Procedure:
Ask students which scenes they have selected to dramatize. Break students up according to the scene they have selected and have each group dramatize the scene for the class.
Then explain to students that they were asked to dramatize the scene so they could begin thinking about imagery, characterization, dialogue and staging which are all elements they will be utilizing while viewing Crash.
Introduce Crash (Explain that director Paul Haggis also wrote the film)
Play the first five minutes of Crash with the television facing away from the students, so that the students hear the audio but do not yet see the scene. Students should pay close attention to the sounds they hear and the language being spoken. While listening to the scene students will note what time of day they think the scene takes place, what is occuring in the scene, who are the characters as well as the ethnicity of the characters. We will review responses as a class. Then replay the scene for the students. Are the characters who they expected them to be? Did the students pick up on the sterotypes mentioned in the dialogue? Were they surprised by anything, images, colors, shots/camera angles?
For homework have students visit the Crash website and then select experience the film. Students should complete the "experience" exercise and then post a reaction on the forum link of the website. In the reaction students should address the following questions: What type of images were created through the "experience"? Which words did they select to describe each scene? Did the images created through the experience alter their perception of the scene previewed in the "experience"?
Also visit the IFC website and take a look at the multimedia glossary. Find the definitions for the following terms:
-Camera angle
-Close up, extreme close up, medium close up
-Establishing Shot
-Long Shot, extreme long shot, medium long shot
-Panning
-Point of View Shot
-Reaction Shot
-Reverse angle shot
-Zooming
Note: Students will be assessed on all assignments included in the Unit Plan. Assessment will be done based on creativity, organization, development and understanding of task, and understanding of the process.
