A brief and incomplete personal introduction to Mike Leigh’s work.

A brief and incomplete personal introduction to Mike Leigh’s work.

I saw Mike Leigh give a talk when one of his earlier films was being showcased as a part of the Surrey Institute film programme. ‘Naked’ was a very hard-hitting film, one that involved a rape scene, so the viewing public needed to be made of stern stuff. Luckily many of the audience members came were film connoisseurs and were keen fans of the director.  It made it clear that Leigh is not one to flinch from portraying some of the more gritty aspects of life on film.

Leigh is one of England’s own, and his style of work is quite distinct. Trained as an actor (British Council), 2011), his refinement of the process of writing plays and developing scripts is distinct. I understand that often there is no final script at the beginning of the process, but the development of the script or screenplay is shared with the actors (both men and women) so that their own research on the characters create realistically derived scenes where the dialogue in uncannily true to life because the characters are ‘themselves’. While in production, the actors are not allowed to discuss the project as it s still being formed. Having watched a number of the films now, and at least one  of the plays, the ultimately keep your interest because they are not formulaic in the ‘hollywood’ sense, although Leigh’s fascination with the mundane and dark side of life has been a repeated theme for his own work. Risky business for the film industry, but Mike Leigh’s career is a long and successful one in Britiain (BFI, 2011).

British Council (2011 online) Available from http://literature.britishcouncil.org/mike-leigh
[Accessed 4/10/11]

British Film Institute (BFI) (2011 online) Available from http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/461294/ [Accessed 4/10/11]

Getting started again on studies

Academic advisees and everyone

The surf is up for the new year, and we are all running to ride the waves. I think I need to get my board first and my wetsuit if this is england. It might be worth checking the when the tide is... oh no I missed the wave - typical. Well, that is what experience is about. I will catch the next one and be prepared for it.

I have now sent out to everyone on my list a welcome email and I hope that it makes some degree of sense. This week is the time to read everything through if you have not already, and connect back with me at whatever stage you are in the process. We had a number of late applicants who are still being processed and we have people trying to complete their final inquiry or project, so there is a range.

Remember to put links to blogs on your Google Reader as it helps following those that are unread. Also - check to see if you have ticked the box to allow public comments...

I will try to catch up with everyone who sends me updates by the end of the week - I need to do some planning for the first campus session of 3760 (Module 3).

Several people have blogged about induction , i.e. Michelle Yarwood, and Liam is already of the tasks so he is a bit ahead. We have a number of people who are not based in the UK right now. i.e. Victoria Ellingham is in Canada.

From the continuing folks: Amal I just saw your blogs up, Amal is in the Sept 2009 blogs, Emma Balaam is posting about her inquiry as is Mark Iles and others.

Glad to have almost everyone back - the Web2.0 fun comes from the collective.

Grief at the National

Grief at the National.... I have not been to this yet but Mike Leigh's process is an interesting one and well knownin British film and theatre.

Induction New Students 15th September 2011

Induction 15.9.11 bapp september 2011

View more presentations from paulanottingham

Welcome back everyone

Right - we are back in the office - I passed in my thesis in August! and 2 individuals in my household are going to university this semester.

We are working on the enrolment procedures and will put all the information up on BAPP Libguide.

More later...

2nd Writing Class July 25 2011

Looking forward to seeing what is in store Monday night... Here is some information that I had in earlier blogs about academic writing


Also - if you have not already - check out the level descriptors that MDX use for assessment.


Here is a definition I really like... 
The idea of being 'critical' is also to talk about what things mean. You might even add an argument. "The word argument in higher education means a proposition or propositions (or conclusion/s) combined with a reason or reasons. A proposition is a statement, a way of thinking, or an idea that you believe to be true. It is also a way of persuading a reader of your views" (Institute of Education, 2008).


Structure in writing is important, because formal structure (sentences and paragraphs) allow you to say what you mean in a way that communicates well. My rule of thumb 'american style' is the classic essay form of an introductory sentence, key points, and a concluding sentence... so at least three to five sentences in the paragraph (you may have more). 


Critical thinking is process that is used to think about topics and issues.

Glaser (influenced by Dewey) said “Critical thinking calls for a persistent effort to examine any belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light of the evidence that supports it and the further conclusions to which it tends” (extract from Fisher 2001).

“Critical thinking is reasonable, reflective thinking that is focused on deciding what to believe or do” (Norris and Ennis, 1989,extracts from Fisher 2001).

Stella Cottrell (The Study Skills Handbook 3rd ed., 1999) says that Glaser emphasises 3 main points about critical thinking: 1. persistence 2. evidence 3. implications

You use critical reasoning to:

• Identify elements of a reasoned case
• Identify and evaluate assumptions
• Clarify and interpret expressions and ideas
• Judge the acceptability and credibility of the claims
• Evaluate the arguments of different kinds
• Analyse, evaluate and produce explanations
• Analyse, evaluate and make decisions
• Draw inferences
• Produce arguments (Fisher 2001)

Cottrell also suggests applying analytical thinking - being able to do things like
• “ looking for possible flaws in the reasoning of evidence, or the way in which the conclusions were drawn”
• “comparing the same issue from the point of view of other theorists or writers” and “checking for hidden assumptions” (Cottrell 1999).

These ideas are linked to what I call critical curiosity, your ability to want to know about something using a framework that is wider than what you already know…(Nottingham, 2009). This means extending your knowledge and understanding to learning that includes sources that go beyond the self to peers, professional networks and academic-related literature.

Writing Class Wiki 1

Please add to the writing wiki about a writing style that you like... Just click on the link that is embedded in the title. It is a public wiki.

Please leave a comment on the blog to say how you are getting on with the writing outside of the workshops.

Also add a comment on this blog if you are having any problems accessing the wiki or contact Paula on p.nottingham@mdx.ac.uk

Good luck with the writing.