Styles of Film; Melies & Porter Films; Birt Acres, R.W. Paul & Early film directors

LAB: (Until 8:00)

Congratulations Scholastic Writing Award Winners! Great job!

Many of Edison's early films were shot by W.K.L. Dickson. Thomas Edison invented the idea of the Kinetoscope but it was Dickson who designed it between 1889-1892. Edison's film studio was called the Black Maria. The first kinetoscope exhibition occurred in New York, NY in 1894.

Some Kinetoscope film examples (watch & take notes...):

• Statue of Liberty (1898)
• The inauguration of President McKinley (1901)
• Skyscrapers of New York (1903) 
• Moscow Clad in Snow (1906)

At the same time, in France, the Lumiere Bros. were also working on the invention of film-- particularly a camera that could project the film for the benefit of an audience. Learn more about The Lumiere Bros. (Documentary, 10 minutes). then watch some of their short films. Again, take note....

• Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat (Lumiere Bros) (1895)
• Lion, London Zoological Gardens (Lumiere Bros) (1895)
• The Sprinkler Sprinkled (Lumiere Bros) (1895)
• Le Squelette Joyeux (the happy skeleton) (1895) 
• Arab Cortege (Lumiere Bros) (1896)
• Various actualities (documentaries)

George Melies and Edwin S. Porter both found a way to edit and arrange film to create a narrative story. With these two film directors we begin to expand the novelty and artistic quality of the medium.

Styles of Film:

If we were to reduce all films to a continuum, we would have realism on one end of the continuum and formalism on the other. The Lumiere Brothers, and many of Edison's films, are considered actualities and are little more than moving snapshots of real life in real settings shot on location in real places. Early audiences were fascinated by these films partly because they had never seen a picture move, but also because the events the films captured were spontaneous and true. It don't get more real  than this! The most real films are often considered to be documentaries--documents of real people, places, or events.

On the other side of the continuum is formalism. Formalist films are often avant-garde or metaphorical. Melies' films are perfect examples of this kind of film. Melies used trick photography, whimsical and fantastic subject matter that went beyond reality, and arranged his scenes deliberately for effect. While the camera stays at a safe viewing distance (long shot), the entire film is manipulated to create an effect on the viewer. When a director does these things (tricks like dissolves or stop motion or careful editing) he is beginning to lose the spontaneity of capturing real life, as all is "staged" and "un-real".

Today most films are considered the mid-range between realism and formalism. This mid-range is called classicism and most fiction films fall into this category.

George Melies outlined a narrative story by numbering scenes he would need for a film. See the chapter on Melies (handout) for examples. This arrangement served as a creative outline for most early filmmakers. Much of the plot, acting, and filming was completely improv, but directors had a general idea of the film they wanted to make.

Directions (assignment from Friday, Feb. 3):

1. Work alone or with one partner.

2. Create your own pre-arranged scene break down for a film of your own. You may, like Melies, choose a favorite story or fairy tale, or create your own sci-fi or fantasy story, or, like Porter, base your story on an event taken from News headlines, or from your own imagination.

3. Create a short film scene outline with between 6-12 distinct scenes. You should give a very short description of each scene that includes the following information:

A. Where does the action/filming take place?

B. What is the central action or event in the scene?

C. What characters are involved in the action?

D. How does one action lead to a reaction (cause and effect, or i.e., PLOT) and/or resolution?

E. What type of shot would you use for the scene: Close-up, Medium shot, Long Shot, Tracking Shot, Pan, (extreme close up or long shot?)

F. Draw an example shot of the key action or characters for the scene on the storyboard. Use the template provided for this purpose.

Due next class: Thursday, Feb. 9.

Period 2: Film Screening:

As we watch these films, please record the title, name of director, and a 1-3 sentence description.

• A TRIP TO THE MOON (1902), Directed by George Melies (The Astronomer's Dream - 1898); (The Impossible Voyage, 1904); and (The Conquest of the Pole, 1912)
• THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY (1903), Directed by Edwin S. Porter
• The Life of an American Fireman (Edwin S. Porter, 1903)
• Uncle Tom's Cabin (Edwin S. Porter, 1903, with real live negroes!--the first African Americans in a feature film, albeit, main characters are still in black face!) What is black face? Here's a bit of history (see link!)
• The Kleptomaniac (1905)
• Dream of a Rarebit Fiend (Edwin S. Porter, 1906)

European Invasion!

France and the U.S. were quick to jump on the possibilities of film projection. But quick on their heels was Britain (and then other countries including Germany & Italy). These countries have a long and respected reputation when it comes to film making. They were there at the beginning.

Birt Acres & R.W. Paul

Birt Acres was born in the USA in 1854, orphaned at the age of fourteen during the American civil war and was taken in by his aunt. Around 1872 Acres was sent to Paris to complete his education at the Sorbonne. Acres returned to the United States four years later to lead the life of a Frontiersman and it during a period of eight or nine years became quite wealthy. Around 1885 he moved to England. He set up a studio in the seaside resort of Devon for the production of painted portraits and photography. In 1894 Acres was introduced to electrical engineer, Robert W. Paul. At this time Paul was in the process of manufacturing copies of Edison’s Kinetoscope and was anxious to construct a camera with which to produce films to show on his machines.

The pair worked together and Acres used the camera to make the first successful film in Britain - Incident at Clovelly Cottage in 1895. It was at this point where the two entered into partnership with a ten year business agreement. This agreement lasted only six weeks before splitting. During their brief partnership, the two shot films. It is widely believed that Paul was angry because Acres had patented his own Kinetic camera in his own name - almost identical to the one they had developed together. The resulting projector became known as the Kinetic Lantern, Kineopticon and the Cinematoscope. 

As for Paul, he invented the Theatrograph projector and shot the first "news" films. Paul also made various “Actuality” films,  and a short comedy - “The Soldier’s Courtship.” He is, also, curiously, responsible for the first Scrooge film. In 1898 Paul began construction on Britain’s first film studios in Muswell Hill, North London and during that summer produced over eighty short dramatic films.

Paul’s production company peaked during 1900 and 1905 but he gradually became disenchanted with the business. He returned to his previous occupation, concentrating on electrical engineering.

Meanwhile, Acres gave the first public performance of his projector at the Royal Photographic Society in 1896 - five weeks before the screening of Lumière’s Cinématographe and Paul’s Theatograph. Acres formed his own company - the Northern Photographic Works which specialized in coating, perforating and processing film. In 1898 he unveiled the Birtac - the first 'sub-standard gauge' cine camera and projector, instead of normal 35mm film the camera used narrower width film - typically 17.5 mm. Unfortunately for Acres, within weeks, a rival 17.5 mm camera/projector was announced - the Biokam by the Warwick Trading Company. The Biokam benefitted from its heavy backing and cheapness - half the price of the Birtac. Regardless of this, Birt Acres invented the first amateur cine camera and remained in the film business until his death in 1918.

R.W. Paul: Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee (1897)

Upside Down (1899) (watch camera tricks)

 Scrooge, or Marley's Ghost (1901) (the first Scrooge film).

The Magic Sword (1901)

The Delhi Durbar (1903)

Birt Acres: Rough Sea at Dover (1895)

Crude Set Drama (1896)

Arrest of a Pickpocket (date unknown, 1896+)
Rip Van Winkle (1895)

EARLY FILMS & INVENTION:

Hollywood has never been that original compared to early filmmakers. Here's a few films that keep getting made over and over again. Other films of the early 20th century:

• Joan D'Arc (1900)
• Cyrano de Bergerac (1900)
• Frankenstein (Edison) (1910)
• A Trip to Mars (Edison) (1910)
• Wizard of Oz (1910)
• James Searle Dawley: Rescued From an Eagle's Nest (1907, Frodo & Sam were not the first little guys to get rescued!)
• Milano Films: Odissea (Italian cinema, 1911)
• Milano Films: Dante's Inferno (Italian cinema, 1911--the oldest surviving feature length epic)
• Oldest surviving color film (1902)

HOMEWORK: Please complete your story board. See above (and below) for details.

Film History: Day 2; Melies/Porter; Kinetoscope films

Period 1:

Please complete questions from the article by Tim Dirks. This is due at the end of period 1.

 Complete Part One and Two: Answer the questions on the handout using this website and the article (part 1 & 2). Turn in your answers by the period, Friday, Feb. 2 for participation credit.

If you finish early in the lab (or as homework):

Many of Edison's early films were shot by W.K.L. Dickson. Thomas Edison invented the idea of the Kinetoscope but it was Dickson who designed it between 1889-1892. Edison's film studio was called the Black Maria. The first kinetoscope exhibition occurred in New York, NY in 1894.

Some Kinetoscope film examples (watch & take notes...):

• Statue of Liberty (1898)
• The inauguration of President McKinley (1901)
• Skyscrapers of New York (1903) 
• Moscow Clad in Snow (1906)

At the same time, in France, the Lumiere Bros. were also working on the invention of film-- particularly a camera that could project the film for the benefit of an audience. Learn more about The Lumiere Bros. (Documentary, 10 minutes). then watch some of their short films. Again, take note....

• Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat (Lumiere Bros) (1895)
• Lion, London Zoological Gardens (Lumiere Bros) (1895)
• The Sprinkler Sprinkled (Lumiere Bros) (1895)
• Le Squelette Joyeux (the happy skeleton) (1895) 
• Arab Cortege (Lumiere Bros) (1896)
• Various actualities (documentaries)

Period 2:

In the classroom, please read the handout on George Melies and Edwin S. Porter. Annotate and take notes in your notebook/journal of key ideas.

George Melies and Edwin S. Porter both found a way to edit and arrange film to create a narrative story. With these two film directors we begin to expand the novelty and artistic quality of the medium.

If we were to reduce all films to a continuum, we would have realism on one end of the continuum and formalism on the other. The Lumiere Brothers, and many of Edison's films, are considered actualities and are little more than moving snapshots of real life in real settings shot on location in real places. Early audiences were fascinated by these films partly because they had never seen a picture move, but also because the events the films captured were spontaneous and true. It don't get more real  than this! The most real films are often considered to be documentaries--documents of real people, places, or events.

On the other side of the continuum is formalism. Formalist films are often avant-garde or metaphorical. Melies' films are perfect examples of this kind of film. Melies used trick photography, whimsical and fantastic subject matter that went beyond reality, and arranged his scenes deliberately for effect. While the camera stays at a safe viewing distance (long shot), the entire film is manipulated to create an effect on the viewer. When a director does these things (tricks like dissolves or stop motion or careful editing) he is beginning to lose the spontaneity of capturing real life, as all is "staged" and "un-real".

Today most films are considered the mid-range between realism and formalism. This mid-range is called classicism and most fiction films fall into this category.

George Melies outlined a narrative story by numbering scenes he would need for a film. See the chapter on Melies (handout) for examples. This arrangement served as a creative outline for most early filmmakers. Much of the plot, acting, and filming was completely improv, but directors had a general idea of the film they wanted to make.

Directions:

1. Work alone or with one partner.

2. Create your own pre-arranged scene break down for a film of your own. You may, like Melies, choose a favorite story or fairy tale, or create your own sci-fi or fantasy story, or, like Porter, base your story on an event taken from News headlines, or from your own imagination.

3. Create a short film scene outline with between 6-12 distinct scenes. You should give a very short description of each scene that includes the following information:

A. Where does the action/filming take place?

B. What is the central action or event in the scene?

C. What characters are involved in the action?

D. How does one action lead to a reaction (cause and effect, or i.e., PLOT) and/or resolution?

E. What type of shot would you use for the scene: Close-up, Medium shot, Long Shot, Tracking Shot, Pan, (extreme close up or long shot?)

F. Draw an example shot of the key action or characters for the scene on the storyboard. Use the template provided for this purpose.

Due Thursday, Feb. 9.

HOMEWORK: If you did not complete your viewing of the Lumiere Bros. films or the Kinetoscope films, please do so over the weekend. Otherwise, none.

Early Film Invention; Early Film Examples

LAB WORK: (period 1, Until 8:05ish)

Turn in homework from last class (or check it--did you do it?) If you did not post your comment regarding your film knowledge/experience and the 100 films of all time from last class, what are you waiting for? Post in the comment section of today's site for partial credit.

LAB ACTIVITY: In the lab answer the questions on the handout using this website and the article (part 1 & 2) by Tim Dirks. The next page (part 2) is found on the bottom of the screen. Follow the arrows to the right to advance the page. Complete Part One and Two by answering the questions. Turn in your answers by the end of class Friday, Feb. 2 for participation credit.

Period 2 (or 8:10ish): Classroom: Early Films

We will screen some early film examples. There's a lot here. Get your notebooks ready!

From last class:

Celluloid: Invented in 1869 by John Wesley Hyatt. Strips of thin film which could be developed with pictures.

Praxinoscope: Invented in 1877 by Charles Emile Reynaud. A film projector. This clip shows examples of Reynaud's animations. 

Light Bulb: Edison invented the long-lasting light bulb and secured the patent in 1879. Actually the light bulb predates this date. Edison patented the incandescent light bulb filament (specifically). 

The Photographic Gun: Often hailed as the "inventor of cinema" Etienne-Jules Marey invented his chronophotography or series photography, similar to Muybridge's attempts, which allowed for the taking of several photographs on the same "plate" in 1882.

Now: Watch these early films from the late 1890's and early 1900's. As you watch, take notes in your journal/notebook about the director(s) and the titles and content of the film. Summarize in a few words or a sentence or two what each film is about. At the end of the collection, answer the following:

• What do you notice about the films? 
• What subject matter do they deal with? 
• What do you notice about the shots and camera work in these films?

Edweard Muybridge (1830-1904): Our first pioneer of the art of film is the photographer Edweard Muybridge. Muybridge was a photographer who became famous when former California Governor Leland Stanford contacted him to help settle a bet over whether all four hooves of a running horse left the ground. Muybridge began experimenting with an array of 12 cameras photographing a galloping horse in a sequence of shots. Between 1878 and 1884, Muybridge perfected his method, proving that horses do have all four hooves off the ground at some point during their running stride. Muybridge worked at the University of Pennsylvania between 1883 and 1886, producing thousands of photographs of humans and animals in motion. He published several books featuring his motion photographs and toured Europe and North America, presenting his photographic methods using a projection device he'd developed, the Zoopraxiscope.

Some other interesting bits about Muybridge: During a break from his photographic research, his wife, Flora, had an affair with Major Harry Larkyns, a drama critic. Believing that Larkyns had fathered the couple's recently born son, Muybridge tracked him down, shot, and killed him. At his trial for murder in 1875, several witnesses testified that Muybridge's personality had changed after he received a head injury in which he lost his ability to taste and smell. The jury didn't buy the insanity defense, but acquitted Muybridge on the grounds of "justifiable homicide." Muybridge died in 1904. His contributions to art and photography spurred the works of other film inventors, many of which we will study today.

Please watch the following two films, the first a documentary: Photographs of Motion

and the second, a series of Muybridge's photographs, sped up to show motion (persistence of vision!)

So what's the oldest film ever made? Interesting story:
The oldest surviving film in existence at this point is Louis Le Prince's Roundhay Garden Scene (1888). This sequence was recorded on an 1885 Eastman Kodak paper base photographic film through Le Prince's single-lens combi-camera-projector. It moved at 12 frames per second.

Le Prince's life was also interesting and there's a mystery (and some say conspiracy) attached to his death. Le Prince was never able to perform a planned public demonstration in the United States of his films because he mysteriously vanished from a train on 16 September, 1890 --His body and luggage (including his film camera) were never found. Le Prince's disappearance allowed Thomas Edison to take credit for the invention of motion pictures in America, but now Le Prince has been heralded as 'The Father of Cinematography.'

Edison Kinetoscope films: (1894-1896)
Titles in this clip include: The Kiss, Serpentine Dances, Sandow the Strong Man, Comic Boxing, Cock  Fighting, The Barber Shop, Feeding the Chickens, Seminary Girls & Boxing Cats

Many of Edison's early films were shot by W.K.L. Dickson. Thomas Edison invented the idea of the Kinetoscope but it was Dickson who designed it between 1889-1892. His film studio was called the Black Maria. The first kinetoscope exhibition occurred in New York, NY in 1894.

Other Kinetoscope films:

• Statue of Liberty (1898)
• The inauguration of President McKinley (1901)
• Skyscrapers of New York (1903) 
• Moscow Clad in Snow (1906)

At the same time, in France, the Lumiere Bros. were also working on the invention of film, particularly a camera that could also project a film for the benefit of an audience. Learn more about The Lumiere Bros. (Documentary, 10 minutes).

• Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat (Lumiere Bros) (1895)
• Lion, London Zoological Gardens (Lumiere Bros) (1895)
• The Sprinkler Sprinkled (Lumiere Bros) (1895)
• Le Squelette Joyeux (the happy skeleton) (1895) 
• Arab Cortege (Lumiere Bros) (1896)
• Various actualities (documentaries)

HOMEWORK: None. Notes for Parts 1 & 2 are due end of class on Friday.

TOP Films of All Time: Personal Response & Journaling

After our quick introduction to the course, please take the next 3-5 minutes to do the following brainstorming activity: Trace your hand(s) like you used to do in elementary school.

#1. Hands down! List your top 10 favorite films of all time on your 'fingers'.
#2. In the 'palm' of your hand drawing, name your favorite genres of film. (i,e. what do you prefer to watch?) Consider 'why?'

RESOURCES TO USE DURING THIS CLASS:

The TOP Films of All Time - A Personal Response by YOU!

For our class, this website by film historian Tim Dirks, will provide you with a lot of excellent information. We will be using the link throughout our course as a reliable source of information.
Please go to the link (on the right side of this post): Film History.

Other Resources:

• IMDB.com (this is the international movie data base, and can be very helpful to you in this course).
• Metacritic (a website where you can find all sorts of film reviews for models regarding how to write a film review--and for your own enjoyment)
• The Internet Script database. This site publishes many contemporary film scripts. It will be important to check your film script formatting and go here to read scripts. There is a link to this page to your right of this post.
• Youtube.com Many of the clips we will be watching in this class come from sites like youtube.com. You are probably already familiar with this website.

LAB ACTIVITY: Today, I'd like you to spend some time reviewing the top 100 films of all time in the lab. Please read Dirk's information, take a look through the list and note the following (perhaps in 3 columns or sections):

A. Which films on this list have you personally seen? (jot down a few titles in your journal)
B. Which films on this list have you heard about, but never had the chance to see? (jot down a few titles)
C. If a movie looks interesting to you, please jot down its title in your journal.

Then in a short personal response in the COMMENT section below on this blog, talk about your experience with film. How knowledgeable do you think you are you about the topic? What films have become important or traditions for you or your family? Explain what the magic or cinema means to you? Reflect on what you learned today and write about your reaction to that. Or anything relevant about a personal response about film.

Period 2: CLASSROOM DISCUSSION: please get into groups of 3-4. Discuss your list with your group members. Also spend any time remaining in the class activity discussing films you love or hate. Why do you love or hate the film? Discuss. You have 5 minutes to talk/discuss.

Early Film Inventions: Let's play around with a few visual toys and learn about the early, early days of film.

Persistence of Vision: the optical illusion that allows the human mind to blend various images together into a single image. Provides the "move" part of a "movie". 

These are just some of the important events, inventions, and inventors that helped create the film industry. You should be familiar with them. Please take notes and study them for our upcoming test on this material.

Magic Lantern: Invented in the 17th century by Athanasius Kircher. The magic lantern projected pictures on a screen. It functioned like an overhead projector. Originally it used a candle as the light source.

Thaumatrope: Invented by Dr. John Ayrton Paris in 1824; utilized the theory of “persistence of vision”: Persistence of vision is the optical illusion where multiple images blend into a single image in the human mind. Without it, we would not be entertained by film as it wouldn't appear to "move"--hence, no "movies".

Fantascope, Phenakistiscope (“spindle viewer”), Fanatoscope: invented by Belgian inventor Joseph Plateau. Daedalum (Horner 1834)/Zoetrope (Lincoln 1867)

Daguerreotype: Invented in 1839 by Louis-Jacques-Monde Daguerre. The process of capturing images on silvered, copper metal plates - the beginning of photography.

Celluloid: Invented in 1869 by John Wesley Hyatt. Strips of thin film which could be developed with pictures.

Praxinoscope: Invented in 1877 by Charles Emile Reynaud. A film projector. This clip shows examples of Reynaud's animations. 

Light Bulb: Edison invented the long-lasting light bulb and secured the patent in 1879. Actually the light bulb predates this date. Edison patented the incandescent light bulb filament (specifically). 

The Photographic Gun: Often hailed as the "inventor of cinema" Etienne-Jules Marey invented his chronophotography or series photography, similar to Muybridge's attempts, which allowed for the taking of several photographs on the same "plate" in 1882.

Edweard Muybridge (1830-1904): Our first pioneer of the art of film is the photographer Edweard Muybridge. Muybridge was a photographer who became famous when former California Governor Leland Stanford contacted him to help settle a bet over whether all four hooves of a running horse left the ground. Muybridge began experimenting with an array of 12 cameras photographing a galloping horse in a sequence of shots. Between 1878 and 1884, Muybridge perfected his method, proving that horses do have all four hooves off the ground at some point during their running stride. Muybridge worked at the University of Pennsylvania between 1883 and 1886, producing thousands of photographs of humans and animals in motion. He published several books featuring his motion photographs and toured Europe and North America, presenting his photographic methods using a projection device he'd developed, the Zoopraxiscope.

Some other interesting bits about Muybridge: During a break from his photographic research, his wife, Flora, had an affair with Major Harry Larkyns, a drama critic. Believing that Larkyns had fathered the couple's recently born son, Muybridge tracked him down, shot, and killed him. At his trial for murder in 1875, several witnesses testified that Muybridge's personality had changed after he received a head injury in which he lost his ability to taste and smell. The jury didn't buy the insanity defense, but acquitted Muybridge on the grounds of "justifiable homicide." Muybridge died in 1904. His contributions to art and photography spurred the works of other film inventors, many of which we will study today.

Please watch the following two films, the first a documentary: Photographs of Motion

and the second, a series of Muybridge's photographs, sped up to show motion (persistence of vision!)

HOMEWORK: Please read the short article "The Birth of Film" and then read about early film technology here at this website. In your notes/film journal, please identify, or describe (and/or draw a picture) the significance of the following technology. The side bar on the website's left hand side has the links for each device.

• Zoetrope
• Praxinoscope
• Kinetoscope
• Cinematographe
• Mutoscope
• Vitascope

Film Journal: Ongoing Paper Assignments

You will be expected to write at least 2 journal/film essays during marking period 3. The first paper will be due around week 4-5, and the second will be due around week 8-9. Details about the journal papers will be discussed further in class in the next few weeks. Here's a sneak preview of the assignments you can chose from for your papers:

1. View a film--any film--of your choice. Then, single out a particular scene. A scene is one setting or location, usually shot for no more than one minute. Make a detailed list of the particular labors required to produce this scene. You may wish to divide your list into the following categories: Set design, costume, special effects, lighting, acting, camera, sound, etc. Of course, you ought to notice labors needed to produce the images and sounds that viewers actually experience, but dig deeper. What sorts of invisible laborers were required before the scene could be realized? For example: who put the props on the set and who was responsible for buying or making the props in the first place? Did caterers make sure that people on the set were fed? And who called the caterers? Once the scene was shot, what sorts of labors made it possible for you to witness what was filmed? You may wish to view the end credits of the film as well to help you get an idea who was involved. From your list, make an observation in 1-2 pages (double-spaced) about the amount of work (and who may be involved) in the short scene that you studied. Write an essay in which you discuss your list and what you came to understand about the particular scene shot. What observations did you make and how has this changed (or not changed) your appreciation of the film?

2. View a film of your choice and write a short essay in which you speculate on possible answers to this question: Who is conceivably the author of this film? Who deserves the title? Again, speculate. How does film--like other electronic media (like, say, a CD or a video game)--reveal authorship to be an “outdated” concept, and a concept that has, in our age of electronics, become problematic? How does this change or alter the way in which you view film authorship? What does it mean to you as a potential writer of film?

3. To show us exposition or to describe a character, the camera often shows us a room or personal belongings of a character in a movie as a way of communicating to the audience. For example, in the film Ferris Beuller’s Day Off, to give us information about the film's main character, even before we see him, the camera pans and tracks, showing us Ferris' bedroom. We see all kinds of stuff, and this stuff is arranged in telling ways. There's a similar shot in Silence of the Lambs, when Clarice Starling (Jody Foster) inspects items in the bedroom of a murdered girl.

The point: We notice character (or a character’s personality) is constructed through elements of the mise en scene: in this case, out of the collage or mix of stuff that the set designer arranged for the camera. As viewers we project a personality onto the screen based on what we see (and also by what we do not see). If you call this process of generalization "stereotyping," you are right. The fact is, without culturally shared stereotypes, films probably wouldn't make sense to us. Such stereotyping is a lot more subtle than assuming that if a cowboy is wearing a white hat, he must be the good guy. There are students in school who can and do size up people in seconds based on a person’s hairstyle or by the style of clothes the person wears.

Part A. Examine a film character and watch them in their opening scene or a scene which “develops” them. What information about the character is given through mise-en-scene? What foreshadowing or clues does the camera provide for us as viewers? Finally, do we stereotype correctly – or is the director manipulating us by putting us in that position? 

Part B. In this assignment as a way to experiment with mise en scene, choose a character, any character. He or she can be "real" or "invented." S/he could be a student (of any age), a business person (any job), a criminal (any sort), an alien (any nationality or species), etc. And then, I want you to try out the role of set designer. Your task is to create a very detailed description of this character's bedroom. You can do this in the form of a list, an inventory of the stuff you'd bring onto the set and arrange for the camera. But your goal is simple. We in the film crew have to be able to shoot this room using your instructions, your list. And we have to be certain that the film audience will have a certain sense of the inhabitant's personality. In effect, it's your job to construct a personality for the film's character through staging.

In your journal entry, give readers a complete inventory or an in-depth description of a bedroom--list or paragraphs, your choice. Do not tell us anything about the character that inhabits this room! For example, don't say, "This is the room of a kindergarten student, a girl, living in a town somewhere in central Pennsylvania. Her mother is a real estate agent; her father is a civil engineer." I would like for your classmates to guess the character you've invented based on what you give us. In other words, I want you to approach the work of your classmates inductively--like detectives, scientists, and FBI agents. Show us the character and his/her personality through a description of the character’s room.

4. View a documentary film of any sort. In a paragraph or two summarize the documentary – what is the main focus or theme of the film? Next, describe the structure of this film. Is the movie told in a straight forward narrative? Is it a series of interviews, or short clips which slowly reveal the main point? Finally, can you tell what the director/writer want to make the audience feel about the subject? How has the director/writer presented the documentary according to his/her own point of view? How does the documentary artist choose particular parts of the story to present his or her interpretation? How may the artist be biased and how is this bias shown to us through the parts of the film the director chooses to show us? Do you think the film is mostly subjective or objective? Are you being manipulated by the director/writer? How can you tell?

5. Read an article from a newspaper or from a magazine of your choosing (you may also choose to use a short story). Imagine writing a screen play on the news story or article. Briefly summarize the article or attach the clipping to your paper. Then, answer any of the following questions in a journal entry (1-2 pages):
--Whose story would you tell? Around whose basic point-of-view would you build the screen play? Why would you choose this “character”?
--How about depth? Are you going to stick to a primarily objective (just the facts, no opinion) approach? Will you grant viewers access to the subjective (personal opinion) states of any of the film's characters?
--Who do you plan to make this film for? Who is your audience? How might you change the real story to better affect your audience?
--Stories are created in the minds of viewers; they're our response to plot cues. This is especially evident in films that are told out of chronological order--where viewers have to straighten out scenes and mentally order them--in effect, completing or assembling stories. Are you going to tell your version of the story in a straightforward fashion or use flashback or other unusual narrative techniques to get the story across?

6. Watch a narrative film. Create a chart that illustrates the conflicting goals of the characters and values of the director/writer/audience that drive a narrative film of your choice. How does one conflict lead to another? How do these conflicts build upon one another in the film (usually leading to a climax)? How does this film resolve the conflicts that it sets in motion? Finally, does the film keep your interest and if so, is this largely because of the conflict of the main character(s)?

7. Choose a film and watch the main protagonist of the film closely. How does the director portray this character in a positive way so that the audience identifies with him/her? Use specific examples from the film. What effect is the director having on you as an audience member in showing or depicting the protagonist in this way? Is the director successful or unsuccessful and why? Alternatively, you may choose the main antagonist or villain and answer the same question.

8. View an animated movie or short of your choice. What qualities of the film work better as animation as opposed to representation of live characters or actors? Why do you think the film was made as animation instead of being filmed live? What is added or removed in making the film an animated feature? Using your speculative hypothesis (your answer), what evidence in the film is there of the director choosing to make this film an animated one?

9. Watch a film you absolutely hated the first time viewing it. Try to describe what it is about the film that you do not like (this can be technical (how the film was put together physically) or creative (how the film was written as a story), but do not simply state that you didn’t like the film because you didn’t like the film. Try to identify the flaws in the film: if technical, did the director’s choice of film techniques fail? If creative, is the main character not interesting or is there not enough conflict in the story, etc.? Finally, recast and redesign the film to fit your own tastes. Explain what changes would you make if you were the director?

10. Choose a foreign film and watch it. How is watching a foreign film challenging apart from the language barrier and the use of subtitles? In other words, what other challenges or problems might you face as an audience member of a different culture than the one the film was originally intended for? Next, analyze the director’s style. How is the director’s style different from mainstream Hollywood films with your own culture in mind? Finally, is there anything new you learned about a different culture or country by watching this film?

11. Watch three films from the same time period in the same genre. (For example 1970's horror films). What similarities and differences do you detect as you watch the film? Take note of special effects, use of screen shots, theme, acting or camera style. Write a paper on how these movies reflect a). The director b). The culture of the time period c). The tradition of film history

12. Go to the Dryden theatre and watch a film there. You should also compare this experience with a viewing at a standard first-run theatre (Regal, Tinseltown, etc.) and a viewing at a second-run theatre or independent art cinema (The Cinema, The Little Theatre). How does your experience differ from cinema to cinema? How might a specific kind of audience affect your enjoyment of a film? What is unique about each film audience “culture”? Write a reflection or “memoir” of your experience in each cinema. If you can, express an epiphany about film experience.

Changing of the Guard; A Second Reel

Welcome to Film Studies!

This course is designed to provide you with a wide foundation of Film History and Film Studies, while also giving you experience writing film scripts and film reviews/critiques (as such found in the field of Journalism). You can find the course syllabus on my teacher website.

By its end, you will understand the art of film hopefully more than you do now, and will gain a better appreciation for the art of filmmaking and the films you watch for enjoyment. Some of you may like this course of study so much you will take film courses in college, major in film studies, or become professional filmmakers. Others will at least benefit from knowing (and appreciating) the art of film.

Please note that you will need a notebook/journal and bring it to class every class period. You will use your journal/notebook when watching films, for brainstorming, and for various responses and exercises. I will be collecting your journal at the end of each quarter of this course and you may sometimes use it for tests/quizzes.

How to Take Cornell Notes (also see handout)

Thank you for completing the Playwriting course!

Play Projects Due!

Lab: Play projects are due!

Please make sure you proofread and correct your formatting before submitting your work!

Option 1: Full length play. (2 or more Acts) 50-60+ pages of a single play script story line.

Option 2: 2 full one-act plays. 40-60+ pages (20-30 pages per one act), separate story lines.

Option 3: 1 one-act play, and two (2) 10-minute plays. 35-60+ pages, separate story lines.

Option 4: 4 (four) 10-minute plays. 30 - 45 pages, separate story lines.

PROJECT RUBRIC:

A: completion of one of the options above. Work is grammatically flawless, formatting for stage plays is too. It is clear this student understands the structure and composition of a play, from premise to resolution. Work is of excellent creative writing quality. Only minor issues/concerns that could easily be smoothed out in a rehearsal process for the play's production. Work is consistently excellent. Commendable effort is clearly presented.

B: completion of one of the options above. Work has some common grammar/formatting mistakes, but nothing that gets in the way of comprehension. Student seems to understand the structure and composition of a play script. Work is good quality, but may need more workshopping or a theatrical reading to smooth out problems areas for a stage production of the work. Work may be uneven or unbalanced. Good effort.

C: completion of one of the options above. Work has several grammar/formatting mistakes. Student's understanding of the craft of playwriting is in question--perhaps the premise or script reads too much like a movie or fiction story, or acts/scenes/beats are dull or tedious, or structure and/or theme is more of an afterthought. Work is of acceptable quality. Issues may exist concerning production for one (or more) of the script(s). Play may not be ready for a workshop or public reading. Work may be incomplete or lacking components of dramatic structure. Work shows some promise, but more writing/revision/editing or restructuring is needed by the author. Drafts may be uneven or incomplete, lacking development (plot, character, theme, etc.). Some effort.

D: Incomplete project. There may be parts of the options above, but student failed to complete project. Shows some basic effort, but a lot of revision and writing needs to be done by the playwright before the script sees the light of day in a theatrical production. Late scripts that would have counted as the score(s) above. An attempt was made.

F: Incomplete project. Nothing ventured. Nothing gained. No work completed.

Please turn in your projects by end of day Friday. No electronic copies. Print your play projects on your own time. Late projects will be accepted until end of day Monday, January 23.

Period 2: Final Exam. Please move to the library and complete your final exam. After all exams are in, please share your scripts or use the lab to continue writing. See extra credit opportunities below.

Sharing. If you would like a class reading of your work, please see Mr. Craddock during the first half of 1st period!

Extra Credit Opportunities:
Oh, so many plays! If you'd like, you may (by absolute end of Marking Period--January 27) complete any of these extra credit options:

• Read: Samuel Beckett's Endgame.
• Read: Suzan-Lori Parks' The America Play
• Read: Suzan-Lori Parks' The Death of the Last Black Man in the Whole Entire World
• Read: August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come & Gone
• Read: Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun
• Read: Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
• Read: Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap
• Read: Steve Martin's Picasso at the Lapin Agile
• Read: David Henry Hwang's M. Butterfly
• Read: Tony Kushner's Angels in America: Millennium Approaches

For each play you choose to read, write a summary of the play's major dramatic action, and evaluate the play's structure, theme, and the playwrights' success or failure using criteria learned from this course to support your review.

• Write an additional 10-minute play. 6-10 pages, approx. Utilize criteria for effective playwriting learned from this class. You may repeat this option as you deem necessary.

HOMEWORK: None.