Shawshank Redemption by Frank Darabont Essay Example for Free

Shawshank Redemption by Frank Darabont Essay * Read each question carefully to determine which one you will answer * When you have selected the question you will spend a few minutes breaking it apart to ensure that your response answers all aspects. If you are looking for Excellence you want to select a question that will allow you to demonstrate that you are able to connect your text to society.| To show that with friendship and hope one can break free from their oppression Example: Identify what you consider to be the director’s main purpose in producing a text you have studied AND explore, in depth, one or two main techniques used to achieve it. Camera shots and dialogue Think of your essay like an hour glass. You are going to start wide (general) with your thoughts get narrow (very specific) and then end wide (generally again). Step Two: Introduction (Same as Novel) With your introduction you want to capture your reader’s attention. You are going to begin your essay with a few general statements. Quote; historical background; comment on a relevant issue in your text; use a statistic to highlight another issue that relates to your essay’s topic| Then you will move into the specific details of your text: * You must include the title and DIRECTOR of the text * You must echo the key words of the question (use these words exactly as it indicates to the marker that you understand what the question is asking) * You must also include or make reference to visual and verbal techniques When you see the word HOW it means techniques! I.e. How does the director craft the text-Visual-lighting, costumes, props, camera shots, camera angles, cuts, jump cuts, dissolve edits, cross cuts, colour filters, *cinematography, post productionVerbal-dialogue, music, non diagetic, diagetic, voiceovers, sound effects| Example Introduction: Green-interesting start/connection Blue-identifies techniques Purple-key elements Yellow-echoes the question â€Å"Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.† (Thich Nhat Hanh) Hope can sometimes be a hard concept to understand for many who are in difficult situations.In The Shawshank Redemption directed by Frank Darabont, hope is an elusive idea for many of the prison’s inmates-except Andy Dufresne. Andy Dufresne is a character that helps to reveal Darabont’s main purpose in producing the film, that with friendship and hope people can break free from their oppression. The film uses camera shots and music to portray this main purpose. Notice how the writer has combined all of the different elements. Does this appear different to a Level 1 introduction? Step 3: Body Paragraphs Remember that now the ‘hour glass’ is beginning to become narrow. This is where you become specific with your information. You will need to: * Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence that introduces the reader to your focus * You may then need to develop out these ideas (another sentence ) * Add a verbal technique (dialogue, voiceover, music, sound effects) that supports the topic * Add a visual technique (camera shots/angles, costume, symbolism, special effects, editing techniques etc.) that supports the topic * THINK ABOUT ADDING A THIRD OF EITHER VISUAL OR VERBAL * Explain how the visual and verbal features support the technique and topic * Try to connect the topic to modern day society-how is what you are watching still relevant? This is for excellence. Does not have to be in every paragraph. Green-society Blue-identifies techniques Purple-explanation Yellow-echoes the question Example Body Paragraph: Andy Dufrense was a character who never fit into the world of Shawshank Prison. Unlike other prisoners who claimed their innocence Andy was a wrongfully accused man a common occurrence for 8-12% of today’s inmates (Truth and Justice, 2011). Although Andy’s faith and hope does falter at times throughout the film it never dissolves. Music is a verbal feature used to help the audience understand the main purpose of the film that with friendship and hope one can break free from their oppression. Music was used to help show us Darabont’s idea of freedom and institutionalisation. Andy deliberately disobeys the warden and plays â€Å"The Marriage of Figaro† on the large speakers. He is severely punished for this and is sent into â€Å"the hole†. As the music is playing, all the prisoners stop what they are doing as they are awed by the beautiful voices of the Italian women. The long shots and extreme long shots reveal the prisoners as they all stop their activities and listen to the music. This gives the prisoners freedom as it brings back memories and takes them to a place outside of the prison. It gives them hope that someday they might be free of this prison. When Andy is sent to the hole as a result of disobedience, he says that he took the music down there with him. A close up of Andy being initially locked in reveals a smile on his face. He had the music in his head and it gave him hope. This hope helped him survive throughout the following years in the prison. You then need to repeat this process TWO MORE TIMES! You must remember that your body paragraphs is where you demonstrate your knowledge of the text. It is also the place where you analyse the features and key ideas and how they worked together. Step Four: Conclusion (SAME AS NOVEL) We are now at the end of the essay. This is a CRITICAL paragraph as this is the last element of the essay your marker will read. You want to put in just as much effort here as you did at the beginning. Introduction-catches the reader’s attentionConclusion-reminds them just how brilliant you are!| You will start your conclusion with the specific: * You must include the director and author of the text * You must echo the key words of the question (use these words exactly as it indicates to the marker that you understand what the question is asking) * You must also include or make reference to the visual and verbal techniques Your last sentence or sentences will be general. Remember we are now at the bottom of the hour glass. You want to end with a statement or idea that leaves the reader thinking. End with a connection to current society; end with a reflective observation about your text; a lesson learned| Green-society Purple-key elements Yellow-echoes the question Hope is an important element of survival in any environment. In Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption both camera shots and music have been used effectively to help develop the main purpose that with friendship and hope one can break free from their oppression. At the start of this film, Andy is shown to be a dis-passionate man who has lived in comfort. Throughout The Shawshank Redemption, his journey to express his emotions, build up his courage and withstand the ultimate battle between mind and authority helps him gain back the freedom took from him.