During the last two weeks prior to the beginning of principal photography, I began the process of shutting out the world and concentrating on visualizing the whole film, scene by scene, much as a pole-vaulter stands for minutes at the end of the runway shutting out all external stimuli, concentrating on a mental picture of every move of the vault—his sprint down the runway, the thrust of the pole into the socket, the spring, the upward leap, and the catapult over the bar—seeing every move in his mind before he starts his vault. By the time I began my vault, I had a mental picture of the entire film. . . .

— Frank Capra, Director

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Scope & SequenceMaking a movie is a collaborative process that involves the knowledge and talent of a team of professionals, from artists to actors, and cinematographers to composers. This chapter introducesstudents to the step-by-step process of making a film, from the initial story idea through the finalproduct released in movie theaters. By the end of the chapter students will have knowledge of thethree stages of making a film and the tasks involved in each stage.

The educational value of studying various filmmaking roles extends beyond visual literacy into other disciplines—language arts, social studies and history, art, music, and science. In creating Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, for example, the cinematographer, the production designer, and even the music director/composer tapped their knowledge of history and government in order to create specific shots and scenes and sounds. Likewise, students tap their knowledge of othersubject areas in order to fully comprehend what they are viewing. For lessons that require a basic understanding of how a bill becomes a law or of American folk songs and ballads, the lessons provide activities that guide students in acquiringthis knowledge prior to screening and analyzing the film clips.

Film Study Standards1.0 Film Language. Students learn to read and interpret visual text by developing a film vocabulary, identifying editing

techniques, and analyzing film elements within selected scenes.

3.0 Production and Creative Expression. Students understand that a film is an expression of a director’s personal vision produced through a collaborative process. Students understand and distinguish the various filmmaking roles that contribute to the final work of art.

5.0 Cross-Curricular Connections. Students first tap their knowledge of other disciplines to study a film. They then apply what they have learned about film to other disciplines, making connections between film and literature/languagearts, film and history/social studies, film and other arts, and film and sciences.

CC HH AA PP TT EE RRTT WW OO

Lesson 1

Lesson 2

The Director’s Vision

Getting Ready—Pre-Production

Lesson 3 On the Set—Production

Lesson 4 In the Studio—Post-Production

Activity A Three Stages of Production and the Director’s RoleActivity B Frank Capra’s Vision

Activity A The Film Editor's RoleActivity B The Music Director/Composer's Role

Activity A What Is a Screenplay?Activity B Writing Dialogue—From Fact to FictionActivity C Enrichment—The Production Designer’s Role

Activity A The Cinematographer’s RoleActivity B The Actor’s RoleActivity C The Reaction Shot

Contents

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Teacher OverviewMaking a movie is all about decisions. Those decisions fall into three stages of production. In pre-production, the director works with the screenwriter and the production designer to plan both the film’s narrative structure and its look.Production includes cinematography and the actual filming of shots. This involves more than simply photographing actors.Set design, costumes, lighting, camera placement and movement—all these decisions influence the actor’s performance. In post-production, the director works with the film editor to assemble the shots into scenes, and the scenes into the finalfilm. In addition, the director works with the music director, composer, and sound editor to create the movie’s soundtrack.The thread that runs through all three stages is the director’s vision, or mental image, of what the final film will look like.

Learning OutcomesStudents will

identify the three stages of making a film;

explain what is meant by the term the director’s vision;

understand the director’s role as involved in all stages of filmmaking;

describe specific tasks associated with each stage of the filmmaking process.

Key Terms(Note: Most terms are defined within the activity text that follows. You may also refer to the glossary.)

pre-production, production, post-production, director, director’s vision, cinematography, collaboration, script, set, film editing, soundediting, music score

Lesson 1 The Director’s Vision

Activity Print DVD

Three Stages of Production and the Director’s Role

Activity A Still 2-1: Star-Spangled-Banquet Production Shot

Still 2-2: How a Bill Becomes a Law Production Shot

Film Clip 2-1: Meet Frank Capra

Activity BFrank Capra’s Vision

Graphic Organizer 2-4: Putting It All Together—Three Stages of Production

Reading Activity 2-1: Details, Details, Details

Reading Activity 2-2: Two Films of Frank CapraScreening Sheet 2-1: Meet Frank Capra

Graphic Organizer 2-1: What Happens During Pre-Production?

Graphic Organizer 2-2: What Happens During Production?

Graphic Organizer 2-3: What Happens During Post-Production?

Lesson 1 Materials

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ConceptThe filmmaking process has three stages and involves the contributions of many different professional people working with the director.

EngageAsk students if they have ever heard the phrases “Roll ’em! Action!” For those who have, encourage them to explain what the phrases mean. Essentially, “Roll ’em!” means to begin shooting or photographing the film. “Action!” means that the acting and movement in the scene should begin.

Ask students what they think must happen before the director or a crew member can shout, “Roll ’em!” Answers mayinclude the following: writing a script, casting the actors, finding a location to film the movie, designing the costumes the actors will wear, planning how to shoot each scene, etc. Should students suggest composing music or adding sound effects, explain that these are tasks that happen in post-production.

Explain & Explore

Display and/or distribute Graphic Organizer 2-1: What Happens During Pre-Production? Review the key pointson the graphic organizer as recommended below.

The Director’s VisionVision refers to the film’s overall look or design as well as its narrative structure. The director is the one personwho understands how the pieces of the puzzle will come together to create the final film.

The ScriptWhat is it? The script is the story, what happens to whom and when. The script is like a blueprint, or plan, forhow the story will unfold on the screen, and it includes primarily the actors’ dialogue.

Who creates it? The screenwriter writes the story. Emphasize, however, that the director oversees and approvesthe script. Tell students that they will study the script and the screenwriter’s role in more detail in lesson 2.

The Production DesignWhat is it? The production design involves creating the set where the action will occur.

Who creates it? The production designer, also called the art director, oversees the design and construction of all sets and scenery as well as the selection of all shooting locations. Tell students that they will study theproduction designer’s role in more detail in lesson 2.

The CastWhat is it? All actors in the film are members of the cast. Director Frank Capra indicated that there were 186speaking roles in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. But there were also many more actors who appeared in scenesand did not have speaking roles.

Who selects it? Generally, the director selects the cast during pre-production. Tell students that they will studythe actors’ roles in more detail in lesson 3.

Display and/or distribute Graphic Organizer 2-2: What Happens During Production? Review the key points on the graphic organizer as recommended below.

Cinematography

What is it? Cinematography is a language that communicates ideas, emotions, and relationships to the audience through the use of light and shadows, objects, and people, as well as camera angles, distances, and movement.

Who creates it? The cinematographer is the person who oversees all camerawork on the set. When filming a scene, the director may use multiple cameras, each focusing on a different angle or actor. Tell students theywill study cinematography and the role of the cinematographer in more detail in lesson 3.

Activity A Three Stages of Production and the Director’s Role

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ActingWhat is it? Acting is the action performed as well as the dialogue and emotion expressed by the actors in a movie.

Who performs? Clearly, the actors perform all the action on the screen. Emphasize this important point: Twoother people besides the director play an important role in determining what part of an actor’s performance theaudience gets to see and how—the cinematographer and the film editor. Students will study more about howthe camera affects an actor’s performance in lesson 3 and will study the film editor’s role in lesson 4.

Display and discuss as indicated below Still 2-1: Star-Spangled Banquet Production Shot and Still 2-2: How a Bill Becomes a Law Production Shot. Explain that these are “production shots.” They are not images intended to beincluded in the film. Rather, they show the cameras shooting the scenes. Encourage students to observe closely thedetails in each photograph.

Guided Discussion. Still 2-1: Star-Spangled Banquet Production Shot1. What is happening “behind” the camera, out of the scene of action?

The camera is mounted on a wheeled platform. The camera operators are on the platform, as is the director, Frank Capra. They’re filming a shot in the movie.

2. Why is the camera mounted on a wheeled platform? The wheels allow the camera to move backward to film the children in the band as they march forward.

Guided Discussion. Still 2-2: How a Bill Becomes a Law Production Shot3. Describe what is happening in this photograph, both in front of the camera and

out of the scene of action. Two actors, portraying Clarissa Saunders and JeffersonSmith, are in front of the camera, acting a scene. Behind the camera is the cameraoperator, and sitting just below but out of the scene of action is the director, FrankCapra. He’s watching the actors perform the scene.

4. What filmmaking equipment is evident in this production shot? The camera and lights, lots of lights! Each light is placed at a specific angle and distance from the actors. Explain that prior to shooting, the director and cinema-tographer discussed the type of lighting that would best illuminate the scene and also where to place the camera in relation to the actors.

Display and/or distribute Graphic Organizer 2-3: What Happens During Post-Production? Review the key points on the graphic organizer as recommended below.

Display and/or distribute Graphic Organizer 2-3: What Happens During Post-Production? Review the keypoints on the graphic organizer as recommended below.

Film EditingWhat is it? Editing involves selecting the best shots (visual images) and arranging them in a logical sequence so that the story flows smoothly from one scene to another.

Who does it? The film editor works with the director in deciding which shots and scenes to use.

Sound EditingWhat is it? Sound editing involves assembling elements of the soundtrack, including dialogue and soundeffects. The soundtrack must be in sync with the images on the screen.

Who does it? The sound editor and/or sound-effects editor works with the film editor and the director.

Music ScoreWhat is it? The score is the music played at various points throughout a film, creating atmosphere and mood.The score also includes melodies or songs featured in the film.

Who creates it? The music director and composer select and create music to communicate mood and to suggest meaning to the audience. Often, the composer incorporates existing music into the film’s score.

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CloseAsk students what work experience and education a person might need to become a film director. Guide discussion toinclude the tasks and talents required in all three stages of production. Prompt further discussion by asking students to listthe creative and artistic skills as well as the business and people-management skills necessary for a director to be successfulin seeing a film from conception through final release to a movie theater.

ConceptAs the person in charge of all the creative aspects of a film, the director has the most complete understanding of the movie’sstory content, narrative structure, sound, and design.

EngageWrite the word collaboration on the chalkboard or overhead projector. Ask students to explain what the word means.Emphasize that a collaboration is a partnership.

Ask: Who are the partners involved in making a film?

Explain & Explore

Display and/or distribute Graphic Organizer 2-4: Putting It All Together—Three Stages of Production.Review the concepts introduced earlier in activity A by emphasizing that the director is the one filmmaker who isinvolved in all three stages.

Distribute Reading Activity 2-1: Details, Details, Details. This passage comes from The Name Above the Title,Frank Capra’s autobiography. Review the Word Builder terms on the activity sheet. Assign the reading or read the passage aloud in class, then ask the questions below.

Guided Discussion1. What does Frank Capra mean when he says Sidney Buchman earned a “gold medal” in writing the script

for the film? A gold medal is the highest honor an Olympic athlete can receive, and while Buchman is a writer, not anathlete, Capra’s meaning is that Buchman did the best anyone could have done. The script was all the things Capra hadhoped for: It had a theme, told a story, was entertaining, and was written in two months.

2. The art director is also called the production designer. One of the production designer’s jobs is to create the setfor a movie. What research did Lionel Banks and his department complete in order to create a realistic set forthis film? They researched the buildings by looking at photographs; they found and then studied the blueprints for theconstruction of the buildings.

3. In your opinion, why did Capra insist on interviewing all the people who auditioned for a role in the film?Students should infer from his attention to detail that he wanted the picture to be as realistic and effective as it could be,and that meant hiring just the right people, even to play the minor roles.

4. Capra says someone who was watching the pre-production activity might think he was running an eight-ring circus. But he says it wasn’t a circus at all. What do you think he means when he says, “There was amethodology to this madness”? A methodology is a system of getting things done. So while many things were happening at once—designing a set, auditioning actors, planning a wardrobe, etc.—everyone knew his or her job anddid it well.

5. List at least six different pre-production tasks Capra mentions in this passage. Answers should include any six ofthe following: researching the story, writing the script, scouting locations for specific scenes, researching the set, designingthe set, constructing the set, planning the interior designs with furniture and props, auditioning actors, selecting anddesigning the wardrobe for the actors.

Share this information with students:

Many factors contribute to “a director’s vision.” One is the story content, or what the story is about. A second factor is thenarrative structure, or how the director tells the story. A third factor is the film’s “look.” A film’s look is the overall visual

Activity B Frank Capra’s Vision

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design. The director creates this look through many different choices—deciding what colors and costumes to use, how the set should appear, how to light the set, and so on. Even the choice of the actors to play the roles can contribute to the film’soverall look, and therefore, the director’s vision.

Distribute Reading Activity 2-2: Two Films of Frank Capra. This reading activity will further help to explain the concept of “the director’s vision.” It also serves as a pre-screening activity for the mini-documentary film clip in theEnrichment section below. After reading, encourage students to explore thematic threads in each of the films by usingthe guided discussion questions below.

Guided Discussion1. In many of Frank Capra’s movies, people aren’t always what they first appear to be. The “silver knight” in

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, for example, turns out to be a corrupt politician. Although you may not haveseen It Happened One Night, what do you think Ellie Andrews and Peter Warne might discover about eachother as the movie progresses? Answers will vary but should focus on the statement that Ellie think Peter is arrogantand Peter thinks Ellie is spoiled. Another side of each will emerge as they get to know one another -- and yes, they willfall in love.

2. Frank Capra wrote in his autobiography, “I would sing the songs of the working stiffs, of the short-changedJoes, the born poor, the afflicted.” In what way do the storylines of these two films illustrate what Frank Caprameans? Who are the “short-changed Joes” in these two films and why? Peter Warne, Ann Mitchell and ‘John Doe’because all three are down on their luck, meaning either out of a job or out of money, or both.

3. What deception does Ann Mitchell commit and why? How is this similar to, or different from, the trickeryPeter Warne attempts? Ann Mitchell creates a fictional suicide attempt as a way to sensationalize the news but also tofight back against being fired from her job. Peter Warne offers to help the runaway heiress but does so, at least initially,for his own profit and not because he cares about her. His is similar to Ann’s in that he is not altogether honest with EllieAndrews. Some students may note that both Ann and Peter are reporters whose careers were in jeopardy. Emphasizethat Capra’s films often featured journalists, some of whom were wise and honest.

4. Frank Capra believed that our best leaders emerge from out of the crowd. In his films, an ordinary person suddenly rises up to speak for the people and to defend their rights and the American way of life against amore powerful opponent. Who is the ordinary person (s) in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and who is theopponent? In Meet John Doe, who is the ordinary person(s) and who is the powerful opponent? Jefferson Smithand Clarissa Saunders oppose the corrupt politician and newspaper owner; Ann Mitchell and the down-on-his-luckbaseball player (John Doe) oppose D. B. Norton.

5. What conclusion can you make about Capra’s view of wealthy people versus poor people, based on these twoplot summaries? Answers will vary. Money and its effect on people—whether they have it or are without it—is atheme Capra explores in many of his films. Emphasize that Capra seems to admire those who are down on their luckand distrust those who have money. Remind students, however, that in Capra’s films, the wealthy do not always win.The ordinary person triumphs in the end, even without having a lot of money.

Enrichment

Distribute Screening Sheet 2-1: Meet Frank Capra. Review the vocabulary terms in the Word Builder box.

View Film Clip 2-1: Meet Frank Capra. Allow students time to complete the chart on the Screening Sheet, then discuss students’ observations. Answers will vary. Recommended answers include those that follow.

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Close

Ask students to research additional films made by Frank Capra. One excellent online research site is the Internet MovieDatabase (imdb.com). Ask them to select three films and to compare and contrast the plot summaries of these films. Whatconclusions can they make about the type of characters and conflicts in Frank Capra’s films?

1. At what age did Frank Capra immigrate with his parents to America? Age 6

2. What were some of the jobs Frank Capra did in order to earn his way through college? sold newspapers, played in a musical combo, dug ditches, tutoring

3. Frank Capra loved movies but he did not at once become a director. What other jobs in the film industry did he have when he was first starting out? worked as an extra, meaning he was a person who appeared in movies but didn’t have a starring role, wrote stories, and edited films

4. The narrator said that Frank Capra made the transition “from silents to sound.” What does that mean? ‘silents’ refers to silent movies in the 1920s and ‘sound’ is the technological development that added a soundtrack to films. In the 1930s most movies used this new technology.

Part I. Recalling Details—Biographical Information

5. During the Great Depression, Frank Capra moved “in a new direction.” According to the narrator, Frank Capra “found his voice.” What does “voice” have to do with making films? Some students may be familiar with the phrase ‘writer’s voice’ as a way of identifying an author’s style of writing and overall themes. Similarly, a filmmaker’s voice is his or her vision, the overall style and type of film he or she makes.

6. How do the shots from “It Happened One Night” shown in this mini-documentary illustrate what Frank Capra might mean when he says he’d sing the songs of the poor and the afflicted and “fight for their causes on the screens of the world”? The first shot shows a crowded bus of ordinary people having fun singing. Subsequent shots show a woman who has fainted and her son, crying. The son tells Peter Warne that he and his mother have no money and have had nothing to eat. Although Peter takes out some cash from his pocket, it is Ellie Andrews who takes it all and gives it to the boy. This illustrates compassion for those who are ‘poor’ and ‘afflicted.’

7. How does the narrator describe Capra’s heroes and villains? He suggests that the heroes are innocent and pure in spirit, and that his villains are usually rich people who have profited by taking unfair advantage of others.

8. The narrator says that Frank Capra “believed in the promise of America.” What do you think this means? Answers will vary. Some students may suggest the American dream, which in fact Frank Capra himself realized. He was poor and had to work hard for a living, working his way through college. Others may suggest the promise of America is hope based on the compassion and honesty of ordinary people.

9. At the end of this film, Frank Capra says that his favorite film was “It’s a Wonderful Life.” What reasons does he give? He says it ‘epitomizes’ what he was saying in all of his films, that no man is a failure.

10. Movies are about people. But they are also about ideas. According to this film clip, what are two ideas that Capra explores in his films? Answers will vary but may include the integrity of the individual, the idea that no person is a failure if he or she has helped others, even in small and seemingly unimportant ways.

Part II. Critical Thinking—Understanding the Director’s Vision

Answer Key for Screening Sheet 2-1: Meet Frank Capra

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Teacher OverviewWhat the final film will look like may exist in the director’s imagination, but the screenwriter and the production designerare the people who actually create the fictional world of the movie. The screenwriter imagines the world through words. The production designer turns words and the director’s ideas into real-life sets.

For both the screenwriter and the production designer, research is often the first step in the creative process. In writing dialogue for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, the screenwriter had to know the process of how a bill becomes a law. The writeralso needed to know the protocol of how Congress operated. Likewise, the production designer had to research the Capitolbuilding and specifically the Senate Chamber. In completing the activities in this lesson, therefore, students also will do a little research of their own.

Activity A focuses on elements of a screenplay and an important part of the screenwriting process—creating dialogue.Students learn an important principle about writing dialogue for the screen: Do not state what the audience can see. Inactivity B, they read a nonfiction passage that explains the 12-step process of how a bill becomes a law. Then they read thefictional conversation the screenwriter created based on that factual material. Finally, they view the actors performing thescene. Activity C explains the role of the production designer and, in more detail, the challenges the production designerfaced in re-creating the United States Senate in a movie studio.

Learning OutcomesStudents will

identify and define four key elements of a screenplay;

understand that in a screenplay, dialogue should not state what the audience can see;

understand the role of the screenwriter in making a film;

compare how words written to inform differ from words written to entertain;

define what production design is;

identify the production designer’s tasks in making a film.

Key Terms(Note: Most terms are defined within the activity text that follows. You may also refer to the glossary.)

screenplay, dialogue, screenwriter, scene heading, character name, action, parenthetical, shot, transition, title frame, photoplay, production design, production designer, set, scenery, location, props

Lesson 2 Getting Ready—Pre-Production

Activity Print DVD

What Is a Screenplay?Activity A Still 2-3:

Mr. Smith Reads the Telegrams

Still 2-4: Mr. Smith’s Screenplay

Activity BWriting Dialogue —From Fact to Fiction

Reading Activity 2-4: Factual Information—How a Bill Becomes a LawReading Activity 2-5: Fictional Conversation—How a Bill Almost Becomes a Law

Reading Activity 2-3: Screenplay Elements

Screening Sheet 2-2, Enrichment: Steamboat Bill, Jr.

Film Clip 2-2, Enrichment: Steamboat Bill, Jr.

Lesson Materials

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Activity Print DVD

Film Clip 2-3: Saunders Teaches Smith a Lesson

Activity CEnrichment: The Production Designer’s Role

Screening Sheet 2-3: Saunders Teaches Smith a Lesson

Still 2-5: The Senate-Chamber Model

Graphic Organizer 2-5: What Is Production Design?

Graphic Organizer 2-6: What Does the Production Designer Do?

Lesson Materials (cont.)

Activity A What Is a Screenplay?ConceptA screenplay has film-specific elements, including brief action and shot descriptions in addition to dialogue.

Engage

Display Still 2-3: Mr. Smith Reads the Telegrams. Ask students if they recall this particular scene in the film. Most will. Ask them what Mr. Smith said as he was reading the letters. This a trick question. Mr. Smith said nothing while reading the letters! He didnt have to. And here is why: The audience understood from Paine’s dialogue preceding this particular shot that the letters asked Smith to yield the floor. Far more interesting than what the letters said is how Smith physically and emotionally reacts to the letters.

Write this line of dialogue on the chalkboard or overhead projector.

JEFFERSON SMITHI’m going to read the letters now.

Ask students to explain whether this is or is not a good line of dialogue for this particular shot. Encourage discussion byasking them if they can see what Mr. Smith is doing. If so, then why state the obvious?

Next, write these lines of dialogue on the chalkboard or overhead projector and again ask students to comment onwhether the dialogue is or is not effective.

JEFFERSON SMITH(reading telegram aloud)

Stop the filibuster; resign.

(picks up another letter)Dear Senator Smith, you are a liar and a thief.

In this example, the audience already knows, from what Paine has said earlier, that the telegrams demand that Smith yield the floor, in other words, that he resign. Having Smith read the same information aloud could be redundant and may not add anything new to the action taking place. Stating the obvious, therefore, is (a) saying what the audience cansee, or (b) repeating information already understood from preceding scenes.

Emphasize this key point: In writing a screenplay, the best lines of dialogue are those that reveal or suggest what the audience cannot see.

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Explain & ExploreWrite the Maximum-Minimum Rule as stated below on a chalkboard or overhead projector. This rule is a cinematic variation of the Show; Don’t Tell rule of thumb for writing. This principle of Less Is More is a guideline for screenwriters.

Say the maximum in meaning using the minimum number of words.

Share with students the information below:

Maximum in Meaning As in all good storytelling, dialogue reveals character traits and advances the plot. Dialogue is never extra words added to a story to make it longer or to fill silences. Dialogue is there because it gives information or reveals something about the characters or conflicts.

Minimum Number of Words In a book or short story, the reader can stop and reread the lines of dialogue. The audience for a movie doesn’t typically read the screenplay. The audience watches the action and listens. If an action or thought can be shownthrough an image, then it probably should be. An important lesson to learn about writing dialogue for a screenplay,therefore, is not to state the obvious. If the character’s lines of dialogue simply describe what is happening on thescreen, then the dialogue is unnecessary.

Display Still 2-4: Mr. Smith’s Screenplay. Explain that this photograph shows thebound manuscript for the movie. “Columbia” printed on the cover refers to the studio thatproduced the film. Ask them what they think “revised final” means, also written on thecover. Some may rightly infer that a screenplay, like any other piece of writing, goes throughmany revisions before a final script is approved.

Distribute Reading Activity 2-3: Screenplay Elements. While a screenplay may looklike a book manuscript, it has specific elements that a novel or a nonfiction book do not. Review each of the key elements as recommended below.

Scene HeadingThis is a line of exposition that tells where the scene takes place. The heading may indicate whether the setting isinside, indicated by INT. (for interior) or outside, indicated by EXT. (for exterior). Scene headings may also indicatethe time of day and where exactly the action occurs, such as a character’s house or a deserted road.

Action

Action are lines of exposition that briefly describe what the viewer sees on the screen. Screenwriters most often focuson the visual action itself and generally do not describe in detail the internal thoughts of the characters.

Character NameThis tells who is speaking. The name is typed in all capital letters and centered on the page.

ParentheticalThis information appears within parentheses and suggests how the actor should read the line or what the characteris feeling. It may also indicate to whom a character is speaking. Parenthetical information is always brief and neverdescribes action.

Dialogue

The words spoken by characters in a film.

Indicate that screenplays have additional elements not illustrated on this particular page. They include:

Shot

As stated in lesson 1 above, the director works with the cinematographer to determine how to shoot a scene.However, the screenwriter may suggest in general terms what the camera’s focus should be. Shot descriptions, therefore, are always brief and not directions for the cinematographer. Some shots are medium (or med.) and showthe characters from about waist up. Close-up (or CU) is another type of shot. This indicates that the camera is closeto the character or object being photographed, providing more detail to the audience.

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Transitions

Transitions are bridges from one shot to another. These include cut (a quick shift from one shot to another), dissolve(one image slowly fades away while another slowly comes into view), fade (the image fades away into darkness)and wipe (a vertical line moves across the screen, replacing one image with another). Students will learn moreabout shots and transitions in later lessons in this chapter and will study them in greater detail in Chapter 3.

Emphasize this important point about a screenplay: Not every shot or scene included in the screenplay may be part ofthe final film. For example, even though the “revised final” script for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington included a scene inJefferson Smith’s pet shop, that scene was cut during the post-production stage of the filmmaking process. Students canlearn more about this missing pet shop scene in the Take 2 activity described at the end of this lesson.

Enrichment

Distribute Screening Sheet 2-2, Enrichment: Steamboat Bill, Jr. Introduce the first segment of this screeningactivity by sharing with students the information below.

Silent films weren’t called “silent” until the introduction of sound in 1927. They were simply “movies.” Because there wasn’t sound, there was no need for spoken dialogue. Some writers conceived storylines. Some writers wrote “titles.” Titles were single frames that appeared on the screen at various points in the action. Titles provided expository information, such as the setting or the name of a character. Titles also featured dialogue. However, each person’s dialogue had to fit on a single title frame, and so it was usually a short sentence or phrase.

View Film Clip 2-2, Enrichment: Steamboat Bill, Jr. This film clip has two segments, both from the same classic silent film Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928, directed by Charles F. Reisner). Stop the DVD between segments so you candiscuss key points. You may wish to run them more than once. After showing both segments, allow students time tocomplete the chart on the Screening Sheet, then discuss students’ observations. Answers will vary. Recommendedanswers include those listed below.

Film Segment

Although the pin is important as a symbol of the boys’ club, the emphasis is on the act of pinning it on the boy’s lapel

The images show a great river plus two different ships—one large and grand and the other less so. The captain of each ship is shown—J. J. King and Steamboat Bill— along with Bill’s first mate. People are gathered on the docks, waving. The conflict is also suggested in images—old Bill gestures at the new ship, the King, and the owner of the King laughs at Bill, indicating that he may be planning to take over Bill’s business.

A—The Opening Sequence

What information do the images show or tell?

What information do the title frames give?

The location (“Muddy Waters” is a reference to the Mississippi River); the names of the ships and characters; the names of the actors portraying the characters, and information that the new ship will “put an end to” the old one

The images show old Bill reading a telegram; the close-up of the telegram text, indicating the son is arriving and can be recognized by a white carnation he will be wearing; Bill smiling happily at the news, and telling his mate about it. Then we see old Bill riding to the train station in the jalopy he uses to transport train passengers to his ship. Also shown is King buying a carnation

B—The White Carnation

Dialogue on the title card saying that the telegram has been waiting for Bill for four days, dialogue between old Bill and his mate that Bill has not seen his son in a long time, that he must be big, and speculation that the son is “bigger than me”; news that King’s daughter is home from school; Bill’s dialogue asking if any of the men are looking for a father

Answer Key for Screening Sheet 2-2, Enrichment: Steamboat Bill, Jr.

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CloseEmphasize to students that with the development of sound technology, the screenwriter’s role changed. Share this information with students:

Instead of writing titles and scenarios—brief descriptions of events that would occur in the film—the screenwriter developed more detailed “photoplays.” Dialogue became important as a tool for revealing characterization and advancing the plot. Even so, in early sound movies and in films today, many times the images—rather than words—tell the story.

ConceptA scene is a unit of action that usually takes place in one location and communicates a single idea. Although a scene may be fictional, the screenwriter often weaves facts and historical details into the narrative.

EngageShare with students this statement from director Frank Capra:

Script-writing is a lonely job of inventing and creating something that did not exist before—two hundred pages of dramatically constructed, imaginative, entertaining scenes that will justify spending two million dollars to film them. And do these scenes come out of a spigot, like tap water? No indeed. They are created. By a talent. But also they are created out of writing and rewriting, out of sweating and head-banging, out of the endurance and stamina that mark a decathlon champion.

Film Segment

and the arrival of King’s daughter in town. A train and passengers arrive. Bill is looking for Bill Jr. and mistakes a young black man for his son because he wears a white carnation, as do all the men. The son arrives “on the wrong side of the tracks.” He approaches many different men who may be his father, and shows them his carnation. When the son drops his suitcase; Bill reads the luggage tag and realizes the boy is his son.

What information do the images show or tell?

What information do the title frames give?

Answer Key for Screening Sheet 2-2, Enrichment: Steamboat Bill, Jr. (cont.)

Think More About It

1. As segment B ends, the camera shows old Bill’s reaction to learning that the scrawny kid is his son. Is hehappy or not happy? How do you know? There is no title frame to state what Bill is thinking, but the visual of his face clearly indicates that he’s not pleased with what he sees. A dialogue card isn’t necessary here.

2. How do the titles in these two segments illustrate the Maximum-Minimum Rule? Because the titles each had to fit in a single frame, the writer had to carefully select just the right words that the audience could read andunderstand quickly. The writer allowed the images to suggest meaning and used the titles, including sparse lines ofdialogue, only when necessary to fill a gap or to make a point.

Activity B Writing Dialogue—From Fact to Fiction

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Ask students to comment on the quote. What main idea is Capra expressing? Answers will vary but should emphasize themain idea that the screenwriter’s role is a critical first step in the process of making a film. You may also wish to point outthat Capra made this statement in his autobiography, published in 1971. The cost of making a film has increased from the“two million” then to many millions today.

Explain & ExploreExplain that this activity has three parts. Students will first read factual information. They will next read scripted dialogue based upon this factual information. Finally, they will view the actors performing the script. In this way students will see how information, and the communication of it, changes as the purpose and audience for that information changes.

Distribute Reading Activity 2-4: Factual Information—How a Bill Becomes a Law. The multiple-choice questions on the activity sheet are similar to comprehension questions often asked on standardized tests. However, this activity has a value beyond just reading-comprehension practice. It is the foundation for a scene between Smith and Saunders. Screenwriter Sidney Buchman could not have written the scene as well as he did without a basic knowledge of how a bill becomes a law. He researched that information first, then composed his scene. Review theWord Builder terms with your students. Have them read the passage, then allow students time to complete the multiple-choice questions. Recommended answers are below.

Emphasize again that the passage on the activity sheet was written with a specific purpose in mind—to inform the reader of the 11 steps in the bill-making process. However, Buchman’s scene in the screenplay has a far differentpurpose: He must somehow turn this factual information into fictional dialogue. Because dialogue must reveal characteror suggest conflict or in some way advance the story line, Buchman faced a real challenge.

Distribute Reading Activity 2-5: Fictional Conversation—How a Bill Almost Becomes a Law. Review the Word Builder terms. Assign roles—one student to read Smith’s lines, one to read Saunders’s lines, and another to readthe stage directions (in parentheses) provided in the script. After their reading, prompt critical thinking with the discussion questions that follow.

1. The purpose of this passage is to (A) inform the reader of the 11 steps involved in a bill becoming law.

2. During what step or stage of development might a hearing take place on the proposed bill? (C) subcommittee review

3. A bill may never move beyond step 1. Why? (C) The committee decides the bill does not have a good chance of being passed by both the House and the Senate.

4. Voting on a bill occurs (D) after debate and approval of any amendments to the bill.

5. A bill must be approved by both the House and the Senate in identical form. That means (D) the House and the Senate must approve the same version of the bill.

Identifying Information

Answer Key for Reading Activity 2-4: Factual Information—How a Bill Becomes a Law

Think More About It

Imagine you are the screenwriter for a new movie about a congressman or -woman. What step or steps identified in “How a Bill Becomes a Law” might suggest a possible conflict around which you could build ascene? Answers will vary. Conflict can arise at any one of the steps identified—conflicts in debate between committeemembers, between political parties, or between the president and the members of the House or the Senate.

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Guided Discussion

1. Saunders, not Smith, knows how a bill becomes a law. Why does Saunders know this? Answers will vary butshould focus on the main idea that she has worked in Washington as a congressional secretary for some time. To do herjob, she has to know how government works.

2. Smith has a great respect for government and a knowledge of history. The governor’s children told their father that Jeff Smith could quote George Washington. Shouldn’t Smith also know how a bill becomes a law?Answers will vary, but emphasize the key point that Smith has no political experience in writing or passing laws.Knowledge of and respect for government does not mean that a person understands how government actually worksinside Congress. That comes, in part, from experience.

3. Why did screenwriter Sidney Buchman decide to include in the film this information about creating bills and laws? Why not just jump into Smith proposing his bill on the Senate floor? Answers will vary but shouldfocus on the main idea that Buchman was making an assumption about the audience, the people who would come to seethe film. He may have assumed that they, like Smith, didn’t realize the difficulty in getting a bill passed. But the purposeof the scene is much more than for a Hollywood writer to give American audiences a civics lesson. Buchman shows thatdespite the odds and his inexperience, Smith is not only willing but excited to push forward with his bill. The scenereveals Smith’s idealism and perseverance. Saunders’s character is also developed in this scene. The audience sees herfrustration with Smith’s idealism, though later, as he continues to talk about his ideals, she begins to soften.

Emphasize this final and most important point about the fictional scene: The dialogue reveals how smart Saunders isabout the ways of government. This is necessary if we are to believe that she’ll later teach Smith another lesson—how tocreate a filibuster and thus clear his name of all charges against him.

Have students compare the factual and fictional versions of how a bill becomes a law by asking the discussion questionsbelow. For question 3, allow sufficient time for students to reread the script on Reading Activity Sheet 2-5, then huntfor the steps on Reading Activity Sheet 2-4. This will not only encourage close reading but also prepare students to discuss later how the two versions differ and why.

Guided Discussion

1. What is Saunders’s purpose in explaining to Mr. Smith how a bill becomes a law? As his secretary, she is supposedto assist him, but she does more than just tell him the steps. She tries to convince him not to write the Boy Ranger Campbill because the odds are against getting congressional approval for the bill.

2. How does the language differ in the two versions? The nonfiction piece is stated clearly; the fictional scene is informally conversational, with interruptions and asides, even sarcasm at times.

3. What steps in the process on Reading Activity Sheet 2-4 does Saunders mention in her explanation to Mr. Smith in the script? Step 1: Referral to Committee; Step 4: Committee Action to Report a Bill; Step 6: SchedulingFloor Action; Step 7: Debate; Step 8: Voting; Step 9: Referral to Other Chamber. You may wish to point out thatSaunders gives the information in a different sequence than it is listed on Reading Activity Sheet 2-4.

4. What information about Congress does Buchman write into the script that is not a part of the document “How a Bill Becomes a Law”? Saunders makes comments about the Congress—that some senators may want to sleep,for example. But she also offers an explanation for why a step is necessary, for example: “You can’t take a bill . . . anddiscuss it among ninety-six men. Where would you get?”

5. The lines of dialogue in this scene entertain as well as inform. What lines in particular might be considered amusing or crafted in such a way as to reveal some detail about the characters? Answers will vary, but some examples are Smith’s belief that he can knock off writing the bill in one day, to which Saunders replies in an “incredulous” way by saying, “A day?” This reveals both Smith’s naïveté and Saunders’s knowledge of the process.Other examples are Saunders’s use of informal language, such as “Catching on, Senator?” and Smith’s refusal at the endof her long explanation to be discouraged. He still wants to proceed despite the odds. Saunders’s line suggesting that allpeople in civilized countries eat dinner is both sarcastic and amusing. So is her instructing Smith to “start spouting, but not too loud, because a couple of the senators might want to sleep.”

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Distribute Screening Sheet 2-3: Saunders Teaches Smith a Lesson. In this screening activity students will havethe opportunity to make still another comparison—how written words differ from words performed on the screen.

View Film Clip 2-3: Saunders Teaches Smith a Lesson. Allow time for students to answer the questions on theScreening Sheet, then discuss them. Answers will vary. Recommended answers are below.

CloseMultiple shots make up a single scene. Usually, a scene focuses on communicating a single idea. Ask students to explain thesingle most important idea presented in this scene. Beyond the idea that Saunders knows the lawmaking process better thanSmith does, answers should focus on the main idea that despite the odds, Mr. Smith is determined to go forward with hisidealistic proposal for a boys’ camp.

ConceptThe production designer, sometimes called the art director, is the person responsible for designing the physical world of themovie. This includes overseeing whatever construction is necessary.

EngageWrite these two words as headings on the chalkboard or overhead projector: locations and sets. Under locations, ask studentsto list specific historical sites shown in the film. These would include the various government buildings, such as the WhiteHouse and the Capitol, and monuments, such as the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. Explain that “loca-tions” are places other than a studio where shooting of the film takes place. Some shots in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington werefilmed on location in Washington, D.C., including the scenes in the Lincoln Memorial.

Next, ask students to list specific sets that were constructed for the film. These include rooms in the governor’s home, suchas the dining room with his many children, the boardinghouse where Jefferson Smith lives, the train station, the inside ofthe train car, the senators’ offices, etc. Explain that sets are constructed. Some sets are realistic and exact or near-exact repli-cas of the real places. Other sets are imagined, invented by the production designer working with the director.

List the things you see (visual elements) or hear (audio elements) in the film that are

not part of the script you read in class.

Describe or explain how these visual andaudio elements add to your understanding

or enjoyment of the scene.

Visual elements—Answers should include three or more of the following: clothing or costumes, lighting, facial expressions while delivering lines, gestures and other body language, reactions of the characters—especially Saunders—to what is being said. Some students may also mention props, furniture, and other set-design elements.

Audio elements—Answers should focus on the main idea of how the lines are delivered, i.e., tone of voice, including rhythm of words and pauses between lines, pitch, inflection, emphasis, and emotion. (Students will learn more about actors’ vocal effects in lesson 3.)

Visual elements of set design and costuming help to create reality. The camera’s shots of the room and of the characters, including close-ups, help the audience feel as if they are there in the room with the characters and therefore experiencing the action and not just reading about it. Body language and facial expressions help viewers understand the characters’ attitudes and feelings.

Audio elements, i.e., hearing the lines spoken, also create a sense of “you are there,” and tone of voice and delivery help to create meaning. Saunders’s sarcasm comes through not only in her facial expressions but also in her tone of voice.

Answer Key for Screening Sheet 2-3: Saunders Teaches Smith a Lesson

Activity C The Production Designer’s RoleEnrichment:

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Explain & Explore

Display and/or distribute Graphic Organizer 2-5: What Is Production Design? Review the key points on thegraphic as suggested below. All of these combine to form the physical world of the film.

Sets, Scenery, and Locations A set is the constructed place or site of each scene. A set may be the interior of a building, such as an office, acourtroom, a train station, or even a train car, as well as an exterior area, such as a porch. Scenery refers tobackgrounds, which may be natural outdoor landscapes, such as mountains, beaches, fields, or parks, or maybe constructed, such as a backdrop seen through a window. Locations are any exterior or interior settings thatare not at the studio or lot.

Props, Furnishings, and TrimmingsProp is short for property. A prop is a movable object that is part of a set. Examples include a telephone or atelephone booth (as in the shot where Chick McGann calls Saunders to find out where Smith is), printingmachines (as in the shots of the children running off copies of their newspaper), etc. Furnishings are the furni-ture pieces that are used in the film, including beds, couches, desks, etc. Trimmings are the decorative ele-ments on the set, including draperies, bedspreads, wall hangings, lamps, etc.

Costumes, Makeup, and HairstylesCostumes are the clothing each character wears, including everything from hats to shoes. Costumes are alsocalled “wardrobe items.” Makeup includes hairstyles and wigs as well as cosmetics applied to an actor’s faceand/or body.

Display Still 2-5: The Senate-Chamber Model. Explain that the image is a replica of the United States Senate.Emphasize that the Senate Chamber seen in the film is a set and not a location. Although a real Senate Chamber exists,the film’s production department built a replica of the chamber on the lot at ColumbiaPictures studio in Hollywood.

All dramatic action that takes place in the chamber, including the filibuster, takes place on the set and not in the real chamber in the nation’s Capitol Building. Ask students whatsteps might be necessary in order to build such a set. These would include the following:

• Researching what the real Senate Chamber looks like, including finding and studyingthe original architect’s blueprints

• Sketching the proposed set for the Senate Chamber

• Building a three-dimensional model, in much the same way as an architect does, using balsa wood and other materials for building miniature models

• Constructing the life-size set on the studio lot

Draw students’ attention to the details shown on Still 2-5. Not only are the dimensions exact but the designer alsoplaced desks and chairs on the Senate floor, created the balcony, and even added rooms to the right and subterraneanpassages, all true to the original building. Movie stills from inside the Senate Chamber set also reveal other accuratedetails—the busts of the vice presidents along the wall in the balcony, and the clock above the press section. This attention to detail reflected the director’s desire to show the Senate Chamber as it truly is.

Display and/or distribute Graphic Organizer 2-6: What Does the Production Designer Do? Review each task.Emphasize that the production designer works with a team of people, who each have responsibility for various aspectsof the film’s overall look or design.

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CloseAsk students: Why did the filmmakers go to the trouble of building a replica of the United States Senate Chamber when the realSenate Chamber exists? Guide discussion to these key points: The filmmakers would need permission from the government tofilm inside the Senate Chamber, and that could prove very difficult, especially if Congress was in session. A film often takesweeks and months to shoot. A director may shoot a scene many times before he or she is satisfied with the quality of theshot. If filming today, permission would likely be denied for another reason—heightened security. A film crew is large, andchecking the identities of each member of the cast and crew would be difficult and time-consuming.

Mr. Smith’s Missing Scene

Not every scene that is in the screenplay makes it into the final film. Read a scene from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington that was set in Jefferson Smith’s pet shop! Go to The Story of Movies Web site,

www.storyofmovies.org, to download the script.

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Teacher OverviewThe script is written. The actors are cast. The set is designed. Now, at last, filming can begin. This lesson takes studentsthrough the next stage in the filmmaking process—production. Here the work of the cinematographer and the crew whooperate the cameras on the set is most important. Here too the actors breathe life into the characters who previously existedonly in the script. The activities in this lesson introduce students to the contributions of the cinematographer and the actorsin making a film.

The cinematographer, also called the director of photography, or DP, is responsible for lighting and photographing the film.He or she works closely with the director to design the lighting for each shot. In many ways, a cinematographer is like apainter. Instead of using oils, watercolors, or inks on paper or canvas, however, the cinematographer paints with light, lenses, and camera techniques on the screen. In this lesson, students learn what cinematography is and begin to understandthe contributions the cinematographer makes in creating a film. Note that in chapter 3, students will study in more detailthe various types of camera techniques and lighting that create meaning and a movie’s particular visual style.

The director and the cinematographer determine when and how the audience sees a character—close up or far away, inbright lights or dark shadows. Those decisions affect what the audience may think or feel about the character. The director’sdecisions on how to film the actor on the set—and later, how much of the actor’s performance to keep in the final film—is what makes acting on the screen significantly different from acting on the stage.

Learning OutcomesStudents will

define what cinematography is;

describe the role of the cinematographer in making a film;

explain how an actor communicates emotion and meaning to an audience using a variety of methods;

describe how voice inflection, emphasis, and pitch suggest meaning and emotion;

analyze how the camera controls what the audience sees of an actor’s performance;

define what a reaction shot is.

Key Terms(Note: Most terms are defined within the activity text that follows. You may also refer to the glossary.)

cinematography, cinematographer, color palette, tone, body language, inflection, pitch, reaction shot

Lesson 3 On the Set—Production

Activity Print DVD

The Cinematographer’s Role

Activity A

Film Clip 2-4: James Stewart as Jefferson Smith

Film Clip 2-5: Action-Reaction

Reading Activity 2-6: The Actor’s Toolbox

Activity BThe Actor’s Role

Activity CThe Reaction Shot

Screening Sheet 2-5: Action-Reaction

Graphic Organizer 2-7: What Is Cinematography?Graphic Organizer 2-8: What Does the Cinematographer Do?

Lesson 3 Materials

None

Screening Sheet 2-4: James Stewart as Jefferson Smith

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ConceptCinematography is a film language that communicates ideas, emotions, and relationships to the audience through photography. The cinematographer works closely with the director to design each shot for the film.

EngageAsk students if they have ever seen a home movie in which the camera made the picture look shaky or off-kilter. Discuss what the camera operator might have been doing wrong and what effect this jerkiness or tilt has on the audience.Unwanted movement distorts the image being shown and can confuse the audience. Used properly, however, movement isan important element in cinematography. A movie, after all, is moving pictures. In addition to planning the use of light andshadow and color, like a photographer does, a cinematographer must also plan how to film movement.

Write these two words on the chalkboard or overhead projector: tripod and Steadicam. Then share this information with the class:

Cinematographers have developed tools to minimize unwanted or distracting movement. A tripod is a three-legged stand on which to secure a camera. A Steadicam is a rig, worn by the cinematographer, to stabilize movement.

Explain & Explore

Display and/or distribute Graphic Organizer 2-7: What Is Cinematography? Emphasize that cinematography is a language using visual images. Students will learn specific techniques in chapter 3. However, a basic introduction tocinematography is necessary in order to understand how the cinematographer collaborates with the director in creatingthe film’s look. Discuss each concept on the graphic organizer as suggested below.

Use of Light and ShadowThe use of light helps create reality or guide the audience where to look, what to notice, and how to respond.Sometimes light and shadow are clues to what may happen or what a person is thinking or feeling.

Use of Color PaletteA palette is a range of colors. A red palette, for example, may have purples or oranges or browns as well as various shades of red. In a film, the director and the cinematographer often work closely with the people whodesign the sets and lighting and even the costumes to decide what colors they want to emphasize and why.

Use of MovementThere are two types of movement in a film—one in which the camera remains stationary (fixed) while the people or objects move; and another in which the people and objects are stationary while the camera moves. A cinematographer can also combine these two types of movement by having both the camera, and the people and objects, moving at the same time.

Display and/or distribute Graphic Organizer 2-8: What Does the Cinematographer Do? Explain that the primary responsibility of the cinematographer is to translate the director’s vision to the screen through moving photographic images. As a result, the cinematographer works closely with the director in both the pre-production and production stages. Review each of the cinematographer’s tasks on the graphic organizer.

CloseWrite the following quotation by cinematographer Conrad Hall on the chalkboard or overhead projector. Allow studentsthree to five minutes to freewrite about what point they think is being made in this statement.

I am a storyteller, and whether you use music, pictures, drawings, or literature to tell your story, we’re all the same kind of people. We have to communicate.

Activity A The Cinematographer’s Role

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ConceptThe way an actor interprets and then plays a character affects the audience’s understanding of the story.

EngageTo illustrate tone of voice ask for three students to come to the front of the room. Hand each student a note card. Written onthis note card should be the same sentence: Yes, I believe you. Each card, however, should have a different stage direction.One card should tell the student to speak thoughtfully. Another card should tell the student to speak sarcastically. The thirdcard should tell the student to speak forcefully.

Ask each student to perform his or her line according to the stage direction. Then ask the class to identify the tone of voicefor each student. You may consider writing the three different stage directions on the chalkboard beforehand so the mem-bers of the class know what to listen for.

Analyze the students’ performances. What “tools” did they use to communicate this emotion or attitude to the audience?

Explain & ExploreList these three words on the chalkboard or overhead projector: inflection, emphasis, pitch. Explain that a speaker relieson these three vocal effects to communicate tone of voice or emotion. Review each.

Inflection: This is a change of tone or volume in a sentence. Upward inflection, or sliding the voice a bit higher, at the end of a sentence, usually communicates a question or doubt. Downward inflection often communicatesacceptance or firmness. A monotone—no inflection at all—might indicate boredom, shyness, or depression.

Emphasis: This is the force or energy or volume placed on a word or syllable. The emphasis draws attention to the word. In the sentence Are you talking to me? emphasis could be placed either on you, on talking, or on me, and the suggested meaning changes somewhat as the emphasis changes.

Pitch: Think of a musical scale. High pitch is at the top of the scale or is heard in words spoken at the top of thevoice. High pitch usually communicates excitement or nervousness. Medium pitch is in the middle of the scale andis most often used in normal conversation. Low pitch is at the lower end of the scale, or bottom of the voice, andoften communicates seriousness or a somber mood.

Distribute Reading Activity 2-6: The Actor’s Toolbox. Review the Word Builder terms. Have students read bothparts 1 and 2, then prompt critical thinking about the passage by asking the questions below.

Guided Discussion

1. What is an example of a mannerism? Answers will vary and may include one of the following: a twitch, a limp, tapping a pencil, chewing the inside of your cheek, etc.

2. In the section on emotions, what does it mean to “tap inner feelings” when performing a scene? Answers willvary but should focus on the main idea that often actors draw upon personal experiences and memories in order tomake their performances believable. If James Stewart was ever betrayed by a friend in real life, for example, he mightrecall that memory in order to “get into” the character. Or if there was a time when he was embarrassed in front of others, he might remember that time and weave that memory into his performance.

3. What challenge did Stewart face during the filibuster scene? He had to speak hoarsely, but he also had to speakloudly enough to be heard.

Distribute Screening Sheet 2-4: James Stewart as Jefferson Smith. Tell students that they are going to view fiveseparate film segments, each featuring a snippet of James Stewart’s performance. Explain that after each segment, youwill allow time for students to identify which of the tools in the actor’s toolbox Stewart is using to create his character.Emphasize that students are not to rate his performance as good or bad but rather to analyze how he communicates tothe audience.

View Film Clip 2-4: James Stewart as Jefferson Smith. Stop the DVD between segments. Allow students a fewminutes to think about the performances and to record their observations. Then discuss the film clip.

Activity B The Actor’s Role

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CloseRead to students this quote from Director Frank Capra:

I selected my cast solely by instinct. When interviewing, I didn’t see the candidates as actors. I tried to visualize them as human beings who were part of our story. If they didn’t ring a bell right off, I’d thank them and dismiss them. But if something inside me jumped up and said, “That’s your man for the doctor” . . . “That’s—that’s your secretary,” those players would be signed up on the spot. . . . And soon I was able to visualize the whole film as a real story about real human beings whom I knew.

Ask students to “visualize” whom they would cast as Mr. Smith and Clarissa Saunders if the film were remade today.

Film Segment

awe, respect, surprise A—Daniel Webster’s Desk

What emotions does James Stewart express?

What tools does James Stewart use tocommunicate these emotions to the audience?

Facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language. His eyes widen. He sits down slowly, looking at the desk as if it is something very special, running his hands over the surface, grasping the sides.

passion, pride, idealism, conviction

B—“Liberty Is Too Precious”

Facial expressions, body language, gestures, voice, costuming, and hairstyle. He looks directly at Saunders, suggesting conviction and confidence that what he says is true. He uses his hand as if holding liberty in his palm. His hair is disheveled and his tie is loosened, indicating he’s been at work for some time and is perhaps tired, though his voice is strong and convincing.

confusion, disbelief, betrayal, shock, anger

C—The Committee Investigation

Facial expressions, body language, silence, and emotion. Smith speaks no words. He stands slowly and stares at Paine for what seems a long time. When urged to speak, he moves his lips as if about to say something, then abruptly walks out.

confidence, determination, commitment, a bit of tiredness; some students may also suggest enjoyment or playfulness

D—“How Am I Doin’?”

Body language, emphasis, facial expressions, and voice. He is reciting, loudly, a passage from the Declaration of Independence. He uses his body to express some tiredness—stretching,bending, leaning his hand on his knee. In asking his colleague, “How am I doin’?” he’s expressing good humor and not vengeance.

passion, exhaustion, frustrationE—The Filibuster

Facial expressions, body language, voice, gestures, emotion, makeup, hairstyle, and costuming. He is significantly different in this scene than in segment D. More time has passed, indicated by the eagerness in his face. He is not reciting; he is speaking from the heart. He wheezes as he takes deep breaths between lines of dialogue. He leans forward on the desk for support. His face has the stubble of a beard. His hair is uncombed. He seems to be sweating. His tie is loosened.

Answer Key to Screening Sheet 2-4: James Stewart as Jefferson Smith

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ConceptReaction shots focus on a character and record his or her emotions. Using reaction shots is one way the director and cine-matographer control what the audience sees of an actor’s performance.

EngageAsk students what a reaction shot is, and most will understand the basic concept—showing a person’s reaction to somethingthat happened or something someone said. Reaction shots on film are fairly easy to spot. More difficult, however, is inter-preting the implied meaning of the shot. Why is that particular kind of shot used in the film at just that moment? What isthe filmmaker trying to tell the audience?

Explain & ExploreDefine reaction shot. A reaction shot is a type of camera shot that emphasizes dramatic impact and is usually a close-upof an actor’s face. Reaction shots reveal a character’s emotion or suggest what a character may be thinking.

Distribute Screening Sheet 2-6: Action-Reaction. Explain that this screening activity focuses on three differentsegments with reaction shots. The students’ challenge is to interpret what the filmmaker is communicating to the audi-ence by showing each reaction shot.

View Film Clip 2-6: Action-Reaction. After each segment, stop the DVD. Allow students time to complete theappropriate row on the Screening Sheet chart. Recommended answers are below.

Activity C The Reaction Shot

FilmSegment

A—“A Nugget”

Action Who reacts,and how?

What meaning does the reaction shot suggest?

B—“The Finest Man He Ever Knew”

The governor announces the appointment of Jefferson Smith, calling him “a nugget,” meaning “a piece of gold.”

As the governor speaks, the audience sees Senator Paine leaning forward to Jim Taylor,both men smiling, nodding.

Smith reacts by looking down and sideways.

The more obvious reaction, however, is that of Chick McGann, who chokes and spits water.

The shots of Paine and Taylor suggest they are pleased with the choice.

Smith’s reaction shows he feels humble, a bit uncertain and uncomfortable.

McGann’s reaction is pure slapstick humor. It’s a sight gag. McGann’s reaction indicates disagreement. Some students may suggest that McGann’s interpretation of “a nugget” isn’t gold but rather a lump, a stooge, and that is why he reacts with surprise.

Jefferson Smith makes his first public speech, suggesting that perhaps someone “made a mistake”; then he goes on to compliment Senator Paine as an honest man and the best friend of his father.

The audience reacts with applause and laughter.

Taylor and McGann also laugh when Smith says “someone made a mistake.”

The laughter suggests the audience likes Smith’s humility. He is not boastful.

There is some foreshadowing here because, in fact, the “Taylor machine” did make a mistake.

Answer Key for Screening Screen 2-6: Action-Reaction

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CloseExtend the discussion of the screening activity by asking the following:

1. In your opinion, why did the director decide to include McGann’s reaction to the word nugget? McGann’s reaction suggests what he really thinks about Smith—that he is a stooge. The reaction shot lets the audience in on this opinion.

2. In your opinion, why is it important to show the audience that Senator Paine did not realize who Jefferson Smith was? Some students may argue that if Paine did know Jefferson was the son of his best friend, he might not have agreed to the appointment.

3. In your opinion, why did the director decide to play “Auld Lang Syne” during this particular shot? Guide discussion to the meaning of the song itself. While many students may recognize it as a song played at the midnight hour on New Year’s Eve, they may not be aware that the song reveres friendship no matter how much timemay pass or what may happen among friends. Another interpretation is that the people singing, including the boys, are telling Smith not to forget them after he goes away, and perhaps to keep their interests in mind.

FilmSegment

Action Who reacts,and how?

What meaning does the reaction shot suggest?

C—“Auld Lang Syne”

In mentioning Clayton Smith’s name, the camera focuses solely on Senator Paine, who is initially confused and surprised, then pleased and appreciative.

Senator Paine’s reaction is most important. It clearly communicates that he did not know Jefferson was the son of his deceased best friend.

The Boy Rangers present Smith with a going-away gift as a token of their esteem. The audience, including the Boy Rangers, sing “Auld Lang Syne” to Jefferson Smith.

Smith smiles and salutes when he sees the boys.

As the audience begins to sing, the camera uses a close-up on Smith’s face. He blinks but does not sing or speak.

Smith is happy to see the boys. For the first time, in fact, he seems genuinely glad and proud.

Smith’s reaction to the singing suggests he is deeply moved by this show of support.

Answer Key for Screening Screen 2-6: Action-Reaction (cont.)

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Teacher OverviewIn post-production, the director works first with the film editor to assemble the raw footage into scenes and scenes into a“rough cut” of the film. Usually, in the previous production stage, a single camera was not able to capture all the necessaryshots to tell the story. Therefore, it is likely that multiple cameras were used to film the same shot from different angles ordistances, focusing on different characters or points of view. Now, in the editing studio, the director and film editor view the various shots of the same scene and decide which to use and in what sequence. Activity A introduces students to thespecific tasks of the film editor.

Activity B focuses on the role of the music director and composer and how they create a movie score intended to influence audience reaction. Because Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a film about American ideals and democracy, directorFrank Capra stressed the importance of using American music. Rather than include popular songs of the 1930s, however, he and his music director, Morris Stoloff, selected folk songs, ballads, and patriotic tunes. Stoloff carefully chose songs that would mirror or enhance the characters and conflicts expressed in the scenes. In addition, Dimitri Tiomkin was the composer for this film, creating original music where needed.

Learning OutcomesStudents will

explain what film editing is;

identify the film editor’s tasks in making a film;

define film editing terms, including raw footage, cuts, splices, continuity, pacing, rough cut, final film;

understand that the roles of the composer and music director are to create the music soundtrack for a film;

identify two functions of music in communicating to an audience;

define the cinematic devices montage and dissolve.

Key Terms(Note: Most terms are defined within the activity text that follows. You may also refer to the glossary.)

film editing, film editor, raw footage, cut, splice, continuity, pacing, rough cut, final cut, music composer, music director, soundtrack,montage, dissolve

Lesson 4 In the Studio—Post-Production

Activity Print DVD

The Film Editor’s RoleActivity A

Film Clip 2-8: A Patriotic Montage

Film Clip 2-7: Cuts and Splices

Reading and Listening Activity 2-5, Enrichment: An American Songbook

Audio Clip for Reading and Listening Activity 2-5, Enrichment: An American Songbook

Activity BThe Music Director/ Composer’s Role

Screening Sheet 2-8: A Patriotic Montage

Graphic Organizer 2-9: What Is Film Editing?

Graphic Organizer 2-11: What Does the Music Director/Composer Do?

Graphic Organizer 2-10: What Does the Film Editor Do?

Lesson 4 Materials

Screening Sheet 2-9, Enrichment: Ears and Eyes

Screening Sheet 2-7: Cuts and Splices

Film Clip 2-9, Enrichment: Ears and Eyes

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ConceptFilm editing is the art of piecing together, or assembling, the final film. The film editor selects the best shots from the rawfootage of film and assembles those shots into a final cut.

EngageWrite on the chalkboard or overhead projector the quotation below by film editor Tom Rolf. Ask students to freewrite fortwo to four minutes about how they interpret this statement:

Film editing is like having an enormous picture puzzle: 1,000 pieces will make it look perfect, but they give you 100,000. It’s going through all the pieces to try to get the best parts—that’s what editing is.

Explain & Explore

Display and/or distribute Graphic Organizer 2-9: What Is Film Editing? Review the key points on the graphic organizer.

Raw FootageRaw footage is all the strips of film photographed on the set. Very often the director will shoot one scene multipletimes. He may shoot from several different angles, one after another. Or he may shoot the scene using multiplecameras, simultaneously, each placed in a different spot on the set. The director and editor will later select the bestshots or segments from this raw footage to piece together the final film.

Cuts and Splices A cut is a particular shot or series of shots selected to use in the final film. A splice is the point at which two piecesof film are joined together so that they follow smoothly, one into the other.

Continuity and PacingContinuity is the coherent way in which shots are spliced together so that the story not only flows smoothly fromone shot or scene to another but also makes sense. Pacing is the timing of the assembled shots. Too many cuts maycause the story to become confusing to the audience. Too few cuts or too much time spent on one shot may slowthe story down and cause the audience to become bored.

Rough CutThe rough cut is somewhat like the first draft of a novel or a composition. All the parts are assembled and are in aparticular order or sequence. The film, however, is not ready for viewing by an audience. The director and the filmeditor will review the rough cut and make necessary changes to improve the story. This may include making addi-tional cuts and splices or even filming new shots to insert.

Final FilmThis is the final cut, the film that audiences see in theaters and other viewing venues.

Display and/or distribute Graphic Organizer 2-10: What Does the Film Editor Do? Review each of the editor’stasks. Note that students will learn more about film editing in chapter 3.

Distribute Screening Sheet 2-7: Cuts and Splices. Review with students the various elements on the sheets, noting that the screening activity is on page 2.

Read passages A through D. For the passages of dialogue, B and C, assign one student to read the part of ChickMcGann and another to read the part of Clarissa Saunders. Have the student playing McGann read his lines, then ask the other students if the passage makes sense all by itself. Would they be able to follow what was happening? Next,have the student playing Saunders read her lines. Ask the others if this passage makes sense all by itself. Saunders’s linesmake less sense when read alone. Even so, this is how each segment was filmed—one actor working independently ofthe other.

View Film Clip 2-7: Cuts and Splices. Allow time for students to answer the questions on the second page of theScreening Sheet, then discuss them. Recommended answers follow.

Activity A The Film Editor’s Role

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CloseEmphasize that a director usually does not film a movie in its logical story sequence. Ask students to provide reasons whythis may be the case. Set locations and costumes are just two factors that can determine which scenes the director films in a group. For example, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington has a number of scenes that take place inside the Senate Chamber.Hundreds of actors portrayed the senators as well as the press and the audience in the balcony. Filming all those scenes inone group over a period of days or weeks could save time and money.

ConceptThe music director and the composer work with the director to determine where and how music might enhance the visualstorytelling. To do this, the composer and music director keep two key goals in mind: Music can convey information, andmusic can trigger an emotional reaction in the audience.

EngageAsk students to recall a time when they were small children. What songs did they sing? Jot their responses on the chalk-board or overhead projector. Encourage responses by suggesting a few titles, such as “B-I-N-G-O,” “Miss Mary Mack,” “OldMacDonald Had a Farm,” “Kumbaya,” etc. For each song suggested, ask students what memories or feelings they associatewith the song.

Activity B The Music Director/Composer’s Role

1. Identify two cuts in the scene you just viewed. Describe the point at which one cut ends and another begins, either by indicating the line of dialogue or by identifying the change of images. Each time the camera switches from McGann in the telephone booth to Saunders, or from Saunders in her office to McGann in the telephone booth, is a cut. There are four cuts in all.

2. The shots of Saunders show her standing at her desk. She appears in the frame from about waist up. In the shots of McGann, however, the camera is much closer. The audience sees mostly McGann’s face. In your opinion, why might the director have decided to film McGann so closely? Answers will vary but should focus on this main idea: With the camera farther away, the audience can see more of the set. In the case of Saunders, the audience sees her in her office, and so the shot establishes setting. McGann, on the other hand, is clearly in a telephone booth. The tight shot makes the audience feel as if they are in the telephone booth with McGann.

3. The editor could have cut the scene to end when Saunders hangs up. Instead, the director and the editor decide to show McGann struggling to exit the telephone booth. Why might they have made that decision? Some students may suggest, and rightly, that seeing McGann struggle to exit the booth adds humor. It also visually conveys the idea that McGann is in a “tight spot” unless he locates Smith.

Answer Key for Screening Sheet 2-7: Cuts and Splices

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Explain & Explore

Display and/or distribute Graphic Organizer 2-11: What Does the Music Director/Composer Do? Review thetasks of the music director/composer on the graphic organizer.

Next, share this information with students:

Many of the songs you hear on the soundtrack for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington are not original compositions. Instead, they are popular American ballads and folk songs or patriotic songs. Director Frank Capra told Morris Stoloff that he wanted American songs to enhance the visual images. As music director, Mr. Stoloff researched music archives to find just the right songs to fit the mood for each shot where music was needed. For example, on the train to Washington,Senator Paine fondly remembers Jefferson Smith’s father. The music is soft and melancholy. It is a ballad called “Bury MeNot on the Lone Prairie.”

Some of the patriotic songs Stoloff selected include “My Country ’Tis of Thee,” “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “Taps,” “Yankee Doodle,” “When Johnny Comes Marching Home,” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” However, you do not hear the entire songs, only strains from them. Sometimes the strain of one song weaves into the strain of another. Therefore,the responsibilities of the music director included not only finding the right music but also having the composer combine themusic in an interesting way.

Distribute Screening Sheet 2-8: A Patriotic Montage. Explain that this film clip will illustrate how music and images work together to create meaning. The film clip also illustrates two important cinematic devices—montageand dissolve.

Define montage. A montage is a series of shots placed one after the other to create meaning. and symbolic associations.Tell students that in this screening activity they will see an excellent example of a montage. They will also see examplesof dissolves.

Define dissolve. A dissolve is a type of transition between one shot and another. One image fades out, or disappears,while at the same time another image gradually fades in, or appears.

View Film Clip 2-8: A Patriotic Montage. Before screening, you may wish to review with students the tunes ofthe patriotic songs mentioned at the top of the Screening Sheet, to be sure they can distinguish them. After viewing,discuss students’ responses and observations. Recommended answers are below.

List specific images. Identify the music.

Images of Jefferson Smith on the bus

Statue of Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence

Washington Monument, statue of George Washington, and sculpture of an eagle

War monuments, just before Arlington Cemetery shots

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington Cemetery, and outside of Lincoln Memorial

Inside of Lincoln Memorial and statue of Lincoln

“Yankee Doodle”

“My Country, ’Tis of Thee”

“The Star-Spangled Banner”

“When Johnny Comes Marching Home”

“Taps”

“The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “The Star-Spangled Banner”

Answer Key to Screening Sheet 2-8: A Patriotic Montage

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Enrichment

Distribute Reading and Listening Activity 2-5, Enrichment: An American Songbook. Review the Word Builderterms. In this activity, for each of two American folk songs, students will first read and discuss the lyrics then listen tothe music with the voice-over. On the audio clip, students will have the opportunity to hear how the composer wovethese two songs into the soundtrack. In the screening activity that follows, they will see how the soundtrack fits withthe images.

Play Audio Clip for Reading and Listening Activity 2-5, Enrichment: An American Songbook. The audio clip islocated on the DVD.

Answer Key to Screening Sheet 2-8: A Patriotic Montage (cont.)

1. What is the dying cowboy’s wish? To be buried back home among his family and friends, not on the lonesome prairie that is harsh and bare.

2. What happens to the cowboy at the song’s end? He dies and the other cowboys bury him on the prairie anyway.

3. What does the music sound like? Answers will vary but should include the main idea that the sound is melancholy, sad. The rhythm is slow; the volume is soft.

Song 1—“Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie”

1. The lyrics describe Jeanie both physically and spiritually. What is Jeanie like? Cite specific phrases from the lyrics as supporting examples. She was happy, singing, gathering flowers by a stream, but then she went away. Phrases cited should include one of more of the following: “light brown hair,” “gentle fingers,” “like a vapor,” “happy as the daisies,” “radiant,” etc.

2. What words or phrases suggest Jeanie is dead? “wailing for the lost one that comes not again”; “never more to find her”; her smiles have “vanished”; “her sweet songs flown”; and her fingers will “cull [the flowers] no more”

3. What does the music sound like? This song is also slow and soft; the feelings are romantic and mournful.

Song 2—“Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair”

Answer Key for Reading and Listening Activity 2-5, Enrichment: An American Songbook

Think More About It

1. What thread, or controlling idea, links the images in this montage? Most of the images shown are national monuments, statues, or documents, and all relate to American democracy and freedom.

2. The songs also have something in common. What is that? The songs are all patriotic or about America andAmericans, although they might have originated from different time periods.

3. One purpose of a montage is to suggest meaning or to trigger an emotional response from the audience.What effect do you think the director hoped this montage would have on the audience? Provide a reasonfor your answer. Answers will vary but should focus on the main idea of patriotism. The filmmaker wants theaudience to feel what Jefferson Smith is feeling at this moment in the story—a sense of awe and respect and pridein his country and its Founding Fathers.

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Distribute Screening Sheet 2-9, Enrichment: Ears and Eyes. In this screening activity, students will view a scenebetween Jefferson Smith and Clarissa Saunders at the Lincoln Memorial and hear strains of both songs learned above—“Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie” and “Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair.”

View Film Clip 2-9, Enrichment: Ears and Eyes. After viewing, discuss students’ observations. Recommended

answers are below.

CloseEmphasize an interesting cinematic device the director, film editor, and music director/composer used in the patriotic montage. The film editor selected shots and linked those shots through dissolves. The music director and composer alsoselected strains of songs. Just as the images dissolve, one to replace another, so too do the strains of music fade out whileanother strain fades in.

1. At what point in the scene does “Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie” begin to play? When Smith sits in the shadows on his suitcase and begins to cry. It also begins to play again when he starts talking to Clarissa, telling her that she had the right idea about him and idealism.

2. At what point does “Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair” begin and then end? When Clarissa begins to speak. The strain ends when she stops speaking and Jefferson begins to talk again.

3. Why did the director agree to the choice of these songs to go with these characters at this moment in the story? Explain a connection between the way each song sounds and its lyrics and the characters in the film. Each song is like a signature for the characters. Jefferson Smith is the dying cowboy, and though he himself is not dying, something inside him is—his faith in his country and the country’s leaders. Clarissa is surely not dead but she has wandered away and now returned. She has given up her harsh, wisecracking ways, and in this scene, she is sentimental, even tender with Jefferson. She cares for him and wants to help. Some students may point out that Clarissa represents the “longing” that is both in the song and in their growing relationship. The lyrics suggest a mood that the melody or tone of the music reinforces.

4. The music in this film segment differs quite a bit from the music in Film Clip 2-8: A Patriotic Montage. How does it differ, and why? The music in Film Clip 2-8 is stirring, inspiring, and mostly upbeat. In Film Clip 2-9, the music is melancholy, wistful. The music differs because the main character’s frame of mind and situation differs. Jefferson Smith feels defeated in this segment, but in “A Patriotic Montage,” he was full of awe and pride for our American heritage.

5. The pacing of this segment also differs from that of Film Clip 2-8. How? The pacing of this scene at the Lincoln Memorial is slow. The camera focuses for many moments on the same images. The music is also slow. In “A Patriotic Montage” the pace is quick, with many different shots cut one after the other. Likewise, in that earlier clip, the music is fast-paced and changes almost as quickly as the images.

Answer Key to Screening Sheet 2-9, Enrichment: Ears and Eyes

Mr. Capra Goes to Washington

Learn how Director Frank Capra was inspired to create the patriotic montage by going to The Story of Movies Web site,

www.storyofmovies.org, and reading a passage from his autobiography, The Name Above the Title.