Teaching English Units

Literature and Film: “Why was it filmed like that?” by Nate Russell

Prefatory Statement: 

“The Study of literature casts light on the meanings in the film, and the study of the film can illuminate the full value of the literature.”

                                                                          - Ronald Perrier, From Fiction to Film

This quote effectively encapsulates what is at the heart of this unit.  This unit will seek to show students the relationship between film and literature and the effects that result from such adaptations.  In order to examine this relationship, some knowledge of the techniques used in filmmaking will be required and covered.  Students, in groups, will become experts on a short story and the adapted movie and give presentations to the class.  Students will also write a screenplay scene taken from a text (very amateur), and lastly students will pick an original story individually and write a film proposal.  I believe one of the most important aspects of this unit is the dominance of movies in student’s lives.  Our culture has quickly gone from text based to visually-based.  Overall, students—and people—watch more movies than read books.  An increased knowledge in the film making process will make them more critical viewers, which will hopefully create more critical citizens and, ultimately, a healthier democracy.  Regressing back to the quote above, brings this back to the literature.  Comparing and contrasting are crucial skills and examining the variations between a novel and the movie based on it, which come about from the demands of the conventions imposed by the art form, will require a study of how these conventions and their influences.  The fact that since the creation of the Academy Awards over three-fourths of all Best Picture Films have gone to films that are adaptations of novels adds relevance.  Furthermore, these critical abilities will also translate into an enhanced cultural consciousness in their own world that will have life long effects.

Class Specification:

              This unit will be appropriate for any grade level 9-12.  One of the endearing characteristics of this unit is it widespread appeal; almost everyone watches movies.  If the teacher is concerned the texts in this unit are not as socioeconomically or culturally diverse as desired, the educator can pick out a desired balance of appropriate texts and films.

Significant Assumptions:

• I am assuming that student’s understandings of the texts and their movie adaptations will be enhanced by comparing them.
• I am assuming that students will have the skills of reading, writing, and critical thinking in sufficient measure to complete the assignments satisfactorily explained in this unit, in addition to being able to discern the comparisons and contrasts that are sought.
• I assume that students watch TV, movies, and videos enough that this unit will have relevance to their lives.
• I assume that students take more pride in their learning, and have more intrinsic motivation, when they have ownership.
• I assume that students learn well when it is in a setting that allows for freedom of creativity within structure.
• I assume that students achieve well when they are able to do independent work through scaffolding by the initial imitation of a model.
• I am assuming that students will have already read Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher.”

Desired Outcomes/Standards/Objectives to be Met,

Students will:

• Understand the techniques used in film making.
• Demonstrate the above understanding through discussion, presentation, and their writing project.
• Know the limitations that filmmakers are under in adapting a script to a novel, and filming this script.
• Understand the conventions and freedoms that an author of a novel has over a director.
• Compare the differences between the novel or short story and film.
• Project how they would adapt a particular text.
• Develop presentation skills through the development of a presentation.

These objectives meet the Minnesota State Standards that students will become more familiar with context in formal and situational writing and that students will become more proficient readers of literature.

Possible Whole Class Activities:

• Watch movies together.
• Whole class discussion of the clips and techniques.
• Paper camera examples and film technique.

Possible Small Group Activities:

• Group discussion of their screenplay adaptations of their short story.
• Group presentations regarding the significance of a particular scene, and of how a director chose to film the story.
• Group viewing of their group short story movie together.
• Development of brief sketches to be filmed with their paper cameras that demonstrate knowledge and understanding of film techniques and their effects.

Possible Individual Activities:

• Use various logs to track the differences between the story and film.
• Writing reading logs of their novel.
• Using the WebQuest.
• Choosing a final book/story to read and to write a review for.
• Writing a segment of screenplay of the short story they read (to be brought to the groups for discussion, and graded by the teacher)

 Ongoing Activities:

• Reading of their texts to support their final movie proposal.
• Maintaining various logs comparing different literary aspects of the story to the film.
• Keeping reading journals of their novel.
• Completing random quizzes on film techniques to keep the information fresh in the student’s mind.
• In-class discussions examining what authors, directors, and students have done well and effectively, pertinent to their areas, throughout this unit.

Student Resources:

• Access to the Internet for the WebQuest.
• Access to a TV and VCR or DVD player.
• Copies of the short story texts and movies, to be passed out by the teacher.
• Copy of the novel to be examined by them individually. (novels of their choosing, to be approved by the teacher)
• Ability to rent or go to a movie theater to complete their review of a current movie.

Week By Week Breakdown: Including the Unit Launch

Week One:

Day One:  Introduction of the unit, “Film and Literature.”  Tapping of students’ prior knowledge occurs today by leading a discussion about their experience in adaptation.  A discussion will of course involve talking about books they have read and movies based on them, but adaptations of comic books and video game premises would be pertinent.  Perhaps pick a book they have all assuredly read and discuss generally where they would shoot it, and who they would cast.

Students’ book choice is due.  Students will have been told before the start of this unit to read a novel of their choice that is multiculturally grounded, and if students have difficulty in finding a story they can see the teacher for suggestions.  Students will be encouraged to read a book that will be challenging to their skill level.  They are to keep reading journals.  They will also be given a handout to use when watching the movie based on their book.  The handout is at the end of the unit.

Day 2: Detailed Lesson Plan

Objectives:

• To understand the various techniques employed by filmmakers in the movies.
• To understand the effects achieved by the particular decisions made by the director in each clip.

Methods: For definition of terms see the attached glossary, to also be used with the students.  The majority of the methods herein described to teach these film techniques are directly from Golden’s Reading in the Dark and are more or less taken verbatim.

• The first technique discussed will be framing.  Students will roll up paper cameras (simply a rolled up tube of paper) and have the students “frame” you as a long shot, medium shot, and close-up. (10min)
• Angles are the next technique.  For a low angle have the students look at you while sitting while you are high.  Discuss how their perception of you changes relative to their viewing angle.  Do similar things for high, eye level, and dutch angle.  (18min)
• Camera movement will be enough material to finish the day.  Utilizing the paper cameras still, demonstrate a pan, a tilt, a zoom, and tracking/dolly shots.  The zoom will be the most difficult; have the students look at you in a long shot and then have them slowly tighten their roll so that you are now framed in a medium shot. (18min)
• There should be a few minutes left at the end of class to summarize what was discussed.  Let the class know that tomorrow they will cover focus, lighting, sound, and editing.  The day after tomorrow will be devoted to bringing it all together in analyzing film clips and creating quick sketches to be filmed in the fictional environment of the classroom. (4min)

Assessment:

• Students’ comprehension of the terms will be demonstrated through quality and insightful class discussion in viewing the film clips and demonstration of their sketches two days later.
• Comprehension will also be demonstrated individually through completion of the Webquest.

Day 3: Continuation of film techniques. Assign Webquest.

Day 4: Last day of film techniques, utilizing film clips and paper camera sketch activity (In this activity students will design quick sketches where members of the group describe how and why they would shoot a couple of shots the way they have done so in class with their paper cameras.)

Day 5: Transition into film and reading response (predicting, responding to a text, etc)

Week Two

Day 6: Examples of the connections in film and literary analysis (POV, characterization, etc)

Day 7:  Begin reading chosen short story that has also been adapted into a feature film.  For this unit, Du Maurier’s The Birds has been chosen for a few reasons, being that it is the desired length; it is unlikely that students will have read it, and Hitchcock’s film is masterfully done which is good for analysis.

Pass out charts for student’s to complete during the reading.  Charts are attached at the end of this unit.  Student’s should be given time at the end of each class period of reading to fill these in.

Day 8: Finish reading the short story.  Students’ reading journals are due for the first quarter of their book.

Day 9 Lesson Plan:

Objectives: 

• Student will interpret the difficulties that a filmmaker would experience in adapting their particular passage of the text.
• Students will demonstrate their understanding of the text and their knowledge of film techniques in creating through visual representation.
• Students will assess how their incorporated elements of film techniques in their storyboards reflect the text, showing insight into adaptation.

Methods:

• Class will begin with a modeled example by the teacher.  The teacher will have storyboarded a scene from a short story read earlier in the semester, Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher.”  It is important to emphasize throughout this day that artistic skills are not required, stick figure drawing is acceptable.  (See example Golden pg 57)
• Teacher will re-read the scene out loud to the class. (5min)
• Teacher will then show one full shot analysis modeling for the students what is expected from this assignment. (10min)
• Teacher will continue the discussion by showing one framed drawing from the example, without showing anything else.  Teacher will ask students to say why they think the teacher made their decisions involving technique. (10min)
• The teacher will then assign each student a passage from the covered short story (For the purposes of this unit, Du Maurier’s The Birds) so that the entire text is dispersed evenly throughout the class.  A story of 20-30 pages is ideal, giving each student approximately one page.  The teacher will also pass out the assignment description and rubric at this point in time, explaining the rubric.  (5min)
• Students will have the rest of the class period to work on their storyboards. (20min)

Assessment:

• Students’ input during discussion will reflect an understanding of the general assignment during the method when students are asked to describe their analysis of the teachers storyboarded shots in class, providing for guided practice.
• Students’ final completed storyboards must satisfy the objectives set out in the beginning of the assignment.  See rubric as to how this will be accomplished.

Day 10: Critically view Hitchcock’s The Birds, or whichever story that has been chosen.  Critically viewing a movie using the whole film strategy as spelled out by Golden.  Costanza’s Reading the Movies also has a section devoted to this movie full of good questions.

5-10 Minutes should be set aside at the end of each viewing day for discussion and writing.

Week Three

Day 11:  Continue viewing.

Day 12:  Continue viewing.  On the last day have students write in the beginning of class if they think their storyboarded movie would been better than the film.  In some way or another, many students will say yes, and that is taking ownership of learning.

Day 13:  Finish discussion and viewing of the film.  Assign groups for students and have them pick short stories from a list that the teacher has created.  The students will become experts on this short story.

Reading journal for first half of their novel now due.

Day 14:  Read various short stories in groups.

Day 15:  Assign and explain screenplay segment assignment.  Go over examples and model a particular passage.  Students will have more time to start this project or finish their short story reading.

Week Four

Day 16:  Writing day for their screenplay.

Day 17:  Detailed Lesson Plan

Objectives: Students will:

• Understand the conventions and freedoms that an author of a novel has over a director and vice versus.
• Know the limitations that filmmakers are under in adapting a script from a novel, and filming this script.  In this case, a short story.
• Judge which decisions made by their peers are the most effective in adapting the story to a screenplay segment, and ultimately a movie.

Methods:

• Today is a group discussion and workshop day.
• Have the students get back into their short story groups.  Spell out for the students what you expect their discussions to entail.  (5min)
• Direct the students discussion by having them follow questions prewritten on the board.  Questions should include prompts asking the groups to find what topics or scene everyone has treated differently.  Specifically, which scenes are causing the most difficulty, which are the most different, and what are the strengths of each students screenplay segment, suggestions for improvement. Assign a recorder to jot down notes of the discussion. (35min)
• Have the groups write down a quick summary of their discussion, concluding and giving closure to the notes taken of the discussion. (5min)
• Pass out videotapes of the adapted film of each group’s story, and remind them their final copies of their screenplay segments are due tomorrow.  (5min)

Assessment:

• The discussion notes and summary will indicate to me whether or not students’ fully grasp the conventions and limitations of each genre.
• The screenplay segments should also demonstrate an understanding of these things.
• Lastly, the summary will include judgments made about their peers’ work.

Day 18:  Students will have time in class to read their individual novels or short stories, or to watch their movies.  Final screenplay segments to be turned in to the teacher.

Reading journals for the third quarter of their novels are due.

Day 19: Assign the group examination of scene.  Students in their groups will create a presentation where they closely examination a passage and corresponding scene in the movie and present their examination (climactic scenes will be encouraged) to the class.  Work day for this project.

Day 20:  Work day for their presentation.

Week Five

Day 21:  Presentations.

Day 22: Presentations.

Day 23:  Final section of their book and reading journals due today.  Guideline Questions for their movie viewing due.  Their movie review assignment is due.  Oral readings in class of their film reviews from volunteers.  These reviews will be compiled from all of the classes and passed out later to everyone so the grade, and school, will have a pseudo movie going guide.  I find all the time that I never can remember movies I have wanted to watch, and I think such a guide would be convenient, plus it gives real purpose and audience.

Supporting Materials:

Enclosed are the glossary of film terminology alluded to earlier.  Also logs are to be used as a class while watching and reading The Birds and are courtesy of Golden. 

Reaction paper guidelines are also supplied.  These are to be used to guide the critical viewing of their individual movie. Courtesy of Barbara Weitz, instructor at Florida International University.

Rubrics for the various assignments are supplied.

Resources Used In the Creating of this Unit:

Costanzo, William V.  Reading the Movies.  Urbana, Illinois: National Council of

Teachers of English.  1992.

Golden, John.  Reading in the Dark.  Urbana, Illinois: National Council of Teachers of

English.  2001.

Perrier, Ronald.  From Fiction to Film.  St. Cloud, Minnesota: Archie Publications. 

1992.

Weitz, Barbara.  “Barbara Weitz’s Page.”  Accessed 10 Nov 2004. 

http://www.fiu.edu/~weitzb

See Reading in the Dark by John Golden for activities

Guideline Questions for Reaction Paper

Taken from:

Weizt, Barbara.  “GuidelineQuestions.” 10 Nov 2004 Accessed.  < http://www.fiu.edu/~weitzb/GuidelineQuestions.html>

How does the author handle the chief elements of fiction: character, plot, setting, point of view, symbolism, theme?

How does the director use the resources of film (acting, sound, color, lighting, framing, motion, editing) to tell the story?

How faithful is the adaptation to the original?

Do the actors fit your picture of the characters as you imagined them while reading?

Do the locations look and feel the way the writer described them?

What major scenes does the film leave out or add? Given the constraints of time and cost, were the changes justified?

If the story was told from a particular point of view, does the film maintain that viewpoint? How is this achieved? Or, if not, why do you think the point of view was changed?

Do you notice any prominent symbols in the story or the film? How effectively are they used on the page and on the screen?

How would you describe the overall tone or mood of the story? Does the movie recreate that mood? How is this achieved or not achieved?

What emerges as the story's central theme? Does the movie do it justice?

Rubric for Screenplay Segment:

Screenplay completely covers the passage of the short

story assigned to student:                                                                     5 pts.

Screenplay follows conventions of Standard English

in grammar, mechanics, and usage:                                                       5 pts.

Ideas (if it is obvious you haven’t copied anyone,

these points are free)                                                                             10 pts.

Includes evidence of two effects relevant to a literary

analysis technique (characterization, POV, etc):                                  10 pts.

Includes the use and description of at least 10 techniques

of filmmaking (focus, kind of angle to be used, frame):                      30 pts.

                                                              Overall Worth                           60 pts.

Rubric for Movie Review:

Review is between 250-350 words:                                                        5 pts.

Demonstrates analysis of at least 3 differences between the

book and the film:                                                                                   9 pts.

Follows the conventions of Standard English:                                     5 pts.

Analyzes the film’s worth as a film alone, citing three effective

uses of literary techniques:                                                                      9 pts.

Analyzes one important scene that demonstrates exemplary

use of filmmaking technique, and gives evidence.                               5 pts.

                                                              Overall Worth                           33 pts.

Rubric for Storyboarding Assignment (Day 9)

For this assignment you will be storyboarding particular segment of the short story we are reading as a class.  Your visual representations, pending they meet the criteria below, will demonstrate to me that your overall understanding of the text and of filmmaking techniques employed by directors, and kept in mind by scriptwriters.

Summary of the scene/passage                                                                                   2 pts.

4 Shots drawn out relevant to your passage:                                                    10 pts.

Each shot contains: intended effect of shot                                                     3 pts.

diegetic and nondiegetic sounds                                                                      4 pts.

shot type, angle, and lighting                                                                            3 pts.

Descriptions of two shots explaining how your decisions

are reflective and add to the overall characterization,

themes, and setting in the story.                                                                       13 pts.

                                                  Overall Value of Assignment:                          35 pts.

Handout for Reading Logs:

For the purposes of this unit, the student will choose a novel.  Ideally, this novel will be multicultural in theme, and also not made into a popular movie.  If the student is having trouble finding such a book, he/she should consult with the teacher to explore options and suggestions.

Throughout the next few weeks the novel chosen for each student will be broken down into four quarters.  After each week a reading log will be turned into the instructor that demonstrates that the student is reading and doing so critically.  The reading logs are not to be mere summary.  The students should describe what he or she has liked and disliked the most (and to give reasons why) during the quarter-section read for each log and also incorporate predicting into the first three sections.