Thinking about moving image media

In making connections between films and print texts - drawing out the parallels and specific rules of each form - it is possible to highlight the ways in which both work, and to extend students' specific understanding of films and books and how they are constructed. This guide draws attention both to aspects of film which overlap with print texts - such as the ways stories or characters are constructed - and to how films are distinctive in themselves.

Much of the material has been adapted from the Key Stage 3 resource Screening Shorts, updated with references to the new films in this pack, and with some concepts and approaches that will stretch older students.

Approaches to teaching with and about moving image media can be found in Teaching with short films in English and Drama. You may find the following notes useful for a more detailed understanding of these concepts. They are separated into two groups - Cultural codes and Technical codes. Cultural codes refer to concepts of which the content can be carried over to other fiction formats (so there are principles of narrative structure, for example, that are common to both print and film). Technical codes, on the other hand, refer to concepts which are specific to film, such as editing or sound.

Also see the Film language glossary for a detailed list of terms.