March 11, 2013 Lesson, Close Reading a Film Text

Check out the Animal Farm clips on our YouTube video bar.

Essential Question: How do media producers use cinematic techniques to achieve special effects?

I. Six Minute Do Now: Quiz. Write answers on the paper provided. Answer the following questions in complete sentences:

1. Identify two things that led to the Russian Revolution.

2. Identify some of the leaders of the Russian Revolution on the opposing sides. What was their contribution to it?

3. Who was Karl Marx, and what were some of his ideas that became the ideology promoted by the Russian Revolution?

4.If Animal Farm is a political satire and there is a connection to the Russian Revolution, what real life people and events do the farm and animals represent specifically?

II. Close Reading a Movie ( 22:05-38:03) 15 minutes:

A. _____Watch the following scenes (8-12) in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory first without sound. This will allow us to focus on specific camera shots used. Look at the graphic organizer on page 160. Write down as many “shots” as you can identify on a separate piece of paper provided (dot matrix paper). Divide, with a line that you draw, your “Observations” from your “Interpretation”.

Identify the specific details from the story to identify the following:

a. ___Long shots that establish setting

b. ___Medium shots to display the body language of the characters

c. ___Close-up shots to display facial expressions of the characters

d. ___Shot-reverse-shot to show a conversation between characters and the buidling of tension

e.___Lighting to establish mood

B. After we finish our silent viewing, generate three questions ( questioning the text) that, if given the opportunity, you would ask the director? 

• Pair up. Share your questions. Discuss and write down what you predict the directors response might be to both of your questions?
• Watch the scenes with sound ( 15 minutes Scenes 8-12). Think-Pair-Share in response to our second viewing. Answer questions in your book on page 161 ( Activity 2.21) and the following on your separate piece of paper we have used today.

How did you make meaning of this film text? What strategies did you use to make meaning?

___________________________________________________________________________

• Making Predictions (What were they?):_______________________________________________________________________________________________ 
• Question the text (?):
• Responding to the text (?):
• Re-reading (Close Reading) (?):
• Making Inferences (?):

Complete the following for homework (Read and Use the following to do that):

III. Writer’s Workshop: Rough Draft (5 complete paragraphs)

Directions:

On Thurs./Fri. you were to complete a template for a rough draft. This was to include the thesis statement:

      Tim Burton is able to achieve his stylized mood, tone, imagery and point of view in movies like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Edward Scissorhands and The Corpse Bride using a variety of well-chosen cinematic techniques. 

The introductory paragraph ( using the template provided on the handout) could also state that:

These cinematic techniques achieve  mood, tone, and a particular point of view that present a world unique to Burton’s movies.

The introductory paragraph must include three additional sentences to the thesis statement.

Additionally, with the use of the template provided on the Thurs./Fri. handout, you were to create topic sentences in the form of questions that would be answered in three body paragraphs. These topic sentences would ask the three following questions ( the answer to each would be the content of the three body paragraphs):

Body Paragraph 1:

What is the particular mood of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and what contributes to this?

Body Paragraph 2:

What is the tone of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the director’s attitude towards the subject and characters, that is, and how is this expressed?

Body Paragraph 3:

What is the point of view of this movie, and how is this expressed [the point of view might be the director/narrator/ or one of the character’s---How is this delivered and how to does it contribute to the story?]

Concluding Paragraph: Re-state some of the main points. How have you proven your thesis statement with the evidence provided in your body paragraphs.

Homework. Complete a rough draft with five complete paragraphs ( Introductory paragraph, body paragraphs, and concluding paragraph ). You will need this for Tuesday’s class.