Visual Texts: Power, Story, and Meaning
What this term is about
Term 2 focuses on visual texts: film, short film, and/or other screen media. We will explore how directors shape meaning through visual and verbal choices, and how films represent (and sometimes challenge) power, identity, belonging, and truth.
This term is designed to be relevant and engaging, while also giving you strong tools for close viewing and critical interpretation. You will learn how to notice what many viewers miss: structure, symbolism, tone, camera choices, sound, editing, and how these work together to create meaning.
How learning works
Learning this term is centred on:
- close viewing and re-viewing key sequences (watching with purpose, not just “watching”)
- discussion and evidence-based interpretation
- building a shared vocabulary for film technique and effect
- creating your own visual text with clear intent and audience awareness
You will have scope to personalise your focus (themes, perspectives, and scenes) while still working within a shared structure that supports high-quality analysis.
Anchor texts (proposed)
(These may be adjusted in response to the class.)
- Level 2 class anchor: Get Out (dir. Jordan Peele) — identity, social power, belonging, subtext
- Level 3 same-director pair (recommended): Parasite and Memories of Murder (dir. Bong Joon-ho) — class, power, systems, moral ambiguity
(Students will select two sequences: one from each film, for critical comparison.) - Choice text options (for personalisation): students may propose an alternative film(s), provided it supports the assessment requirements and is approved in conversation with the learning advisor.
These anchors give us shared reference points for discussion and skill-building, while still allowing space for student choice.
Assessment (offered in Term 2)
Level 2
- 91107 — Analyse aspects of visual and/or oral text(s) through close viewing and/or listening, supported by evidence
(3 credits, Internal) - 91103 — Create a crafted and controlled visual and verbal text
(3 credits, Internal)
Level 3
- 91480 — Respond critically to significant aspects of visual and/or oral text(s) through close reading, supported by evidence
(3 credits, Internal)
Note: students will usually analyse two sequences from two texts by the same director. - 91477 — Create a fluent and coherent visual text which develops, sustains, and structures ideas using verbal and visual features
(3 credits, Internal)
Students will be supported to choose assessment pathways that align with their level, goals, and readiness. Not all students will complete all assessments offered.
How this term supports the year
The analysis skills developed in Term 2 strengthen your reading and writing across the course: you learn to notice detail, build evidence, and explain how meaning is created. The visual text work can also generate strong writing that may be refined later for portfolio submission.