analyse review comment high impact session

8/14/2019 Analyse Review Comment High Impact Session

1/30

Writing to analyse, review, comment


2/30

What are the ingredients?


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Technology Music

Review


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Think: hand


6/30

SPARL F.C.


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SPARL F.C.

S Structure

P Purpose

A Audience

R Register and ToneL Language

F Form

C Content


8/30

5 paragraph structure

Introduction

Point 1

Point 2

Point 3Conclusion


9/30


10/30

Paragraphs 2 - 4

Each paragraph should beginwith a clear theme sentence,

relating the point back to yourintroduction.


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Paragraph 1: Overview

Try to sum up the play, film, gig, ipod etc so that ifyour reader did not read any more of your review, hewould still have a clear idea of whether tosee/hear/buy it.


12/30

Central paragraphs

Take three ingredients (actors, story, special effectsetc) and make these the subject of your next 3paragraphs. Give examples. Be detailed and base

your opinions on evidence and analysis of thatevidence.


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Last paragraph

Make this more general. End with your advice onwhether to go/buy etc. Aim to end as strongly as youbegan.


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Example: newspaper review


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Headline

It's tacky, corny,inauthentic ... and an absolute

joy


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Example: paragraph 1

Posh pantos, who needs 'em? You couldn't callKenneth Alan Taylor 's 25th panto for NottinghamPlayhouse great art, and you wouldn't argue that itadvances the form. In fact, with its Abba medley,

thigh-slapping principal girl - sorry, boy - andstage-school dancing penguins, it could have beenput together any time over the past 30 years. It's soinauthentic that it introduces us to Peking society

with a strain of the theme to You Only Live Twice -James Bond's Japanese jaunt. Characters areembroiled in life-and-death battles one second,doing The Time Warp together the next.


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Paragraph 2

But, oh boy, is it fun. It gives kids a wide-eyedAladdin (Hannah Wilding) and a lovely Princess SoShy (Danielle Corlass) to care about, a streetwiseWishee Washee (Nathan Dowling) to rev them up,

and a fiendish Abanaza (John Elkington) to boo.And Taylor, the writer and director, trusts hisaudience to cry out the right responses with barelyany prompting. Sure, the cast sometimes sound as

if they're reading the dialogue off an instructionmanual. But though it's written broad anddelivered to the back of the hall, it's also playedwith respect for the material.


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Paragraph 4

Taylor has brought himself out of acting retirement toplay one last Dame, so that his grandchildren can seehim in action. And his Twankey boasts the sort ofserene vulgarity that they can't teach you at Rada. Each

costume more garish than the last, each wordplay morepainful than the last, he radiates relish yet never looksto be working too hard. He makes the broken crockeryscene, in which Twankey takes delivery of piles of platesdown two chutes, an absolute clowning delight. Right,

of course, you know where the scene is going. But youalso know that Taylor's responses are going to make yourevel in its predictabilty rather than despair at it.


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Paragraph 5

It is, in true panto tradition, too long. And a few ofthe numbers - Pink Cadillac, anyone? - aren't quiteinvolving enough to numb you to their irrelevance.But it's sung, danced and played with a flourish,

with enough skewed set pieces - such as a Bolrotribute to the local heroes Torvill and Dean - tokeep you guessing. It may be tack. But it'sdisciplined, knowing, joyful tack for the whole

family.


21/30

Analyse

There has been a lot ofdebate in your arearecently about how poorfacilities are for young

people. You have decidedto join the debate bywriting a balanced letterto your local newspaper

which analyses the prosand cons of the councilfunding a skate park.

Write a letter.


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2-part structure (1)

Dear Sir

There are undoubtedly some major advantages, to be gained by everybody,in the provision of a council skate park. To begin with, the park would notinterfere with ordinary members of the public, so their disapproval, andtheir fear of the danger they feel themselves to be in from skateboarding in

the street, would be removed. Furthermore, if the expertise of local clubs,semi-professionals and enthusiasts were sought, a state-of-the-art terraincould be constructed which would bring kudos and even money -- throughcompetitions -- to the town. It might also be felt desirable to build picnicareas, refreshment facilities and ancillary amusements to widen the appealof the park to others. In this way, a considerable amenity would be set uparound a central focal point -- the skate park. Moreover, this would be a

chance to utilise some currently under-used green areas outside the towncentre. Congestion would be relieved and a sense of peace and tranquillitycould be established.


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2-part structure (2)

On the other hand, there is a cost involved and it isessential that the cost is not passed on to the users ofthe park. This would be a killer blow. There wouldalso be an unfortunate inclination to police the area.

This should be avoided -- the chance for self-regulation and supervision should be taken.Maintenance would need to be paid for, too, andinsurance liability is another factor. Skateboarders

are freedom-freaks. The idea of institutionalisingtheir free spirit would be seen as a disadvantage --but the promise of some decent ramps mightcounterbalance this moral dilemma.


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Comment

A newspaper is running acompetition to win aholiday by the sea, in thecountry or in a city. To

enter the competition,you must write a letter tothe newspaper, stating

which holiday you wouldchoose and commentingon the reasons for yourchoice.


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Opening

Dear Editor,

What a choice! How can I reject the waves crashingonthe beach, or the tranquillity of a forest clearing,

or the vitality of a great city? And yet I must rejecttwo of them, as you are forcing me to make a choice-- and I will try to reach my decision rationally andcalmly.


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Paragraph 2

Seaside holidays are theholidays of idyllicchildhoods: rock pools,sandcastles, ice creams.

Even if you didn't haveholidays like theseyourself, that's how theseaside is portrayed innumerous televisionprogrammes and films....


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Paragraph 3

The calm and tranquilatmosphere of a holidayin the countryside should-- we are told -- contrast

sharply with my vision ofovercrowded beaches.But is this a reality of arural retreat?...


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Paragraph 4

On the other hand, citiesare vibrant places, full ofpeople working, relaxing,

being tourists, rushing

about, even just sittingand watching each other.For me, this is the pointof the city, and it is at theheart of why I wouldmake a city holiday mychoice....


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Paragraph 5

I hope then that I had given my comments to you(and, I hope, to your reader) in a way which leavesno doubt about my choice. I would recommend theseaside to sun worshippers and perhaps thecountryside to claustrophobic; but for me a CityCentre is the centre of the world.

Yours faithfully,


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Colon . . . Semi-colon . . . Semi-colon

E.g. The Times onSaturday 30 January:

Murrays critics havefocused on three

perceived failings: first,that he considers himselfto be Scottish rather thanBritish; second, that helacks charm; and finally,that he doesnt quitebelong in the sporting topflight.

analyse review comment high impact session

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