FILM HISTORY, PART 1

Film History, Part 1 will take students on a film journey and they will learn to:

• Recognize the preconditions necessary for the invention of cinema, understand the influence of patents worldwide on the development of motion pictures, identify major studios, directors, and stars, and discuss their influences on the industry, and discuss the ramifications of industry standards. Students will view some landmark short films such as “The Birth of a Nation” and “The Great Train Robbery.”
• Discuss Chaplin’s influence and watch a Chaplin classic film.
• Identify the many ways that sound recording changed the nature of filmmaking, recognize usage of “Foley” sound editing and dubbing.
• Understand the economic and social influences that led to the popularity of the musical, identify common elements found in musicals, discuss the changes that have occurred within the genre throughout the years, recognize some key studios, producers, directors, and actors in that genre, and identify sub-genres such as backyard, backstage, concert, etc. Look at the history of the musical and consider a few musicals like “That’s Entertainment” as well as “Singin’ in the Rain,” “A Hard Day’s Night.”
• Understand the effect of censorship on the film industry, discuss censorship in cinema from the “Hays Code” to modern political correctness, debate motion pictures responsibilities and rights regarding movie content.
• Identify the elements and themes of the comedy genre, recognize some key studios, producers, directors, and actors in that genre, and identify sub-genres such as slapstick, screwball, parody, etc. We’ll look at the history of the comedy as described by “America Cinema: Romantic Comedy” as well as “Some Like It Hot,” ”Duck Soup,” “Bringing Up Baby,” and “What’s Up, Doc?”.

• Understand the effect of the studio system on the film industry, identify the elements and themes of the western genre, discuss the ramifications of the “Major” studios owning theater chains, identify the “Big Five” studios that made up the Hollywood Studio System, examine the effect of studio contracts on actors and directors, identify common elements found in westerns, recognize some key studios, producers, directors and actors in that genre, identify sub-genres such as serials, spaghetti, singing cowboy, etc. We’ll examine the history of the studio system as described by “High Noon”, “Shane,” “Stagecoach,” and “The Searchers”.

• Understand the effect of war on the film industry, identify the elements and themes of the combat genre, discuss the ramifications of McCarthyism and the House Un-American Activities Committee, identify propaganda vs. patriotism, examine the role of war films on recruitment and war bonds, identify common elements found in combat films, recognize some key studios, producers, directors and actors in that genre, identify sub-genres such as pro-war and anti-war, etc. We’ll explore Hollywood’s relationship to the military as described in “America Cinema: The Combat Film,” as well as “Patton,” “The Dirty Dozen,” and “Sands of Iwo Jima”.