What is Literature to Film?

We’ll Call It….

FILMLITERATURE

Or…

FILM LIT.

ME?

• Love film– Renting Top Gun– Checking out from local library for $1.00 each

• Grew up in Chicago• Same high school as John Hughes (Ferris

Bueller, The Breakfast Club, Home Alone)

My Philosophy

It is always better to know more than to know less.

Hard work leads to opportunities and choices, choices that YOU

can make

When Do We Meet?

• Every day

• 1 period a day

• 1 semester long

Credit?• When you pass the class at the semester…

– Receive .5 of an English credit

• What if I am on track to already get my 4 credits of English?

– This class will drop into the Elective category– You need 6 credits in Electives to graduate!

What Will We Do?

• Study the history and evolution of film.

• Study the techniques used to make films.

• Examine clips of and full feature films.

• Analyze these films for their artistic, literary, and cinematic strengths and weaknesses

What Else Will We Do?

• Take notes

• Read from the text book

• Read fiction short stories

• Read film reviews

And….

• Read scripts

• Read film treatments

• Write research papers

• Write film analysis papers

And….

• Write film treatments

• Write mini-scripts

• Create storyboards

• Listen to podcasts

And….

• Create podcasts

• Create soundtracks

• Watch a ton of good stuff

• Yes, we will work in this class

Warning…..Foreshadowing

• You can’t do little to nothing and expect to pass or to pass with an A, B, or C.

• You WILL be doing work in this class.

But…

You will get out of the class what you put in to it!

Assignment Pattern

“Flipped Classroom” Philosophy

Due Dates / Patterns1) Intro new theory / technique / methodology.

2) Watch clips that exemplify that.

3) Watch a film that exemplifies that.

4) Viewing guide for each film.

5) Items are due at completion of film / follow-up assignment.

6) End of unit = last turn-in (minus points)

FOCUS

Teaching reading, writing, and thinking through and with the

use of film.

We Won’t…..

• Use this as time to catch up on our sleep (since it will be dark a lot).

• Use this to catch up on texting.

• Just sit around, watch films, and say we like it or not.

WEBSITE

• Class wiki (many people can add to it)

Lhsfilmlit.wikispaces.com

MATERIALS

• Pen and pencil

• Notebook

• Folder

Cell Phones / iPods

You…

Movies at Our Disposal

Why Some…Not Others

• Thousands to choose from.

• Criteria…..1) Artistic / thematic merit2) Watchability3) Time4) School appropriateness

Yes….Some are Rated R

• Syllabus sign-off

• Be prepared for mature topics and scenes– Will warm up to these…

– I NEED to know if this is going to be an issue with YOU…..and YOUR FAMILY

ABSENT?

1) Access the wiki’s course schedule page.2) Go to the day you were gone.3) Download the handouts / assignments.

How do I make upseeing a clip or a

full film?

Answer…..• The P Drive• P Drive / Student / Warner / Film Lit.

• See me during your off periods.

• See me during Interventions.

Expectation

• I need to hear YOUR voice in terms of what YOU need.

• I can guess, but I’ll probably be wrong….

Thank you!

• Thanks for taking a risk on a new course.

• Please give me your honest feedback as we go through.

• Let me know what you need more of along the way.