From "Viewing the Films: Not Whether or Not, But How?" by William McCauley. California English (Spring 2000).
Film and Media viewing long ago surpassed reading as student's primary method of reading their world. Students are enthusiastic viewers and it is "the both an obligation and an opportunity of teacher's to help students see filmed versions of literary texts as different interpretations " of a written text. Even non text based films can be used to great effect when taught in tandem with literary texts that share similar themes. By comparison and guided and informed discussion students will come to a greater appreciation of both and non print texts. Film also allows teachers the opportunity to encourage performance, creative thinking in multiple modes of expression: musical, visual and kinesthetic (dance or pantomine), which leads to more engaged students using more of their talents. New York State and National standards both stress the importance of teaching from both print and non print texts.
McCauley believes it is better to show the film before the book because to fo so turns the students into passive viewers. "Our goal is to turn them into ciritical observers. Their goal should be to interpret the film. . . to practice the skills they have mastered in analyzing literary texts" and it also prepares them for the verbal learning questions that are turning up on standardized tests.
By expaining that film consists of codes, images and messages, just as a literary work does, we as teachers can provide them with tools that will serve them well in any kind of semiotic analysis . . ."
"One way to prepare students for watching films is to point out the similarities or connections between literary and filmic devices. Symbolism and setting, for example, two trusted aspects of the literary text, can be compared to color and lighting in the film. Just as descriptions of darkness in a text can have symbolic import, the director's choice to film a scene in muted darkness can communicate the same mood.
Other filmic devices that have parallels in literary text are fade-outs and cuts. Students are usually quite unsettled when we point out to them that a fade-out or a cut to another scene is, in reality, an extremely unrealistic occurrence. They have become so adept at understanding the meaning of such devices (change of locale, passing of time) that they never question them. By making them more aware of these moments, we are asking them to become more aware of the narrative structure of the film, just as a written narrative is divided into chapters and scenes. Point of view, another important literary device, can be effectively compared to camera angle and camera distance. Most students have seen so many films that they can intuitively interpret the use of camera manipulation. Our job is to lead them toward a conscious understanding of how the camera steers their vision and their perception of a particular scene, just as the author's use of point of view situates us to see things from a particular vantage point."
Suggestions:
1. Provide pre-screening guides of cinematic and literary terms.
3. Provide a movie review so students are a bit more free to observe techniques. Students may be asked to make predictions.
2. Form groups with given viewing tasks to focus on. And don't forget to use the literary techniques.
3. Show the movie as together as possible, don't let a weekend or holiday interrupt.
4. When discussing the film, encourage students to use the terms they learned: panning, etc.
5. If following up with a book, be sure to explore the differences and the possible reasons for the changes.