Student Film Documentaries: Early History of Film; Characteristics of Blockbusters; Jaws (Part 1)

EQ: Who were some of the early film stars, producers, and directors? What are some of the qualities of a blockbuster and how might we apply these characteristics to the film Jaws (1975)?

Student Film Documentaries

Rashid: Billy Bitzer
Robert: Thomas Harper Ince
Cameron: Nickelodeons
Jasmina: Lilian & Dorothy Gish, Mae Marsh
Rosalia: Vitagraph & Co.
Frieda: Kinemacolor
Alannah: Goldwyn, Fox, Warner Bros.
Olivia: Alice Guy Blanche
Avana: Lon Chaney, Sr.
Nandi: Lois Weber
Jahde: Frances Marion

Creative Writing Prompt: After screening these student films, please come up with your own idea for a "blockbuster" film. If you had an unlimited budget, what kind of film would you make? Take a few minutes and create an idea. See handouts.

Characteristics of a Blockbuster

Blockbuster films make money. So much money. Films that make money are often called "blockbuster" films. Those that lose money are called "bombs."

Here are some tongue-in-cheek rules concerning blockbuster films by Charlie Jane Anders:

• If your kid hasn't heard of it, don't spend $200 million on it
• Genre mash-ups only work if both genres are popular
• Spend less on the first film in a series and more on the sequels
• When dealing with a familiar hero or character, go back to the source material or original concept
• Pay attention to the structure of the original (particularly in sequels)
• Blockbuster films have to play overseas in the foreign market
• Things that sound funny, should be funny (Sharknado, for example...)
• Remember the human element: special effects does not a blockbuster make
• Fans are a double-edged sword: they love your content/subject matter--but then...they love your content/subject matter.

Blockbusters are usually:

• Advertised or heavily marketed
• Based on advertised/heavily marketed material (books, games, pop cultural items, etc.)
• Use familiar (well-known) directors or actors in major roles
• Action films
• Epic in scope and story (life versus death stuff...; the fate of all hangs in the balance...)
• Costume dramas or historical fiction
• Include special effects that involve explosions
• Have a male protagonist
• Deal with themes that can be easily recognizable (life, nature, death, love...)
• Have an underlying religious theme or strong belief in the power of good
• End happily for the protagonist, usually by saving the day

Of course there's no set guarantee that your film will be a blockbuster, but if you hit upon some of these elements, it is more likely you are making a blockbuster.

So let's see how this holds up as we watch the film Jaws (1975). Directed by Steven Spielberg. Written by Carl Gottlieb & Peter Benchley (from his novel: originally titled The Stillness of the Water). Before we begin let's learn a little about the film and read the first few pages of the script. See your handouts for details.

For more information about the film, please check here: Jaws and the full script is here.

HOMEWORK: None.