Shrek: media skills
learning to…
write about
films
In traditional fairy tales…
how do princes, princesses and
ogres behave?
list examples….
Language is an important device, and I
am going to write about how language
can create the impression of good and
evil in both in characters, and in films.
The film, ‘Shrek’, opens with…
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now you need to write about how the
film opens.
how is it different to a conventional
fairy tale?
why are the viewers surprised?
what does such an opening suggest?
When the storybook characters arrive,…
• write about what Shrek threatens to
do to them
• how does Shrek try to frighten them?
• how do the storybook characters
react?
• what does this suggest about Shrek?
When Donkey approaches, Shrek roars at him
and tries to intimidate him. Donkey is not
frightened and…
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write about how Donkey responds to Shrek.
why does Donkey laugh at Shrek?
write about how Donkey repeatedly irritates
Shrek - running into his house, bouncing on his
chair, peering through the window etc
write about how the mice tease Shrek. why is
this so funny?
what does Donkey's behaviour and the mice's
behaviour suggest about this ogre? is he as
frightening as an ogre should be?
Shrek and Donkey visit Duloc, to try to
reclaim Shrek's swamp from Lord
Farquaad.
Donkey thinks that Shrek is too kind and
should not have to ask as the swamp
belongs to him anyway. Donkey tells
Shrek…
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how does Donkey think that Shrek should get
his swamp back?
write about what Shrek threatens to do to the
villagers
write about how Shrek offers to solve to
dispute - 'over a pint'
what does this suggest about Shrek's
character?
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When Shrek breaks into the castle to rescue
Princess Fiona, he acts like an ogre when…
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write about how he greets the Princess
how does she respond? what does this
suggest?
Although Shrek appears violent, when we learn
that he has failed to slay the dragon
because…
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write about the reason that Shrek gives for not
slaying the dragon and what this shows about
him
At the beginning of the film Shrek tries to
threaten the characters that he meets, but
Donkey, the mice, the storybook characters
and Princess Fiona are not intimidated by
Shrek or his appearance. He tries to make
them frightened by reminding them
that________________________________ .
Although Shrek is an
ogre________________________________ .
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In contrast to Shrek, Lord Farquaad is
cruel. He watches the torture of the
Gingerbread Man, and then…
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when Lord Farquaad sees the torture he taunts the
gingerbread man 'run, run, run as fast as you can.' what
does this show about his character?
what does Lord Farquaad do with the gingerbread man's
buttons?
where does Lord Farquaad throw the gingerbread man?
write three sentences about your impressions of Lord
Farquaad so far
Lord Farquaad is all set to marry Princess
Fiona, until he sees that when the sun sets she
___________________________________ .
Lord Farquaad speaks to her in a cruel way,
and he orders his knights to 'Get that out of
my sight.'
Lord Farquaad calls off the wedding, but he
still proclaims
_________________________ .
.
Lord Farquaad is deceptive because he should
only become king __________________ .
It is clear that Lord Farquaad does not love
the Princess, but agrees to marriage because
he wants ___________________________ .
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When a Director is making a film it is
important that he/she uses a variety of
camera angles to create certain effects. At
the beginning of the film, Shrek scares the
storybook characters away…
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write about the close up shot of Shrek's mouth
and say why you think this close up shot is used
here .
Close up shots are also useful for focusing
the viewer's attention on the characters'
emotions…
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write about the use of the close up shots of
Princess Fiona and Shrek smiling. why are close
up shots effective here?
Tension is created when Lord Farquaad is
introduced. Instead of focusing on his face,
the camera shows…
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what part of Lord Farquaad's body does the
camera focus on?
what does this suggest?
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When Shrek visits Lord Farquaad's castle, the
camera moves from ground level upwards to
reveal his tower. This is called a high angle
shot. It is useful because it makes Lord
Farquaad
seem_______________________________ ,
and Shrek and Donkey
appear______________________________ .
Low angle shots are effectively used because
they show Lord Farquaad looking down on
____________ and____________ .
Mid angle shots are used when Shrek and
Donkey are relaxing together, and when Shrek
has cooked Princess Fiona a meal. These shots
show both of the characters at the same time
and have the effect of __________________
.
Sometimes, a character's back is shown
rather than their face. This is used to
suggest isolation from other characters.
For example…
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write about what happens when Princess Fiona
leaves Shrek and goes inside
write about how Shrek shows that he wants to
end the friendship between himself and Donkey
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Presentational devices are also used to
influence the viewer, and to make them see
a particular character in a certain way.
The story begins in Shrek's swamp.
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what does the swamp look like? write about how
this is the expected home for an ogre
why does Donkey go into the swamp?
what does this suggest about the owner of the
swamp?
where does Lord Farquaad live?
what would you expect a castle to be like ?
(splendour - happy - glittering with gold? etc…)
how is what we see different from what we
expect? (torture, hooded figures, violence etc)
When we first meet Shrek, it is obvious
that he is supposed to look like an ogre
because…
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describe what Shrek looks like in detail, where he
lives, how he bathes, how he pulls the wax out of
his ear etc…
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Lord Farquaad seems like a typical Lord.
He wears…
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describe Lord Farquaad's appearance, his home,
and what happens if he marries a Princess
Lighting is also used to persuade the
viewer to think of a character in a certain
way. When Princess Fiona leaves Shrek,
Shrek sits with his back to the camera
and stares at the moon.
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why do you think darkness is used here? what is
it supposed to reflect?
The images of light are used thoughtfully
too. Shrek and Princess Fiona are often
pictured walking through meadows…
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why do you think they are pictured walking
through the woods on a sunny day with the brids
chirping and the Princess singing?
what do you think the brilliant light at the end of
the film is supposed to suggest?
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When we first meet Lord Farquaad, and
the hooded figure, there is marching
music…
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how does this make the viewer feel? what does it
suggest is going to happen?
when Shrek enters Lord Farquaad's arena, what
does the loud organ music suggest?
When Shrek overhears the conversation
between Donkey and Princess Fiona, he
misinterprets the conversation. At this
moment, the music is slow…
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what does the slow music suggest?
why do you think there is a song about broken
dreams and promises?
describe the effect of having Donkey and the
dragon crying
Donkey is an important character in the
film, as he helps us to understand the
character of Shrek. When Donkey refuses
to listen to Shrek, ignores the 'Beware of
the ogre' sign, and follows him back to the
swamp…
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what does this show us about Shrek's character?
write about how Donkey turns the tournament
scene into comedy
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what does this show us about Shrek's powers to
be a real ogre?
write three sentences about Shrek's relationship
with Donkey
how does Donkey make us believe that Shrek is
not a typical man eating ogre?
After analysing the characters of Shrek
and Lord Farquaad, I have come to the
conclusion that although Shrek seems like
a traditional ogre…
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write about why you think Shrek is different to a
typical ogre - has friends, rescues Princess, finds
love gets married etc
Although Lord Farquaad looks like a Lord,
his actions suggest that he is evil.
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give examples of his evil nature- torture, stealing
Shrek's swamp, makes his knights fight Shrek,
rejection of Princess, false claim to be king etc.
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The story of Shrek uses presentational
devices to reverse our expectations, so that
by the end of the film…
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write two sentences about how the viewer feels
towards Shrek and Lord Farquaad
Perhaps the message of the story is
that you can't judge a book by
_________________________ .
Perhaps the message of the story is
that you can't judge a book by
_________________________ .
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The End
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