burntends88

A husband, father and teacher. Film is my passion, and I believe learning is a lifelong journey. You can find me on Twitter @BurntEnds88

I like to use analogies where possible in my profession. It generates discussion and keeps my class on their toes.

Students often ask me how much they need to write for a response to a given question. My answer is almost always the same -

“It's your barbecue.”

A squint of the eyes and then it comes my way -

“You what? That's not an answer.”

Oh, but it is. A good response is one that's well structured and communicates to the reader the ideas presented in a succinct and well researched manner.

Now consider the analogy of a barbecue. You need the coals to be white hot instead of still burning or else you'll not only lose heat quickly, but the flames will char the food rather than cook it through. The coals are therefore your research – have you researched your topic thoroughly? If not, you'll likely create content that's somewhat unfinished and you'll run out of steam before the end.

Then consider the placement of the grill – too low and your food burns. Too high and your food might not cook through enough. This is your time factor. Manage your time efficiently so you provide a full response. A response that is well balanced, covering the topic evenly. You don't want a strong introduction only for the main body of it to be anaemic, lacking in substance.

You have your coals right where you want them and the grill in the correct position – you're all set to go right? Not quite. What are you planning to cook? Typically, burgers and sausages tend to be the staple of any British barbecue. But is that what you really want in a response? Typical? Typical is average. You're competing against other students across the country from other centres. Unfortunately there's a percentage of top grades awarded and the boundaries are adjusted accordingly thereafter. If you want to be in the top band then you need to think differently from your typical set up.

I want to read responses that have substance to them. I want a steak or skewers of meat, not a burger that's blackened on the outside. Chicken drumsticks that's raw in the centre? No thank you. This is you retaining your knowledge. How good is it? Are you able to articulate your learning on the page to engage the reader? Did you take notes in class and have you done your revision? Offer a discussion that's palatable – one that evaluates the effectiveness of any of the academic ideas you're looking to apply. Argue the question or statement and encourage critical thought. Give me steak I say.

At the end of the day, my students say they want to do well and achieve the high grades, but when it comes to it, it really is their barbecue. If you want burgers, fine. But so do the majority of others. It better be the best burger ever or else suffer the prospect of being washed out by the encroaching storm clouds. Whatever the question or topic is, the response needs to have the right balance of a barbecue.

The same can also be said of teachers – have we considered the curriculum and sequencing of topics in a way that sets up our barbecue correctly? Do we have enough resources to fully engage and deliver to our students? We're the supposed specialists with the subject knowledge, but sometimes that's just not enough. There needs to be a strategy in place that's well planned. How prepared you want to be is up to you – it is after all your barbecue.

As a content creator are you happy with what you're dishing up? Let's continue the conversation on Twitter or Facebook, and share your barbecue habits. Do you reinforce or challenge concepts with a meat or veg option?

Are you a content creator, but not getting paid for the time and effort of your work? Why don't you give Coil a try? It's an ad-free experience with lots of exclusive features. You can sign up to the platform for just $5 a month and start earning today.

Header by Vincent Keiman on Unsplash

For those of you with a subscription please continue for a peek at one of my curriculum 'one sheets' and the assessment map. I briefly outline the various topics covered across an academic year along with some details on the content students need to learn about.

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I’m going to attempt a mission impossible in this edition of Super Sunday. I’ve avoided doing this for the most part because there's just too many to choose from.

To help the process, I’m going to break it down by genre first and the winner of each – chosen from a personal top ten list – will go into a final round to be deliberated, and voted on to establish the ultimate 1980s film!

Your participation is greatly appreciated by casting your vote via the form at the end of this blog for each round. It will be interesting to see how the community stacks up against my personal choice. If you're unsure then take a look at their respective trailers and pick one – it's all in good fun. I will reveal the winner of the online community choice in each of the following week's genre rounds.

I apologise in advance if any of the films you thought are deserving of being included in each list are not featured.

[Source](https://www.imdb.com/)

Some Rationale For Being Included On The List

The 1970s and early 1980s were fraught with tensions and paranoia. They were a time of disobedience and a time of mistrust. The US were aching and licking their wounds from the disastrous policies that left many Americans grieving for the lost men of the Vietnam War.

The cold war too was raging, giving further rise to the fear of communism. While the Watergate scandal exposed a governments abuse of power leaving many Americans seething, it only added fuel to the counter culture movement.

In addition, the family home was being raided and ransacked as divorce rates soared to the highest levels in history. In doing so, it led to the fear of the other coming between a married couple, revealing consenting adults' fears and mistrust of each other.

But why do I talk mostly of the 1970s when my findings are about films from the 1980s? Because it takes a long time to make film. Many years on occasions from their inception to the process of writing and production. It makes sense then that the attitudes and beliefs that stemmed from the 1970s mindset would be reflected in the writers and filmmakers of the time. These are people who lived through this decade and as such their subconscious would inevitably leak out onto the page or celluloid.

Each film is accompanied with a trailer and a short blurb about the narrative. No spoilers in this one folks! In no particular order:

No Way Out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lypNWLvpb0I

A taut and tense narrative harking back to the fears of communism arising from the effects of the cold war. With twists and turns along the way to make any hairpin in formula one look like a straight track, Costner and Hackman are two men caught up in the middle of a murder and a political conspiracy to cover it up. You'll want to hang on for the ending on this one!

Dead Calm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkqZd3h3f2U

A couple escape from a personal tragedy to spend time together alone on their yacht. When their peace is interrupted by a drifter clambering aboard, it's not long after when they realise his story doesn't hold water. The suspense cranks up notch after notch as the couple must find a way to survive, stranded with a violent murderer in tow.

WarGames

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbqMuvnx5MU

David is a teenager who likes to play video games and coast through his senior year in high school. When he inadvertently gains access to a new game, he doesn't realise the computer programme is playing for real. With time running out and the launch codes for a nuclear war with Russia all but secured, David must figure out how to stop the computer from completing the programme or else global thermonuclear war will become a reality. Want to play a game of chess instead?

Blue Velvet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_BybDB_phY

Twisted and startling to say the least, Lynch taps into the fears of suburbia where that white picket fence and clear blue skies above mean anything but the American Dream. There’s terrific symbolism and performances from a gifted cast that includes Dennis Hopper in a role like you’ve never seen before.

FRANTIC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKRSA40CGfo

In a case of mistaken identity, a man's life is turned upside down when his wife goes missing while on a trip to Paris. When no one believes him, he races against the clock to get her back and stumbles across a plot that threatens to endanger the lives of millions.

FATAL ATTRACTION

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf8gh_d7Z6k

The term 'bunny boiler' derived from this film in what is essentially a living nightmare for anyone committing adultery. Just don't do it folks. The messages are clear and in this case, the monster comes in the shape of Glen Close! If you're in a relationship, this is one 'mistake' you do not want to make.

SOUTHERN COMFORT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swKpsdkW-Hk

The film follows a squad on a weekend maneuvers in the Louisiana bayou only to find themselves caught unprepared when Cajun hunter-trappers give chase, turning a routine training exercise into a life or death fight for survival. There are so many allegories to Vietnam in this one, being that it's set in 1973, reflecting the invasive intrusion and subsequent fear of outsiders.

WITNESS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY3XnCyKAEU

When a young Amish boy witnesses a murder, a police officer uncovers corruption within the precinct and must go into hiding with the Amish community to protect him. Two differing cultures collide on their values and beliefs to show how one can influence the other, offering social commentary of its time against the backdrop of a thrilling murder investigation. Ford gets to show off some of his renowned carpentry skills in this one!

BLOW OUT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU2JVVd9xRc

More political conspiracies and cover ups in a film about a sound technician who inadvertently records an accident, only to find out it was in fact an assassination. Released in 1981, Blow Out looks to capture the zeitgeist of the time – still fumbling in a haze of paranoia and mistrust of authority. How the film ends is a lingering reminder of this.

BLOOD SIMPLE (Joel & Ethan Coen, 1984)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFzPVLdGtAg

Committing adultery might as well come with a health warning in the Coen's directorial debut. There's much to admire about this film including its dark humour, which has become synonymous with the film-making pair. When Abby finds solace in the arms of Ray, she longs to get rid of her wealthy husband, but he on the other hand has ideas of his own and hires a private investigator to get rid of her.

Please choose from the list and share the post for others to participate in the vote.

https://forms.gle/296V1FaeBvi122Tf9

Check back next Sunday for the results of the online community choice, and for part 2 of the series where I'll look explore the 'teen' genre.

Are you a content creator, but not getting paid for the time and effort of your work? Why don't you give Coil a try? It's an ad-free experience with lots of exclusive features. You can sign up to the platform for just $5 a month and start earning today.

Poster featured in the header can be found on IMDB.

In all professions there are individuals who redefine the industry they work for. They are pioneers in their own right, and they leave a lasting impression on all who follow.

source

Hans Zimmer is a music producer for the film industry who has over 200 credits to his name as a composer (correct as of writing). Though you might not recognise his face, or perhaps have only just heard of his name now, if you watch film, you will most certainly recognise some of his work.

There have been many write-ups on his most popular pieces. So instead, I hope to explore perhaps some of his lesser known tracks and explain the relevance of them in the context of the film itself, and the way his music resonates with me on an emotional level.

The difference between a soundtrack and a score, is that soundtracks are pre-recorded tracks of which a studio then acquires license to use in the film. A score is the use of music written specifically for the film – primarily instrumental.

Some film directors choose to use a score or soundtrack as a contrapuntal device whereby the sound is in contrast to the image on screen (think Tarantino and Reservoir Dog’s ear slicing scene played against 'Stuck In The Middle With You’ by Stealers Wheel). For the most part though a score is used in parallel with the images to reinforce its effect on the spectator.

I implore you to listen to the following track from the film Interstellar (Nolan, 2014) and think about the genre expressed. What do you think is taking place in the narrative? And just as importantly, what is your emotional response as it plays out – does it alter during its runtime?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MPR8ikyU9s

There is a motif playing through the track – the ticking clock-like effect associated with time, which brings with it many connotations. The evidence to support there being a feeling of time running out can be detected in the arrangement of the bombastic piece. As the pace and tempo increases, so does the urgency of the situation facing the characters involved in the narrative. As a spectator our emotional response is heightened with suspense and tension.

For those of you unfamiliar with the moment in the film, or perhaps have forgotten, take a look at the clip to which the piece of music was written for. Consider how the score runs parallel to the imagery. To put the clip into context, the protagonists are required to dock their pod onto the space station. Failure to do so will result in not only losing their lives, but of mankind also.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV1767i8X4Q

The moment the clock begins to tick is when the scene takes on a life of its own. The imagery depicts the speed at which the station is rotating as a result of the blast, and is designed to show the enormity of the task. As they get closer to docking, the score picks up and the sounds of the clock ticking contracts, thrilling the spectator and willing them to root for Cooper to complete the sequence. A crescendo is eased and reflects back to us in the form of relief.

I've made a conscious decision to include a performance from the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra and Tenerife Film Choir of Zimmer's rousing score featured in Backdraft (Howard, 1991). It's important to see the scope of what's involved in creating such pieces, and one that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCkYiDBwHFQ

The Backdraft theme is as much triumphant as it is sombre in depicting the firefighter's narrative in the film. The brass and percussion make a fist of courage and strength while the strings and choir bring home the emotional loss and sense of humanity we experience as we take in the arrangement as a whole. It is rousing in its thrills, as much as it is stirring, as it tugs at the heart.

The opening sequence of the film looks to explore heroism whilst also highlighting the ferocity and negative emotional charge of its villain, the fire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsAgqpvwJiE

I was in my mid-teens when I watched this film for the first time, and it was the first film to ever bring tears to my eyes at the end. When you invest so much into characters you look to identify with, the score plays an integral role in helping you to 'feel' emotion.

Nominated for 10 Academy Awards and winning his only one thus far for The Lion King, Zimmer has carved out a place in cinematic history with his contribution to the film industry through his music. A list of his entire works can be found on IMDB. How many films do you recognise that you didn't realise he was behind its music? What I find fascinating is how Zimmer is primarily a self-taught musician.

My intention with this blog series is not to give you a biography on film composers, but instead to give you an insight into the kind of music which might be unfamiliar to you. Music that evokes a range of powerful emotions, as the arrangement of instruments combined with vocal chords of a choir work to create a highly charged atmosphere. In doing so, I hope to bring to light inspirational pieces from a variety of film composers that might just persuade you to include them on your playlist.

Join me on this journey of music discovery and share your thoughts on the composers and their works on Twitter. In the meantime, I want to leave you with a selection of tracks from Zimmer, of which are featured from the live performance filmed in Prague.

How do the following pieces affect you emotionally?

One of my favourite tracks of his is actually from a film I'm not that well enamoured by, The Da Vinci Code (Howard, 2006). But by God, the enormity of the layers involved is entrancing as much as it powerful in the way it picks up pace. The entire arrangement of the strings and the use of the choir make the piece one of his more recognisable ones and features at the end of its film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24WWwhgCLgM

The following piece is from Crimson Tide (Scott, 1995) – the brass, percussion and string bring to it a military feel associated with the narrative involving the captain (Gene Hackman) of a U.S. naval submarine and his CEO played by Denzel Washington who are opposing in their ideologies while on the brink of a full blown nuclear war with Russia. Stirring stuff this one folks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqiNYu2OxqI&list=RD9MPR8ikyU9s&index=24

And what would an article from me be without the opportunity to feature a comment about Superman? Zimmer composed the theme to Man of Steel (Snyder, 2013), which looks to capture the spirit of rising above adversity in staking a claim to become a symbol of hope.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E8Nm3hun0g

In closing, I leave you with a final short clip – an interview with Hans Zimmer about creating the music to Backdraft, and the thought process that actually goes with creating music, which has purpose to evoke emotion in film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf_2JUdofOw

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Header image by Felix Mooneeram

Did I tell you I love film? I really do, to the point where I take their life lessons and look to apply them in my classes.

It’s often important to have an overall appreciation of long term goals. As a teacher, we plan our curriculum and sequence a variety of topics in the order we deem to be in the best interest of our students over an academic year. If it’s done correctly then progress should be sustained.

On one occasion I had a student approach me – for purposes of anonymity we'll call her Jane – with their paper after I’d given it a borderline ‘E’ grade. It really should have been an 'F', but I didn’t want to completely deflate her so soon into the course – it was her first assignment after all. She wasn’t happy and stressed how she can’t be given these grades.

Film requires a new language to be learned. If you’ve read any of my analyses you will have come across terminology associated with filming techniques. They need to be understood first if you’re to apply it to a film with the intention of acquiring meaning from it.

A series of sessions to explore the basics is essential for long term gain. As Film is very much a modern subject to these students, and only offered at the time as an A Level, it makes sense then that their first attempts would be of low quality.

Explaining this to her, I asked her to trust my methods. I gave her a prediction right there that she would eventually end up with an 'A' grade in her exams.

Roughly a quarter of the way into a two year course, some of the students questioned my methods once more. Calm as you like, I asked them what they were so aggrieved about. They felt they weren’t prepared for any of the pre-public examinations we were running, which were less than a month away.

They felt they hadn’t done any learning of film, and were unable to understand the messages and values in them so they could confidently answer any of the questions. They were an impatient lot!

So I began to tell them of a story of a young boy who wanted to learn karate. His teacher wanted him to literally paint the fence. Paint the house. Wax the car. Sand the floor (I did this in a more engaging way than it sounds). Until he questioned his teacher. He was aggrieved, much like some of my class were. You have to understand, The Karate Kid was made in 1984. This particular year group weren't born until 1998 / 99, so they hadn’t even heard of the film, let alone recognised the analogy I was pitching to them, of which you can see in the clip below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzEhrB4sZbw

So I did the equivalent and proceeded with an impromptu pop quiz – I wanted to prove a point and I wanted to do it with the most vociferous of dissidents. Question after question, I got Jane to fire back the answers. And fire them back she did. They never questioned me after that. And that class ended up achieving in the top 10% of the country for Film Studies that year (quite an achievement since we don't cherry pick students on the course like many others do) I gave them my Miyagi nod of approval when they came in for their results.

Entering a contest or a challenge and working your way through to a final is akin to a student undertaking a series of subjects, culminating in having to take exams to determine your knowledge. And just like an illegal move to the back of the knee, which is like opening the paper and being taken aback by the wording of a question and it not making sense, instead of becoming flustered, gather your thoughts and reach back to your learning and give that exam paper a crane kick to the face!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCenGKkj3YQ

Jane did just that, much like Daniel LaRusso did to Johnny Lawrence! She ended up with the 'A' that I said she would. She listened and she worked hard for it. She fully deserved it. Patience to learn, and to build on your knowledge through repeated practice is essential for improvement. Her training from an A Level perspective was complete. But much like in sequels, there is so much more to learn.

Header banner courtesy of Robin Worrall

To read more about what happened to Jane after A Levels, *sign up to Coil here*. For just $5, you too can enjoy ad-free exclusive content and enjoy the benefits of a supportive writing community.

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It’s strange that I should be posting my first Super Sunday Showdown between two Disney products. Let me briefly explain my position before announcing the winner of this battle.

Originality and choice are two things that go a long way with me. I do not want restrictions imposed on the content on offer. With that being said, we are very much beholden to media conglomerates with regards to the content we receive.

www.trekmovie.com

Do you notice AT&T buying up Time Warner? How about Disney acquiring Twenty-First Century Fox? What's happening here is that conglomerates are becoming more and more powerful while reducing in numbers. Our choices are not only being minimised, but so too are the messages we receive and are influenced by. Each division owned by the parent company will send out the same message – they are creating a brand after all.

Fox gave us Die Hard. Anyone who's seen this will tell you how much of a marker it set in terms of genre. Die Hard on a bus – Speed. Another corker and a Fox film again. Both original films (well, Die Hard was based on a novel and was set to star Frank Sinatra, but he acknowledged his age being a barrier for the project and turned it down) But the point is, do you think Disney will make a Die Hard type of film, or a Speed for that matter? Home Alone was a Fox film... oh wait, Disney are remaking that – but it's for kids! Who knows what else they'll get their mitts on?!

Disney weren't always like this – they had what was known as Buena Vista (BV) – they still do. It's basically, Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures now. Ever seen Con Air? The Rock? They're Disney films – certainly not the kind of content you'd associate with family friendly audiences (graphic violence and sex). But that was back then. Disney have changed direction. They have essentially found a formula that clearly works for them and have let the brand set in.

Box Office Mojo

In 1995, a variety of film distributors occupied the box office chart. As you can see, Crimson Tide, Dangerous Minds and While You Were Sleeping were all released under the BV banner. These are live-action films reaching out to an adult demographic only. 5 out of the top 18 films belonged to Disney.

Compare how many Disney films occupy the 2016 chart.

Box Office Mojo

In 2016, four of the major Hollywood studios occupied the top ten grossing films of that year. Take into account that Disney have now acquired Twenty-First Century Fox, and you will detect that Disney control 7 out of 10, or doubled their hold in comparison to just over ten years prior.

Box Office Mojo

Isn't it ridiculous that Disney have the top 8 grossing films of 2019? I say it is because where on earth is the originality and choice? This is stifling. They are all part of a franchise or live-action 'cash grab' (cough-cough), I mean, reboot.

Consider SWIFT controlling all banks. Isn't that ridiculous? Don't you think it's good to have disruptors like Ripple? Why should this be any different then?

At least in the past I could respect what Disney were about – encouraging new content and originality, much like the other film studios. But now, the Mouse House has become the monster its films look to dispel. Their films feel hollow – they lack substance, instead focused on churning out near shot-for-shot remakes of their animated classics. Or a rehash of previous trilogies, repackaged with better effects. Hardly pushing the boundaries of originality. They are the 'ready-meal' of the film world!

As media conglomerates consolidate and control a larger percentage of what we read and see on our screens, it becomes all the more clear that we are under an illusion of choice.

It seems as though if I want something different I must look to Netflix or Amazon. They let filmmakers and writers thrive without interfering in the creative process. Every film studio passed on Scorsese's The Irishman. Netflix came in and gave him whatever the resources he needed to make it his way. Is it any wonder why streaming sites are so popular? Scroll through Netflix and see the abundance of 'originals'.

It’s not just about the price of a cinema ticket and the concessions that come with it. It’s about originality and choice. Take either of those two away and the cinema going experience becomes a creche.

Critics often bemoan the lack of originality from studios and castigate them in reviews, and yet they often praise Disney for their films, seemingly giving them a ‘pass’ on each occasion irrespective of them lacking originality. It does make me wonder about a film critics’ integrity sometimes.

Beware the power of conglomerates – consider the source of information you come across. A positive review might be a result of the publishing house belonging to the same business that produced the film.

So, just to be clear, I'm not a fan of Disney, which is why I started this edition with initial trepidation.

Imagery featured in header banner from IMDB

My intention with these Super Sunday blogs is to explore a showdown featuring a variety of topics. Some will be singular posts, such as this, whereas others might require a number of parts to whittle it down to uncover the ultimate winner of the topic being covered.

Please feel free to comment on Twitter about any of the Super Sunday Showdowns featured in the blog... let battle commence!

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@SethStanley17 and @BurntEnds88 would like to thank those who participated in the survey.

Before deliberating over the results of each question, as you will see, 23 responses were counted in total. For a community that has a number of its participants with 'follows' in the three digit range, it's somewhat surprising that there seems to be a small number of active users.

We realise not all will have taken part in the survey, so the findings from the results will unlikely be accurate.

Overwhelmingly, you are all in favour of a web page to search for monetised authors, either by name or content. It's clearly a feature that would benefit the longevity of the platform.

While only just considered the most important feature, clearly there are other areas that you feel strongly about.

The participants names were never recorded and as such you all remain anonymous. However, from your comments, a forum to be able to reply to posts, or in general, was very popular. Statistical data / analytics seems to be key to improving the user experience, and will help individuals develop the quality of their content.

The results from the list of categories is particularly interesting. The top 3 most popular topics being covered on the platform from the sample are: writing / blogging; personal; lifestyle

From the sample of 23, we can see the more infrequent topics, which raises some interesting points. Are these squandered gaps? Can any of us capitalise and write articles about them, or is the fact there aren't many posts suggestive of there not being the clientele on the platform that care enough for them?

Perhaps these are opportunities to reach out to friends or neighbouring bloggers on other sites to be enticed over, as there's clearly a gap in the market?

Either way, we would love to hear your thoughts on any of the above, so hit us on Twitter with your comments. Coil, you too, we'd love to get some insight on your end as to where you see the platform heading in the coming months.

Header image from Headway on Unsplash.

As always, thanks for supporting all content creators. It is truly appreciated.

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Reflecting on my experience as a teacher having undergone numerous quality assurance procedures, I'm reminded of the importance to consider our starting positions before accepting any form of defeat.

In the UK we have what is known as OFSTED, an external body acting on behalf of the government responsible for regulating education. The dreaded 'O' word. It sends fear into the very hearts of teachers around the country.

The school I work at has been on the receiving end of an 'RI' – Requires Improvement three times on the bounce. The ramifications of which are extreme.

To learn more about my experiences as a teacher, sign up to Coil here. For just $5, you too can enjoy ad-free exclusive content and enjoy the benefits of a supportive writing community.

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There comes a time when you need to step back and reassess.

Working as a teacher holds many challenges. One of those is to ensure you have the necessary resources to engage, motivate and inform your students.

I devised a lesson whereby my sixth form students (16-18 age group) would work on whiteboards I'd secured up on the walls around the room. Instead of being seated on their chairs at their desks, I'd encourage them to be up on their feet in small groups. I called these sessions,

I'd pose a question or statement for all groups to consider (in some cases, a single word) and I'd let them explore it 'live'. They would interact with each other and share their findings, writing any comments or ideas as they came to mind.

This was particularly good for me because it meant I did less work. Now that's not to say I was being lazy, to my mind the student needs to put more effort into their learning than the teacher, or else how are they ever going to learn to develop their independence?

In essence, this was about them applying their critical thinking skills, whilst reducing the negative effects of cognitive overload. By working in groups, students share the workload instead of individually tackling each topic on their own.

Film Studies carries heavily weighted exam questions worth 40 marks per topic on the whole. As such, students are required to hold a discussion with an extended written response if they are to do well. See the subscriber section for a typical exam paper.

Each group would feedback their ideas from their boards to each other. We would share findings to the point where all the necessary material needed for a thorough response becomes accessible to all.

The whiteboard workshops were going great – I'd be using it for nearly every lesson. The students were loving it – they were interacting instead of being talked at. Have you ever been in meetings where you've been lectured to the point of nodding off? Why would students be any different? They would leap out of their chairs and grab a board marker ready to have at it.

But then after a while, there'd be the audible groan when they'd see me pull out the the box of board markers ready for the session. I'd basically saturated the hell out of the practice to the point where students were just fatigued by it.

So, I spaced out the sessions at various points within each topic, and came up with other novel methods of interactive teaching so sessions like whiteboard workshops still feel fresh as they did the first time round.

A teacher requires an arsenal of resource materials and styles to deliver lessons in order to engage, motivate and inform their students. In some way, I've found my blogging experience much the same – there comes a saturation point where as a writer it makes sense to utilise a range of ideas and methods in which to communicate to your readers, or else lose them for becoming somewhat stale.

To what extent am I mixing it up? I'm unsure – I'm still feeling my way around. I'd like to think I'm learning, and have looked to space my film content and intersperse them now with musings such as these where I can draw on my professional experiences as a teacher. In addition, I have looked to offer a different medium of content through my experimental filmmaking exploits on Cinnamon, of which I've thoroughly enjoyed so far, and urge others to dive in if they haven't already done so.

How do you feel about your content on the platforms you're interacting with? Are you mixing it up while remaining relevant for your audience? Let us know on Twitter by sharing in your good practice.

Header from Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash

To learn more about Film Studies, and to see what a typical exam paper consists of, sign up to Coil here. For just $5, you too can enjoy ad-free exclusive content and enjoy the benefits of a supportive writing community.

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