The Spiral Syllabus
One Way To Roll.. In a Spiral
This syllabus uses a spiraling structure: roles build one by one, and understanding deepens as students circle back through new layers of film and analysis.
A Flexible Approach
This page details a syllabus that I have built over the years and loosely follow. I say 'loosely' because I find that it's always best when our teaching is responsive to the interests and needs of the students. It is also loose because some projects take more time some years and some take less. As you know, the school year also is unpredictable and the curriculum must be (as much as it can be) flexible and adaptable.
A Spiraling Approach
“Spiraling” refers to idea that content is introduced, and then re-introduced at more sophisticated layers as the students move through the curriculum. By introducing roles one at a time, the students not only have the opportunity to focus on one at a time, but build on each others' knowledge and skills as they are introduced to new ones. The spiraling also allows for deeper and deeper layers of analysis to be applied to filmmaking; alternately, more sophisticated filmmaking approaches lead to deeper analysis.
A Path to Follow, A Path to Stray From
With that in mind, this page may serve whatever suits your needs best. It may be a path to follow, a path to stray from, or a point of comparison for your own preferred style and/or approach. You may find parts of it useful and some parts less so. There is much on this site that links back to this page to put these ideas in context. However, each page will also stand on its own as an independent concept/lesson/approach.
Use the expandable panels below or click on the sub-pages which serve to organize the included lessons & student-facing pages.
Finally, do not try to follow this syllabus day by day. Each school has its own limitations and opportunities. Some schools are not able to meet IB's recommended hours while others might exceed it. Some schools may be in communities that facilitate students producing films outside of schools, in other places that is more difficult. Time, locations, and expectations for student work in class vs. out of class is very dependent upon your environment.
Year One: Semester One
Rationale: Year One of IB focuses on how film language creates meaning. Alternating analytical tasks with practical filmmaking helps students scaffold skills that build both toward the creation of a portfolio and lay the groundwork for a conceptual understanding of the Textual Analysis. By the end of the first year, the students should have completed the Textual Analysis and have completed the majority of the work on their portfolio.
Rationale: In our first unit, we start from where the students are in their film journey. It begins with students sharing their favorite films and leaps right into the film language that they implicitly recognize. Hands-on lessons build on the interest that students have expressed in discussing their favorite scenes and emphasize an immediate application to practical filmmaking skills.
Lesson | Hours | Student Facing Pages | Reference Pages | Description | Rationale |
Lesson Zero: | 1 | Teacher Created Space (see lesson). | None | Assign Your Favorite Scene for homework. | |
Lesson One: | 1 | Your Favorite Scene | None | Have the students share a scene from their favorite films and explain why they chose that. |
|
Lesson Two: | 1 | Teacher Created Space (see lesson). | Proxemics & Shot Types | Introduction to basic shot types and the concept of proxemics in cinema. |  |
Lesson Three: | 1 | Storyboarding 101 | Storyboards | An introduction to film through storyboards. This lesson also reinforces the use and integration of various shot types. | |
Lesson Four: | 1 | But First, Photos. | Framing & Composition | This lesson builds on proxemics and introduces ideas of framing, composition, and aesthetics. | |
Lesson Five: | 1 | Included in the lesson. | Lighting | This lesson introduces students to lighting through a hands-on approach. | |
Homework & Critique | 1 | Cinematography: One-Shot Exercise | None | Students will take a single shot based on their understanding of framing, composition, lighting, and proxemics. | |
| Introduction to the Portfolio | .5 | Creating Portfolio Pages | Film Portfolio | This is a quick introduction to the film portfolio before they start the Toast project | |
| Toast: A First Project | 2 Weeks | The Toast Project | None | The Toast Project asks students to turn something boring into something interesting using only film language. Once introduced, this project should take students about 2 weeks to complete outside of class time. | |
Toast Critique Student Film Critique & Reflection | 1 | Portfolio Pages | None | Critique for Toast project and introduction to how critiques are conducted in class. | |
Film Screening & Lessons Seven & Eight: Pan's Labyrinth (2006) & Camera Movement & Color | 2.5 | Analysis: Pan's Labyrinth | While watching Pan's Labyrinth in class, students will add to the class textbook for homework, learning about Camera Movement and Color. | | |
Lesson Nine: Using Lenses & Depth of Field | .5 to 1 | None | Lenses & Depth of Field | Depending on your timing, the students can add the concepts on the reference pages to their journals for homework as they finish Pan's Labyrinth or they can do that in class after finishing the hands-on lesson. | |
| Homework | 1 | None | Mise-en-Scène | Students should add notes about mise-en scéne to their film journals or collaborative textbooks. | |
Mini Project: | 3-4 | None | None | This mini-project combines the idea of cinematography with mise-en-scéne through the use of objects in Pan's Labyrinth. | |
Object lesson Critique & Reflection | 1 | Portfolio Pages | None | Reinforce the importance of critical feedback. | |
Rationale: It might be counter-intuitive to start a unit on editing with match cuts, but this sets up students to think about editing as an inherently creative endeavor, rather than a functional 'assembly' role as it is often first interpreted. In this Unit we'll start with some bigger creative concepts and then move backward into some of the more nuts and bolts of editing; and find out how those factors can be highly creative too.
Lesson | Hours | Student Facing Pages | Reference Pages | Description | Rationale |
Lesson One: | 1.5 | None | Match Cuts | Students watch the Disney short film Feast and then examine how match cuts drive the story. They then film their own quick match-cut challenge. | |
Lesson Two: | .5 | None | None | Students are introduced to the concept of diegesis | |
Film Screening & Lesson Two: Editing Language Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010) | 2 | None | Students watch Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. While they are watching the film, they will cover other editing techniques they will need to use for homework. | | |
| Mini Project: The Wright Way | 2 Weeks | None | Students will create a short film by examining a transition in Scott Pilgrim and applying the techniques they use together to a new film. | | |
| Wright Way Critique | 1 | None | Portfolio Pages | Students critique. Encourage students to continue to approach the critique through a growth mindset. | |
Rationale: This short unit focuses on the role of sound design. There is certainly more to cover relating to sound - recording good dialogue and music is not included here. The reason is that in this sequence, recording dialogue and ADR does not become relevant until the screenwriting unit. It is also important to distinguish sound design from music, as many students think that music composition is part of sound design (it can be incorporated but it must not define the role).
Lesson | Hours | Student Facing Pages | Reference Pages | Description | Rationale |
Lesson One: | 2 | None | Foley Library (teacher only) | Students will record sounds and manipulate them with Garageband (or a similar program). | |
Lesson Two: | .5 | Sound Randomizer | Film Sound: Types of Sound | This short lesson introduces students to the complexities of sound types. | |
Rationale: It might seem unusual not to start with directing, but holding off on introducing this role emphasizes the more collaborative nature of the IB course and allows students to focus on two roles that require highly specialized technical skills and require them to think in film language. Adding the director role brings in the craft around performance and blocking - vitally important to film, but actually harder to conceptualize in terms of film language. This unit also introduces the idea of the story arc, although the role of the Screenwriter is not introduced until the next unit.
Lesson | Hours | Student Facing Pages | Reference Pages | Description | Rationale |
| One Shot Exercise | 1 | Homework: | Mise-en-Scène | Students create a one-shot film, thinking about camera placement and mise-en-scéne. | |
Film Screening: Amelie (2001) | 2 | Homework: | (optional) | There are two approaches to this film analysis. If students are struggling with applying research, the first approach might be better to use, if not the worksheet might be more useful at this point. | |
| Amelie in Analysis | HW (1 -2 Weeks) | Amelie in Analysis | What is Analysis? | This is the second analysis of the sequence and is more in-depth than the Pan's Labyrinth analysis. While not a full "mock", this assessment also provides some research in advance. | |
Portfolio Project: | 3 Weeks | None | Mystery Box Examples & Exemplars | Students create a short film based on the concept of a mystery box. | |
| Lesson: Short Story Arc | 1 | None | Students learn about story arcs and then apply their understanding of dialogue, story arcs, and themes to a screenplay they write. | | |
Mystery Box Rough Cut Critique | 1 | None | None | Students provide feedback on a rough cut and take notes on recommended changes. | |
Mystery Box | 1 | None | Portfolio Pages | Students critique each other's films and take notes on strengths and areas of growth. | |
Year One: Semester Two
Rationale: Students new to filmmaking may be so accustomed to telling stories with words, that they fail to appreciate how much can be told through other areas of film language. For that reason, it may be advisable to hold off on introducing any dialogue until semester two. In addition to helping students focus on the versatility of these other areas of film language to create meaning, it primes them from approaching film language from a similar point of view. That is, spoken language, like film language can be flexible in its application and meaning. Furthermore, the aspects of directing relating to performance are included here.
Lesson | Hours | Student Facing Pages | Reference Pages | Description | Rationale |
| Lesson One: Postmodernism | 2 | Postmodern Characteristics | Postmodernism: Resources | Students will learn about postmodernism and postmodern film theory. | |
Film Screening: Everything, Everywhere, All at Once | 3 | Homework: | Postmodern Characteristics | Students will write a short analytical response to the film. | |
| Postmodern Analytical Task | 1 | Homework: | Students analyze a postmodern film text as they prepare to make a postmodern film of their own in class. | | |
Lesson Two: | 1 | None | Dialogue | Students will learn about the difference between formalism and realism as it applies to writing and creating their own small scenes. | |
| Homework: | 0 | Exercise: Overheard Dialogue | Dialogue | Students will listen to a dialogue that they hear around them and record it. | |
Lesson Three: | 1 | Screenwriting Homework: | Dialogue | Students will learn about subtext & context and apply it in a scene they create. | |
Project: | 4 Weeks | Making a Short Film | Postmodernism: Student Exemplars | Students create a postmodern film by reflecting on contemporary issues and responding to them with postmodern techniques. | |
Lesson Four: | 1 | None | Performance Techniques | Students will learn about directing through the Meisner technique of repetition, using ambiguous dialogues to shape their work. | |
Lesson Five: | 1 | Homework: | None | Students will learn to direct actors through tasks and use props to guide performance and add subtext. | |
| Rough Cut Critique | 1 | None | None | Students critique rough cuts of each other's films. | |
| Final Critique | 1 | None | Portfolio Pages | Students critique the final cuts of each other's films. | |
Rationale: The Auteur project is an independent 'final' project for first-year students and involves both analysis and film production. In addition to adding another film to their portfolio, the analytical part of the assignment will help prepare them for the Textual Analysis, which is done between the planning and execution of this film. This particular project requires the students to do in-depth research on a film director of their choosing, emphasizing research and analysis before beginning the final project. In addition to research, students analyze 2 to 3 films by this director, familiarizing themselves with their body of work, style, and themes.
For SL Students you may choose to have them watch just 1-2 films or even complete the research part of the project this semester and save the filming until year 2.
Students often help each other out with this project. If they are able to create their own filmmaker intentions for the project of their peers, it is possible that some students are able to get a second film for their portfolio as a part of this project. However, because they are usually not invested in every stage of their peer's project, it is more likely that they will have an additional clip for one of their first two reels.
Lesson | Hours | Student Facing Pages | Reference Pages | Description | Rationale |
Part One: The Choice | 1 | The Auteur Proejct: Part One | None | Students decide which director they would like to investigate for this project. | |
Part Two: Preliminary Research & First Film | Homework | Worksheet: Film Analysis | Research | Students research the director's style and themes and watch their first film and write a short analysis. | |
Part Three: Second Film & Filmmaker Intentions | Homework | Worksheet: Film Analysis | Research | Students watch their second film and write a short analysis. | |
| Auteur Project: The Part Four: The Commission | Homework | Auteur Project: Selecting a Memory | Exemplars | This can be an interactive discussion or a homework assignment in which students think of a variety of experiences and memories to use as a basis for this project. | |
| Auteur Project | 2 Weeks | None | Making a Short Film | Students now embark on making a film based on the work of their director. | |
Auteur Project (Optional) Director Documentary | 3 | None | None | Students make a short presentation about their director to share with their class at the 'debut' of their short film. | |
Note on timing: It is often the case that this project gets put on pause during the TA. The students conduct their research and planning before the TA and then complete the filming and director documentary as their "final exam" for Year One.
Some years, when other projects take longer than expected (as they often do) I have had the students watch their films over summer break and take notes and have them film in the fall when they return to school.
Rationale: As you finish up the first year of IB with the students, the TA is a good way to not only end the year with a relevant high-stakes assessment but also synthesize all of the work that has led up to this point, both in their analytical work and understanding of production roles. In this curricular approach, we have used our first year together to do a deep dive into how film language creates meaning. This also sets the stage for a more complex discussion of how film language translates into a more complex approach to Film Theory which we can begin to look at in Year 2.
Lesson | Hours | Student Facing Pages | Reference Pages | Description | Rationale |
| Lesson One: Introducing the Textual Analysis | .5 | Welcome to the Textual Analysis | Textual Analysis | In this lesson we introduce the textual analysis, referring back to the analytical work that we have completed up to this point. | |
Lesson Two: TA Sample | .5 | TA Exemplar: Moonlight | Students read an exemplar to help them understand what is expected for the TA. | | |
| Textual Analysis Unveiling | 1 | None | None | Today you will unveil the films that you will share with the students. | |
Lesson Two: Highlighting the TA | 1 | Textual Analysis: The Highlighter Method | Rubric | Using highlighter markers, students identify exactly where an exemplar TA meets the various criteria for assessment. | |
| Selecting the Extract | Homework | None | Selecting & Visualizing the Extract | This page will help students decide which extract to choose. | |
Activity: | 15+ | TA Workbook | Rubric | Students work on the TA over the course of the 30 day period through a series of self-directed tasks. | |
Lesson Three: Self and Peer Review Review | 1 | None | Textual Analysis: Visualizing the Criteria | Have students bring drafts of the TA to class when it is almost time to submit a rough draft. Have them highlight their own copies using the The Highlighter Method or have them highlight the TA of a classmate. | |
Year Two: Semester One
Rationale: The collaborative film is a major assessment for the HL students. Weighing in at 30% of their IB score, it seems reasonable to dedicate about 25% of their IB time to its creation. In this curricular approach, the HL students are provided with most of the first semester of year two dedicated to creating their collaborative Film.
For SL students, you may choose to have them continue the Auteur project if they have not shot that yet, or begin another independent project which could be a free choice project.
Lesson | Hours | Student Facing Pages | Reference Pages | Description | Rationale |
| Introducing the Collaborative Film | 1 | Introducing the Collaborative Film | Collaborative Film Project | This lesson introduces the collaborative film. | |
| Brainstorming | 4 | Brainstorming | Brainstorming | For this project, students are given multiple periods to come up with a final idea. | |
| The Pitch | 1 | The Pitch | The Pitch | Students pitch the idea for the project. This may be done multiple times across multiple days before preproduction if necessary. | |
| Preproduction | 10 | None | Pre-Production | Students spend multiple classes planning and developing their film | |
| Production | 10 | None | Production | Students use time outside of class to film | |
| First Footage | 1-2 | None | Student Film Critique | Students share the first bit of footage that they have shot for this film for peer review. | |
| Post-Production | 5 | None | Postproduction | Students will work on the post-production of the film. | |
| Rough Cut & Project Report | 1-2 | None | Student Film Critique | Students watch and critique the rough cut. | |
| Final Cut & Rough Draft of Project Report | 1-2 | None | Student Film Critique | Students watch and critique the final film. | |
| Final Project Report | 0 | None | None | Students Submit the Final Project Report | |
Rationale: For the first 4-5 weeks of the semester students brainstorm ideas and go into a preproduction phase for their collaborative project. Once they are filming outside of class, we can use class time to learn about film theory. This gives the students a starting point for thinking about some more complex approaches to the Comparative Study, which they will plan out in class as they work on their film. Note that in this curricular approach, we don't give as much time to the two other areas of film focus; genre and movement. This is because students often inherently understand genre even before they begin the class and while film movements are important and useful to look at, film theory casts a wider net of possibilities for students to explore. Ideally, we'd cover both (but we can only do so much in the given amount of time). However, in preparing for the CS, students will have the opportunity to learn about genres & movements as they desire.
Lesson | Hours | Student Facing Pages | Reference Pages | Description | Rationale |
Film Screening: The Shining (1980) | 2-3 | None | None | Students watch the Shining in class. | |
Lesson One: | .5 | None | Auteur Theory | This lesson bridges the screening of The Shining with the next lesson on film theory through a discussion of Auteur Theory. | |
| Lesson Two: Film Theory | 2-3 | None | Film Theory | Students independently (or in pairs) learn about a specific film theory and apply it to The Shining, as well as other films & TV shows. | |
Note: Although Unit 10 is organized to be part of semester two, it may be important to start that unit now depending on your timeline and school schedule.
Year Two: Semester Two
Rationale: At the beginning of this lesson, we include a short introduction to film genres and film movements. In this curricular approach, we intentionally do not spend as much time on these options for the Comparative Study as we have on Film Theory. The first reason for this is that students tend to be independently familiar with the concept of film genres, and so exploring film sub-genres is limited to a single lesson. Film movements can be a limiting topic for comparative study as they are, by nature, confined to a single time and place. Many Comparative Studies that connect to film movements examine how a movement may have influenced a later film. Film Theory, on the other hand, gives students a deeper appreciation for the multiplicities of ways that we can approach films of any cultural context, any genre, or any movement. In the best world, we would give equal time to all three, but there is, of course, never enough time to cover everything that we'd like.
Lesson | Hours | Student Facing Pages | Reference Pages | Description | Rationale |
| Lesson One: Introduction to the Comparative Study | 1 | CS Exemplar: Dune vs. Dances with Wolves | Comparative Study | Students are introduced to the Comparative Study through a presentation and sample CS. | |
Lesson Two: | 1 | Vampire CS Worksheet | None | Students watch a video about the evolving interpretation of the Vampire mythos in a variety of films and imagine writing a comparative study about vampires. | |
Lesson Four: | 1-2 | The Comparative Study Generator | Students can use the Comparative Study Generator to get some rough ideas, but the main selection of ideas must come from them. The CS Proposal slide deck provides the opportunity to play with a few ideas before settling on one. | | |
Lesson Three: Assessing a Comparative Study | 2 | Rubric | Students will watch a comparative study and evaluate it using the rubric. They will then compare it to the actual score, noting where they were correct and where they were off. Depending on the class's understanding, you may wish to look at additional examples. | | |
Project: Comparative Study | 10+ | Planning the Comparative Study | Comparative Study | The Comparative Study Planning Guide is a step-by-step approach to researching, planning, and drafting the comparative study. | |
Rationale: Assembling the Portfolio is the last stage of this curricular approach. The students at this point should have collected evidence of their work in their film journals and completed a series of portfolio pages as a part of the Auteur project. There is no new information presented here; however, we can revisit the key points of the portfolio requirements.
Lesson | Hours | Student Facing Pages | Reference Pages | Description | Rationale |
The Final Portfolio | 5 | None | Introduction to the Film Portfolio | We review the requirements of the film portfolio and assemble the final submissions out of the work we've created over two years. | |