WHAT IS A MOVIE?
CHAPTER
ONE
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Scope & Sequence
The lessons in chapter 1 build upon students’ familiarity with moving images to guide them to higher levels of critical-viewing
and critical-thinking experiences. In lesson 1, students identify and analyze traditional narrative elements, including characters,
setting, conflict, plot development, and theme. The focus is on the story’s content, or what happened to whom and why. In lesson
2, students focus on the film’s narrative structure, or how the story unfolds on the screen. The stories filmmakers tell are both
interpretations and reflections of the culture in which they are created. In that sense, movies are a part of our artistic heritage.
Lesson 3, therefore, introduces students to the concepts of film restoration and film preservation.
Contents
Lesson 1
Activity A
Activity B
Activity C
Lesson 2
Activity A
Activity B
Activity C
Activity D
Technology and Story
How Is a Movie Different from a Short Story?
Watching v. Seeing
Theme––Democracy in Action
A Film’s Narrative Structure
Act 1––The Setup
Creative Writing—Mr. Smith’s Hat
Acts 2 and 3––Rising and Falling Action
Reflective Writing––A Movie that Matters to Me
Lesson 3
Activity A
Activity B
Activity C
Our Film Heritage
Exploring the Film Archives in the Library of Congress
The American Newsreel
An Introduction to Film Preservation––Why Film Deteriorates
Film Study Standards
1.0 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.
2.0 Historical and Cultural Contexts. Students understand that a film is both a historical/social document and a cultural
artifact. Students analyze social issues presented in a film and form conclusions about the ways in which a film influences
and is influenced by the society in which it is created.
4.0 Viewers’ Response and Aesthetic Valuing. Students understand that a film can be a work of art. Students describe,
interpret, and analyze a film’s visual design. They respond to and make informed judgments about a film, deriving
personal meaning from the work. They express their viewpoints through oral and/or written presentations.
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/language arts,
film and history/social studies, film and other arts, and film and sciences.
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Lesson 1 Technology and Story
Teacher Overview
Film is a unique storytelling format because it is visual. Multiple things happen simultaneously on the screen, as layers of
images and sounds work together to create meaning. The first time we view a sequence of moving images, we pay attention
to what happens. We naturally begin to piece together the narrative, using inference and other critical-thinking skills.
That first viewing is what this lesson calls watching. To analyze film as visual text, however—to focus on the story’s narrative
structure—requires a second, closer viewing, or what this lesson calls seeing.
In activity A, students explore what distinguishes film from the short story format. In activity B, students analyze the opening
sequence in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, identifying basic narrative elements, including character, setting, and conflict,
through images and sounds. Activity C’s focus on theme concludes the lesson. Students read a passage adapted from Frank
Capra’s autobiography, in which the director expresses his doubts about making a film that satirizes corrupt politicians in the
United States Congress in 1938, on the eve of World War II.
Learning Outcomes
Students will
understand that movies are stories told visually;
identify ways in which a movie differs from a short story;
explain the purpose of film credits and the opening sequence;
describe how music used in a film enhances the meaning of the visual images.
Key Terms
(Note: Most terms are defined within the activity text that follows. You may also refer to the glossary.)
storyboard (enrichment), film credits, disclaimer, wipe, theme
Lesson Materials
Activity
DVD
Print
Activity A
How Is a Movie
Different from a
Short Story?
Reading Activity 1-1: “Appointment
in Samarra”
Visual-Thinking Activity 1-2, Enrichment:
Return to Samarra
None
Activity B
Watching v. Seeing
Screening Sheet 1-1: The Opening
Sequence, Part 1—Watching
Film Clip 1-1: The Opening
Sequence
Reading Activity 1-3: “Yankee Doodle”
Ridicule
Screening Sheet 1-2: The Opening
Sequence, Part 2—Seeing
Activity C
Theme—Democracy
in Action
Reading Activity 1-4: The Panic
2
None
Activity A How Is A Movie Different From a Short Story?
Concept
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Like all narratives, movies have basic story elements, including character, setting, conflict, and plot. However, filmmakers
tell their stories in a unique way—through images and sounds in addition to words.
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Engage
Draw on the chalkboard or an overhead projector a two-column chart similar to the one below. Ask students to suggest
details to complete the chart. Encourage responses by asking them to think of stories they have read and movies they have
seen recently.
Comparison
Contrast
How is a movie similar to a short story?
How is a movie different from a short story?
Explain & Explore
Distribute
Reading Activity 1-1: “Appointment in Samarra.” Review the Word Builder terms. Read the story aloud,
then ask students to answer the questions on the activity sheet. Recommended answers follow.
Answer Key for Reading Activity 1-1: “Appointment in Samarra”
1. Where does the story take place? In a marketplace in Baghdad in the afternoon. No specific year is given.
2. Who are the three characters in the story? The servant, Death, and the master.
3. Which character experiences a conflict, and what is that conflict? Answers will vary but should include the
main idea that the servant fears dying. The servant must decide whether to stay in Baghdad or flee Death by
riding to Samarra.
4. What is one cause-and-effect action that occurs in this story? Accept all reasonable answers, which may be
any of the following: Because a woman jostles the servant in the marketplace, the servant turns to look and
recognizes her as Death. Because the servant sees Death, he pleas with his master for a horse so he can escape.
Because the master lends the servant a horse, the servant rides to Samarra.
5. What prediction can you make about what will happen to the servant? The servant will encounter Death in
Samarra. Note that this story ending is considered open-ended because the reader does not actually read what
happens to the servant. It is suggested. Students must use their inference skills to tie up the loose ends of the story.
In fact, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is also open-ended. The film ends with the suggestion that Smith will be
vindicated and even marry Clarissa Saunders, but that is never shown.
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Explain that questions like those on the activity sheet which focus on character, setting, conflict, and plot reveal the
content of a story. Content is what the story is all about. Ask students if they think this particular short-short story
might make an interesting movie. Then explain that there is a second set of questions a person might ask to explore
how the story unfolds. To adapt this short story into a movie, which is a visual medium, a person must consider that
second set of questions. Discuss the following questions regarding “Appointment in Samarra.” Answers will vary.
Accept all reasonable responses.
Guided Discussion
1. How would you show the setting of this story? Students may suggest the setting by showing specific architecture,
signage, clothing, or even through words and music or light and dark. Accept other reasonable suggestions.
2.
What objects or people would you include in the market scene, and how would these objects help to establish
the setting and the characters? Students may suggest pottery, food, and bolts of fabric, but also people exchanging
money, vendors showing their wares, etc. Accept other reasonable suggestions.
3.
How would you suggest that the servant is frightened by the encounter with Death? Through the use of facial
expressions, body language, dialogue, or even possibly background music. The servant might, for example, cry out or
shrink away or knock over food items in his attempt to hurry away. Accept other reasonable suggestions.
4.
How would you suggest that Death is surprised by the encounter with the servant? Again, by means of facial
expressions, body language, dialogue, or background music. Accept other reasonable suggestions.
5.
How might you create a mood of suspense? One possibility would be to use a contrast of light and shadow, such
as showing the marketplace activity in bright colors and then, when Death appears, shadows falling upon the servant.
Another possibility would be to use mysterious music to create suspense. Accept other reasonable suggestions.
6.
What images would you choose to show that the servant is running away? Some students may suggest showing
the horse galloping off. Others might suggest showing the servant entering the city of Samarra, seemingly relieved.
Accept other reasonable suggestions.
In discussing the second set of questions, in the guided discussion above, emphasize the need to show rather than
tell an audience what is happening. Understanding this emphasis on showing is the first step in learning how to think
visually. Showing is also one characteristic that distinguishes film from many other storytelling formats.
Enrichment
Challenge students to think visually by asking them to create a storyboard outline for “Appointment in Samarra.”
Define storyboard. Storyboards are drawings of the numerous shots that make up a scene in a film. Storyboard frames
include information that helps the director and other filmmakers understand how to photograph a shot. The sketches
may include the characters that will appear in the shot as well as some objects or details to identify the set or location of
the shot. Storyboards also sometimes indicate movement.
Distribute
Visual-Thinking Activity 1-2, Enrichment: Return to Samarra. Review the Word Builder terms, as
well as the directions and steps. Encourage students to work with a partner.
Display students’ completed storyboards in the classroom.
Close
Conclude the activity by returning to the chart used in the Engage section. What elements might the students add to the
chart after having completed the activity? Suggested answers follow.
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Comparison
Contrast
How is a movie similar to a short story?
How is a movie different from a short story?
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Both have characters, settings, and conflicts.
Both have plots or cause-and-effect actions that
drive the story forward.
Printed or spoken stories describe settings; films must
show settings; printed or spoken stories can explain
characters’ motivations or emotions through the use of
words; a film must somehow suggest those feelings
through visual images and sounds, including facial
expressions, gestures, dialogue, and music.
Concept
Close analysis of how a filmmaker tells a story often requires first and second viewings of the moving images, and paying
close attention to the sounds.
Engage
Write the term film credits on the chalkboard or an overhead projector. Ask students to explain what film credits are. Most
are likely to know that credits refer to the film’s title and the names of the actors in the film. However, an opening sequence
that includes film credits serves two purposes—to inform the audience about who the filmmakers are and to set the tone or
mood of the film. In this activity, students will learn more about the purpose of an opening sequence and the use of specific
visuals and music in presenting the film credits and opening shots to the audience.
Explain & Explore
Distribute
Screening Sheet 1-1: The Opening Sequence, Part 1—Watching. Assign or allow students to work
in pairs. Explain that they are going to watch the film credits and opening shots from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
At the end of the segment, they will have 5 to 10 minutes to complete the chart on the Screening Sheet.
View
Film Clip 1-1: The Opening Sequence. Discuss with students their responses on the Screening Sheet.
Answers will vary. Recommended answers are below.
Answer Key for Screening Sheet 1-1:
The Opening Sequence, Part 1 — Watching
Images
Sounds
Music during the credits, and dialogue during the
opening shots are the primary sounds. Some students
might describe the kind of music, and still others
might identify a song heard during the credits as
“Yankee Doodle.” Some students may recount some
of the dialogue, which states that Senator Sam Foley
has died and that the governor has to appoint a new
senator, for example. A telephone being hung up can
also be heard.
A figure holding a torch; titles and names written on
the screen against backdrops of plaques; shadows of
leaves; a disclaimer; telephones; people speaking on
the phones; a hospital office with nurses walking in
the background; a bedroom with the governor and
his wife apparently awakened during the night by
the phone call; another background with four men
sitting at a table playing cards in a living room.
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3
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Answer Key for Screening Sheet 1-1:
The Opening Sequence, Part 1 — Watching (cont.)
Think More About It
1. What important piece of information do you learn in this opening sequence? A senator has died and
someone must be named to fill his seat.
2. What characters are introduced in this sequence? The first caller is a reporter, though some students may
not make that deduction from the information provided; the second caller is Senator Paine; the third caller
is the governor, who in turn speaks with Jim Taylor. The governor’s wife is also shown.
3. Which main character is missing from this sequence? Jefferson Smith
4. These opening shots hint at a conflict. What specific words suggest this, and who speaks these words?
Senator Paine says, “It couldn’t have happened at a worse time.” The governor tells his wife, “Of all times,
of all times . . . Foley had to go and die on us.” Both lines suggest these people are upset about something
more than the senator’s death.
5. The opening shots also establish three different settings. What are they? The reporter states that he is
in St. Vincent’s Hospital. Students must infer that both the reporter and Senator Paine are calling from
Washington, D.C. The governor is in his home state, and again students will have to infer that this is
many miles away. Jim Taylor, likewise, is not in Washington but in a house somewhere else.
Explain that filmmakers tell stories by using moving pictures and sounds. These images and sounds are layered.
The first time you view a film segment, you most likely focus on what is happening. To peel away the layers of
images and sounds, however, requires second, even third viewings. Tell students that they will have the opportunity
to view the segment a second time. First, however, you will share with them some information that will enhance
their understanding of the images and the sounds used in the segment.
Distribute
Reading Activity 1-3: “Yankee Doodle” Ridicule. Emphasize that strains from “Yankee Doodle” are
played during the film credits of the movie. Why did the filmmakers choose that song? Understanding the history of
the song itself can provide insight. Review the Word Builder terms, then read and discuss the questions below.
Recommended answers are included.
Guided Discussion
1. What does the story of Thomas Ditson tell you about the meaning of the song “Yankee Doodle?” Ditson was
a country fellow who went to “town” (Boston) but was arrested and humiliated by the British. The story shows how
the song was meant originally to ridicule the colonists. The British thought themselves superior to the less-polished,
less-civilized American colonists.
2. What is a doodle? A country bumpkin, a fool, someone from the country who is naïve.
3. Knowing what you do now about the patriotic song “Yankee Doodle,” why do you think the director might
have chosen this particular song to play during the film credits? What meaning might the song suggest about
the film’s main character, Mr. Smith? Answers will vary but should focus on the main idea that Jefferson Smith,
like Ditson, is a country fellow who goes to “town” (Washington, D.C.) where he is humiliated in public for alleged
wrongdoing. Both are triumphant in the end.
Distribute
Screening Sheet 1-1: The Opening Sequence, Part 2—Seeing. Review the Word Builder term with
students. Emphasize that in order to complete column 2 of this Screening Sheet, students must pay attention not only
to sounds and images but also to camera techniques. In particular, they should watch for how the camera indicates
when one telephone call ends and another begins.
View
Film Clip 1-1: The Opening Sequence a second time. Have students work with a partner, and allow time
for them to complete the charts on the Screening Sheet. Then discuss their responses. Recommended answers follow.
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Answer Key for Screening Sheet 1-1:
The Opening Sequence, Part 2 — Seeing/A– Film Credits
How is the information presented?
What information is presented?
Identify or describe the images and sounds.
1
2
1.
What movie studio made this film?
Columbia Pictures
The symbol of Columbia Pictures is a statue representing
liberty, sometimes called Columbia. The word Columbia
also appears large. Share with students this information:
A few opening strains of the patriotic song “Columbia,
Gem of the Ocean” is played during these opening credits.
2. What information about those who
worked on the film is provided? A list
of the actors as well as the director,
screenwriter, and crew is provided.
There are no images other than names printed on plaques.
However, the song “Yankee Doodle” is played while the
names of those who worked on the film are presented.
Some students may notice that strains of “My Country,
’Tis of Thee” are woven into the melody as well.
3. What is the disclaimer that appears?
It informs viewers that the names,
characters, and incidents in the film are
fictitious, and any similarity is unintentional.
There are no sounds or music while the disclaimer is shown.
The lack of music suggests that this is a serious message rather
than a part of the fictional story.
Think More About It
How do film credits today differ from the film credits for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and why are they
different? Answers will vary but should focus on the main idea that credits today are frequently designed
into the opening shots of the film itself rather than simply listed on the screen as in Mr. Smith Goes to
Washington. One reason they are different today is because of advances in technology.
Answer Key for Screening Sheet 1-1:
The Opening Sequence, Part 2 — Seeing/B– Telephone Call 1
How is the information presented?
What information is presented?
Identify or describe the images and sounds.
4.
In what type of building and in what city is
this first telephone call made? In a hospital
in Washington, D.C.
The reporter names the hospital directly. However, students
must infer from the context and the subsequent calls that the
hospital is in Washington, D.C.
5.
What do you learn from this first telephone
message? Senator Samuel Foley has died.
At the dying senator’s bedside was Senator
Joseph Paine.
The camera shows a man speaking into a telephone, and a
stretcher with a body on it is wheeled by in the background.
6. Who is the person in the frame, and to
whom might he be speaking? Students
can infer that he is not a relative because
of the tone of his voice and the language
he uses. He is relaying information that
seems to be worth knowing, so he seems
to be a news reporter.
His voice is quick and sharp. He is not upset. Students may
also infer that he is giving this information to his editor
or publisher.
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Answer Key for Screening Sheet 1-1:
The Opening Sequence, Part 2 — Seeing/C– Telephone Call 2
How is the information presented?
What information is presented?
Identify or describe the images and sounds.
Who is the person speaking in this shot?
Senator Joseph Paine
He states directly who he is and to whom he wishes to
speak. Some very observant students will also note that
the camera moves from the first telephone caller, who
mentions Paine’s name, to the right to reveal Paine, also
on a telephone. A door with OFFICE written on it is also
shown, as are nurses walking in the background.
8. To whom is this person speaking? To the
governor of his state, in Jackson City
The camera shows Paine making the call, then shows
the governor in his nightclothes, answering the telephone.
In addition, the filmmakers use a transitional technique
called a “wipe” to suggest the link between Paine and the
governor. Students need not know the meaning of wipe in
order to understand that a shadow moves from right to
left across the screen and that one image—the governor’s
bedroom—slowly appears in place of the hospital from
where Paine is making his call.
9. What do you learn from this telephone
conversation? Senator Paine is getting on a
plane to return home that night, and he wants
the governor to call Jim Taylor.
The scene cuts from the governor to Paine as each man
delivers his lines.
7.
Answer Key for Screening Sheet 1-1:
The Opening Sequence, Part 2 — Seeing/D– Telephone Call 3
How is the information presented?
What information is presented?
Identify or describe the images and sounds.
10. What do you learn from this telephone
conversation? The governor has to appoint
a new senator.
Again, the filmmakers use a wipe, this time from left to
right, to dissolve the image of the governor’s bedroom to
the home of Jim Taylor. Also again the camera cuts between
both scenes as each man delivers his lines.
11. What do the wife’s comments tell you
about the governor? She says she supposes
the governor would drop dead if he ever
told Taylor “no.” She implies that the
governor is the kind of man who does
whatever Taylor tells him to.
The camera shows her smirking—or some students may
say sneering— each time her husband says “Yes, Jim.”
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Close
Write these words on the chalkboard or overhead projector: corruption, graft, political machine. Ask students if they have
ever heard these words before and what they might mean. It is very likely most students will have some understanding that
corruption is a dishonest or illegal act. The other two words may be more unfamiliar. Explain that graft is getting money
through some illegal means. The three principal characters shown in this opening sequence—Senator Paine, the governor,
and Jim Taylor—seem linked together and may be involved in graft. A political machine is an organization that has a “boss”
who controls the behavior of others for his or her personal gain. The opening sequence also introduces the audience to the
political machine and suggests that Jim Taylor is the boss of that political machine. The governor repeating “Yes, Jim” suggests that Jim, not the governor, makes the decisions.
Activity C Theme–Democracy in Action
Concept
Theme is a literary element in most movies. Rather than the lesson learned, however, theme is the main idea or message that
the director hopes to communicate to an audience.
Engage
Ask students to state in a single sentence the theme of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Write some of their suggestions on the
chalkboard or overhead projector. Encourage them to move beyond equating theme with “the lesson to be learned” (Never
give up or Try, try again and you shall succeed), as this interpretation is oversimplified. Instead, encourage them to explore
the “ideas” the film presents. Is the film about corruption? Is the film about freedom or democracy? The power of the press
or the power of the people? In short, the theme is what the director hopes the audience will think about after the film ends.
Explain & Explore
Share this information with students:
Identifying characters and settings, even plot events, is often easier than identifying the theme of a story. One way to begin
investigating a movie’s theme is by talking about the movie. Specifically, what did the movie make you think about? What
characters or events surprised you? Which characters did you like or dislike, and why?
Define theme. Theme is the central concern of a film’s story. Rather than the lesson learned, the theme is the main idea
or message that the director hopes to communicate to an audience.
Distribute
Reading Activity 1-4: The Panic. This reading is based on information Frank Capra shared in his autobiography The Name Above the Title. It provides insight into what the director believes his film’s theme is. The passage
also reveals that even a director must think about and discover a film’s theme before he or she can begin filming.
Review the Word Builder terms. Then, after reading the passage, discuss the questions. Answers will vary.
Recommended answers are below.
Answer Key for Reading Activity 1-4: The Panic
Recalling Details
1. Why did Frank Capra go to Washington, D.C., in the autumn of 1938? To scout locations for his film.
2. Why did he agree to go to the press conference? He thought it would be good research for background
information for his film, because news reporters play an important part in the story.
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1
2
3
4
Answer Key for Reading Activity 1-4: The Panic (cont.)
3.
What questions did the reporters ask the president? The questions focused on war and the dictators of
Germany and Japan.
4. Why did Frank Capra leave the press conference, and where did he go? He panicked. He believed his
film would be all wrong for such serious times and circumstances. He took a taxi to the Lincoln Memorial.
He said it would be the place where his fictional character Jefferson Smith would go for inspiration when
he was down. Capra also needed inspiration.
5. What did Capra see and hear that changed his mind about his film? He saw the statue of Lincoln and
believed it was looking down on him. He read the words of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and heard and saw
a young boy reading the words to his grandfather.
Think More About It
1. What is the “panic” referred to in this activity-sheet title? The panic was Capra’s fear that his film should
not be made, that making fun of the government during a time of possible war might be dangerous to freedom
and democracy. War is a much more serious matter than making a movie, especially a movie that is a satire
poking fun at America’s politicians.
2.
Capra said that his film wasn’t about corrupt politicians. What did he realize his film was about? His film
was about how one good, honest, moral person can make a difference in the world. That, said Capra, was the
message people would want to hear during times of crisis.
3.
What did Capra mean when he said, “It is never untimely to yank the rope of freedom’s bell”? Literally,
yanking the rope is how to ring a bell. Figuratively, it means to challenge America’s democratic ideals. Even during
wartime, when public support of the government is surely desired and needed, even then, Capra said, we must
still express our freedom of speech. He deeply believed his film would be an example of how democratic ideals
defeat corruption, graft, perhaps even dictators.
Close
Ask students if they recall the scene in the film where the boy reads the Gettysburg Address to his grandfather. Explain
that Capra added that scene after visiting the Lincoln Memorial. Emphasize also the symbolism of pairing a young boy
with an older man and having the boy, rather than the old man, read the words. Both figures represent different generations.
Visually, Capra is showing that Lincoln’s words do not just have meaning for the grandfather (if they did, he might be the
one reading to the boy), but they also have meaning for future generations.
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Lesson 2 A Film’s Narrative Structure
Teacher Overview
The content of a movie is what the story is about. The narrative structure, however, is how the story is told. The how
depends on the decisions the director makes. The audience never sees the entire story but must piece it together from
the parts the director presents. A part may be an event, an image, a scene, or a sequence. The director selects these parts
carefully and in doing so, creates the film’s narrative structure.
In a majority of movies, the “parts” are grouped according to a classic three-act outline. Act 1 is the exposition, the setup,
or introduction of time, place, character, and—often toward the end of the act—a conflict is presented. Act 2 is the rising
action. Here the plot thickens, as the main characters face complications and roadblocks. Act 2 also contains the climax,
or turning point. Act 3 is the resolution. While not every film follows this three-act formula, the activities in this lesson
introduce students to this framework in some detail. As they complete the activities, students begin to identify the choices
director Frank Capra made in how to tell Mr. Smith’s story. In activity D, students explore their personal response to
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. They use the guided discussion as the basis for writing a reflection paper on a film of their
own choice. The activity guides them step-by-step through this critical-thinking and writing activity.
Learning Outcomes
Students will
distinguish between a story’s content and a story’s narrative structure;
explain exposition and identify expository details in a scene;
explain the purpose of each of the three acts in a film’s narrative structure;
plot, or sequence, the events leading to the story’s climax and resolution;
explain what a narrative symbol is as used in a film;
understand that each person interprets a work of art, including film, in a different way.
Key Terms
(Note: Most terms are defined within the activity text that follows. You may also refer to the glossary.)
narrative structure, exposition, inciting incident, narrative symbol, rising action, climax, resolution, falling action
Lesson 2 Materials
Activity
Activity A
Act 1—The Setup
DVD
Print
Graphic Organizer 1-1:
Two Ways to Read a Film
Graphic Organizer 1-2: Narrative Structure
Activity B
Creative Writing—
Mr. Smith’s Hat
Screening Sheet 1-2:
On the Train to Washington
Film Clip 1-2: On the Train
to Washington
Graphic Organizer 1-3:
How Do Filmmakers Create Symbols?
Creative Writing Activity 1-5:
Create a Character Sketch
Still 1-1: Mr. Smith’s Hat
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Lesson 2 Materials
Activity
DVD
Print
Activity C
Acts 2 and 3—
Rising and Falling
Action
Graphic Organizer 1-2: Narrative Structure
Screening Sheet 1-3: Baskets of Lies
Film Clip 1-3: Baskets of Lies
Activity D
Reflective Writing—
A Movie That
Matters to Me
Graphic Organizer 1-4:
What Is a Personal Response?
None
Group Activity 1-6: How the Story Unfolds
Writing Activity 1-7: Reflect and Connect
Graphic Organizer 1-5:
What Is Reflective Writing?
Graphic Organizer 1-6:
Personal-Response Questions
Writing Activity 1-8:
Organizing Your Thoughts
Writing Activity 1-9:
Reflection-Paper Checklist
Activity A Act 1–The Setup
Concept
Exposition is background information about the characters or events in the story. This information is necessary in order for
the audience to understand why characters act the way they do or why certain events matter.
Engage
Ask students how someone might go about building a house. What is the first step? Emphasize that while most houses have
a foundation, walls, and a roof, not all houses look alike. The key point to emphasize here is that the builder works from a
blueprint, which is a design or drawing of the house. This blueprint shows the builder how the house should look and how
to go about constructing it.
The same thing is true of stories, including movies. Most narrative movies have characters, settings, and conflicts, but not all
movies look the same. While writers don’t work from a blueprint, per se, they often build their stories with a specific design,
or narrative structure, in mind.
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Explain & Explore
Display and/or distribute
graphic as indicated below.
Graphic Organizer 1-1: Two Ways to Read a Film. Review the key points on the
1
Content
The content of a movie is what the story is about. As indicated in lesson 1, asking questions such as Who are the
characters? and What is the conflict? will help students identify a story’s content.
Narrative Structure
The narrative structure is how the story is told. The how depends on the decisions the director makes. These
decisions include both the order, or sequence, of action in the film as well as the way the filmmaker presents the
action. Asking questions such as How and when are the characters introduced? and How is the conflict suggested?
will help students focus not so much on what happens but when it happens and how.
Define exposition. Exposition is information about a person, a place, or a thing. This information is useful in understanding a character’s personality and/or motivation. Although the details may seem minor at first—and they usually
are—exposition helps the audience understand the story’s conflict and why characters act and react the way they do.
Display and/or distribute
Graphic Organizer 1-2: Narrative Structure to explain the three-act structure that most
movies follow. Explain that although a filmmaker’s style of storytelling may be unique, the basic structure of a story as
illustrated here generally does not change. In other words, the plot of most movies can be outlined according to this
three-act structure. Review the key concepts of the first act, as suggested below.
Act 1: The Setup
This is the setup, or the beginning of a film. During this act, the audience meets characters and understands both
the time and place of the story.
Meet the Characters
This phase is one of the building blocks of act 1. The filmmaker presents the main characters and provides
necessary expository information about them.
Inciting Incident
The inciting incident is an event that triggers a domino-like effect, setting in motion the action that will occur later
in the story. It is a single plot action that will change the lives of the main characters. Usually, the inciting incident
occurs at the end of act 1. The inciting incident in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington occurs when Jefferson Smith
decides to write a bill of his own.
Define foreshadowing, in preparation for the screening activity below. Foreshadowing is a suggestion of something that
is going to happen. A filmmaker may use visual symbols, spoken dialogue, or sound effects to foreshadow a plot action.
Foreshadowing often occurs in act 1 but can also occur in act 2.
Introduce the screening activity. Explain that the scene students are about to watch accomplishes two things: First, it
provides expository information about the two main characters—Jefferson Smith and Senator Joseph Paine. Second, it
foreshadows action to come later in the story.
Distribute
Screening Sheet 1-2: On the Train to Washington. Review the points in column 1 about the ways
filmmakers convey information to the audience.
View
Film Clip 1-2: On the Train to Washington. Students will be asked to watch for and record three levels
of information in this screening activity, so rerun the film clip as needed. Allow time for students to complete the chart
on the Screening Sheet, then review their responses. Recommended answers follow. Students may have one or more of
the responses listed.
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Answer Key for Screening Sheet 1-2: On the Train to Washington
Three Ways Filmmakers
Convey Information
Through Dialogue
What does the character
talk about?
How does the character act
or appear while speaking?
Consider: What tone of voice,
facial expressions, gestures,
and body language are used?
Through Camerawork
What does the camera show?
Consider: How close or far
is the camera to the subject?
What lights or shadows are
in the picture?
Through Sound
What sounds do you hear?
Consider: When does the
music begin? When does
the music end? What kind
of music is it? What mood
or meaning does the music
suggest? What other sound
effects can be heard?
Focus on Jefferson Smith
Focus on Senator Paine
He first talks about his newspaper
being “not much.” He then talks
about his father, who told him the
only causes worth fighting for were
the lost causes. He ends by saying
that he supposes one man going
up against a big organization can’t
get very far.
He compliments Smith on the
newspaper. He says Jeff reminds
him of his father, Clayton Smith,
also a publisher. He says Smith’s
father always wore his hat so as
to be ready “to do battle.” He tells
Smith his father was the champion
of lost causes and that he (Paine),
too, fought with his father for some
of those lost causes. He recounts
how Smith died fighting for the
rights of a single miner. He ends
by agreeing with Smith that one
man can’t win against a big
organization out to get him.
His voice is soft, cheerful.
He leans forward in his seat.
His face is peaceful; he has no
lingering bitterness or anger
about his father’s death. It is
simply a sad fact.
He is jovial at first, toying with
Smith’s hat. Then his tone becomes
more somber as he recounts how
Clayton Smith died. His face is
pleasant, then shows concern for
the past tragedy. He is not angry,
just sad and reflective.
The camera, at about the distance
of the doorway, first shows Smith
sitting in the train car opposite the
senator. We see the scene rolling
by outside the window, then light
coming in. As Smith speaks of his
father, the camera provides a close
-up of Smith’s face. Throughout
the entire scene, the camera shows
Smith wearing his hat, especially
at the very moment Paine speaks
of Smith’s father wearing his hat.
The association between Smith
and his father is reinforced
visually with this image.
The camera shows Paine sitting
in the car opposite Smith. As Paine
speaks, the camera provides a closeup of Paine’s face. Throughout most
of the scene, the camera is on Paine
as he recounts his memories.
Shadows and light play on the seat
behind him.
In addition to dialogue, we hear
the train clacking on the rails.
Then soft music plays throughout
the scene. Some students may
suggest the music is sad or
melancholy. Others may say it
sounds dreamy or lonely or
mournful. The music dovetails
with the memories, suggesting
Jefferson Smith has fond but also
sad memories of his father.
The soft music begins at the
point when Senator Paine begins
to remember his old friend.
The music’s mood affects how we
perceive the senator in this scene.
He has fond memories but some
sadness for his good friend—and
possibly also for his own former
championing of lost causes.
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Answer Key for Screening Sheet 1-2: On the Train to Washington (cont.)
Think More About It
1. The conversation is about Jefferson Smith’s father—or is it? What expository details, or background
information, do you learn about Jefferson Smith in this scene? What do you learn about Senator Paine
in this scene? Answers will vary, as students must use inference skills to make conclusions about both characters.
We learn that Smith is just like his father; they both published newspapers. We also learn that Smith’s father was
once a champion of lost causes. Some students may state that both men were fond of Smith’s father and respected
him for his convictions. Some may suggest that Smith thought his father was bound to lose because he was just one
person going up against a big organization. Some may also suggest that Paine, in agreeing with Smith that one
man cannot win against a large organization, does not have the same conviction that Smith’s father did.
2. When the train arrives in Washington, Jefferson Smith will soon find himself fighting his own “lost cause.”
What foreshadowing information does this scene on the train provide? Encourage discussion to include what
“lost cause” Smith will soon be fighting for—creating a camp on wilderness land owned by corrupt politicians.
Emphasize also that the mining syndicate first tried to bribe, and then intimidate Smith’s father into submission.
When that didn’t work, he was murdered. The political machine run by Taylor will also attempt to bribe and
intimidate Smith in an effort to force him to do as they wish.
Close
Share the following quote from director Frank Capra with students. Ask students to freewrite for three to five minutes,
explaining what they think Capra means.
You can only involve an audience with people. You can’t involve them with gimmicks, with sunsets, with hand-held cameras,
zoom shots, or anything else. They couldn’t care less about those things. But you give them something to worry about, some
person they can worry about, and you’ve got them involved.
While responses may vary, the main idea expressed is that story and character, not special effects, are the heart of a film.
Activity B Creative Writing–Mr. Smith’s Hat
Concept
Filmmakers use both cultural and narrative symbols to communicate ideas to an audience.
Engage
Display
Still 1-1: Mr. Smith’s Hat. While the image is displayed, share this information with students:
In the 1930s, most men wore hats when traveling or outdoors, even in mild weather. Mr. Smith’s
hat, however, is special. It appears in scenes throughout the film and even has a camera close-up
in the scene in which Jefferson Smith talks with Susan Paine in her home.
The hat is a visual prop. It helps make the costumes realistic for the times. Ah, but once dialogue
is spoken about the hat and the camera gives the item a close-up, then the object becomes more
than a prop. It becomes a narrative symbol. But what meaning does Mr. Smith’s hat suggest?
Remind students that in Film Clip 1-2: On the Train to Washington, Senator Paine stated that Jeff’s father wore his hat
“to do battle.” (See answer key for Screening Sheet 1-2, above.) In that scene, the hat suggests a link between Smith and
his father – that is, they share the same ethics. In the scene with Susan, Mr. Smith fumbles and eventually drops his hat.
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The hat suggests his nervousness and shyness when in the presence of Susan. There is still another scene in which
Mr. Smith’s hat has a role in the action. When he enters the Lincoln Memorial at night, determined to flee the capital
and return home, he carries his hat. But once Saunders convinces him to fight, he puts it back on! Stress this important
point: Mr. Smith’s hat isn’t merely decoration. Nor is it necessarily a symbol of goodness or virtue. It is, however, a visual
clue that helps the audience understand what is happening on the screen and/or what a character may be thinking or
experiencing. Paying attention to visual clues and little details like these in films can increase your understanding of the
filmmaker’s intended message.
Explain & Explore
Discuss with students the meaning of symbolism. A symbol is an object that stands for or represents another thing
or idea. Symbols are most often cultural, embraced and understood by a group. For example, most American citizens
understand that the American flag is a symbol of patriotism. Filmmakers often use cultural symbols to create meaning.
Ask students to cite specific cultural symbols director Frank Capra uses to suggest patriotism in Mr. Smith Goes to
Washington. In addition to the American flag, symbols he uses include monuments (Washington Monument, Lincoln
Memorial, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier), documents (Declaration of Independence), and objects (Liberty Bell).
Next, explain the difference between cultural symbols and objects that suggest narrative meaning. Narrative symbols are
specific to a story. For example, Mr. Smith’s hat in the film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington represents his similarity to his
father and his nervousness and shyness. But that does not mean that every hat in every film represents these same ideas.
Emphasize this key point: Narrative symbols are created, and filmmakers create narrative symbols in slightly different
ways than a novelist or a writer of print text does.
Display and/or distribute
Graphic Organizer 1-3: How Do Filmmakers Create Symbols? Review the key
concepts on the graphic organizer, as suggested below.
The Filmmaker’s Intended Meaning
Because films tell stories visually, filmmakers use symbols to suggest meaning about a character’s personality
or why he or she behaves in a certain way. Symbols can also suggest action that has occurred in the past or
may soon occur in the future and can indicate meaning for a whole community or culture.
Repetition
One way to create a symbol is to show an object over and over again. The filmmaker is telling the audience,
“Pay attention to this detail; it is important.”
Association
An association is a relationship between two or more people or things. A second way to create narrative meaning
is to link an object with a person, suggesting a relationship between them.
Sound Emphasis
Sound effects and music can also suggest meaning. Creaking steps, howling winds, or the cry of an animal can all
create reactions in the audience. So too can cheerful, bouncy music or music that is sad, suspenseful, or mysterious.
Visual Emphasis
A filmmaker can create narrative meaning by using color, light, and camera distances. By moving the camera close
to a person or an object, the filmmaker is again telling the audience, “Pay attention; this is important.”
Distribute
Creative Writing Activity 1-5: Create a Character Sketch. Review the directions and steps on the
sheet. Students may work alone or with a partner. After students have written their sketches, encourage them to present
them to the class. The class may then decide which sketches would make interesting video segments to communicate
meaning through visual representation.
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Close
Suggest that students save their character-sketch projects in a writing portfolio for future work. For example, when they
have learned more about film language and techniques (see chapter 3), they may wish to produce a video based on this
writing assignment, adding significant images and sounds.
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Activity C Acts 2 and 3–Rising and Falling Action
Concept
Act 2 of a movie shows the cause-and-effect events that lead to the climax, or turning point. The final act in a movie is
the resolution. In the third act, all conflicts are resolved, if only for the time being, and the main characters are somehow
changed by the events that have occurred.
Engage
Ask students to suggest what specific event is the climax, or turning point, of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Remind
students that a story’s climax is its most dramatic moment, what all the cause-and-effect events lead up to. Some students
may say Smith’s change of heart and resolve to fight after Saunders talks to him in the Lincoln Memorial is a real turning
point. Others may argue that this decision of his is an event that leads to the filibuster and ultimately his confrontation
with Senator Paine on the Senate floor. The climax, then, is more likely to be when Senator Paine admits his wrongdoing.
Explain & Explore
Display again
Graphic Organizer 1-2: Narrative Structure. Explain the key concepts of the second act in a
film’s narrative structure, as recommended below.
Act 2: Rising Action
The second act presents the rising action. Rising action is composed of the cause-and-effect events that follow,
one after the other, leading to a climax or turning point. This is the longest act in a movie and can take as much
as an hour or more.
Cause-Effect Event
This is an action that triggers a reaction or another event. A story can have many cause-effect events. Taken
together, these building blocks form most of the film’s plot.
Climax
Also called the turning point, this is the most dramatic moment in the story. The climax triggers a significant
insight or a change in one or more of the main characters. The climax is also part of the story’s plot.
Discuss the final act on the graphic organizer. Review the key points as indicated below.
Act 3: Resolution
The third act is the final one in a film’s narrative structure. Act 3 has two important elements—falling action
and the resolution of conflicts.
Falling Action
This is composed of all the events that occur after the climax, until the story’s end.
Resolution of Conflicts
The resolution is the outcome of the events which have occurred. Sometimes the solution to a conflict is positive.
Sometimes it is negative. Often the solution to a conflict is not stated directly but rather implied through visual
and sound symbols. By the end of the story, the main characters have changed somewhat. Either they have
changed personally, or their view of others or of the world has changed significantly.
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Distribute
Group Activity 1-6: How the Story Unfolds. Allow students to work with a partner to complete this
two-part activity. Answers are below.
Answer Key for Group Activity 1-6: How the Story Unfolds
Part 1-Putting the Scenes in Sequence
1.
E–At the banquet honoring Smith's appointment to the Senate, Jefferson promises the people, “I'll do
nothing to disgrace the office of United States Senator.”
2.
I–In misleading newspaper stories, the press portrays Senator Smith as a stooge.
3.
A–Clarissa tells Senator Paine, “Look, when I came here, my eyes were big blue question marks.
Now they're big green dollar marks.”
4.
D–Jefferson Smith proposes a bill for a boys' camp on Willet Creek.
5.
J–Senator Paine accuses Senator Smith of owning the very land on which he has proposed his boys' camp.
6.
B–Senator Smith says nothing at all in his defense during the committee hearings investigating his
involvement with graft.
7.
H–Clarissa finds Senator Smith at the Lincoln Memorial and convinces him to fight, not just for himself
but for the boys who look up to him.
8.
C–Senator Paine delivers baskets of telegrams from the people in his and Senator Smith's state.
The telegrams demand Smith give up the fight and leave the Senate.
9.
F–After Jefferson Smith faints on the Senate floor, the page signals to Clarissa that he is okay.
10. G–Senator Paine bursts into the Senate Chamber crying, “Expel me! . . . Every word that boy said is true.
. . . Every word of it is true!”
Part 2-Grouping the Scenes by Act
Act 1: E, I, A, D
Act 2: J, B, H, C
Act 3: F, G
Distribute
Screening Sheet 1-3: Baskets of Lies. Review the directions with students and have them choose a
partner to work with. Tell them to pay close attention as they view the film clip, not only to the spoken dialogue but
also to the use of visual and sound symbols.
View
Film Clip 1-3: Baskets of Lies. Have students take notes as they view the film clip. After viewing, allow
time for them to complete the Screening Sheet, then discuss their answers. Recommended answers follow.
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Answer Key for Screening Sheet 1-3: Baskets of Lies
Character√
1. What happens to Jefferson Smith?
Briefly describe the resolution.
Consider including what the audience sees or hears.
He reminds Paine that lost causes are the only things
worth fighting for, and he vows that he won’t be licked.
Then he collapses on the Senate floor. He does not
witness Senator Paine’s confession and so does not realize,
at the film’s end, that he has won.
2. What happens to Senator Paine?
He feels deep remorse and attempts to shoot himself.
When that fails, he rushes into the Senate Chamber to
confess. He vindicates Smith. The last the audience sees
of him, he is still shouting about his guilt.
3. What happens to Clarissa Saunders?
She jumps with elation at Smith’s apparent victory and
yells, “Yippee!”
4. What happens to Jim Taylor?
The film’s concluding scenes do not include Jim Taylor.
In the last scene in which he appears, he is still attempting
to derail and discredit Smith. Students must infer that
Taylor’s political machine will become ineffective now
that the truth about him has been exposed.
Think More About It
1. This scene is a part of the story the director chose to show the audience. What didn’t the director show
the audience? We never see Senator Paine get a gun or actually try to shoot himself with it. We only hear the
sound of the shot and then see the senator struggling with others in the corridor. We don’t see what happens to
Smith after he is carried out of the chamber, nor do we see what happens to Taylor, now that Paine has exposed
him as a fraud.
2. Jefferson Smith talks about “lost causes” in this scene. Which characters talked about lost causes earlier
in the film? During act 1 on the train to Washington, Senator Paine and Jefferson Smith discussed lost causes
and how Clayton Smith died for them.
3. How has each of the three main characters—Mr. Smith, Senator Paine, and Clarissa Saunders—changed
from the beginning of the film? Mr. Smith still has his ideals, but he is no longer so naïve or trusting of people.
Senator Paine has admitted his guilt and will no doubt lose the respect of his fellow senators. Clarissa has regained
her idealism – that is, her belief in the ideals of democracy. Some students may debate whether Jim Taylor will change.
Close
Ask students to comment on the ending of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. What, if anything, surprised them about the
characters? Some may comment that the story ended abruptly without showing what will happen to the main characters.
Emphasize that although the film does not show what will happen to Senators Paine and Smith, they can infer what will
happen based on the final scene in the film. Senator Paine will leave office in shame. Senator Smith will likely stay in office.
Not all students may agree, however, with that conclusion. Listen and discuss their viewpoints.
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The Lincoln Allusion
Was Abraham Lincoln also a “Yankee Doodle?” Why did director
Frank Capra choose to shoot two important scenes at the Lincoln Memorial?
Learn more about visual symbols in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
by going to The Story of Movies Web site, www.storyofmovies.org.
(This extension activity includes a film clip, which is located on the DVD.)
Activity D Reflective Writing–A Movie that Matters to Me
Concept
A reflection paper challenges students to reflect and connect a topic to other aspects of their lives, both in and out of school.
Rather than summarizing information or analyzing information for good or bad points, students derive personal meaning
from a topic and express it in a creative way.
Engage
Ask students to recall specific movies they viewed as young children. List the titles on the chalkboard or overhead projector.
Then prompt discussion of their early viewing experiences by asking the questions below.
Guided Discussion
1. What memories do you have of the viewing experience? That is, who was with you when you watched the
movie? Did you go to a theater or watch the movie at home? Was there a particular time of day or day of the
week when you would watch these movies?
2. What do you remember feeling when you saw these movies? Did they make you laugh or cry? Did they
frighten you? Explain your answers.
3. What new ideas did these childhood movies foster?
4. If you watched these movies now that you are older (and wiser), how would your reactions differ? Why?
Exploring how and why we react the way we do to a movie can help us learn more about ourselves At first glance you
may have nothing in common with the fictional characters Jefferson Smith, Clarissa Saunders, Senator Joseph Paine, or
Jim Taylor. On a second, closer examination, however, you might be surprised to find you do indeed share some of their
character strengths and/or weaknesses.
Explain & Explore
Write these two words on the chalkboard or overhead projector: reaction, relevance. Most students will understand
what a reaction is, but they may not understand that reactions, or responses, come in a variety of forms. Graphic
Organizer 1-4 (below) will explore these various types of reactions. Relevance, on the other hand, is a more challenging
concept. Explain that relevance means significance or a connection between two otherwise different things.
Display and/or distribute
Graphic Organizer 1-4: What Is a Personal Response? Review the key points
on the graphic illustration, guiding discussion along the following points, with specific references to Mr. Smith Goes
to Washington.
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Memories
Did the film trigger any memories about yourself or people you know? For example, can you remember a time
when someone you thought was your friend lied to you or somehow misled you or took advantage of you? Or have
you ever admired someone and then discovered that person wasn’t as perfect as you once thought he or she was?
Have you ever been bullied (or been a bully)? These are common experiences most everyone has. Often reading a
book or watching a movie triggers these memories to resurface.
Feelings or Emotions
Memories and feelings often go hand in hand. Focus for a moment on what you felt when you first viewed
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Did any shot or scene in particular make you laugh or make you feel sad or angry?
If so, why? The man Jefferson Smith looked up to betrayed him. Big Jim Taylor tried to bully Jefferson Smith.
The journalists mocked the young senator. Betrayal, bullying, teasing—each of these experiences portrayed on the
screen may or may not have triggered an emotional reaction in you.
Associations
Associations are links you make between two things; in this case, between yourself and the film. For example, if
you have ever been to Washington, D.C., and visited the Lincoln Memorial or Congress, then you may have made
an association between your visit and Jefferson Smith’s first visit. Maybe a shot or a scene in the film mirrored your
life in another way. Maybe you thought at one point in your life that you’d like to run for public office. Or perhaps
you thought, like Jefferson Smith does, that newspapers sometimes emphasize too much of the negative and not
enough of the positive news.
New Ideas
How did this film change what you thought about yourself or the world around you, about the media and
government, or about freedom of speech and patriotism? Were you surprised, for example, to discover that an
elected government leader could be tempted to lie and betray the trust of the people? Did you find Jefferson Smith’s
idealism unbelievable, saying to yourself, for example, No one could be that naïve?
Draw students’ attention again to the words reaction and relevance on the chalkboard or overhead projector. Ask them
to explain the link between reactions and relevance. When a person reacts to something, it’s usually a signal that the
“thing” (movie, news broadcast, book, song, painting) has some relevance, or connection, to that person. Identifying the
relevance is not always easy and takes practice.
Distribute
Writing Activity 1-7: Reflect and Connect. This activity sheet allows students to practice thinking
about reactions and relevance. Students may reflect on Mr. Smith Goes to Washington or may select a film of their own
choosing for the questions that are not specifically about Mr. Smith. If they do so, have them indicate which film they
are reflecting on. Assure students that there are no right or wrong answers. What is important is that they take time
to think and answer the questions honestly. Collect and review the sheets privately rather than discuss them in class.
You may consider responding to the students’ answers with non-critical comments. Return the sheets to the students
to file in their portfolios and to use later in writing their reflection papers.
Announce the writing assignment. Explain that they will write a two-page reflection paper based on a movie of their
choice. Discuss the importance of selecting just the right movie for them to write about. Just as not all books are right
for all readers, not all movies will produce the same emotion or intellectual response in each viewer. Therefore, do not
assign a specific movie for this writing assignment. Allow students to think, then choose a movie that has personal
meaning for them. The movie they select does not have to be a recent movie. Encourage them to think of movies they
watched and loved as younger children.
Students’ papers will address this topic: What movie did you see, either recently or in the past, that changed your view of
yourself or others? Explain why this movie is so meaningful to you.
Display and/or distribute
Graphic Organizer 1-5: What Is Reflective Writing? Review the key points, explaining
what a reflection paper is and what it is not.
Summary
A summary is a shortened or condensed version of a topic. To summarize means to identify key points about the
topic and state those key points in the writer’s own words. The purpose is usually to inform.
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Review
A review is an evaluation paper. The writer forms an opinion about the topic based on certain criteria. The purpose
of a review is to persuade the reader to agree with the writer’s points.
Reflection
A reflection is not a factual report in the way a summary is. Nor is it an evaluation the way a review or a critique is.
The purpose is not to inform or persuade. Instead, the writer derives personal meaning from the topic, making
associations between the topic and the writer and his or her world. The purpose is to express a point of view about
a topic.
After students have selected the movie about which they will write, display and/or distribute
Graphic Organizer
1-6: Personal-Response Questions. Discuss the key points on the graphic. The questions in the column on the left are
those someone might ask if they were writing a summary. The questions on the right are open-ended, meaning there is
no factual answer that can be judged right or wrong. Tell students that in writing their reflection papers on a movie of
their choice, they should focus on these “reaction” questions on the right side of the graphic organizer.
Distribute
Writing Activity 1-8: Organizing Your Thoughts. Review the key points on the activity sheet by
sharing the following information with students:
The Lead Paragraph
The opening paragraph must somehow catch the reader’s attention while at the same time suggesting the topic.
Because this is a reflection paper, one focus of the lead paragraph should be the writer. The activity sheet provides
strategies students may consider when deciding how to craft their opening paragraph. Encourage them to try two
or more approaches before deciding which one to use in their final paper.
The Body of Information
The body of the paper is where the writer develops the topic. In a reflection paper, as in other writing
assignments, specific details are very important for communicating memories and feelings, thoughts and
associations. Two questions to help students develop their main ideas are:
What do you mean by ____________________?
How do you know this?
For example, a student writes The movie frightened me. That’s a legitimate response, but it needs clarification.
Answering the question What do you mean by “frightened?” will help the student think of additional details.
Or a student writes: After seeing this movie, I realized that even though I’m just 13 years old, I can make a difference
in the world. Answering the question How do you know this? can likewise help the student think deeper about the
statement and clarify his or her meaning.
The Conclusion
The conclusion should echo the mood of the opening paragraph. To emphasize the importance of opening and
closing paragraphs as organizational tools, review the mirror analogy on the activity sheet and consider sharing
with students this additional analogy: Think of the key points and details presented in the body of the paper as a
row of books on a shelf. Bookends are weights that hold the books in line. Without the lead paragraph and the
concluding paragraph, the row of books has nothing to hold them in place and will topple.
Distribute
Writing Activity 1-9: Reflection-Paper Checklist. Students may review their rough drafts on their own
or work with a partner to review each other’s paper, using the checklist as a guide. Review key elements on the checklist
and allow time for revision.
Close
Share the completed reflection papers with the class, perhaps on a bulletin-board display.
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Lesson 3 Our Film Heritage
Our film heritage is America’s living past.
—Dr. James H. Billington, Librarian of Congress
Teacher Overview
In 1988, the Library of Congress passed the National Film Preservation Act. The overall objective of the act is to identify
and preserve historically and culturally significant films that are part of our country’s artistic heritage. Among the first films
selected for preservation was Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Long before 1988, however, the Library of Congress had begun
collecting films, including many of those produced by Thomas Edison in the 1890s and early 1900s. Many of these films are
not traditional narratives but rather “actuality” films, which document the American way of life at the beginning of the 20th
century. As such, they are valuable historical and cultural resources.
Today, the Library of Congress houses thousands of films within its archives. Activity A introduces students to this rich
repository of early motion pictures. Students will screen three rare short films from the Library of Congress collection—
a documentary, an actuality film, and an early animated film, each dating from the first decade of the 20th century.
This activity challenges students’ chronological-thinking skills as well as their historical-comprehension and interpretation
skills. Activity B introduces students to newsreels, with a screening activity based on two Universal Studios newsreel stories,
one on the early U.S. space program and one on the tragic explosion of the Hindenburg in 1937. In Activity C, students learn
more about why and how a film deteriorates and the efforts film conservationists take in order to “save” a film.
This particular activity has strong physical-science links.
Learning Outcomes
Students will
understand that not all films are fiction;
explain what an actuality film is and how it differs from a documentary;
understand what animation is and the difference between stop-motion and live action;
explain how a newsreel differs from an actuality film;
identify three steps in the production of a newsreel;
identify two factors that cause film stock to decay;
distinguish between physical, biological, and chemical causes of film deterioration.
Key Terms
(Note: Most terms are defined within the activity text that follows. You may also refer to the glossary.)
archive, documentary, actuality film, animation, stop-motion, live action, title cards, newsreel, raw footage, on location, reenactment,
voice-over, commentary, cellulose nitrate, preservation, restoration, acetate decay, emulsion
23
Lesson 3 Materials
Activity
DVD
Print
Activity A
Exploring the
Film Archives in the
Library of Congress
Screening Sheet 1-4:
Researching Early Motion Pictures
Activity B
The American
Newsreel
Graphic Organizer 1-7:
What Is a Newsreel?
Screening Sheet 1-5: Visual News
Film Clip 1-4: Researching
Early Motion Pictures
Film Clip 1-5: Visual News,
Part 1—The Chimp Story
Film Clip 1-5: Visual News,
Part 2—The Hindenburg Story
Activity C
An Introduction to
Film Preservation—
Why Film Deteriorates
Graphic Organizer 1-8:
How Film Becomes Damaged
Still 1-2: Nitrate Deterioration
Still 1-3: Film Layers
Still 1-4: Film Damage,
Example A
Still 1-5: Film Damage,
Example B
Still 1-6: Film Damage,
Example C
Activity A Exploring the Film Archives in the Library of Congress
Concept
The technology of early motion pictures in the first decades of the 20th century created new kinds of films, including
documentaries, actuality films, and animated films.
Engage
Share this information with students:
The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., is the world’s largest library, and it houses much more than books.
Maps, illustrations, photographs, comic strips, sound recordings, radio and television broadcasts, as well as movies
are among the types of items stored and protected within the library’s buildings. One group of films in the library’s
American Memory Film Collection is called “Early Films of San Francisco: Before and After the Great Earthquake
and Fire, 1896–1915.” This group includes 26 films of San Francisco, California, from before and after the Great
Earthquake of April 18, 1906.
24
Ask:
1.
2.
3.
For what reason would the Library of Congress collect items such as photographs, radio and television broadcasts,
and movies? These items are historical and cultural documents, and as such, they provide insight to understanding
our past.
What could you learn from viewing the film footage of the aftermath of the San Francisco earthquake on April 18,
1906? Encourage discussion to focus on movies’ visual way of presenting information. Although these films are silent,
without a soundtrack, the viewer can witness the extent of the destruction. In a few sections of the film, walls of buildings
collapse. The viewer can make conclusions about the danger that existed in the hours and days following the disaster.
Seventeen of the “Before and After the Great Earthquake and Fire” films are of the city prior to the earthquake.
If the earthquake hadn’t yet happened, why are these films valuable? Details of daily life in the city, including
architecture and transportation, can be studied. Once the earthquake struck, the city was forever changed. Many of the
buildings seen on those earlier films no longer exist. The films allow the viewer to compare and contrast the city in the
period before the disaster with the reconstruction of the city which followed.
Explain & Explore
Emphasize a key point about films: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a feature-length film that tells a story using traditional
story elements, including characters, setting, conflict, and rising and falling action. Not all films, however, fit this description.
Explain that the “Before and After the Great Earthquake and Fire” films do not tell a traditional narrative (a story presented
in a three-act format) in the way Mr. Smith Goes to Washington does. They are documentary films that recorded real events
that happened in history.
Explain that the technology of the motion-picture industry of the early 20th century provided an opportunity to create
new types of films, including documentary and actuality films as well as animated films. Often these films were shown
in movie houses or as one of the acts in a vaudeville show. Vaudeville was a type of traveling show that played in theaters
across the country, both in small towns and large cities. In an age when there were no television and computers, these
types of films were both entertaining and informative.
Write these five terms on the chalkboard or overhead projector and then explain each as recommended below:
documentary, actuality film, animated film, stop-motion, live action.
Define documentary. A documentary is a nonfiction film that records some aspect of the human condition.
It may provide information about a real event, such as the San Francisco earthquake, or about real people,
places, or situations. Some documentaries tell a story, but often not in the traditional narrative format. A popular
contemporary documentary film is Hoop Dreams (directed by Steve James, 1994). It records the struggle of two
high school athletes to become basketball stars.
Define actuality film. An actuality film does not tell a story but rather records real people doing real things, such
as sneezing, kissing, or walking down a street. Unlike the documentary film, which often relies on research of
factual information to present a story, an argument, or a point of view, the actuality film is more like a slice of
everyday life.
Define animated film. Animation is a type of film created by using shots of still images arranged in such a way as
to suggest continuous motion. Cartoons are one example of animation. There are many ways to create an animated
film, depending on the type of materials the filmmaker uses. Those materials may be two-dimensional, such
as drawings or cutouts, or three-dimensional, such as puppets or clay figures or even real people. More recently,
computer technology is also being used to create animation.
Define stop-motion and live action. Stop-motion is a type of animation technology. The camera photographs an
image, then the camera is stopped, a single change is made, and the camera is started again. In contrast, live action
is continuous filming of a shot or a scene.
Distribute
Screening Sheet 1-4: Researching Early Motion Pictures. Explain the activity, which has three
separate parts, each containing a different type of film. Students will screen and interpret each of the three short films.
Introduce each of the three films, as recommended below.
Part 1—Documentary. This film shows the aftermath of the San Francisco earthquake of April 18, 1906, and the
devastation resulting from the subsequent three-day fire. The 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck at 5:12 A.M. and
was centered along the San Andreas Fault, which slices through coastal California. Most of the cities of central
California were badly damaged. San Francisco, with thousands of un-reinforced brick buildings and thousands
more closely spaced wooden Victorian dwellings, was poorly prepared for a major fire. Collapsed buildings, broken
25
1
2
3
4
chimneys, and a shortage of water due to broken mains led to several large fires that soon coalesced into a citywide holocaust. The fire swept over nearly a quarter of the city, including the entire downtown area. Dynamite was
used with varying success to prevent the fire from spreading westward. More than 3,000 people are estimated to
have died as a result of the disaster.
Part 2—Actuality Film. The scene, as suggested by the title, was filmed on Twenty-third Street, New York City,
in 1901. In front of one of the large newspaper offices on that thoroughfare was a hot-air shaft through which
immense volumes of air were forced by means of a blower. As the picture is being filmed, a young man escorting
a young lady comes into view. They are talking very earnestly and walk slowly along until they stand directly over
the air shaft.
Part 3—Animated Film. This film has both live action and stop-motion photography. As the film begins, cartoonist
J. Stuart Blackton draws a man’s face on a large white sketch pad, then he adds other objects to the drawing. This is
live action. The animation, or stop-motion, occurs when the bottle, glass, hat, and cigar appear to be real and the
man’s face seems to come alive and change expression. This film is one of the earliest examples of film animation.
View
Film Clip 1-4: Researching Early Motion Pictures. This clip has three distinct parts. After viewing each
part, stop the DVD and discuss students’ observations. Answers will vary. Recommended answers include those listed
on the chart below.
Answer Key for Screening Sheet 1-4: Researching Early Motion Pictures
Part 1—Documentary
1.
That was then: How do you think audiences at the time might have reacted to this film? Consider their
thoughts as well as their behavior. Provide an explanation for your answer. Students should keep in mind
the novelty of film in the early decades of the 20th century as a medium for providing information. Audiences
would likely have been shocked to see the destruction in moving images, as opposed to reading about it or even
seeing a still photograph in a newspaper. The movement within the frame, especially of the crumbling walls, is
very realistic.
2.
This is now: What did you observe or learn about the past by viewing this film? The film provides a visual
record of the destruction but also of the tools of construction from the era. The horses, for example, are evidence
of an earlier time, before industrial vehicles such as bulldozers.
Part 2—Actuality Film
1. That was then: How do you think audiences at the time might have reacted to this film? Consider their
thoughts as well as their behavior. Provide an explanation for your answer. Again, students should keep
in mind that film was a novelty, not just as a source of information, but also as entertainment. The fact that the
woman’s legs are revealed would have been both shocking and amusing, given the socially unacceptable moral
behavior of the times. Clearly, the woman is caught off guard. She does not intentionally stand over the grate so
that her dress will billow up, and that contributes to the humor.
2.
This is now: What did you observe or learn about the past by viewing this film? Although the humorous and,
some may say, the more interesting action occurs at the end of the film, the opening shots reveal a great deal about
daily life in New York City—from the horse-drawn wagons, to the architecture of the buildings on the street, to the
clothing of the men and women.
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Answer Key for Screening Sheet 1-4: Researching Early Motion Pictures
Part 3—Animated Film
1.
That was then: How do you think audiences at the time might have reacted to this film? Consider their
thoughts as well as their behavior. Provide an explanation for your answer. This film is intended to amuse
or entertain, and the audiences most likely would have enjoyed and even been amazed at the action on the screen.
The “magic” or trick photography would have some wondering: How did the cartoonist do that? The film, however,
is also informative, showing a cartoonist at work.
2.
This is now: What did you observe or learn about the past by viewing this film? Because this film does not
show real locations, it does not provide visual detail to help the 21st-century viewer better understand how a city
might have looked or other aspects of daily life in the early 20th century. But it does suggest what audiences of
those times might have found amusing and amazing. The special effects created by the stop-motion photography
would not surprise audiences today, because technology has continued to develop.
Ask: Who might use the archival films at the Library of Congress and for what purpose might they use these films?
Teachers, authors, students, scholars, and researchers are among those who might find these films valuable resources of
information. Filmmakers too might study the archives. People who just enjoy movies or American history might also
access the archives for their own enjoyment.
Close
Encourage students to explore further the archives of the Library of Congress. They can log onto the library’s home page at
www.loc.gov/index.html. From there, they can use the American Memory search engine to discover additional documentary
films, as well as to explore actuality and animated films in that collection.
Activity B The American Newsreel
Concept
Newsreels were primary sources of visual news in America during the first half of the 20th century. Studying newsreels reveals
not only what historical events and cultural trends occurred, but also society’s attitude toward those events and trends.
Engage
Share this information with students:
In the early decades of the 20th century, each of the major Hollywood studios got into the news business by creating their own
newsreel departments. These included the following:
Movietone—produced by 20th Century Fox
News of the Day—produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Paramount News—produced by Paramount Studios
RKO-Pathé—produced by RKO Pictures
Universal Newsreel—produced by Universal Studios
In the United States, the last newsreels played in movie theaters in the 1960s.
Ask students to speculate why newsreels are no longer shown in movie theaters. Direct discussion to focus on other sources
of moving images showing current events, which became widely available beginning in the 1950s—specifically, televised
news broadcasts. Continue the discussion to the present day and the ways in which the Internet has changed how many
Americans learn of current events.
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1
2
3
4
Explain & Explore
Share this information with students:
Newsreels were one of the primary sources of visual news in America during the first half of the 20th century. The first newsreels
were silent. A newsreel film usually lasted five minutes and included three or four news stories. “Title cards”—or words written on
the screen—identified key information, such as who, what, where, when, and why. As the popularity of moviegoing soared in the
1920s, the interest in and production of newsreels also grew. The newsreel was part journalism and part entertainment.
The development of sound in the late 1920s changed newsreels, just as it changed all films. Newsreels with sound had commentary
by a narrator, usually a musical soundtrack, and possibly sound effects. Sound newsreels were longer, often ten minutes or more.
Display and/or distribute
suggested below.
Graphic Organizer 1-7: What Is a Newsreel? Review information on the organizer as
Newsreel Production
Production refers to the process by which a newsreel was made. As on all films, production of newsreels included
a number of steps and the work of a team of individuals. This team might have included the following — a news
editor or manager, who selected the subjects for the newsreel stories; a cameraman (in the 1930s, men and generally
not women were cinematographers); a film editor; a writer, who provided commentary to narrate or comment on
the visual images; a narrator, who read the commentary; and a music composer, who created the soundtrack to
accompany the visual images.
Step 1: Gather Raw Footage
Raw footage is the reel or reels of film a cinematographer records without any edits or changes; those are made
later in a studio. For a newsreel, raw footage might have included an hour or more of moving images. Only a small
percentage of those images—perhaps a minute or even less—might have been used in the final film.
Emphasize that on location means that the camera operator travels to where the news event is happening to photograph the real people and real settings of the story. By contrast, a reenactment is acting out an event that has already
taken place, often using actors to portray the real people who have been involved.
Step 2: Edit the Raw Footage
In the 1930s, most newsreels ran approximately ten minutes and covered eight to ten subjects. The film editor
selected the best shots to illustrate each news event and arranged those shots in a sequence that would be both
informative and interesting. Newsreels were intended not just to inform but also to entertain, since they were shown
in movie theaters prior to a feature film. As a result, news stories were diverse, ranging from serious, dramatic events
such as wars, disease, and disasters, to lighter, even humorous happenings, such as beauty pageants and baby shows.
Step 3: Record the Soundtrack
A newsreel soundtrack had two elements—a voice-over (VO) narration and usually music and other sound effects.
Once the final newsreel was assembled, a writer provided commentary to identify or explain the five Ws of the
news story—who, what, where, when, and why. Commentary was brief and often reflected the mood or tone of
the visual images. Stories that were considered on the lighter side of the news might have humorous commentary,
for example. The commentator was the person who read, or voiced, the narration. At times, the writer and the
commentator were the same person.
Finally, a composer viewed the final film, then created a soundtrack that would reinforce or increase the emotional
punch of the images. Depending on the news event and the specific images being shown, the music might be melodramatic (bold and loud), patriotic (marches), romantic (waltzes), circus-like, moody, suspenseful, or otherwise.
Based on the information provided in discussing this graphic organizer, ask students to explain how a newsreel
differed from an actuality film (see activity A). Both newsreels and actualities were about real people doing real things.
Newsreels, however, had timeliness. They were an attempt to provide up-to-the-minute reports on real events or cultural
trends, and they generally told a story. Actualities, in contrast, did not necessarily focus on current events or tell a story.
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Distribute
Screening Sheet 1-5: Visual News. This sheet has two parts, with a different newsreel in each part.
Allow students time to complete the first part on the sheet before moving on to part 2.
View
Film Clip 1-5: Visual News, Part 1—The Chimp Story. Teachers should screen the first newsreel twice, so
students can record their responses on the Screening Sheet. Then stop the video to discuss students’ observations before
proceeding to the second newsreel. Answers will vary. Recommended answers include those listed on the chart below.
1
2
3
4
Answer Key for Screening Sheet 1-5: Visual News, Part 1 — The Chimp Story
Story Images
Voice-over (VO)
Soundtrack
Briefly summarize what the story
is about, and identify at least three
images that illustrate this.
List at least three
statements of fact presented in
the narrator’s commentary.
What music or other sound effects
are used? How do you react to this
use of music or sound effects?
The story from 1961 is about
Enos, a trained U.S. spaceprogram chimpanzee who makes
two orbits in space. Images show
crew members loading Enos
aboard the rocket, the rocket
launch, and then the recovery
of the space capsule at the end
of the experimental flight.
The final images show doctors
examining Enos to determine
what effects, if any, the flight
had on the animal.
The narrator explains that this
experiment of testing an animal’s
reaction to space flight is necessary
before sending a man into orbit.
The five-year-old chimp is trained
to perform tasks and gets rewarded.
The launch is “history in the making,”
but it has to be cut short because of
heat inside the capsule. Enos is
unharmed on his return to Earth.
The VO ends by mentioning that
astronaut John Glenn will be the next
passenger aboard a U.S. spaceship.
The soundtrack has both music and
sound effects. Music begins at once
and is dramatic, with impending
excitement; some students may
suggest that it is fast paced and
suspenseful. The music stops at the
point of launching, and the roar of
the rockets is part of the soundtrack.
After the flight has ended and Enos
is safely back on Earth, the music
varies from that at the beginning of
the soundtrack. Some students may
suggest that it is slower, more relaxed,
and then builds to a climax.
Students’ reactions will vary.
View
Film Clip 1-5: Visual News, Part 2—The Hindenburg Story. Teachers should also screen this second
newsreel twice, allowing students time to record their responses. After viewing, discuss student observations.
Recommended answers include those listed on the chart below.
Answer Key for Screening Sheet 1-5: Visual News, Part 2 — The Hindenburg Story
Title Cards
Story Images
What type of information do the title cards provide?
What do you learn from the title cards that you
do not know from seeing the images?
Briefly summarize what the story is about,
and identify at least three images that illustrate this.
The title cards provide four types of information.
First, they show the film credits. Second, they
inform the audience as to what the viewers are
seeing and when the footage was filmed, identifying
the passage of time. For example, dates are provided
so that the audience will understand that the first
shots of the dirigible landing took place a year
earlier than the tragedy. The title cards also provide
descriptive comments on the ruins of the dirigible
(“mass of twisted, white hot steel”) and help build
suspense (“Twenty safe crossings,” “All is serene,”
“The Hindenburg nears its mooring mast,”
Answers will vary, but students should summarize
two parts to this story. The first is footage from
May 9, 1936, which shows a smooth flight and
successful landing of a dirigible at its docking
station, passengers disembarking, and Captain
Ernst Lehmann. The second section of footage
is from a year later. It shows the tragedy of the
Hindenburg explosion and fire. Encourage students
to comment on interesting aspects of at least three
images, such as the size of the rather large airship
compared to the relatively dwarfed buildings of
New York City, the passengers and crew, the docking.
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Answer Key for Screening Sheet 1-5:
Visual News, Part 2 — The Hindenburg Story (cont.)
“Suddenly—the fatal moment!” “A tragic blast . . .”).
A fourth type of title card presents more subjective,
biased information about the dirigible itself
(“Germany’s pride” and “the pioneer spirit . . . must
go on!”) As such, those title cards influence or slant
the information being presented.
Images do not show the actual explosion, however
students may comment on the moments immediately
after the dirigible burst into flames, the rescuers
rushing in, or the smoldering remains of the airship.
Think More About It
In your opinion, why did the filmmakers decide to show footage of the Hindenburg landing in America a
year before the disaster? Why not just show the Hindenburg exploding? Answers will vary. Emphasize that
this juxtaposition of footage—one successful landing and one tragic landing—heightens the drama of the event.
For example, the successful landing shows the crew seen through the windows of the dirigible and passengers
disembarking. It makes the story a bit more personal. No crew or passengers are seen through the flames in the
tragic landing, but the audience knows (from the previous shots) that they must be in there somewhere.
Compare the two newsreels. How are these newsreels similar and different? The obvious difference is that one has
a soundtrack and the other does not. The content, also, is obviously different. Guide students beyond those simple
observations to focus on this main idea: Both tell a story using “selected” images. For example, the filmmakers had to
decide which images of the chimp’s space flight to include in the newsreel, just as the filmmakers had to decide which
images of the Hindenburg to include.
Close
Ask students where they might be able to locate old newsreels to view and study. Emphasize that many studios destroyed
their newsreels and did not save them. Many more that were saved have deteriorated over time so that they can no longer
be viewed. Nevertheless, some museums, film libraries, and universities do have newsreels in their archives. Students may
even wish to research newsreel footage of another “air pioneer”—Charles Lindbergh. Newsreels reported on the takeoff and
landing of his historic solo flight for moviegoing audiences.
30
Activity C An Introduction to Film Preservation–Why Film Deteriorates
1
Concept
2
Chemical composition and reactions as well as improper storage endanger the life of a film.
3
4
Engage
Share the following information with students about film preservation and restoration.
Films are part of our storytelling history and therefore our artistic heritage. Films are also historical documents. But a
serious problem exists: Of the more than 21,000 feature-length films produced in the United States before 1951, less than
half of them exist today, and 75 percent of all silent films no longer exist.
Ask: What might have happened to these films? Guide discussion to include the following points: Some producer/
filmmakers discarded their films after a time. Other films began to deteriorate over time, especially if they were not
properly stored.
Explain & Explore
Display
Still 1-2: Nitrate Deterioration. Ask students to speculate
about what the image shows. Most will readily identify the reel of film. Draw
their attention to the color and condition of the film as well as the debris on
the surface beneath it. Ask them to speculate what might have happened to
the film to cause that condition. Some may suggest that the film was in a
building that caught fire. Encourage further discussion by asking them what
substances they think photographic film is actually made from and what the
effect of moisture and heat on these substances might have been. In fact, this
particular image shows a chemical reaction. The film stock is made of cellulose nitrate.
Over time, the nitrate deteriorates. The image shows late-stage deterioration. The film is crumbling into powder.
Explain the difference between preservation and restoration of a film. Preservation means stopping the deterioration
of a film. Restoration is returning the film to its original quality, or as close to the original quality as is possible.
Display
Still 1-3: Film Layers to explain in very basic terms how a strip of photographic film is composed of
two layers. Review the following key terms as suggested below.
Bottom Layer
The base of film stock is thick and made of one of three types of plastic.
Early motion-picture film used a plastic called cellulose nitrate. It had a
negative characteristic. It could burst into flames very easily! Acetate is
another type of plastic that has been used in creating film stock. Over
time, acetate decay will occur, especially if the film is exposed to moisture
and/or heat. Polyester is a third type of plastic and has a longer life than
either nitrate-based or acetate-based films.
Top Layer
The top layer is a thin coating of emulsion, a solution usually made with gelatin. When it dries, this solution
will hold, or bind in place, the image material. In black-and-white film, the top layer is made of tiny silver
particles embedded within the emulsion. In color film, the top layer is made of three colors—yellow, cyan
(blue-green), and magenta (red-purple).
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Display
Still 1-4: Film Damage, Example A. This distorted image is from
a film made by Thomas Edison in 1897. The top layer of the film, the emulsion,
has separated from the base layer. Discuss what might have caused the film
layers to separate. Some may suggest that the film might have had water damage.
Others may suggest that given the age of the film material, it might have begun
to break down naturally.
Display and/or distribute
Graphic Organizer 1-8: How Film Becomes Damaged. Review the key points on the
graphic illustration, as suggested below.
Physical Damage
Scratches on the film surface, tears in the film, and water spots are three examples of physical damage. This type
of damage results from improper handling or storage of the film and from machine usage. Often normal usage over
time will cause “wear and tear.”
Biological Damage
Because film used in making a movie often contains a thin layer of gelatin, molds and bacteria as well as insects,
such as cockroaches, silverfish, and beetles, may feed on the film.
Chemical Reactions
The substances that make up a strip of photographic film have certain characteristics that change over time or
under certain conditions. Chemicals give off gases. When these gases mix with moisture, decomposition occurs,
often rapidly. Chemical reactions can cause colors to fade, the gelatin to dry out and become brittle, and the film
to shrink or curl. Controlling humidity and temperature can slow the decomposition process. Other substances
used in film, especially film made prior to 1950, were highly flammable.
Display
Still 1-5: Film Damage, Example B. This image shows damage to
a frame of film caused by a chemical reaction. As the nitrate base breaks down, it
gives off acidic gases that destroy the emulsion. Because the emulsion binds the
image to the base, the image is also destroyed. In this example, the gases are the
cloudiness that seems to swirl over the image.
Display
Still 1-6: Film Damage, Example C. This image is a section of film from A Regiment of Two, a feature
film produced by Vitagraph in 1913. Ask students to suggest what type of damage
this image might illustrate. Clearly, the frame has a hole in it, but ask students what
physical, biological, or chemical reaction might have caused the hole. While some
students might suggest that an insect ate through the film (biological damage), in
fact this damage is caused by a chemical reaction. Remind students that nitrate is
highly flammable. In this instance, it has burned a hole through the film. Share this
information with students:
Prior to 1950, the materials from which early motion pictures were made were so
highly flammable that the combusting reels of film often were blamed for a number of
theater fires in the early decades of the 20th century.
32
Ask: What is the best way to store something that is highly flammable? Guide discussion to focus on using a cool, dry
environment, such as a vault.
1
Close
2
Share with students this important information about the National Film Preservation Board.
3
In 1988, the United States Congress passed the National Film Preservation Act. This act gave authority to the Library of
Congress to form a preservation board with the intention of selecting up to 25 films each year for preservation or restoration.
Among the first films selected for preservation was Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. The library believed that the film was
both historically and culturally important because it provided insight into what America was like in the late 1930s, when
the film was made.
Nominate a Film to the National Film Registry
Want to learn how to nominate a film to the National Film Registry,
so that the film will be preserved for future generations to enjoy?
Go to The Story of Movies Web site, www.storyofmovies.org, and discover
not just what makes a film important enough to be named to the registry,
but also how to nominate a film for consideration.
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4