1.5 Persuasive Formal Writing

The key to a good formal writing piece is to form a rhetorical triangle. To do this, you must incorporate techniques of persuasion. This includes ethos, pathos, and logos in your writing.

Pathos (emotions and values)

When you feel like you understand a situation because you've been through it, this is pathos. Pathos can be expressed in ways such as gestures, words, or pictures. 

Pathos in oral form is useful in arguments to convince others that your point is valid and carries the truth. 

In written form, pathos is used as a literary device. 

Main techniques: 

- stories

- quotes of inspiration

- vivid language

Example:

" If we don't evacuate out of this building soon, we're all going to die!"

Ethos (credibility and ethics)

By showing that one is credible and/or ethical, leads to the gain of trust and respect from the audience. This causes appeal to the audience that is helpful in terms of persuasion.

The use of ethos in written form can assure the audience understands, making the work more reliable and credible.

The use of ethos in oral form can be used as a rhetorical way, which is helpful in debates or arguments. Ethos is used to back up the speaker. 
Main Techniques:

- Personal branding

- confidence in delivery

- acknowledging credible sources

Example: 

"As a nurse, I am qualified to tell you that this is the best treatment for you"  

Logos (logic, proof and reason)

A sentence that incorporates two or more sentences that is joined by conjuctions, however, at least one sentence needs to be complex. 

Main techniques:

- Structure of speech 

- References to studies, data, cases, etc. 

- Comparisons, analogies, metaphors

Example: 

"The data is very clear; it states that the business is in it's growth stage"

SDL work on film aspects - English

SDL works on film aspects                

SDL work on film aspects

WALT: Analyse how film aspects (camera movement, colour, POV/POT, establishing shot) show meaning.

S.C: I can explain why and how: camera movement, colour, POV/POT and establishing shot are used to show meaning in film 

Aspects 1: How does POV or POT shot work?

A POV shot (otherwise knows as the ‘point of view’ shot)  is a film aspect that puts the audience in the character’s shoes, it allows the audience to see exactly what the character sees. Pov shot is usually established between two scenes; one where the character is seen and the other where it shows the character’s reaction to something. Although this shot is used in all types of movies/shows, this is a common trick in the horror genre; that is the audience is placed in the position of the killer who creeps up towards the victim.

A POT or point of thought shot is quite similar to a POV shot. POT shows exactly what the character is thinking/feeling then later acting on it. It basically gives the audience a visual expression of a character’s mind. This shot is useful in movies because  - like all film aspects - it draws the audience deeper into the character’s world, which makes the experience more personal as if the audience feels connected to and related to a scene. 

Filmmakers usually use different shots within a POT shot. For example: if a character is frustrated, they would use a close-up shot, or if a character feels threatened they would use a high angle.

Aspect 2: How does colorwork in a film?

Directors would often show the emotion and overall mood in a film by using color. Colour can also be used to enhance one’s story as it has a physiological effect on humans.

There are 3 factors to determine color: hue (color itself), saturation (intensity of a color), and brightness (how light or dark a color is). 

Hue consists of two main types one being monochromatic colors and the other being analogous colors. Monochromatic is basically where a movie is mostly shown as one color while analogous means a film using neighboring colors in a color wheel.

An example of a film that is monochromatic is ‘The Matrix’. ‘The Matrix’ is mostly shown as green because the movie takes place in a digital matrix and hence the title of this film we associate green with coding. It gives off a sickly quality that reflects the overall state of events in that world. 

Films would use desaturation to give off a certain feel to the film and an example of this is the film  ‘Dunkirk’. ‘Dunkirk’ makes use of desaturation. Colour is drained out of the film and so it gives the audience a cold, raw, and old vibe to the movie which helps the audience get drawn into the movie because we feel connected to it. 

Brightness and the lack of brightness can affect a film for example bright images may suggest an exciting and lively vibe whereas dark images give off a dramatic and eerie vibe. 

Aspect 3: How does camera movement work in a film? 

Camera movement in a film is important because it adds impact to key scenes by giving off pace and energy which allows the audience to feel as if they are part of the action.

Points to be discussed:

The pan:

The film while rotating a camera on its vertical or horizontal axis to keep a moving person or object in view. There are two types of pan; Whip pan and slow pan 

Whip pan is a swift movement from one subject to another almost as if someone is quickly turning to see something that catches their attention. Slow pan gives time for the audience to take in what exactly is happening, this allows the audience to understand the scene more. 

The tilt:

Technique in which the camera stays in a fixed position but rotates up/down in a vertical plane. Tilting the camera results in a motion similar to someone raising or lowering their head to look up or down.

Reverse dolly zoom:

A regular dolly shot is where the camera follows backward, forward, or moves alongside the subject being recorded. Although a reverse dolly zoom is quite like that but it combines zoom and dolly together. The movie ‘vertigo’ is the first-ever movie to use this movement. They used it when one of the characters was having an intense internal feeling. 

Difference between Steadicam and dolly shot:

Steadicam also knows as a gimbal is basically like a dolly shot where it moves to an open area focusing on a subject although Steadicam is stable and so it gracefully glides from one place to another. 

Handheld shot:

Like Steadicam or dolly where it moves to an open place focusing on a subject although it has a shaky effect which raises tension and anxiety for the audience. 

When using camera movements directors need to ask themselves if the shot they would use could help support the story of the film, after all, camera movement should capture the audience’s point of attention. 

Aspect 4: How does establishing a shot work in a film? 

Establishing a shot is a trick to show the audience everything, that is why it’s expensive. 

It is a perfect opener as a transition to a scene as the purpose of it is to establish a scene and it

also shows the relationship between the subject as well as the location. Not only does this

technique establish a location but it also establishes the tone.

Examples are given:

1. Location - Hotel 

Camera - Static

Tone - Lighthearted 

2. Location - Shuttle launch

Camera - Fast push-in

Tone - Epic

Creative writing - Post writing tasks

 1) Figurative Language of sense and sound - Onomatopoeia and alliteration 

Onomatopoeia - a) *Thump* *Thump* Is what I hear; walking barefoot on the hard, filthy dirt floor leading

towards our small bamboo hut. Rough path it is.

b) *Bang* Pow* is all I hear.

Alliteration - a) The stinky sulfuric smell coming from the gunpowder is starting to get to my nerves, quite                          literally that is. 

b) Although papa himself is gone, Gustavo’s gracious golden soul is still with us.

2) The 5 senses (smell, touch, see, hear, taste)

Smell - The stinky sulfuric smell

Touch - "walking barefoot on the hard, filthy dirt floor"

See -  "I see the chaotic acts of people, waving their arms across in fear."

Hear - "high-pitched screams of fear from the villagers and ear-straining gunshots."

Taste -  "squishy fish balls for the satisfying taste, healthy greens for your wellbeing, and tofu that gives

you a warm feeling inside"

3) Replacing words

a) Original - "As i feel anxious I started to just doze off'

Edited - "  blood rush through my veins, my head feel as light as a feather, and my hands tingle like

little bells in my system."

b) Original - "Walking through the path I feel the shrubs and bamboo rub against me

Edited - "Varieties of green shrubs and sky-high sticks of bamboo waving at me with the help of a

gust of wind."

c) Original - "I see people running in fear"

Edited - " I see the chaotic acts of people, waving their arms across in fear."

4) Figurative language of sense and sight

Simile - I rush to the bamboo hut as fast as lightning...

Metaphor - Papa made a clown of himself.

Personification - Sounds of mad blasting European guns...

5) Keep raising stakes!

It's 2 am early calm morning. As I quietly sneak out my large window on the right side of my room, my wooden floor squeaks, making a sound in which worries me that I might get caught by my strict mother. This raving party I'm sneaking out to better be worth it. Half my slender body is through the window, one leg to go, and I'm out of here! Stupidly, I did not think about the fact that I lived in a 2 story house located in an area filled with several security cameras. Now that my entire body is through the window I stand quietly on the roof thinking hard about ways to get down safely as I breathe in the polluted California air. Alas! I see what might be an unstable ladder but a ladder is a ladder as long as it does the job of getting me down, I'm all good. One step, two steps down, and *bzzz* my phone notifies me about someone calling me totally threw me off guard. I didn't see who texted I was just focusing on not fall onto the rough gravel below me. After that whole trial of just simply going down, I made it I finally made it! The party - as I expected - is just as worth it as I hoped for it to be.

6) Insert strong words!

Original - She went towards the shop

Adjective added - The long brown-haired teen ran past me towards the shop 

Verb added - The long brown-haired teen ran past me towards the shop 

Adverb - The long brown-haired teen swiftly ran past me towards the coffee shop 

WTE - English

The simple sentence: 

Simple sentences begin with the subject of the sentence (e.g he,she,it, they , i, someones name, place)

Example: Hornby High school was founded in 1975 

The very short sentence: 

The very short sentence is one of the most powerful sentence styles ever made. It immediately grabs your attention. 

Example: Life is short  

The power sentence: 

If you waffle, a bit, try the power sentence. Beginning your paragraph with a power sentence of 12 words of fewer. Get straight to the point 

Example: The day was rainy and damp unlike yesterday 

The red, white and blue:

Use the red, white and blue sentence style when you have several ideas to convey a topic

Example: Johanna has black hair, glasses and a scarf

The adverb start:

Start a sentence with an adverb, as it adds interest and intrigue. Remember the rule: when you start your sentence with an adverb, place a comma after the adverb then write the rest of the sentence.

Example: Finally, this period is almost over 

Begin with a preposition:

Try starting your sentence with a preposition. Prepositions are little words indicating movement or position. 

Example: In New Zealand there are many sheep's  

The -ING start:

Try starting a sentence with the -ing form of a verb. The rule: when you have finished your -ing phrase, place a comma, then write the rest of the sentence.

Example: Analysing the information given to me 

The -ED start:

Try starting a sentence with the —ed form of the verb. It makes for a punchy opening to the sentence.

Example: leashed, the sheep sat quietly on the hills

The semi-colon:

When you have two independent clauses (two mini-sentences) joined by a conjunction (e.g. and, but), you can remove the conjunction and replace it with a semi-colon.

Example: Reige likes maths; Johanna does not.

The Em-dash:

The em-dash in English is the long dash. Use the long dash to drop a phrase in a sentence that is at complete odds with the flow of the sentence—way out there—but which adds colour and interest.

Example: Lasagne—a delicious meal—originated in Italy.

The W-start sentence :

Try beginning a sentence with a W-word. Here are some: who, while, when, where, 

what, whereas. The W-start makes writing sound thoughtful and knowledgeable.

Example: With this information; I can further understand the issue.

Explore the subject:

Accomplished writers use this sentence style. The rule: begin your sentence with the subject then place a comma. Say something interesting about the subject. Place another comma. Then, finish your sentence.

Example: The treaty of Waitangi, an agreement between the British Settlers and the Māori people, was aimed to to protect the indigenous rights of New Zealand.