A2 Film studies coursework:The Small Scale Research project

What is a small scale research project?It is made up of two items:1. A research catalogue (approx 1000 words). This consists of

all the research you have used to answer your question/ topic…films, academic books, magazine articles, internet articles, reviews, interviews, DVD commentaries

2. A presentation script (approx 1500 words) This takes the form of bullet points, notes and needs to be visualised by the reader. It’s what you would say if you were doing the presentation to a group of people. Your script needs to make reference to your catalogue throughout.

See the example to help you understand.

What is the SSRP?• It is designed to develop your research skills.• It will be based on ONE focus film and reference 2 other

related films• It will fit under one of the following topics:

• Star/ performer• Genre• Auteur (in it’s broader sense)• Social, political and cultural studies• Gender issues• Ethnicity• Institution• Technology (Let’s go through these in a bit more detail)

Star/ Performer

A consideration of star/ performer or performance as a significant element of making meaning. The investigation may focus on a particular star or group of performers.

EgThe characteristics of Helena Bonham Carter’s performance across different directors.

Genre

This context sees genre as a structuring and encoding device that positions the audience expectation of a film text.

EgThe shaping of the gangster genre by the films of Martin Scorcese

Becoming Cult: A study into how films are branded ‘cult’

Auteur

Any individual who leaves a ‘signature’ (production/ meaning) on a film. Could also consider the collaborative auteur (two or more- eg Scorcese and De Niro. Could also be the ‘institutional’ auteur (eg studio) eg the comedies of Ealing Studios are a good example of this.

Other examples:Consistent themes in the films of Christopher NolanWes Anderson as an auteur

Social, political and cultural studiesAllows the investigation of the context of production.

Eg Exploration of white collar crime on Wall Street

Representation of social class in British film

Did 9/11 change the way villains in Marvel films are represented?

Gender issues

Allows the study of gendered films or gendered film making.Issues of sexuality, gender, representation can be explored either singularly or through a comparative approach.

EgRepresentation of women in James Bond filmsKathryn Bigelow’s approach to the contemporary horror film.Representation of drag in film 1930 to present day.

Ethnicity

Maybe explored through diverse approaches including analysing the representations within a film and issues around those making a film.

EgGrowing up in black, urban American: Representations of life in the hood.How sport films reflect the social situation in America.The changing representation of young black men in British film.

Institution

Engages with issues of industry that may have come up at AS.Production contexts such as issues around finance, producing, law, regulation, distribution, exhibition and governmental influence over film making are all valuable areas.

EgDisney’s influence on Pixar studio films

Technology

This contexts encompasses all the constructional devices in cinema, from production through to distribution and exhibition methods. This could be the introduction of surround sound, the implication of digital exhibition, the development of CGI in animation…

Eg

The development of CGI in animation and it’s impact on audiences

Your initial ideas…

Now we have gone through the frameworks you might find you have a couple of ideas for one/ two or more of them.

Jot them down on the sheet (with possible films?)You don’t have to stick to them- they are just early ideas.

Lesson 2: Refining your ideas/ topic

You are going to spend the lesson today thinking a bit more carefully about the topic you are most interested in researching.

You can use the internet (there might also be books in the cupboard in S8) to help you.

Today you need to try and decide:1. A topic and possible title2. 3 films and why you have chosen to use them.3. A general outline/ plan about how you might structure your

topic/ question

Lesson 3: Referencing different types of researchYou will learn how to research material using a variety of different methods:• Theoretical research- uses the research completed by others.

This may be: reading other people’s theories, watching documentaries, visiting websites.

• Empirical research- this is based on observation or experiment. This may be: preparing and distributing a questionnaire, watching an audience when they are watching a film.

• Primary research- you are active in forming a piece of original research (interviews, focus groups, questionnaires)

• Secondary research- any research that someone else has completed (books, articles, documentaries, websites)

You can use these research methods to gain different types of information

Quantitative: These findings will be centred on numbers. For example, it will be how many people think Uma Thurman in Kill Bill is a positive female representation.

Qualitative: These findings are based on quality, detailed content. For example it could be a quote from someone about Uma Thurman. The someone could be an academic, a respondent in your focus group or questionnaire.

How to reference research (see blog)

Harvard referencing

http://heathenmedia.co.uk/smallscaleresearchproject/

How to research key, relevant material

Last lesson we learnt how to reference research material. Why is it VITAL that you do this?

Today we are going to understand HOW to research. So how to select key, relevant material that will help you answer your specific question/ topic.

Using the contents page

Where would you go to find about:

1. Economic migrants in British film?

2. An essay about Eden Lake?

Use the INDEX page

Where can you find out something about Richard Curtis?

How about The Descent?

Once you have found the right page/ chapter/ essay…

You don’t have to read the whole thing.

You need to skim and scan to select the relevant material for your topic. Some of it won’t be important.Highlight the relevant information so it stands out on the page. You can also annotate the margin to help you.

Read/ skim page 1 of the Fight Club essay and answer the following questions:1. How is Marla Singer described?2. How does the narrator’s opinion of Marla change during the

film?Select and highlight the relevant information.

Creating your own mini research project in groups.Task 1. Use the research material I have given you to skim and highlight relevant information to help you answer the given topic title.

Group 1: The characteristics of Helena Bonham Carter’s performance across different directors. (Star/ performer)

Group 2: Representations of the black male in British film (Ethnicity)

Group 3: The representation of women in contemporary horror films (Gender)

Group 4: Richard Linklater (Auteur study)

Ext: Have a go at referencing the material you use correctly.

Mini research project cont…

Task 2: Add to the research you collected last lesson! Use other research methods, for example the internet, books, magazines, your own quantitative research to prepare a power point presentation, annotated catalogue and presentation script based on your topic title (see the sheet to help you work through this.) You have 4/5 lessons to complete this task.

Task 3: Present your research project to the class.