Tips for Presenting an Oral Commentary on an English Movie/Drama/TV Show

A movie, also known as a film or a motion picture, is a story made up of a succession of moving pictures displayed on a screen with sound. The term "film" is generally used by professionals in the motion picture industry, whereas the general public uses "movie" more commonly. It can be a live or recorded performance that people watch on a screen or television. A drama, commonly known as a theatre, is a live performance on stage. A television program, also called a TV show, is a segment of content intended for broadcast or aired on television.

An oral commentary is a short individual oral presentation, which is a speaking assessment commenting on a selected movie/drama/TV show. The oral presentation can be set in five to seven minutes. A movie, film, or television show may come in multiple genres or varieties like action, comedy, drama, fantasy, horror, mystery, romance, and thriller. Presenters must watch, analyse, and produce an outline based on the selected movie, drama, or TV show before presenting it individually.

Presenting an Oral Commentary Solutions

To prepare and deliver an oral commentary of about five to seven minutes on an English movie, here are the essential steps to follow:

1. List down your favourite English movies based on the criteria below:

2. prefered genre

3. familiar topic

4. memorable storyline

5. captivating scenes

6. favourite artists

7. Watch the listed English movies several times and reflect on the following elements:

8. Title: Does the title match your expectation?

9. Genre(s): Does the genre reflect the title?

10. Productions:

11. What are the names of the production company, producer, director, and scriptwriter?

12. How long is the movie duration?

13. Casts: Who are the main and supporting characters, hero/heroine, villain, sidekick, and others?

14. Settings

15. Place(s): Where are the scenes taking place?

16. Timeline: When are the scenes taking place?

17. Plots: What are the beginning, conflict, climax, resolving conflict, and ending plots?

18. Cinematography: What are the special visual and audio effects as well as technology used in the making of the movie?

19. Values: What lessons have you learnt?

20. Critiques: What are the strengths, weaknesses, and improvements that can be made?

21. Critical receptions: How different individuals criticised the movie when it was published and at later dates?

22. Awards and/or nominations: What are the awards and/or nominations received?

23. Impacts/Implications: What are the positive and negative impacts/implications?

24. Prepare speech outline.

25. Opening remarks

26. Greetings

27. Attention getter

28. Body

29. State the title of the English movie/film/television programme.

30. Describe the setting.

31. When did the movie take place?

32. Where did the movie take place?

33. State the genre.

34. Comedy, horror, action, romance, and so on.

35. Give an overview of the plot.

36. Describe the main character or characters.

37. Explain why these characters are important in the development of the plot.

38. Describe a memorable scene.

39. What are the quotes or film techniques that made it memorable?

40. State your overall opinion of the movie/film/television programme.

41. Do you like it?

42. Give your reasons.

43. Would you recommend it to your friends?

44. Give your reasons.

45. Closing remarks

46. Impacts/Implications

47. Respond to questions with direct answers, if any.

48. Prepare visual aids.

49. Powerpoint slides

50. Include photographs, drawings, infographics, charts, graphs, or videos.

51. Use keywords instead of sentences.

52. Use big fonts.

53. Use a suitable theme and colours.

54. Rehearse as many times as possible.

55. Deliver your presentation.

56. Speak extemporaneously instead of reading from a text.

57. Control your voice in pronunciation, articulation, formality, intonation, stress, volume, pitch, rate, pauses, and vocal variety.

58. Manage your body language, including personal appearance, posture, movements, gestures, eye contact, and facial expressions.

59. Adhere to the time limit.

Student's Sample

During the COVID-19 pandemic, students have to do live presentations to be evaluated remotely at their respective homes. This video features an authentic student's oral commentary from the recorded meeting via Microsoft Teams. The selected movie's title is Divergent. Make a note of how the student presents her slides using Teams. It can be served as a self-reflection and reference for other students.

To share your thoughts by leaving a comment on this post, kindly sign up as a member by filling in your details in the Contact below.