Close Study of Film
Edward Scissorhands
THE UNIT
 Viewing and studying parts of the film.
 Discussing themes that have arisen in Edward Scissorhands.
 Learning about how media techniques can be used and have been
used in this film.
PROVENANCE
 Released: 1990
 Director: Tim Burton
 Film Company: 20th Century Fox
 Story by Tim Burton and Caroline Thompson (screenplay)
 Score: Danny Elfman
 Actors: Johnny Depp; Winona Ryder ;Dianne Wiest ;Anthony
Michael Hall; Kathy Baker; Vincent Price; Alan Arkin
LESSON ONE: THEMES
 Learning Intention
 By the end of the lesson you be
 Success Criteria
 You will have taken part in a class
able to have an in depth discussion
discussion about the effects of
about the themes dealt with in
difference and made notes.
Edward Scissorhands.
 You will have noted the different
groups that might be considered
different to what is ‘normal’
DIFFERENCE. DISCUSS.
We should think about:
People
Places
Who it affects
Effects
How people react to difference
AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU FEEL THE NEED TO SHARE.
IN YOUR GROUPS
In your groups you are about to be given a sheet with an outline of a person,
blank.
It is your groups’ job to fill in (either with labelling or drawings) what they
think is normal for both genders.
After, we will compare what you have come up with and see how you all react!
PREJUDICE
 In your jotters, BY YOURSELF, write down what you think the definition
of this word is.
The word refers to prejudgment: i.e. making a decision before
becoming aware of the relevant facts.
GROUPS...
 In your group now we must think about the effects and victims of prejudice.
 You must think also about why people might think this way.
LESSON TWO: DIRECTORS’
TECHNIQUES
During this lesson you will be
introduced to lighting, colour
and camera angles in film.
LESSON TWO: MEDIA
TECHNIQUES
Learning Intentions
 You will learn how different
techniques are used by directors to create
different effects.
Success Criteria
 You will have looked at each of the
techniques we are to study and will be able
to point out what effects they have.
LIGHTING AND COLOUR
When we are viewing a film lighting and colour are both very
important. They are used to create atmosphere and mood and often
tells us what kind of film we are watching.
1.
2.
If you are watching a horror film, what kind would you expect
to see?
If a director was trying to create a light and carefree mood,
what kind do you think he would use?
LIGHTING AND COLOUR
At the start of Edward Scissorhands you will see two different settings: the dark castle
and the town below. Lighting and colour have been used here to create a mood
surrounding them both at the start of the film.
CAMERA ANGLES
You may have never thought about different
camera angles before, but they are vital to our
understanding of the film and the characters.
CLOSE UP
In this type of shot things look very big in the frame.
Close-ups are good for showing emotions or making things seem
important.
HIGH ANGLE SHOT
This type of shot looks down on the subject making them look smaller than
they are. This is very effective in making people look vulnerable or weak.
LOW ANGLE SHOT
In a low angle shot the camera looks up at the subject making it look taller
and bigger than it is.
This is good for making people look powerful and important.
LONG SHOT
This type of shot shows things from far away and is often
used to set the scene. However, it can make things look small
or isolated.
POINT OF VIEW SHOT
This allows the viewer to see
through the eyes of the camera
man or a character in the story.
LESSON THREE: THE
OPENING
During this lesson we will be focussing on how the
two settings differ. We will focus on how the director
has created the differing worlds and the effect that
this has on the story at the beginning.
EDWARD SCISSORHANDS
Learning Intention
By the end of the lesson you
will know about the mood
created at the beginning of the
film.
Success Criteria
• You will have looked at the
camera angles.
• You will have discussed how
lighting and colour have affected
the scenes.
• You will be able to discuss key
events.
T H E M E S, I S S U E S A N D I D E A S
 Burton states that the key themes of the text are isolation and
self discovery. Issues explored in the text are conformity, social
acceptance, fear and segregation leading to the social rejection of
outsiders, beauty is often evident in abstract forms, overcoming peer
pressure and personal boundaries. A key idea in the text is the irony
of rejecting a constructed being when we are all constructed,
controlled and manipulated to conform and be accepted in society.
QUESTIONS DURING THE FILM...
C O P Y T H E F O L L OW I N G I N T O YO U R
J O T T E R ; L E AV E E N O U G H S PAC E
B E T W E E N T H E M T O G I V E D E TA I L E D
N O T E S.
1.
What does the Avon lady do?
2.
Why does Edward have scissors for hands?
3.
What do these hands enable Edward to do?
4.
What do they prevent him from doing?
5.
What else about Edward is strange?
6.
What characters show the least sympathy towards Edward? Why?
7.
Were you surprised by the ending? Why? Why not?
8.
Do you think the people in the neighbourhood treat Edward fairly? Why?
Why not?
DIFFERENCE IN
EDWARD
SCISSORHANDS
There is an obvious difference between Edward’s castle and
the town that Pegg Boggs comes from.
You are going to write a paragraph describing the
difference.
To prepare us for this you are going to gather information that
you have found in the opening scenes of the film.
D I F F E R E N C E I N E DWA R D
SCISSORHANDS
A table like this will help you gather this information.
Technique
Camera Angles
Lighting/Colour
Character/Costume
Castle/Edward
Town/Pegg
Difference in Edward Scissorhands
You should now be able to use some of the information in
this table to write a paragraph about the opening scenes.
Keep the PEE structure in mind
Here’s how to structure it…
POINT: In this section you should give a little bit of
background information about what we find out about the two
worlds.
EVIDENCE: You should now choose two of the techniques
that Burton has used to highlight these differences. You MUST
mention the camera angles that he uses to put the two settings
together.
EXPLANATION:
What does all of this tell us about the two worlds?
How has the director made us feel about them?
Effects. Explain what this adds to the atmosphere surrounding
the two worlds.
Question. Remember to give a brief statement about how
different the two worlds are. Remember to mention that
appearances can be deceptive.
LESSON FOUR:
PEG BOGGS
During this lesson we will
discuss Peg as we have seen
her in the film so far.
We will look at costume,
colour and character.
PEG BOGGS
LEARNING INTENTIONS
SUCCESS CRITERIA
•
You will have watched the scenes
By the end of the lesson you should
and made notes on various aspects
know enough about Peg Boggs and
of her character.
how she has reacted towards Edward •
You will have filled in her facebook
coming into her life.
profile
•
You will have made notes and
written a new paragraph for your
essay.
WHILE YOU WATCH
While you are watching the film this time you are going to
make notes on Peg. Focus on the following:
•
•
•
•
•
Costume
Colour
Characteristics
Key events (i.e. What does she do?)
How others react to her/What role does she have?
We all know what Facebook is used for. Now, you are
going to put yourselves in Peg’s shoes.
Keep in mind everything you have written from the
scenes you have just watched. This will allow you to fill in
Peg’s profile and get a better idea of who she is as a
person.
What might we include?
KEEP ALL OF THIS IN MIND…
You should now be
able to write another
PEE chain for your
essay; taking into
account what you now
know about Peg.
D E C O N S T RU C T I N G T H E F I L M
The following stills will provide you with evidence of how film
techniques are used to shape meaning. Your role, as a film analyst, is to
evaluate their purpose and effectiveness. You will be provided with
analysis sheets to workshop your ideas. Once completed, you should be
able to deconstruct whole scenes and write discrete paragraph analyses
of how and why the director has used film techniques to create specific
effects. You should evaluate how the overall cinematic experience has
impacted on the audience, insightfully challenging notions of identity,
isolation and self discovery.
SYMBOLISM
Scissors
LITERARY ALLUSIONS
Romeo and Juliet
LITERARY ALLUSIONS
Frankenstein
GENRE
Gothic/Horror
GENRE
Romantic; Satire; Fantasy
DIALOGUE
Dialogue trivia: Johnny Depp, as Edward, only says 169 words
throughout the film. The lack of dialogue suggests Edward’s innate
understanding of the importance of silence.