Clip actitivy
Film Education's Tomorrow When The War Began study DVD features eight key clips from the film. The clips are taken from different stages in the narrative and provide a rich resource for exploring character, narrative and film language.
Watch the clip on this page and follow the sequence analysis tasks, below. Then, work through the same questions for the other clips on the DVD.
Sequence analysis
- Describe what you think is happening in the clip. What seems to be significant about what you can see?
- Describe the characters, their actions in the sequence and their relationships to one another.
- How do setting, location, props and costume choices contribute to your interpretation of the sequence? Consider what information these convey.
- How does the sound shape your responses to the sequence? Comment on dialogue, tone, incidental sound and any music you notice, exploring their impact on your emotional response to the sequence.
- How do lighting and colour affect tone and atmosphere? Explore lighting choices, including noticeable use of light and shadow, as well as considering choice of colour.
- How does camera technique contribute to the creation of meaning in this sequence? Consider the effects of camera position and angle, commenting on two or more examples.
- Consider the ways in which the editing affects our interpretation of what we see in this sequence. How important are pace and continuity in shaping your response to what you see?
- What genre does this sequence seem to belong to? Explain your answer, describing any genre features you can identify in this extract. Remember to consider what you hear as well as what you see.
- What questions would you want to ask about the rest of the film? Based on what you have seen, what predictions might you make about narrative events that have already occurred and developments following this sequence?
- Why do you think this sequence has been chosen for analysis of the different ways in which film can create meaning?
