viewers focus
• usually created by the natural environment

• Editing
• manipulation of shot duration
• rapid editing
• builds tension and action
• long take
• no cutting and follows action for an extended period of time
• usually involves dolly or handheld

• Film stock
• how clear or grainy the image looks
• colour or black & white
• grainey
• harsh or gritty setting or theme
• high contrast
• happy or hyper-reality

• CGI
• computer generated imagery
• allows things outside the real world to become real or plausible

• Lighting
• how light is used to frame image or to highlight the subject
• can be different colour
• to suggest the time of day
• interior or exterior
• can be made to look from nature
• the sun
• made to look like they come from objects
• a lamp, streetlight, campfire
  
  
  ***
  
  
  Happy Writing
  
  
  Mrs P
  
  

Year 10 English Gothic fiction essay

Hi All,

Here is the example intro written in class today.

TRUE!... This is the opening line of Poe's The Tell tale Heart. Within this text a variety of language conventions are used to construct the narrator of the text. Poe manipulates  these conventions to create a character that is interesting to the reader. The Tell Tale Heart recounts the events of a murder committed by the nameless narrator, and their inner debate of their sanity. Therefore, it is Poe's use of language devices that gives the reader insight into the mad and manic mind of the texts narrator.

Happy writing.

Mrs P.

Year 11 Speeches

Hi All,

Here is the speech line up for next week:

Monday -

1. Rhys
2. Aiden
3. Dylan
4. Michael L
5. Meaghan
6. Matt

Tuesday - 

1. Jake
2. Warren
3. Caitlin
4. Sam
5. Paige
6. Mitch B

Thursday - 

1. Jade-leigh
2. Shantelle
3. Aleesha
4. Bronwyn
5. Bryce
6. Louise

Friday - 

1. Mitch W
2. Chantelle A
3. Allanah
4. Amelia
5. Michael B
6. Zarra
7. Breanne

Happy writing :)

Mrs P

Year 11 Speech Investigation

Hi All,

I'm currently in the middle of marking these assessments, and it has become quite evident that some of you don't understand the difference between content and context.

Content is the stuff that is in a text, such as the narrative, themes, dialogue, topics etc.

Whereas, context is the set of circumstances or facts that surround the construction and delivery of a text that influence its meaning or effect.

Let's look at the text below:

As a modern Australian audience, many people would interpret this as sexist, misogynistic, and out of touch with out current values and beliefs. However, when written, this was the point of view many people held within society. When we read it within the context of modern society, we take offence. However, when we read it within the context of the 1950s, we understand that this is the ideology of this society.
So if we were to be writing about the contextual elements that surround this text, we would be discussing the factors that occur socially, historically and culturally that influence the intended meaning and response. You may also discuss how our context resists the original meaning.

Happy writing.

Mrs P.

Year 10 English Investigation

Hi All,

Here is a copy of the portfolio requirements.

Gothic Fiction investigation:

Section 1:

You are to choose a minimum of two activities from Column A and two from Column B to complete for marking.

The activities in Column A have a writing focus and the tasks in Column B are more visual and/or creative in focus.

Column A All activities a minimum of 500 words	Column B
Book review  on either The Tell Tale Heart or The Red Room	New book cover for any text extract.
Extended response – To what extent are the conventions of Gothic literature present in modern fiction texts like Twilight.	Story board/comic version of the extract from Dracula  or Frankenstein
A diary entry or letter from Rick’s point of view explaining his thoughts and feelings during the extract of The Walking Dead.	Design a comic book version of the Dracula extract.
Feature article on Vampires “Coming out the coffin” as spoken about in Dead Until Dark	Create a movie poster for the film version of A Tell Tale Heart.
A story OR journal entries written from Robert Neville’s perspective in I Am Legend.	Create/Design an infographic/poster on Dracula and/or vampires
Detailed description of a vampire, vampire lore, and their strengths and weaknesses.	Create a pamphlet on zombies and how to protect yourself from attack
Rewrite the ending to give another conclusion to the story of A Tell Tale Heart.	Create a board game based on The Red Room.
Write an interview with the character in The Tell Tale Heart OR an interview that asks people their opinion on gothic texts.	Create a collage on the themes and major ideas in A Tell Tale Heart.
Rewrite a section of Frankenstein imaging it was happening today, not last century.	Make a short film based on the novel or a section of it.

Section 2:

Complete the following activities relating to The Tell Tale Heart and The Red Room.

1.      Comparison chart of the main aspects of each story

2.      The Factors of Fear

3.      Language and Atmosphere

4.      Identifying gothic conventions in The Red Room

5.      Extended response Tell Tale Heart narrator.

We will be reading The Tell Tale Heart and The Red Room, early next week. But you are more than welcome to read them now to complete your selections.

Happy writing.

Miss F

Media 1CD Lego animations

Hi All,

Here is a little reminder of the steps you need to follow when completing your lego animations:

Step 1: Select scene - this will be a scene or trailer of a well known Hollywood film

Step 2: Annotate & get screen caps - this will help you determine shot duration as well as camera angles and shot sizes, as well as camera movements. See eg. below.

Step 3: Equipment request - this will include cameras, lego, lights etc. Everything you will need to "hire" from school resources"


Step 4: Character design: create a costume design for your minifigs. This may mean creating custom decals to stick on your minifigs. You can find a variety of custom decals by googling "Lego decals" or find tutorials by searching "how to create Lego minifigure decals."

Step 5: Production schedule: this is so your team knows exactly when deadlines are for both shooting the scene and editing the final product

Step 6: Shoot - remember you will be taking approximately 15 shots per second of screen time. A minimum of 6 shots per second will be permitted, but this will make the animation look 'choppy'.

Step 7: Edit - organize which group members are editing which sequences, and bring together to form final submission.

Step 8: Reflection - complete the written reflection of the pre, during and post production process and evidence of contribution.

Step 9: Submit - place final film on to DVD or USB and submit your written components to Student services.

Happy shooting :)

Miss F

Year 10 English Gothic Fiction

Hi All,

Here are some important links and content for Gothic Fiction.

Conventions of the Gothic

Gothic elements include the following:

1. Setting in a castle. The action takes place in and around an old castle, sometimes seemingly abandoned, sometimes occupied. The castle often contains secret passages, trap doors, secret rooms, dark or hidden staircases, and possibly ruined sections. The castle may be near or connected to caves, which lend their own haunting flavour with their claustrophobia, and mystery.

2. An atmosphere of mystery and suspense. The work is pervaded by a threatening feeling, a fear enhanced by the unknown. Often the plot itself is built around a mystery, such as unknown parentage, a disappearance, or some other inexplicable event. Elements 3, 4, and 5 below contribute to this atmosphere.

3. An ancient prophecy is connected with the castle or its inhabitants (either former or present). The prophecy is usually obscure, partial, or confusing. "What could it mean?" In more watered down modern examples, this may amount to merely a legend: "It's said that the ghost of old man Krebs still wanders these halls."

4. Omens, portents, visions. A character may have a disturbing dream vision, or some phenomenon may be seen as a portent of coming events. For example, if the statue of the lord of the manor falls over, it may portend his death.

5. Supernatural or otherwise inexplicable events. Dramatic, amazing events occur, such as ghosts or giants walking, or inanimate objects (such as a suit of armour or painting) coming to life. In some works, the events are ultimately given a natural explanation, while in others the events are truly supernatural.

6. High, even overwrought emotion. The narration may be highly sentimental, and the characters are often overcome by anger, sorrow, surprise, and especially, terror. Characters suffer from raw nerves and a feeling of impending doom. Crying and emotional speeches are frequent. Breathlessness and panic are common.

7. Women in distress. As an appeal to the pathos and sympathy of the reader, the female characters often face events that leave them fainting, terrified, screaming, and/or sobbing. A lonely, pensive, and oppressed heroine is often the central figure of the novel, so her sufferings are even more pronounced and the focus of attention.

8. Women threatened by a powerful, impulsive, tyrannical male. One or more male characters has the power, as king, lord of the manor, father, or guardian, to demand that one or more of the female characters do something intolerable. The woman may be commanded to marry someone she does not love (it may even be the powerful male himself), or commit a crime.

9. The metonymy of gloom and horror. Metonymy is a subtype of metaphor, in which something (like rain) is used to stand for something else (like sorrow). For example, the film industry likes to use metonymy as a quick shorthand, so we often notice that it is raining in funeral scenes. Note that the following metonymies for "doom and gloom" all suggest some element of mystery, danger, or the supernatural.
 

wind, especially howling	rain, especially blowing
doors grating on rusty hinges	sighs, moans, howls, eerie sounds
footsteps approaching	clanking chains
lights in abandoned rooms	gusts of wind blowing out lights
characters trapped in a room	doors suddenly slamming shut
ruins of buildings	baying of distant dogs (or wolves?)
thunder and lightning	crazed laughter

10. The vocabulary of the Gothic. Here are some of the words (in several categories) that help make up the vocabulary of the Gothic 
 

Mystery	diabolical, enchantment, ghost, goblins, haunted, infernal, magic, magician, miracle, necromancer, omens, ominous, portent, preternatural, prodigy, prophecy, secret, sorcerer, spectre, spirits, strangeness, talisman, vision
Fear, Terror, or Sorrow	afflicted, affliction, agony, anguish, apprehensions, apprehensive, commiseration, concern, despair, dismal, dismay, dread, dreaded, dreading, fearing, frantic, fright, frightened, grief, hopeless, horrid, horror, lamentable, melancholy, miserable, mournfully, panic, sadly, scared, shrieks, sorrow, sympathy, tears, terrible, terrified, terror, unhappy, wretched
Surprise	alarm, amazement, astonished, astonishment, shocking, staring, surprise, surprised, thunderstruck, wonder
Haste	anxious, breathless, flight, frantic, hastened, hastily, impatience, impatient, impatiently, impetuosity, precipitately, running, sudden, suddenly
Anger	anger, angrily, choler, enraged, furious, fury, incense, incensed, provoked, rage, raving, resentment, temper, wrath, wrathful, wrathfully
Largeness	enormous, gigantic, giant, large, tremendous, vast

Links to the text extracts:

Dracula: Dracula Chapter 1
Frankenstein: Frankenstein Chapter 5
Twilight: Twilight extracts
Dead Until Dark: Southern vampires
I am Legend: I am legend
Interview with the Vampire: Vampire Chronicles
The Walking Dead: Walking Dead
The Red Room & The Tell Tale Heart: Wells & Poe

These text extracts are intended for educational use only.

Happy reading

Miss F

Year 11 Novel essays

Hi All,

Here are the whiteboard notes taken from today's tutoring session:

Intro:

1.  
2.  
3.  
4.  
5.                  , Christopher often challenges the stereotype of people with disabilities. (thesis)

Body Para 1:

1. Christopher is a character that demonstrates savantism. 
2. able to use intellect in a superior manner
   ability to do things a typical person could not
3. EG. able to solve complex math problems mentally eg. p#
4. even people without a disability would not be able to do this, let alone a person with a mental disability (or a developmental disorder)
5. if Chris was to conform to a/the stereotype, this attribute would not be present

Body Para 2:

1. Unlike other characters with disabilities, Christopher does not rely on others constantly.
2. characters like Charlie in The Black Balloon
3. eg. travels to London independently
4. even though he hasn't done it before he is successful
5. this achievement highlights his high functioning nature, not typical of people (or other characters) who are labeled disabled

Body Para 3:

1. Although Christopher is able to interact and function in society, he does present some unusual character traits
2. people with Autism often display certain characteristics and behaviours which are rational in their minds, but irrational to others
3. eg. doesn't like yellow or brown
4. the irrational obsession conforms to the criteria of an ASD diagnosis
5. this criteria highlights how Chris fits Autism, but this trait is not specific to other disabilities.

Conclusion

1. reword thesis
2. reword topic sentences
3.  
4.  

NB.This is by no means the only way of responding or necessarily the right way of responding to the essay question. This is more a place of departure for those of you who are really stuck and unsure on how to use the framework.

Happy writing.

Miss F.

Year 10 Documentary essays

Hi All,

Here is a copy of our whiteboard notes from today's session:

Intro:

1. Can we really present the reality in an un-bias way?
2. Texts are often used to persuade viewers to take on particular perspectives on various issues.
3. Documentary films are texts which attempt to present themes and issues in a realistic way. They do not want viewers to feel they are bias.
4. Documentaries such as Bowling for Columbine, Supersize Me, and Once Upon A Time in Cabramatta deliver a specific perspective on topics
5. THESIS: Therefore, filmmakers use a variety of techniques in order for the audience to believe they are watching reality.

Body Para 1:

1. Filmmakers use a variety of techniques in order for the audience to believe they are watching reality.
2. emerge the viewer in action
3. quote or example - Morgan spewing
4. we share the experience and empathize.
   relate it back to our own experiences
5. by making the viewer relate it adds to persuasive effect

Body Para 2:

1. Similarly, filmmakers often use interviews to give the notion of an unbias perspective.
2. more personal and appears less constructed
3. quote or example - Cabramatta - families
4. filmmakers edit sections of interview to use
5. editing process manipulates the content

Body Para 3:

1. Furthermore, filmmakers intentionally omit certain elements to create a bias towards a subject matter
2. limits the scope on a subject matter.
   see topic in a specific way
3. quote or example - Bowling for Columbine - focused on anti-guns and mass shootings
4. creates a negative POV towards America and gun control
   doesn't show any positives
5. by limiting scope viewers are forced to see one POV

Conclusion:

1. reword thesis
2. reword topic sentences
3.   
4. 
   

Happy writing

Miss F.