IB Film Assessments: Senior Year

What exactly do we do in IB Senior Film? (And when are these things due?)

Assessment Cheat Sheet

Course Scope / Objective / Aims

The IB Film course aims to develop both interpretative and production skills. Central to the course is study and research in film history, criticism and theory with an eye to socio-cultural and international perspectives. Additionally, this course translates film research into film production.

The three core components of the course: textual analysis, film theory and history and creative production and documentation are integrated in exercises and assessments throughout the duration of the course.

IB Film explicitly connects with the broader DP curriculum including TOK and the IB Learner profile.

Here is quick link to download this entire document.

Course Assessments At-A-Glance:

IB Film culminates in the successful completion of three interconnected assessments. All enrolled students will assess for IB credit at the Higher Level (HL).

Production Portfolio (PP): 50 Points / Internally Assessment w/ Moderation

The PP actively engages students in the collaborative process of creating, editing and polishing their own film text. Each student production follows a complete production cycle from initial development through to post-production editing and dubbing. Additionally, all stages of the production cycle are to be individually documented according to chosen student roles.

• Max # of Assessing Students per Team: 4
• Max # of Non-Assessing Students per Team: Unlimited
• Possible Assessment Roles: Director, Cinematographer, Sound, Writer and Editor
• Length of Final Film (1 per Team): 6–7 Minutes including Titles
• Length of Final Individual Trailer (1 per Student): 45–60 Seconds
• Individual Rationale (Film and Trailer): 100 Words Each
• Individual Documentation (Film and Trailer): 1750 Words

Oral Presentation (Oral): 25 Points / External Assessment

A recorded and timed oral presentation of a detailed critical analysis of a continuous extract from a prescribed film. The extract must be no longer than five minutes.

• Max Length of Oral: 15 Minutes
• Formal Bibliography

Independent Study (IS): 25 Points / External Assessment

Rationale, A/V columned script with annotated list of sources for a short documentary on an aspect of film theory and/or history. The chosen films must originate from more than one country.

• Minimum # of Films Used: 4
• Minimum # of Countries of Origin of Films: 2
• Minimum # of Comparative Moments: 4
• Minimum Page Length: 12
• Max Page Length: 15
• Courier Font 12 Pt.
• A/V Format
• Annotated Bibliography
• Rationale Length: 100 Words

Extended Essay (EE): IB Core / External Assessment

A researched, well-argued engagement with film studies, history, theory and formalism of approximately 4000 words.

• Max Words: 4000
• RQ Required
• Abstract Required
• TOC Required
• Introduction Required
• Body Required
• Conclusion Required
• Images Required
• Bibliography Required
• Multiple Criteria Assessment

Assessment Timeline (Part 1)

Production Portfolio Assessment Steps (Part 1)

The Production Portfolio (PP) is an internally assessed long-term project that is completed by all students. It will receive a moderated score from a max of 50pts.

Step I (Due 8/31/15)

Team Formation w/ Roles.

Establish Individual Medium Accounts + Team Medium Publication

Create a Medium Story (Team)

1. Form production teams of no more than four (4) members. Each member must be a current IB Film student. You may form cross-section teams
2. After reviewing the official IB Film Studies Guide + Cheat Sheet produce and publish online a formal team formation document via a Team Medium story that includes the following details (each member will publish basically the same document):

• Name of all team members sitting for assessment at HL status.
• Official IB production role for each member sitting for assessment (your choices are: director, writer, editor, cinematographer, and sound). Only one role per person per team.
• Indication of required length of film and portfolio.
• Indication of need for trailer. Yes or no?
• Equipment / software owned by team members.
• Additionally, the team must establish a shared medium publication wherein each member is a contributing writer. This will require each member to first establish their individual accounts, then choose a leader to create the publication and add all team members as writers/editors. This shared space will be used through the duration of the production project for group/individual evaluations, scheduling, commentary on the production process and stages, and documenting artifacts.
• Brand your team. You will need a production team name, some graphics, online swag etc.

Step II (Due 9/18/15)

Pre-Production Check #1

Create a Medium Story (Team)

Collaboratively construct and publish a shared medium story that summarizes and evaluates your team’s completion of the following tasks. Each bullet point must be addressed and include some form of graphic component / artifact.

• Discussion of team members and roles. Who is doing what and why? Give me some images that prove it.
• Film topic brainstorming. Talk through your initial ideas — good, bad and non-sensical. Include images of your written notes and jottings.
• Initial Treatment. Yes … a real initial treatment. You may do this within medium or using a word program and take screenshots.
• Scouting of possible shooting locations. Lots of images to indicate that someone from your group actually went there as well.
• Tech needs. What does your team need to complete this project and where will you get it. Show me some images of said equipment.
• Links to film history, technique, theory etc. How does your planned film connect to the wider world of film? Is it inspired by a director, a genre, a moment in cinematic history? Images and discussion.
• Research, evaluate and choose screenwriting software. You may use a simple word program, Adobe Story, Celtx, Final Draft — it is short so don’t over think it. Images please.
• Discussion of Pulling Off Your Shorts Reading Packet #1 (Intro — Chapter Two). What did you learn? What was interesting? What wasn’t?

Step III (Due 10/2/15)

Pre-Production Check #2

Create a Medium Story (Team)

Collaboratively construct and publish a shared medium story that summarizes and evaluates your team’s completion of the following tasks. Each bullet point must be addressed and include some form of graphic component / artifact.

• Finalized Locations with Pictures. You really should have visited them by now.
• Finalized Treatment. Let’s see it. Share it to the world and discuss how your team feels about it.
• Working Storyboards. You can make this elaborate or simple — but make them. You can draw them, design them — but you do need them. Indicate how your team constructed them and include them in your story.
• Working Script. Again, you can use an established program or simply type it out. Please include the script in your story — images are fine.
• Preliminary Shooting Schedule. All footage must be completed prior to Winter Break so plan accordingly. Include real dates and times — not grand prognostications of when it might be nice to film.
• Casting of actors. Who is in your movie? Can we see them? Tell us why you cast them. Give them some online coverage and headshots.
• Materials needed or acquired for costumes, props, set design. What will you need and where are you going to get it? Imagesssssss.
• Links to film history, technique, theory etc. Yet another — but hopefully more comprehensive discussion of how your planned film connects to the wider world of film. Is it inspired by a director, a genre, a moment in cinematic history? Images and discussion.
• Discussion of Pulling Off Your Shorts Reading Packet #2 (Chapter Three — Six). What did you learn? What was interesting? What wasn’t?

Step IV (Due 10/26/15)

Pre-Production Check #3

Create a Medium Story (Team)

Collaboratively construct and publish a shared medium story that summarizes and evaluates your team’s completion of the following tasks. Each bullet point must be addressed and include some form of graphic component / artifact.

• Finalized script. Let’s see the finished product. Images please. Of the entire thing. (It should only be about 5–7 pages).
• Finalized shot list. This is your planned shot list. This is one step more advanced and detailed than your storyboard. Images please.
• Finalized shooting schedule w/ list of people required when / where. Be specific. Do not include phone numbers or emails in your published story however. But … do keep an image of these for final submission later in April.
• Finalized item list (props etc.). Images.
• Finalized tech item list. Images.
• Links to film history, technique, theory etc. Yet another — but hopefully more comprehensive discussion of how your planned film connects to the wider world of film. Is it inspired by a director, a genre, a moment in cinematic history? Images and discussion. Now might be the time that you include specific shots modeled off of or in homage to specific films.
• Discussion of Pulling Off Your Shorts Reading Packet #3 (Chapter Seven — Eight). What did you learn? What was interesting? What wasn’t?

Step V (Due 12/18/15)

Production of All Footage

Create a Medium Story (Team)

Collaboratively construct and publish a shared medium story that summarizes and evaluates your team’s completion of the following tasks. Each bullet point must be addressed and include some form of graphic component / artifact.

• Produce all needed footage for your final film and trailers. Recall that your final edited film will be 6–7 minutes in length — be sure to collect far more footage than this.

Oral Presentation Assessment Steps

The Oral Presentation (Oral) is an externally assessed presentation that is completed by all students. It will receive a score of 0–25.

Step I (Due 9/4/15)

Choose a Practice Film + Create a Medium Story

1. Consult the oral handout outlining the assessment components and requirements — including possible ways to structure the assessment and your research / notes.
2. Choose any film and/or 2 episodes of a television hour-length serial to conduct a practice oral on. You will need access to this film/TV show for this practice exercise.

Step II (Due 9/28/15)

Construct Notes / Written Sketch of Presentation + Create a Medium Story

1. Using your chosen practice text (film or TV serial), construct a fully fleshed out narrative written sketch of your practice oral presentation (please use the outline provided) — including all required elements and images for evidence. This should take the final form a published individual medium story — and should include enough notes to support a 15 minute long presentation.

Step III (Due 10/19/15)

Record a Timed Practice Oral + Create a Medium Story

1. Using your chosen practice text (film or TV serial), record a fully fleshed out oral presentation (please use the outline provided) that includes all required elements and lasts 14–15 minutes in length. You may conduct multiple attempts and submit only the best. Post your recording to SoundCloud or our Google Drive and create a medium story assessing your performance along with notes to help you do better during your official oral presentation.

Step IV (Due 11/6/15)

Course Vote on Oral Texts

1. November 1st is when IB is scheduled to release the latest list of oral texts. Once we have the list you will vote to determine the 3 available texts for our official oral presentation.

Step V (Due 12/7–18/15)

Conduct Official Oral

1. We will conduct official orals during this window. Do not miss your appointment. Do not put off practice, research and outlining. Make it great!

Independent Study Assessment Steps (Part 1)

The Independent Study (IS) is an externally assessed written documentary script that is completed by all students. It will receive a score of 0–25.

Step I (Due 9/14/15)

Make a Big Film List + Create a Medium Story

1. Consult the IS handout outlining the assessment components and requirements — including possible ways to choose films and narrow approaches.
2. Make a big, detailed list of possible films you might want to work with for the IS. The more international (non-US) the better. There are no limits on this list — so go crazy. The goal is to work with films that you haven’t fully experienced yet — or films that you can connect in strange productive ways to other films that you have worked with. Create a medium story that contains this list, some images and perhaps even some thoughts on why you chose these films.

Step II (Due 10/5/15)

Make a More Focused Film List and Add Themes / Topics / Approaches

Create a Medium Story

1. Consult the IS handout outlining the assessment components and requirements — including possible ways to choose films and narrow approaches.
2. Make a more focused and detailed list of possible films you might want to work with for the IS. The more international (non-US) the better. This time also connect possible films to a variety of critical approaches, themes, theories or modes of analysis that might prove helpful. These approaches can overlap and even contradict each other at this stage — we are simply brainstorming. Create a medium story that contains this list and approaches some images and thoughts on why you chose these films and approaches.

Step III (Due 11/13/15)

Finalize Films and Construct a Rationale and Annotated Bibliography

Create a Medium Story + Turnitin Submission

1. Consult the IS handout outlining the assessment components and requirements — including possible ways to choose films and narrow approaches.
2. Finalize your list of film to no more than 6. 4/6 films must be international (non-US based). Two different countries must be represented in some way. Construct a brief rationale (100 words or less) explaining why you chose these films and how you plan to discuss them. Construct an annotated bibliography that includes all of your films and at least 5 critical scholarly sources. Your annotations should be at least 2 sentences in length and indicate why you chose this source.
3. Create a medium story that contains your films, rationale and sources. Images are nice too.
4. Create a formal written document that contains list of films, rationale and annotated bibliography and submit it to our course Turnitin.

Step IV (Due 12/4/15)

Construct a Narrative Summary and Final Annotated Bibliography

Create a Medium Story

1. Consult the IS handout outlining the assessment components and requirements — including possible ways to choose films and narrow approaches.
2. Construct a narrative summary of how you plan to discuss your films. Remember that plot, while important, should not overtake your analysis and synthesis. This is a narrative summary of your approach to the films — not a narrative summary of their individual plots. You should construct at least 2 pages of notes and narrative summary per film. Be sure to construct an updated rationale and annotated bibliography as well.
3. Create a medium story that contains your narrative summary with copious images for evidence. You may create one big story or several smaller ones per film.
4. Create a formal written document that contains narrative summary, an updated rationale and annotated bibliography and submit it to our course Turnitin.

Extended Essay Assessment Steps

The Extended Essay (EE) is an externally assessed long-term project that is completed by all IB students. It will receive a score of 0–36. All IB students will complete the following tasks regardless of chosen subject area.

Step I (Due 8/31/15)

Submit Latest EE Draft to Turnitin

1. Consult the EE formatting and scoring handout and do your best to align your latest draft to the suggestions offered.
2. Submit your EE to the Stanton Turnitin account. This submission will be not be used to determine “improper citation” but in order to conduct to peer reviews. This submission will be conflict with other EE submissions and will not be added to a “paper repository” on Turnitin.

Step II (Due 9/8/15)

Conduct 2 EE Peer Reviews

1. Using the official EE rubric conduct 2 online Turnitin peer reviews. The goal is to produce s useful assessment snapshot for your reviewed authors. Please be specific in your comments and be ruthless in your application of the rubric. Ruthless. Do not score for elements that do not appear but may show up in some mysterious future draft. Assess for what it is there.

Step III (Due 9/28/15)

Revised EE Draft Submission

1. Consult the EE formatting and scoring handout as well as your peer reviews to produce the best and final EE draft possible. Every element should be included in this draft. If you are my supervisee this will be the draft that I review and offer commentary on — make it count.
2. Submit your EE to the Stanton Turnitin account. This submission will be not be used to determine “improper citation.” This submission will be conflict with other EE submissions and will not be added to a “paper repository” on Turnitin.

Step IV (Due 11/13/15)

Final EE Submission — Packaging

1. Consult the EE formatting and scoring handout as well as my review to produce the final EE. Every element must be included.
2. Submit your EE to the Stanton Turnitin account. Print your EE via PDF format in color on the class copy machine. Place in the yellow folder. Say goodbye to the EE.