Teaching with Film

Michelle Onley Pirkle

Teaching with Film

• “Upgrade” literature or composition course

• Film Studies (History & Aesthetics course or Adaptation*)

Teaching with FilmPositive

•Holds attention (entertaining)•Different teaching tool •Cultural Studies•Images & audio to read•Seen as reward

Teaching with Film

Michelle Onley Pirkle

Teaching with FilmPositive

•Holds attention (entertaining)•Different teaching tool •Cultural Studies•Images & audio to read•Seen as reward

Teaching with FilmNegative

•Seen as reward

Teaching with FilmNegative

•Seen as reward—tasty dessert

Teaching with FilmPositive

•Tasty desserthealthy sandwich

Teaching with Film

Mise en Scène

Film as Visual Storytelling

Mise en ScèneCamera: angle, lens, filter, shot typeComposition: design, organization Color: dominant, contrast, symbolismActors: position, proximity, body, expressionSetting: place, space, materialsLighting: brightness, contrast,Depth: planes, foreground<->backgroundFraming: tight or looseForm: open or closed, balance

Mise en Scène

Mise en Scène

Super 8Director: J. J. Abrams

Producer: Stephen Spielberg

Mise en ScèneGiannetti, Louis. Understanding Movies. 12th ed. New York: Allyn & Bacon, 2011. Print.

Find “Ways In”Duchovatip #2

Costumes, Screenwriting, MusicHistory, Movie Posters, Actors

Cinematography, Theme (ex.: War)Acting Style (ex.: Method Acting), Genre

Titles, Choreography, CensorshipSpecial Effects (Technology), Set Design

Class/Gender/SexualityDirector (Auteur Theory)*, Adaptation*

Auteur Theory

Auteur Theory• Director as author or auteur of film

(patterns of motifs & themes)• France (1954)–François Truffaut,

Cahiers du Cinéma (directors: Alfred Hitchcock and Howard Hawks)

• U. S.—Andrew Sarris, The Village Voice• Controversial (Pauline Kael—

collaboration)

Adaptation Studies

Adaptation Studies

Adaptation Studies

BOOK

FILM

Levels of Adaptation

• Literal: word-for-word

• Faithful: captures spirit

• Loose: little resemblance

Adaptation Studies

FilmNovelShort storyVideo GameBoard GameComic bookToyHistorical EventPersonSongPainting

“Adaptation Studies at a Crossroads”

Thomas Leitch (2008)

Swamp of Fidelity

Sea of Intertextuality

“Adaptation Studies at a Crossroads”

Thomas Leitch (2008)

Swamp of Fidelity

Sea of Intertextuality

“Adaptation Studies at a Crossroads”

Thomas Leitch (2008)

Swamp of Fidelity

Sea of Intertextuality

“Adaptation Studies at a Crossroads”

Thomas Leitch (2008)

Swamp of Fidelity

Sea of Intertextuality

“Adaptation Studies at a Crossroads”

Thomas Leitch (2008)

Swamp of Fidelity

Sea of Intertextuality

“Adaptation Studies at a Crossroads”

Thomas Leitch (2008)

Swamp of Fidelity

Adaptation 1.1 (2008): 63-77

Sea of Intertextuality

(Bakhtin— “no single source”)

Approaches to Adaptation

“The medium is the message.”Marshall McLuhan (1964)

Approaches to Adaptation

“What Novels Can Do That Films Can't (And Vice Versa)”

Seymour Chatman(1980)

Approaches to Adaptation

“What Novels Can Do That Films Can't (And Vice Versa)”

Seymour Chatman(1980)

AffordancesNovel FilmAsserts PresentsDescribes DepictsFocus Overspecification

Approaches to Adaptation

“What Novels Can Do That Films Can't (And Vice Versa)”

Seymour Chatman(1980)

AffordancesNovel Film

Name music Play musicReader controls time Director controls time

Teaching with Film

Teaching with FilmPositive

•Tasty desserthealthy sandwich

Teaching with FilmFilm Sandwich•Introduction (director, cultural context, focus)•Handout (info & questions over form & content)•Film presentation (the chicken!)•Written assignment•Discussion (groups & full class)

Adaptation Studies

BOOK

FILM

Adaptation—Intro (1)

1963

2009

Adaptation—Intro (1)

1960

1981

1970

Maurice Sendak

1960

1981

1970

Spike Jonze

2003 1999

2002

Adaptation—Handout (2)

•Questions•Information•Images

Adaptation—Presentation (3)

•Opening Scenes•18 minutes

Adaptation—Writing (4)

•Class answers question(s)•Each group answers question (s)

Adaptation—Discussion (5)

•Each group discusses question(s)•Class discusses question(s)

Teaching with Film

Michelle Onley Pirkle