Contextual Studies
Year 1 Photography
Manufactured Landscapes – Critical Review
DUE DATE: 12th FEBUARY 2014
We will spend approximately 2 lessons watching the highly acclaimed documentary
Manufactured Landscapes, a film by Jennifer Baichwal featuring the photographic
investigations of Edward Burtynsky.
You will produce a critical review and evaluation of the film after class discussions and
debates. This exercise and group work will serve as preparation to your independent
primary research project, where you will be expected to independently attend an exhibition
and produce a critical analysis essay of your findings.
While watching the film you will need to take notes and make a record of specific scenes
from the film which you feel are powerful and impressionable on the viewing audience. You
will need to make reference to specific scenes and discuss them in-depth in your critical
review. You will need to provide a visual example for each of the prompts on the visual
analysis worksheet.
For example:
Is the artwork about class? Discuss issues related to status, power,
authority, social class, working class, middle class, upper class, values,
attitudes, popular culture, and mass culture.
You will need to describe a scene in the film that is a good example of
how the film deals with issues of social class.
Sketchbook:

Present secondary research for Edward Burtynsky – 1 double page spread of what
his work is about and analysis of 4-6 images.

Present reviews about Manufactured Landscapes – the public opinion and response.

Present information about how and why the film was made – looking into what
Jennifer Baichwal’s goals and intentions were in making the film, and about the
collaboration between her and Burtynsky. Why did they work together?

Record your notes and analysis from watching the film.

Answer the questions for the visual analysis worksheet in your sketchbook.

Present any further research into the film or issues presented in the film that you
researched into to develop your response.