Watch Movies Online: Free streaming of older movies

Teach With Movies: Lessons plans based on movies

Tips for Teaching Films: Films Shown at the 2013 NCTE Conference

8 Top Apps and Services for Streaming Your Favorite Movies

Frank Baker: How To Close Read the Language of Film

Screenwriting and Film Critique

Spadoni, R. (2014). A pocket guide to analyzing films. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Film.Ed: San Francisco Film Society: Resources on making films

Greatest Car Movies of All Time

FilmEdu: Lots of resources and units on teaching film

Film English: Blog on teaching critical analysis of film

Teachers Look to Film to Foster Critical Thinking.  Education Week

Teaching digital video writing production

European Film Treasures: Classic European films

Free book: Why Does Film Matter, Intellect Press

Audiovisualcy; Vimeo social networking site on film

Video for Learning: Resources on using video in the classroom

Gregory Smith: Ways of discussing films

Central High School, St. Paul: Student videos

Media Education Wales:  Teaching Film in Schools: A Practical Guide

Teaching Film in High School English Language Arts

MTV New Movies site: Current film information and resources

PopResources: Short Films: Lots of links to short film collections

Connecticut student films

Patrick Henry High School, Minneapolis, students' video about the need for a green economy

Another related video by Patrick Henry High School students about a green economy

Films portraying issues of social control and power

Tate Movie Project: Creating animation films for ages 5-13 (could be used with Crosswinds students)

Digital production equipment (camcorders/recorders/mics, etc.) for check out (from the College or Curriculum Library)

Instructions for using Media Mill for storing and sharing links to videos

Documentary films on teachers and students uses of digital tools in schools

Documentaries about teaching and learning in schools

Kevin Leander: Composing with Old and New Media: students creating digital videos

Clips of speeches in movies

Guerrilla Video: Adjudicating the Credible and the Cool: Examining professional video productions

The Story of Movies: Curriculum on the history of film

Creating movies: Interactive site

Teaching YouTube

DVD Shrink: Create backups for DVDs and clips for editing (Windows only)

Another DVD Shrink: Create backups for DVDs and clips for editing (Windows only)

DVD Shrink for Macs

AoA DVD Ripper for Windows

MacTheRipper for Macs

Handbrake: Free DVD ripping for all platforms

iMovie (part of iLife: Mac)

Windows Movie Maker (Windows)

Windows Live Movie Maker: pdf instructions

Wiki: Resources for using Windows Movie Maker

Video: Using Windows Movie Maker

Jaycut: Online video editing

Wes Fryer: Editing with Jaycut

Pixorial: Online video editing

Cisco: Show and Share (commercial product)

VuSafe: tool for sharing YouTube videos in classes without inappropriate material

Stupeflix: Upload images and video to create professional videos

Vimeo: Upload video from cell phones to this site

10 Educational Uses for Flip Video

On-LineConvert: Convert video files to different formats

Guerrilla Video: Adjudicating the Credible and the Cool: Examining professional video productions

Internet TV: six "how to" chapters on creating online videos

39 Interesting Ways to Use Video Pocket Cameras in the Classroom

Digital video production

Digital Video Production Tutorials

Video: Reality TV Editing

Search for best movies/DVD's

Mind-Mapping the Movie: Creating digital maps of films

Teaching Videos

The Media Spot: Media Literacy through Production

Free movies online

ReelWorks Teen Filmmakers

Internet TV: six "how to" chapters on creating online videos

Moving Image Archive: thousands of free films/videos

The Ultimate Guide to Filmmaking: Lots of production tips

Using Literary Theory as an Entry Point for Critical Film Analysis

(Sarah Rose)

Minnesota Video Bloggers: The Best and the Brighest

Project LookSharp: Curriculum materials: Creativity and Aging Through the Lens of Film

Student animation film, The Resort

MinnPost: How To Do a Newspaper Webcast

Alec Corous: 80 Videos for Tech & Media Literacy

Tufts University online course: Producing Films for Social Change

Kevin Kelly: Become Screen Literate, The New York Times Magazine

Independent Film Channel (IFC): online videos

Romeo & Juliet

Elizabeth Flaschberger and Steve Markey

--an activity for a comparison between the play and the Baz Luhrman (1996) adaptation.

The study of this film would come after the reading of the Shakespeare play.

Before showing the film, students would brainstorm some aspects of the film that they either suspect or, because the movie is 11 years old, know that are different between the play and the film. This discussion would include symbolism, language, costumes, etc.

The teacher will devise a list of three or four scenes and assign certain groups to pay close attention to their selected scene. They will analyze every aspect in that scene. Instructions include asking themselves why the director chose to do this or what made that scene particularly dynamic.

After viewing the film, hold a class discussion about the similarities and differences between the film and the play. If Shakespeare were alive today, would he have approved of this adaptation?

Homework: One page detailed analysis of his/her assigned scene, considering stage lighting, costumes, casting, all artistic choices, etc. What did the director's choices add or take away from that scene? Did it enhance your enjoyment of the story? Why/Why not?

another page

Alternate Endings

Annie and EveThis is an activity that could be fun at many grade levels. To finish up a unit on film studies, have students create an alternate ending to their favorite movie or TV show. During the unit, the teacher would introduce basic film and editing techniques, and the students would have a chance during class to view clips and analyze what kind of effect those techniques have on the end result. Then, the students could team up or partner up and select their favorite film or TV show that they could re-write an ending for. Keeping in mind the techniques and effects discussed in class, students would work together to decide what the alternate ending should be and how it would be best portrayed in film. Because their film will be based off an already-familiar plot, they will be able to concentrate on the importance of technique, but allowing them to create a different ending will ideally encourage creativity and originality.

A Night at the Moulin Rouge

Meaghan and Maggie

This is an activity that goes with the film, Moulin Rouge.

Before the film, write the following on the board:

"Truth, beauty, freedom and above all things love"

Tell the class to keep these words in mind as you watch the movie. Be sure to take notes when something pertaining to these words occurs in the film. Remember to think about plot points, direction, musical cues and selection, color, etc. (Make sure the quotation is easy to refer to during film viewing.)

After viewing the movie, have the students get into small groups to share and discuss the notes they took on the movie as well as their thoughts on the movie. Come back for a large group discussion to go over small group discussions.

As homework: Write a two page essay on how you think the phrase, "truth, beauty, freedom and above all things love," is represented in the film. Be sure to support your argument with specifics from the movie and your notes.

Provide a rubric for the essay.

by Karen Keller and Abbey Weis

This is an activity that uses Bowling for Columbine as a comparison piece to Swift's Gulliver's Travels. In addition, there is a Socractic Seminar discussion guide to accompany the film/novel analysis. Any satiric novel could replace Gulliver's Travels....

Ligia Hernandez and Andi Larson thought of two activies and could not decide on which one so here are the two:

1) Comparison of Remake movies:

Discuss the different techniques that movie directors use to create suspense and to create dramatic effects in their movies by the use of sound, light, and angles of shooting.

Have your students watch Poseidon Adventure (1972) and the remake Poseidon(2006)

Have them compare the scene where the passengers have to swim underwater to get to the tip of the capsized ship.

• Ask them to identify the different techniques used in both movies.

• Ask them which techniques worked best to create the tension mood in the scene.

• Ask them what impact does the advances in technology-reflected in the Special Effects-have on the delivery of the scene’s tone(mood).

Have them reflect on which of the two movie versions presents the situation in a more realistic way.

Ask them which version they liked best and answer why, with evidence to support their answer.

2) Movie Analysis

I am Sam- movie (2001)

Directed by Jessie Nelson

After discussing movie techniques such as the use of light, scene shooting, angle shots, and sound., have your students watch I AM SAM

After watching the movie I AM SAM Have your students:

Identify the songs used throughout the movie.

• Why do you think these songs were chosen?

• Do the lyrics go with the themes in the scenes? How?

• Why would the director choose the scene where Sam and his friends cross the street in a straight line with balloons in their hands? What song is playing at the moment? Find out why?

• What other relationship between any of the songs and the movie?

Describe the shooting and light techniques used in the street crossing scene.

Choose another scene and describe the techniques used and why?

In class, they can present the scene and perhaps, a copy of the lyrics of the specific song and analyze it with the class.

Ligia Hernandez and Andrea Lars

To help illustrate film techniques in both a contemporary and classic setting, we thought of using older films to first illustrate a technique, then providing a newer (and hopefully more complex) example. By using both of eras of film, we can help to inspire an asthetic appreciation for 'classic' film and keep the idea contemporary. As part of a larger English curriculum, this technique could be used with Shakespeare adaptations or novel adaptations. We also considered having students pick a technique, find two examples of their own (classic and contemporary) and then create a scene themselves illustrating that technique.

--Rebekah Ignatowicz and Justin Crum

Have students view a scene from a popular movie (i.e. Titanic). Guide students in a critical analysis of film techniques used and the effect they have on the overall scene. Then, show a comical parody of the same scene (i.e. Team America) and compare the use of film techniques in the two scenes. How do they differ? How does this contribute to the meaning of "parody?"

-Emily Peckskamp and Sarah Thomes

Sarah Staples

Katie Houlihan

Film Activities

Beach

Our idea for a film activity would be to have the students' watch Harry Potter: Chamber of Secrets. We would start the class by introducing the students to journal writing and character development. The students would be exposed to creative writing and exploring points of view. Each student would choose a character and "play the part" by logging journal entries into a notebook or blog. That way students would have the opportunity to explore various points of view, while enhancing writing abilities.

Additionally, students could create poetry by incorporating the Harry Potter Lexicon(magical Potter terminology).

FilmActivities

Kerry Newstrom & Sara Speicher's idea:

Teaching Film idea for Media

Our idea is to take a scene from School of Rock and break film down into story board form. Students can use special software that helps them include all the details they might otherwise leave out if they were using pen and paper. By taking a finished scene and breaking it down students will understand the many details necessary for video production. A great storyboard software is Atomic Learning’s FREE Video Storyboard Pro. After students dissect the scene with Storyboard Pro, they can manipulate frames to create their own story.

When teaching U.S. History I've often had trouble helping my students develop empathy for the people they are studying. I began showing film clips to my students, not necessarily of films that relate to the content at hand, but rather that are from the time period we are currently studying. I got this idea from a National Council for the Social Studies magazine, but it works. This gives them a sense of the era in a way they best understand. Unfortunately, it really only works for the 20th century...

Typically, when I do this it's a part of a KWL and I use it to assess how much they know about an era and what vocabulary in the text they may have problems with (we use a text book with loads of social history, so it helps to know if they're familiar with flappers, okies, hippies, etc.) It's a fun way to look at technology, fashion, language, culture, and the changing economy. You could ask students to get in groups and look at these things specifically and jigsaw. Here's a list of some Hollywood films from Social Education, May/June 2005:

1910-1919, Caught in a Cabaret; 1919-1929, It (Clara Bow); 1930-1939, Mr. Smith Goes to ''Washington; 40's, Meet John Doe, 50's, Rebel Without a Cause; 60's, A Patch of Blue; 70's, Saturday Night Fever; 80's Say Anything''. But you could probably do anything, that's the beauty part.

Mary Voigt, Patricia Mc Gurk, Alma Mendez

Internet Movie Database: extensive data on individual films; use also to find themes/topics: go to Power Search and then "keywords"

Rottentomatoes: Reviews of current films; provides the percentage of positive to negative reviews.

From Current TV

Viewer-create content

Good intro to film techniques

Filmmaking techniques

My Pop Studio:

Teen TV Producer (edit a TV show)

I taught a film unit called "Film Buffs" and it was designed to help the students see the decisions and choices that were available to the various actors, directors and producers involved in order to get their message across. We watched "The Waterfront" together, stopping it at important scenes and discussing the different types of shots that were used, the dramatic choices made by the actors and directors and how it impacted the story and the audiences understanding and perception of the character and the events depicted. After watching and analyzing the movie together, the class was split up into groups. Each group chose a director and a movie that epitomized that director's work. They watched the movie together outside of class, chose a series of three camera shots and analyzed it and filled out a worksheet. We had about four days set aside where the students then showed their chosen scenes to the class and analyzed it in front of the class, explaining the significance, the effect the angles, music, colors, costumes, etc had on the viewers and why it was important to know. It was a great way to end the year (we did it for the last few weeks) and the kids really took away an understanding of how to analyze film instead of simply receiving the messages.

Jennifer Sellers and Theresa Haider

Introducing Film Terms and Camera Shots with Documentary and PowerPoint:

In my film study class, I begin the term by showing students Koyaanisqatsi ("life out of balance") (directed by Godfrey Reggio), a poetic documentary that delivers an important message about how we are affecting our environment and one another through images and music by Philip Glass. I use the film as a means to teach about camera movement, angles, types of shots, music's effect in film, and juxtapositioning. Then we return to the class to go over some of the terms and techniques I pointed out while viewing Koyaanisqatsi. The still images in the PowerPoint help to reinforce terms and the images that fit with them.

I have put additional study guides that I use in my film study class (11th and 12th grades) here for you to use in your own classrooms. I find that Bowling for Columbine (dir. Michael Moore) and Goodfellas (dir. Martin Scorcese) (while a bit severe for young audiences) are powerful films to teach about directing, editing, film techniques, music soundtrack, etc. Both are stunnning pieces of art and allow for deep analysis and critical discussion upon post viewing.

Karen Keller and Abbey Weiss

Bowling for Columbine Study Guide

Goodfellas Study Guide:

Manic Montage

Submitted by Nate Buck and Jarrett Lundquist

The students will view a couple of montage sequences (see any 80s movie) and think about what creates a sequence of events. In groups, the students can then use magazines, newspapers, drawings, etc. to create their own montage sequence to tell a brief story. (This can also work as an introduction to storyboarding.) Finally, their final montage sequence will be traded with another group who use those "scenes" to create an entirely different story--allowing 1 or 2 insertions or deletions of scenes may be necessary. This will allow the teacher to discuss editing, juxtaposition, and storyboards within the same lesson.

How does Style shape content?

Submitted by Nathan Schultz and Dan Richardson

Take all of the different film versions of the “To be, or not to be” soliloquy from “Hamlet,” and show them in class. Students can then compare them. The goal of this activity is to highlight how the meaning of a given set of words can be altered through changes in setting, lighting, sound, actor, director, and cinematography. The reason for choosing “Hamlet” is the rarity of the same script being used for multiple films—Shakespeare being the major exception. Maybe the most effective way to present this in class would be to show each clip without the sound—so that students don’t know that the same words are being spoken—and have a discussion about the techniques used by each director and the feelings that they elicit. Then, the clips can be shown again with the sound, revealing that they are all different representations of the same scene. The final activity could just be the discussion or could lead to a written comparison of the clips. Another idea would be to have students take a scene from a contemporary source and redo it in a way that alters the meaning from the way it was first performed.

The core idea of this activity is from Jim Burke’s excellent resource, The English Teacher’s Companion, 2003 (page 325).

Teaching Film Lesson Plan

Lisa Seppelt & Adam Iverson

Goal—Students will learn that different camera shots alter the mood, outcome, and message of a scene.

Activity—To start, students will view a specific scene from a movie. This could be a movie that follows a recently read novel, something to do with a Social Studies lesson, or just a random scene from a movie. Teachers should try to choose a scene that contains a moderate amount of different camera shots and portrays various emotions. Through discussion, students will determine the mood and message of the scene. Next, students will partner up and create a storyboard that alters the mood (but not the dialogue) of the scene, thus changing how the scene is viewed. For instance a particular scene may use close-up shots of two people arguing, which brings the audience in the midst of the battle. A storyboard might change the camera to do longer shots; thus removing the audience from the middle of the fight. Afterwards, students would reshoot the scene with themselves as the actors/actresses. Once all the students have finished, they would present their recreation of the scene and then discuss how the mood and message has been altered.

from Steve Paul, Greg Gustafson, and Rob Bennett

Teaching film exercise.

Specifically, teaching editing and the power of juxtaposition.

Student teams are given a “neutral” script and instructed to shoot the scene with as much variety as they can think of. Change up the characters, the intention, the intensity of the performances. Shoot each delivery of each line at least four times, from four different angles or framings. The students then digitize all of the footage into the editing system and cut the scenes together. Each individual student edits to a different end, given to them after shooting – a different feeling for the scene, a different genre of movie, a different function for the narrative. Finished scenes are then judged on their effectiveness at communicating the intention.

Alternatively:

Students take an existing movie and edit a trailer that changes the apparent genre of the film. For instance, The Remains of the Day as an action thriller.

From the Paper to Celluloid: Working with Adaptations

-Katie Borcherding

Objectives:

• To analyze the differences and similarities between original pieces of literature and their film adaptations using the basic elements of fiction.
• To write a comparison/contrast essay
• To analyze fiction using the basic elements of fiction such as plot, point of view, characters, conflict, theme, tone, mood, symbolism, foreshadowing, and flashback

Students are given a choice of novels and plays to read which all have film adaptations. The literature is to be read first, then the film is to be viewed. Students will look at the basic elements of fiction for both the literature and film: Point of View, Plot, Characters, Conflict, Symbolism, Foreshadowing, etc. This will be done using a basic "Story Synopsis Form." The students will then compare these elements and examine both the differences and similarities. They will then suggest the purpose of these changes: why a director eliminated characters, cut scenes, changed settings, and made other adjustments. This will be done in a comparison/contrast essay which also discusses the effects of these changes on the overall story. The essay will require citations from both the literature and film and a works cited page.

Questions the students can answer in their essays:

• What characters are eliminated or added to the film. What is the purpose of the new characters? Were the eliminated characters expendable?
• Compare the plots of the literature and film. Do they follow the same sequence of events, especially the complicating incident, rising action, and climax?
• What is the point of the view of the literature? What is the point of view of the film? Is the narrator the same? Does the different perspective change the story?
• Compare the conflicts. Does the conflict change from external to internal or vice versa? Are the same characters involved in the conlflict?
• What do you see as the underlying themes? Does the different medium have a great affect on the theme? Is the director purposely sending a different message than the author? Why?
• Compare the tone and mood of the two pieces. How do they differ and what tools are used to set the tone and mood in each one? Why the differences?
• Look at the different uses of symbolism, flashback, foreshadowing. Why the differences; why the similarities?

Possible pieces of literature:

• Romeo and Juliet
• Julius Caesar
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• A Time to Kill
• 1984
• A Clockwork Orange
• Catch-22
• Stardust
• The Diary of Anne Frank

Students may write their essays in either the point-by-point format or block format using MLA citation and a works cited page.

Film Activities by Crystal Bieter

One of the novels that my students are expected to read in the eighth grade is The Giver by Lois Lowry. In The Giver, they live in a controlled environment where everything is planned and decided for the people under the guise of protecting the public. Jonas, the main character, is then chosen by the Commitee of Elders to become the Giver and must hold all the memories both present and past that the people have been sheltered from and becomes overwhelmed by both the images and feelings of things like of war, color, hunger, pain, and joy. The catch is that he cannot share his work with anyone and becomes completely upset that the community cannot feel or make decisions for themselves. This book is a good close study of what a utopian society may look like. After students have read the novel and created their own utopian communities, I would have them watch The Truman Show looking for similarities and differences as seen in the novel The Giver. Some things that I would like for them to make sure to note are how Jonas and Truman co-exist in this type of environment. What are there strengths and weaknesses? I would also expect them to look at this idea of a utopian community in both worlds. What pros and cons do they see in living a life this way? Here is a short clip from the Truman Show that looks at what it would be like to live in a society where you are constantly watched and monitored for the greater good of the community.

Analyzing Film Activity

Katie Noack

Write on the board: class, gender, race, other. Organize students into small

groups of 3-5 people, then tell the students that each group should pick one

of the topics listed to analyze in two film clips. (If they pick "other," it

has to be a stereotype held by society.) The goal of the activity will be to

compare and contrast how each film represents stereotypes associated with

your topic. Note how specific elements of the clips, such as uses of camera

shots, lighting, sound, and music, represent the topic. In the clips, does

the film support society's stereotypes or reverse them? After you see the

clips, each group will have time to discuss and then collaborate on a

presentation to the class. The group presentation to the class will involve

acting out a short scene from each movie while narrating how this scene

represents the topic. Show the two clips from two different movies and

remind students to take notes if it is helpful. Give the groups time to

discuss, collaborate, and present to the larger group.

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Activity for Teaching Film: What makes a good movie?

By Miriam Krause – Fall 2009

Instructions for student groups: Pick a year and find out the five films that earned the most at the box office that year, as well as the films that were nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award. For example, in 2008 the top five earning films were The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Hancock, and WALL-E. The five Best Picture nominees were The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Milk, The Reader, and Slumdog Millionaire.

Discuss the similarities and differences among these films. Features to discuss include budget, use of special effects, cast, director, genre, length, marketing (both for the original release and for the Oscar competition), and any other factors you can think of. If you choose a year that is not very recent, discuss which of the films you have seen or heard of – does either award nomination or box office success seem to predict longevity? What criteria do you think the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are using to select nominees? What criteria do you think determine the financial success of a film? Why do you think various criteria do and don’t overlap in the two categories? What are your personal criteria for a “good” movie?

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Analyzing the Media Market: How Marketing Schemes Affect Our Perception of Films

By Jeff Blanchard - Fall 2009

Present the promotional posters for 2 or 3 upcoming films to the class.  Ensure they are complete posters which list the prominent figures behind the film including director, producer(s), actors, composers, etc.  Then ask the students to brainstorm everything that comes to mind regarding the films based on what they see on the posters.  Such categories of thoughts could include:

-Genre

-Potentially recurring themes

-Mood or tone of the film

-Social or Political issues represented in the film

-Deep and/or thought provoking VS. shear entertainment value

-How artistic aspects of the poster could symbolize aspects of the film

-Probable directorial styles

-Character representation based on actors portraying them

Then have the students write a short 2-3 page essay in which they present their ideas and discuss what about the poster led them to their conclusions.  After the essays are turned in, have a class discussion in which the students can share their ideas with one another that they may understand how many different perceptions can be influenced by one poster and how effective marketing can stimulate our interest in media.

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Using film and video in a classroom to practice writing

Molly Schned

Show students a still from a movie and have them develop a scene that goes with it - in script form, prose, or poem. Students can expand on the story, describe what they see, or predict what has just happened or what is about to happen. These examples give students an opportunity to practice zooming in, and taking a written snapshot of their surroundings. Video can be used as an example of how to write so that you can see what's happening. Doing text to film analysis is a good way of getting students to notice the details in a piece of text that allows readers to "see" what's happening and showing students how a text translates into film gives them a good visual for that.

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Film and History

Adam Reich

As a social studies teacher, there are many good films that can accompany almost any unit or theme. However, Hollywood rarely follows the events exactly as they happen for a variety of reasons. After students have become familiar with the people and events of a certain time period, analyzing a film a good activity to promote critical thinking. This allow them to get a visual representation of history as well as practice analyzing films. Students can compare the events of the film to the events they are learning about in class. The decision to sometimes portray events in a false way is not normally done out of ignorance of history, but as decision about making a film.

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Text to Film Adaptation

Laura Hammond

After reading a text that has been adapted into a movie, I would select a particular passage from the book. Students would then brainstorm how they would film this scene. Would they keep the text's time period or modernize it? Set it in a 50s diner? What would costumes look like? What sort of mood is created in the text and how would that mood translate on screen? What kind of lighting would be ideal? What set and colors should be included? After students brainstorm this and then collaborate together in small groups, I would show the scene. For example, the scene from The Great Gatsby where Daisy and Gatsby reunite for the first time. Students would then debrief as a class as to how the actual film differed or was similar to their original ideas. Which was better? Which is more entertaining? Which would be a better blockbuster hit? Students learn which themes transfer from text to film. They learn how to critically analyze film and determine what is successful and what fails.

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Book-to-Film Adaptation

James (Brien) Kelly

In my future classroom, I would like to teach a lesson on book-to-film adaptations. I would start by having my students read a passage from Alice in Wonderland. Next, I would talk about the process of adaptation: how a screenwriter takes the most important elements from the book they are adapting and figures out how to represent the material in a visual way. After explaining this, I would show clips from the silent Alice in Wonderland shorts, the 1951 animated Disney film, and the 2010 Tim Burton adaptation. We would then discuss the similarities and differences of each clip. Next, I would have my students read a passage from To Kill a Mockingbird, followed by having them draw a series of pictures that visually convey what they read. After they are finished with their drawings, we would watch that particular scene from the To Kill a Mockingbird film. As a class, we would then compare our drawings with the filmmakers choices and talk about why we chose certain angles, types of shots, etc.

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Teaching Film: Creating a Politically Correct Children's Movie

By Elisabeth C.

I think one interesting way to teach film would be to look at movies that students watched when they were younger, such as Disney movies or The Wizard of Oz, and watch them again with a more critical eye. Depending on the movie chosen, students could look for ways that sexism, racism, or classism are exhibited in the movie. The students could then try to recreate these classic childhood movies in a more "politically correct" version, either by filming live actors or using illustrations to create an animated movie. Students would then have to edit the video using iMovie or similar software. Their fellow students could then evaluate their work to see how successful they were at creating a politically correct movie.

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Teaching Film: Using Literary Theory as an Entry Point for Critical Film Analysis

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS by Emily M.

The Silence of the Lambs is one of my favorite movies. I've seen it probably a dozen times, and it never gets old--I seem to notice different things each time I watch it. It goes without saying that it's not exactly a school-appropriate movie, but parts of it are masterful for their camera shots, usually notable for what they don't show. I chose this short clip (starting at 7:34- ending at 8:31) because it would be interesting for students to analyze how suspense is created through the various camera shots.

Here is a link to the clip I used (again, only 7:34-8:31). I'm not cool enough to know how to put it directly on the blog. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUjnbbc0iIM&feature=related

In the first few seconds, as Dr. Chilton is talking, tell students to "watch the pen" and write down what happens with it.

• At first, Chilton continually fidgets with the pen as he's taunting Hannibal Lector about being lied to about a possible prison transfer.
• As soon as the assistant leaves the room and Chilton stands up, the camera turns to show the pen lying there.
• Chilton keeps talking in the background--we don't even see him--but the camera continues to zoom in on the pen. This shows us what Lector is really paying attention to.
• Shots alternate between Lector's face and the pen. Ask students what this might mean or what they think will happen later.

A high-angle shot is then used to show Lector and Chilton. Have students analyze why they think the high-angle shot was used here and what it tells us. I think it serves the purpose of showing how alone they are and how vulnerable Lector is. Chilton moves around Lector and gets in his face, whereas Lector is strapped down and unable to move.

Then the camera cuts to a close-up shot of Lector in profile with Chilton standing to his side. Have students discuss this shot as well. Why aren't they shown side-by-side or with Chilton standing in front?

General Thoughts for Discussion
Discuss with students that the genius of this scene is in its subtlety. Without Hannibal using dialogue, facial expressions, or gestures, we can tell he plans to somehow get the pen and use it for...something bad. Hannibal is a different kind of bad guy. He isn't a raving lunatic; indeed, his stoic behavior is what makes him most frightening. This scene cleverly uses understated camera zooms to show us a glimpse into Lector's mind.

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Documenting Reality, by Jack Nilles

This activity is meant to spawn discussion about the representation of reality in documentary film after already having shown Nanette Burstein’s documentary American Teen in a previous class. Burstein’s film is widely criticized for its “constructedness.” She inserts animated scenes seamlessly into the plot, happens to be around at the right place and time when important phone calls and unplanned illicit activities occur, and subjects are typecast to fit personas and scenes one would already be familiar with from previous teenage films.

Begin the class by breaking the students into six groups. Each of these six groups will be assigned the task of seeing how well Burstein’s film adheres to the six modes of documentary film that Bill Nichols lays out in his book, Introduction to Documentary. The six modes are: poetic, expository, observational, participatory, reflexive, and performative. After everyone gets situated in their groups, hand each group a slip of paper that explains their mode, and ask them to write down how well American Teen fits their mode using examples from the film.

POETIC MODE GROUP

This group will be in charge of noting any emphasis on visual associations not explicitly pointed out by the director, whether there is a rhythmical quality to the film, and if the film is formally organized.

EXPOSITORY MODE GROUP

This group will be in charge of noting any verbal commentary and/or argumentative logic within the film. Commentary and argumentative logic do not necessarily have to be explicit though. This mode deals with how people identify with the documentary in general.

OBSERVATONAL MODE GROUP

This group will be in charge of noting any emphasis on the everyday life of the subjects as observed by an unobtrusive camera.

PARTICIPATORY MODE GROUP

This group will be in charge of noting any interaction between the filmmaker and the subject. This includes interviews, having the director in a shot, or even including archival footage to examine issues.

REFLEXTIVE MODE GROUP

This group will be in charge of paying attention to assumptions and conventions that govern documentary filmmaking. In essence, they are to point out the constructedness of the film’s representation of reality.

PERFORMATIVE MODE GROUP

This group will be in charge of addressing the director’s engagement with the subject or filmmaking process itself to assess his or her objectivity during filming.

After the groups have assessed how well Burstein’s film addresses these modes of documentary films, have them report their findings back to the class as a whole. Discussion should be lively if groups have thought hard about their modes. For instance, the observational mode group will probably assert that Burstein’s film is unequivocally a documentary because it shows the everyday life of teens. However, the reflexive group will probably counter by pointing to the fact that Burstein uses a fair amount of animation, which disrupts the reality she is depicting.

** If discussion seems to be going nowhere, or students are not doing well with analyzing the film according the modes of documentary film, have the class view the first 15 or 20 minutes (just enough to establish the personalities of each character) of The Breakfast Club, by John Hughes, and explain to them that while Burstein’s film is classified as a documentary, Hughes’ film is considered a fictional teen drama. Keeping the students in their six groups, have them discuss and write down any similarities between the two films or any ideas that Burstein may have taken from Hughes. Then, come together as a class to discuss whether or not Burstein could have manipulated reality in order to create a teen film similar to those that came before hers.

Teaching Film Activity: Documentaries and Mockumentaries by Megan Gorvin

Recently, there have been what seems like an explosion of “mockumentary” shows on TV and in film. These shows share many aspects of a documentary, such as using interviews to comment on action, use of tracking shots and camera movement, or long, uncut shots to capture action, etc. All of this makes the viewer think that what they are watching is reality when it is actually completely scripted. This activity will teach students to identify the types of filming techniques in a documentary and analyze the use of these techniques in a mockumentary.

Procedure:

Students will be shown a short 5-10 minute clip of a documentary film. While watching, students will be asked to record any types of filming techniques they noticed. What types of camera shots were used? Pan shots? Tracking shots? In what places were voice-overs or interviews used? How were clips edited together?

After viewing the first clip, students will discuss and share what they noticed and record a list on the board. Keeping this list in mind, students will then be shown a 5-10 minute clip of a mockumentary such as The Office or Modern Family. After viewing, students will be asked to list any film techniques from the documentary that they noticed were used in the mockumentary. They will then compare the techniques used in the documentary and mockumentary: What was happening in the TV show when these techniques were used? Does it have the same effect when used in the mockumentary as it did in the documentary? Were there some techniques that were used in the documentary that weren’t in the mockumentary? Or Vice versa? Why?

This activity will force students to notice the filming techniques used in documentaries and mockumentaries. It will hopefully give them a better understanding of how various filming techniques can impact a documentary. It will also allow them to see how these same techniques could be scripted into a mockumentary and how these scripted techniques can affect the mockumentary in similar (or dissimilar) ways.

Extra: Clips from reality shows can also be shown. Students can compare the filming techniques used in reality shows to those of documentaries and mockumentaries to see how meaning is made in reality shows using similar filming techniques.

Dan Thompson: Another way to experience the shower scene in Psycho

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A film worksheet: Jake Westrum

Teaching Film Activity:

It's a simple worksheet designed for post-viewing discussion, but it's also pretty informative and occasionally fun. Students are expected to answer these questions during/after viewing any given movie.

1. Underneath the plot, what do you think this movie is about?
2. What is your favourite scene in the movie?
3. What is your least-favourite scene in the movie?
4. Favourite shot? 
5. How do you think this shot ties into what the director is saying with the movie?
6. Least favourite shot?
7. Name one thing you liked MOST about the movie? This could be ANYTHING from an actor to a hair-style.
8. Name one thing you liked LEAST. 

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Tara Hjalmquist- Film Activity

For my activity, I picked a pre-activity, more of a front-loading activity. I think it is important to get students comfortable with a topic before discussing it further. My activity is for front-loading a unit on documentaries. The goal is for students to understand the genre of a documentary.

The teacher should draw a line on the board with fiction at one end and non-fiction at the other end. The students will have to name programs that fall into both categories. The teacher will write where the program falls on the line of fiction and non-fiction. Maybe there are some programs that are a mixture?

Now, the teacher will ask the students what things make up these genres and what do the programs in the genres have in common. The students may have come up with news, reality shows, talk shows, and documentaries for non-fiction. The teacher should have students talk about what the shows share in common. These discussion will help students better understand the idea of genre.

Next the teacher will ask the students to name programs that they feel fit the "documentary" genre. The teacher will ask them what channels they have seen these programs on, what are the documentaries about, why do some kids think documentaries are boring, what documentaries would appeal to their age group and why?

I found this lesson idea at: The School of Communication and Theater from Temple University http://mediaeducationlab.com/know-tv

This website gives a whole unit on documentaries!