Describe the opening scene of the text

Explain how the opening scene helped you understand what the text was going to be about.

Use visual and oral techniques in your answer

The techniques of visual motif and low angle mid shots, in the opening scene, help the viewer understand that characters in
the film might not live up to the high expectation needed to reach the goal or dream they have. For example, when we first
see Olive the visual motif of reflections is used. We see the beauty queen she is watching on TV reflecting onto her glasses
which symbolises pressures of beauty being reflected onto her and also shows us that it is her dream to be a beauty queen.
The camera then cuts to a low angle shot of Olive which places emphasis on her larger stomach and draws our attention to
the idea that she does not fit the image of what a beauty queen is meant to look like. The combination of these two
techniques in the opening scene help the viewer understand that Olive has a dream that she most likely wont be able to
reach because of the high beauty expectations society and the media have. From a young age children are often exposed to
television, and their dreams and goals can be learnt from TV, not realising the ridiculous expectations needed to be that
singer or actor or beauty queen. Through the duration of the film we come to realise that Olives dream is unachievable and
no matter how hard she tries, societys expectations of beauty will get in the way of her achieving her dream.

Topic Sentence= Use the wording from the essay question to describe a technique used in the opening scene and how it helped you
understand what the film was going to be about mention the technique(s) you will be writing about. I.e. One technique used in
the opening scene is this helped me understand

Example = Provide examples of when and how the technique(s) is used.

Detail = Provide detail about the effect of this technique in the film/ how did the technique help you understand what the film was
going to be about.

So what = Relate what you have said to what it teaches us about our society, a message/ theme in the film or what you learnt from
it.

Describe the opening scene of the text

Explain how the opening scene helped you understand what the text was going to be about.

Use visual and oral techniques in your answer

The techniques of visual motif and low angle mid shots, in the opening scene, help the viewer understand that characters in
the film might not live up to the high expectation needed to reach the goal or dream they have. For example, when we first
see Olive the visual motif of reflections is used. We see the beauty queen she is watching on TV reflecting onto her glasses
which symbolises pressures of beauty being reflected onto her and also shows us that it is her dream to be a beauty queen.
The camera then cuts to a low angle shot of Olive which places emphasis on her larger stomach and draws our attention to
the idea that she does not fit the image of what a beauty queen is meant to look like. The combination of these two
techniques in the opening scene help the viewer understand that Olive has a dream that she most likely wont be able to
reach because of the high beauty expectations society and the media have. From a young age children are often exposed to
television, and their dreams and goals can be learnt from TV, not realising the ridiculous expectations needed to be that
singer or actor or beauty queen. Through the duration of the film we come to realise that Olives dream is unachievable and
no matter how hard she tries, societys expectations of beauty will get in the way of her achieving her dream.

Topic Sentence= Use the wording from the essay question to describe a technique used in the opening scene and how it helped you
understand what the film was going to be about mention the technique(s) you will be writing about. I.e. One technique used in
the opening scene is this helped me understand

Example = Provide examples of when and how the technique(s) is used.

Detail = Provide detail about the effect of this technique in the film/ how did the technique help you understand what the film was
going to be about.

So what = Relate what you have said to what it teaches us about our society, a message/ theme in the film or what you learnt from
it.