Follow the Yellow Brick Road: Follow the Yellow Brick Road Speaking Their Language: Film in AP Courses


Film Flubs: Film Flubs Wall Street 1987, Oliver Stone Cold Mountain 2003, Anthony Minghella Star Trek V 1989, William Shatner Spiderman 2002, Sam Raimi


RATIONALE: 62% have access to a television, VCR/DVD player, video game equipment, and a computer in their homes spend almost 6.5 hours a day using these media spend approximately 19 hours a week in front of the television alone 72% see a movie in a theater at least once a month 62% watch a movie on video or DVD at least once a week 32% have not read a single book in an entire year For every book the average teenager reads, he will have seen at least 20 movies Children between 13 and 17 RATIONALE


Statistical Citations: Statistical Citations Woodard IV, Emory, Ph. D. and Gridina, Natalia (2000). Media in the home 2000: Fifth annual survey of parents and children. Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. Bradshaw, Tom, and Nichols, Bonnie (2004). Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America. National Endowment for the Arts.


Slide5: “Reading at Risk merely documents and quantifies a huge cultural transformation that most Americans have already noted – our society’s massive shift toward electronic media for entertainment and information. … most electronic media such as television, recordings, and radio make fewer demands on their audiences, and indeed often require no more than passive participation. Even interactive electronic media, such as video games and the Internet, foster shorter attention spans and accelerated gratification.” -Dana Gioia Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts


Use What Works!!: Use What Works!!


Slide7: “Reading at Risk merely documents and quantifies a huge cultural transformation that most Americans have already noted – our society’s massive shift toward electronic media for entertainment and information. … most electronic media such as television, recordings, and radio make fewer demands on their audiences, and indeed often require no more than passive participation. Even interactive electronic media, such as video games and the Internet, foster shorter attention spans and accelerated gratification.” -Dana Gioia Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts PASSIVE


Slide8: Grossed $250 Million dollars worldwide Over 130 million people have seen the film 121 separate occurrences of cigarette smoking in the film 78% of those interviewed exiting the film could not name a single specific instance of smoking in the film 1994 Quentin Tarantino http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110912/


PURPOSE: PURPOSE EMPHASIZE ACTIVE versus PASSIVE VIEWING FACILITATE INTERDISCIPLINARY INTERACTION


PURPOSE: PURPOSE ACTIVE versus PASSIVE VIEWING -Legal Ramifications -Popular Media Lemmings


PURPOSE: PURPOSE INTERDISCIPLINARY INTERACTION -Time -Conceptual Carryover


PURPOSE: PURPOSE MEDIA LITERACY


PRACTICALITIES: PRACTICALITIES Copyright Laws Library copy Offline taping Hall Davidson at http://www.mediafestival.org IMPORTANT! not so important . . . Ratings ClearPlay Excerpts 2002 T.E.A.C.H. Act -www.lib.ncsu.edu/scc/legislative/teachkit -www.washington.edu/classroom/emc/fairuse.html


PRACTICE: PRACTICE Choosing the Film Showing the Film Analyzing the Film


PRACTICE: PRACTICE Choosing the Film Appropriate Age Group Multiple Viewings Instructional Purpose Interdisciplinary Glue


Instructional Purpose: Instructional Purpose Atmosphere – Background Adaptation – Reenactment Metaphor - Application


Instructional Purpose: Instructional Purpose Atmosphere Adaptation Metaphor LITERATURE


Instructional Purpose: Instructional Purpose Background Reenactment Application ECONOMICS


Instructional Purpose: Instructional Purpose Background Reenactment Application HISTORY


USE MOVIES asINTERDISCIPLINARY“GLUE”: USE MOVIES as INTERDISCIPLINARY “GLUE”


A Beautiful Mind: A Beautiful Mind The Cast JOHN NASH . . . . . . . . . . Russell Crowe SYLVIA NASH . . . . . . .Jennifer Connelly WILLIAM PARCHER . . . . . . . .Ed Harris CHARLES HERMAN . . . . . Paul Bettany Dr. ROSEN . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Plummer directed by Ron Howard. Universal Pictures, 2001. 135 minutes. PG-13


Slide22: The Crucible Henry V Empire of the Sun The Power of One Other People’s Money


Unique Combinations: Unique Combinations Great Gatsby Things Fall Apart All Quiet on the Western Front Wall Street Mr. Johnson Gallipoli


PRACTICE: PRACTICE Showing the Film Written Summaries Worksheets Subtitles Jump Start Points


PRACTICE: PRACTICE Analyzing the Film Factual Thematic Cinematic


Pleasantville: Pleasantville The Cast DAVID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tobey Maguire JENNIFER . . . . . . . Reese Witherspoon GEORGE PARKER . . . . . William Macy BETTY PARKER . . . . . . . . . Joan Allen BILL JOHNSON . . . . . . . . . Jeff Daniels directed by Gary Ross. New Line Cinema, 1998. 124 minutes. PG-13


Factual: Factual Accuracy Background Costumes Language Plot Characters Setting Point of View


Factual Analysis: Factual Analysis What is the plot? Who is the protagonist? From whose point of view is the story told? In what year does the film take place? Does the film present the era accurately in terms of art, dress, and music? Does Pleasantville reflect reality or television? Pleasantville US History Literature


Thematic: Thematic Images Symbols Themes Change Metaphors Connections


Thematic Analysis: Thematic Analysis Is there a shift in power between the siblings during the course of the film? Which characters are round and which are flat? Does this change during the course of the film? Why do the characters change color? How are the changes in the film representative of changes in American society in the fifties? Compare the rules about ‘coloreds’ in Pleasantville to Jim Crow laws. How does the tension in Pleasantville foreshadow the 1960s in the United States? Pleasantville US History Literature


Cinematic: Cinematic Techniques and terminology Types of shots Camera angles Camera movement Shot duration Transitions Sound Mise en Scene versus Montage Auteur Theory


Cinematic Practice: Cinematic Practice Concept Script Storyboard


Mise en Scene“To Put into the Scene”: Mise en Scene “To Put into the Scene” Mise-en-scene is the relationship between the camera and what is being framed in its sights. This relationship includes spacing, angle and movement. Mise-en-scene is the organization of an unbroken shot. Historically, mise-en-scene meant directing plays, and later became used in film to express how the frame is organized. Mise-en-scene items include lighting, actors, costumes, props, special effects, sound effects and the action of the camera within the scene It encourages the audience to focus on what is in the scene in a specific way. *Braudy, L. and Cohen, M. (1999) Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings. NY: Oxford University Press.


Montage“To Build”: Montage “To Build” Montage is the editing together of disparate shots in order to create meaning. It is the fluid integration of the camera's total range of shots, from extreme close-up to distant panorama, so as to produce the most coherent narrative sequence, the most systematic meaning, and the most effective rhythmic pattern. Montage involves a "dialectical" process that creates a new third meaning from combining the meanings of the two original shots. A major purpose of montage is to create a narrative or specific chain of events. It is also used to manipulate time, transcend vast spaces, and make connections between concurrent stories. *Braudy, L. and Cohen, M. (1999) Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings. NY: Oxford University Press.


The Auteur Theory: The Auteur Theory “Auteur theory was articulated in the 1950s by French film critics, most notably by Francois Truffaut. The concept describes the mark of a film director in terms of: thematic or stylistic consistencies, personal aesthetic vision, recurring themes, established technique, a defined view of the world and a significant degree of control over production. The works of an auteur director are stamped by the personality and unique artistic vision of its creator, and are as recognizable and distinctive as the creators of any other work of art. In auteur films, it is the director who controls the artistic statement, takes credit for the film, and is primarily responsible for attracting the audience.” Ebert, Roger. 2002. The Great Movies. Chicago: Broadway Publishers.


Cinematic Analysis: Cinematic Analysis How does the director use montage (editing techniques) in the beginning of the film? Why does this change during the course of the film to emphasize mise en scene? Why is the Mayor always seen from a low angle? What is the point of view of the director and how is he trying to influence the way you see modern society? Pleasantville


Applicability: Applicability Multidisciplinary Multimedia


The End of the Yellow Brick Road: The End of the Yellow Brick Road WHO IS BEHIND THE CURTAIN?


Film Flubs: Film Flubs Wall Street 1987, Oliver Stone Cold Mountain 2003, Anthony Minghella Star Trek V 1989, William Shatner Spiderman 2002, Sam Raimi Challenger disaster took place in 1986 Inman is walking north Kirk’s uniform changes color Two Empire State buildings