Video 2

Great Directors Presentation

Sign-up: 5 Points

Presentation: 50 Points

 

Objective: Students will research the life and work of an accomplished film director and present this biography as a PowerPoint in front of the class.

 

Instructions: Do a Google search for “Greatest Directors.”  Select a film director and conduct research on this person’s life.  Sign up for a day to present your report to the class.  Continue Research. Watch at least one film from the director. Develop your PowerPoint. Include photos and one film clip. 

 

 

Order of PowerPoint Presentation

 

  • Title page (Name of director and your name)
  • Why is this person a noteworthy director?
  • Childhood
  • Parents (Ocupations)
  • Birth place
  • Education
  • Early experiences (any film related)
  • Breaking into the industry
  • Marriage(s) children
  • Important films and accomplishments
  • Review of one film you watched
    • Actors
    • Key production staff
    • Plot synopsis (don’t give movie away)
  • Film Clip
  • Key themes or subject (How does this film tie into the themes, genre or subject matter  explored by this filmmaker?)
  • Two or more quotations from director
  • A slide that reads, “The End.” 

 

 

You need to select one film of the director’s to watch.  You must make arrangements to rent the DVD (or possibly see it on TV).  I have a limited number of DVDs that I can loan for a few directors.  See me for details.  (Orson Welles, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton) 

 

IMPORTANT NOTE:  You are not assigned to watch an “R” rated film. If you choose a director who has done an R rated movie and you want to watch it, then that is between you and your parents.  You may include such a film in your report, but cannot use images or video inappropriate for a classroom setting.

 

TECHNICAL NOTES:

You can link to a movie trailer at http://www.imdb.com

 

 

Alternately, you can capture video from YouTube or some other website with the Video DownloadHelper, an extension for the Internet browser Firefox.  After installing, you will find DownloadHelper under Firefox’s Tools pull-down menu.

 

You can also use Dirpy.com (use Firefox browser, not IE) or  Mediaconverter.org (not currently working) to convert files from the internet into a video file you can use.  Preferably save it as a .mov (QuickTime), but we can also use .wmv (Windows Media Video) files. 

 

Save your PowerPoint to a Powerpoint version that is not the latest .pptx.  You do a File – Save As – and select PowerPoint 2003 from the drop down menu.  You can bring in your movie and PowerPoint on a 

 

 

Notable Directors

 

Movie Review Search Engine

http://www.mrqe.com/lookup

 

Internet Movie Database

http://www.imdb.com

 

 

The following directors have distinguished themselves with noteworthy films.  Those with a number by them represent one of the American Film Institute’s 100 Greatest American Films.  The films in bold are available from me for you to borrow.  Please select a film you have not already seen. Film marked UR = Unrated. This film was made before the rating system that we currently use. 

 

 

Charlie Chaplin

            Gold Rush (#74)

            City Lights (#76)

            Modern Times (#81)

 

Buster Keaton

The General

Steamboat Bill, Jr. 

 

Victor Fleming

            The Wizard of Oz (G)

            Gone With the Wind

 

Howard Hawks

            Bringing Up Baby #97

            His Girl Friday (UR-PG)

           

John Ford

            Stagecoach (#63)

            The Grapes of Wrath #21

 

John Huston

            Maltese Falcon (UR-PG) #23

            African Queen (UR-PG)

            The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

 

Billy Wilder

            Some Like It Hot PG #14

            Double Indemnity #38

            Sunset Blvd PG

           

Elia Kazan

            On the Waterfront UR-PG

            A Streetcar Named Desire PG #45

 

George Cukor

            My Fair Lady G #91

            The Philadelphia Story #51

 

Frank Capra

            It’s a Wonderful Life (#11)

            Mr. Smith Goes to Washington #29

 

Michael Curtiz

            Casablanca PG (#2)

            Yankee Doodle Dandy (G) #100

 

William Wyler

            The Best Years of Our Lives #37

            Wuthering Heights #73

 

Carol Reed

            The Third Man (#57) (UR-PG)

            Olliver! G

George Stevens

            A Place in the Sun #92

            Giant

           

Orson Welles

            Citizen Kane (#1)

            Touch of Evil (PG-13)

The Magnificent Ambersons (UR-PG)

Fred Zinnemann

            From Here To Eternity (#52)

            Oklahoma!

           

Alfred Hitchcock

            North by Northwest #40

            Vertigo #61

            Rear Window (#42)

David Lean

            Bridge over the River Kwai (PG) (#13)

            Lawrence of Arabia (PG)

Sydney Lumet

            Network (R) #66

            The Pawnbroker

Mike Nichols

            The Graduate (PG)

Sam Peckinpah

            The Getaway

Stanley Kubrick

            Dr. Stangelove #26

            2001: A Space Odessey (G) (#22)

Billy Wilder

            Sunset Boulevard (#12)

            Some Like It Hot (PG) (#14)

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

            All About Eve (UG-PG-13) #16

            Cleopatra (G) 

Robert Wise

            The Day the Earth Stood Still

            The Sound of Music (#55)

Mike Nichols

            Regarding Henry PG-13

            The Graduate PG

Peter Yates

            Bullitt (PG)

            Suspect (R for language-should be PG-13)

 

William Friedkin

The French Connection (R)

Exocist (R)

 

Jim Henson

            Labyrinth (PG)

            Dark Crystal (PG)

Clint Eastwood

            Space Cowboys (PG)

            Bronco Billy (PG)

Woody Allen

            Annie Hall #31 (PG)

Zelig (PG)

Steven Speilberg

            E.T. The Extraterrestrial (#25)

            Close Encounters of the Third Kind (#64)

            Schindler’s List (R) #9

George Lucas

            American Graffiti (PG)

            Star Wars (PG)

Francis Ford Coppola

            Tucker (PG)

            Outsiders PG-13

            The Godfather (R) #3

            Apocalypse Now (R) #28

Ron Howard

            Apollo 13 (PG)

            Splash (PG)

Chris Columbus

            Home Alone (PG)

            Bicentennial Man (PG)

John Hughes

            16 Candles (PG)

            The Breakfast Club (R for language)

M. Night Shyamalan

            Signs (PG-13)

            The Sixth Sense (PG-13)

 

 

 

Grading Criteria:

  1. Presentation: Student projects voice so that it is clearly understood
  2. Presentation: Presentation is well organized and interesting.
  3. PowerPoint:  Presentation contains photos and follows the proper order.
  4. Includes film clip of director’s work.