“Film Pitch”
WHAT’S ON FOR TODAY AND WHY:
Today, students will be creating a pitch which will lead them into eventually creating a script and then their final film assignment. Students will be given a hand out of their final project and then ideas and examples on what a film pitch is. The benefit of writing a film pitch is that it gets the students thinking and evaluating what they would like to incorporate into their movie. As a class we will also generate a rubric on how this final project will be graded, I will warn students that this will be counted as a test grade, so they must show me that they have dedicated time, energy, and ideas into creating a unique and original film. Creating a rubric together as a class is beneficial because it allows students to view how they will be evaluated and gives them the opportunity to know what is expected of them.
WHAT TO DO:
Students will discuss the final assignment. I will also explain to the students that this project will be counted as a test grade, so they should put in a lot of effort and time into making this project something that they will be proud of. The teacher will explain to the students how the themes we have explored throughout the unit should inspire them. They should pick one of them, and film something creative and unique. I will also hand out a partially blank rubric to the students and together we will generate some criteria on how this project will be graded.
I will first hand out copies of my film pitch and introduce students on what it is and how it should be written. Students will then be asked to write a film pitch individually. Once they have come up with some ideas on their own, they will be asked to sit in their groups of five and share it with the rest of the group members. The students will then be required to pick the idea and the theme they all would like to explore and work on. Then as a group, the students will produce one final pitch. The students will have the opportunity to take this pitch home, make final adjustments, and then sent to me via googledocs (which I will explain to students how to use). They will be required to use googledocs for homework among their group members. So that each individual student may add or delete items that they do not feel fit in properly and accurately.
HOW DID IT GO?
Did the students have fun writing and discussing their film treatments? Did the students put quality effort into their project and were conscious of their work? Were the students eager to use and explore googledocs? Were the students able to produce clear and fitting criteria for the rubric?
Final Project – Creating a Film
Congratulations! You’ve reached the end of the book. Throughout the novel, we have been discussing some reoccurring themes. You have noticed that the characters face the loss of a family member and learn how to cope with grief. You have explored the theme of coming of age, and of valuing and fostering family relationships. Right in front of your eyes, characters have developed and matured. Now it is your turn to show me how this book has inspired you. Your job is to make a film that is five minutes or less, and that explores one of the themes mentioned above; show me what you have learned from this novel. You will be writing, filming, and editing your very own film. This project will be due in two weeks, on Monday. We will view all your films in class. Consider this assignment as a substitute for a final exam.
You will have five members in each group. Each member must decide to take on two roles from the following list: Cameraperson, Actor, Video Editor, and Writer. So if you really want to get in front of the camera and act, make sure that you also help out the group in another way (maybe by writing part of the film treatment). No one should be left doing all of the work!
Make sure your film includes the following:
- Five minutes or less in length
- Features narrator voiceover
- Highlights and mentions one of the themes that were explored throughout the novel
-Background music that conveys the same mood as the novel
- Credits the author, title, actors, director, writer, editor, and cameraperson at the end.
Remember to post your film on Youtube!
Sample Film Pitch inspired by Hemingway's A Very Short Story
Then the light dims and re-opens on Luz's life. She is in NYC with 2 other girlfriends eating lunch, at an outside cafe, on a beautiful sunny day. Cabs are honking, people rushing past. She's an independent, stylish, and confident young woman (23 yrs. old) who is clearly enjoying herself. They start talking about how one of their friends got engaged and then the subject of first love comes up. Luz shares her story about Nick (how when she went away to college, she just started to feel as if their views were clashing all the time, arguing about everything, not seeing each other all the time, she eventually went to study abroad in Italy, which really tore them up) and her friends ask if she ever thinks of him. She tells the story of thinking France she was in love with him, but what did she know about love when she was so young. However, it was in Rome, where she left her heart. She talks about Thibaut (the French boy) and how he was so different than American ones. As she's thinking and talking about him, the camera will show a picture of an attratice foreigner infront of something French like a cafe or something similar that we can find online, maybe google images? She gives detail to how differently he treated her and how they just had the "spark." She looks down at her ring finger while talking about Michealangelo and is saddened by her thoughts/discussion. She felt bad for Nick, but she really knew that they weren't going to make it as a couple because of their differences. College changed too many things about her and she has not talked to him since she wrote him the letter revealing there had been someone else. (Sweetest Goodby- Marron5)---Flash back to Nick.
He his still looking at the picture
of Luz and after a few minutes, throws it down and gets out his cell phone. He
calls another girl and asks if she wants to come over. The scene ends with him
turing on his tv and laying on the couch while watching the travel channel???
(kind of reiterates the fact that she has matured and developed, seen the
world, lives and learns, where he is kind of stuck in the same routine? he USED
to be the popular guy in school that every girl wanted to date, but now he is
not going anywhere in life, kind of stuck in his ways??) RUBRIC
FOR THE FILM
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Pacing |
The pace (rhythm and voice punctuation) fits the story line and helps the audience really "get into" the story. |
Occasionally speaks too fast or too slowly for the story line. The pacing (rhythm and voice punctuation) is relatively engaging for the audience. |
Tries to use pacing (rhythm and voice punctuation), but it is often noticeable that the pacing does not fit the story line. Audience is not consistently engaged. |
No attempt to match the pace of the storytelling to the story line or the audience. |
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Use of Music |
Music stirs a rich emotional response that matches the story line well. |
Music stirs a rich emotional response that somewhat matches the story line. |
Music is ok, and not distracting, but it does not add much to the story. |
Music is distracting, inappropriate, OR was not used. |
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