Storytelling around the Globe

Objectives

One of the major objectives of this unit involves the student development of increased sensitivity towards other cultures and a better understanding of others and their storytelling traditions through the use of film and movie posters. Films can serve as a window into the lives of others from other countries. This will include the students' understanding of point of view. If students can understand others' viewpoints in literature, films and art, then they should hopefully be able to communicate better with others.

Students will understand the purposes for the existence of movie posters and trailers. Author and movie poster collector Tony Nourman writes, "Originally designed to attract attention and create desire, film posters were the principle way of telling people what was showing at their local cinema. Today, the imagery of the film poster has come to be known as 'key art.' It is expected to unlock, in perhaps sixty seconds or less, the heart of the film, while at the same time generating enough interest to open the public's wallet."² Another author and collector, Miles Barton, writes, "The idea, to get people through the theater doors, was plain and simple enough. The poster was the key promotional item produced by a studio in a broad advertising campaign to sell tickets. Ephemeral products, they were meant only to have a life as long as the movie they heralded."³ That part, however, has changed. Nourmand writes, "Today, as artifacts of an earlier period, movie posters are viewed in a different light. They are being collected by more and more people... The unique effect that comes from merging illustrations, lettering, layout and color to create a 'movie-at-a-glance' image interests graphic designers.rs."⁴ This understanding is essential for the students to proceed in this unit. Movie trailers serve the same purpose as movie posters. They are meant to entice viewers to see the films they represent.

Students will employ a working vocabulary of film terms when discussing the meanings and symbolism in the film trailers. These terms will include but not be limited to editing, flashbacks, flash forwards, focus, genres, story or plot, scene and sequence, shot, décor, lighting, hinge functions, space, costumes, acting, and transitions. Interestingly enough, some of these terms such as rhythm, space, and light are used in both films and art and sometimes may be very similar in meaning. For example, early films (before the advent of color) were exclusively shot in black and white. When art students learn color theory and study painting, they often paint a study in black and white employing a tonal range of grays that fall between the two. Like the color symbolism in films, color usage in the visual arts conveys different connotations plus each color also has various meanings. Among other things, red can symbolize blood, anger, love or even the heat control on your car dashboard. White in some western cultures symbolizes purity, goodness and cleanliness and is frequently the color of wedding dresses. In China, white symbolizes death and is not the choice for traditional Chinese wedding garb. In China, red is associated with happiness and good fortune. In Jan Van Eyck's Renaissance wedding painting "The Marriage of Giovanni Arnolfini," the bride's green dress is usually interpreted as the representation of the green earth and fertility. Students will develop a better understanding of color symbolism both in films and art as we progress through the unit. By the time that they create their posters, they should understand how their use of color will be yet another effective tool for them to use to direct (or manipulate) the viewer's emotional responses.

Students should understand and be able to effectively use the elements of art and the principles of design. The elements can be compared to building blocks for the creation of art. Printed on the CollegeBoard AP poster is, "Design involves purposeful decision-making about using the elements and principles of art in an integrated way... The principles of design (unity/variety, balance, emphasis, contrast, rhythm, repetition, proportion/scale, and figure/ground relationship) can be articulated through the visual elements (line, shape, color, value, texture, space).."⁵ Artist and writer Laura Chapman writes this more common definition of the elements as "The visual "tools" artists use to create art. The elements (categories) include color, value, line, shape, form, texture and space."⁶ She explains the principles as being "Guidelines that help artists to create designs and control how viewers are likely to react to images. Balance, contrast, proportion, pattern, rhythm, emphasis, unity, and variety are examples of principles of design."⁷ After discussing the differences in the descriptions, students will better understand the discrepancies and realize that all are valid considerations.

Students are expected to understand basic poster terms including some basic sizes and collectors' terms. Barton explains poster sizes from "Six-sheett (81 by 81 inches). Extremely large style often used on billboards and at main city movie theatres. Folded and issued in four separate parts. Three-sheet (41 by 81 inches))" down through "One-sheet (27 by 41 inches) The most popular standard issue used in movie theaters and therefore more plentifully printed and certainly the most keenly sought size by collectors. Until more recent times, these were always folded for distribution and as such it is virtually impossible to find any pre-1950s poster without such folds.s."⁸ He also described other posters but I do not want to overwhelm the students with an excess of terms. To know that these classifications exist is sufficient. Barton discusses the condition of posters in his book and refers to a poster that is in mint condition as "Mint. A superb example with strong colors, no defects or faults other than that associated with its original distribution, such as folding."⁹ His other categories include near mint, fine, very good, good, fair and then ends with poor which he describes as "Poor. A hideous example! Usually extensive paper loss, staining, and tears, damage basically extensive all over and restoration desperately needed if a rare item."¹⁰

The students particularly need to understand what Barton describes as "Styles. Some posters are mentioned as being of a particular style code. This is due to the studios often releasing alternative designs to advertise the same movie in the same poster format. Some styles are more collectible than others..."¹¹ Students will realize that many poster campaigns contain multiple styles as they start viewing and analyzing the posters. For example, I will show the movie posters for Into the West and ask them to comment on them. I feel that this film is a good choice because one of the posters is such a poor example that most of the students should be able to select it as the worst of the styles on the site. Its use of black and white is boring rather than striking, the abundance of text overwhelms the viewer and the image is lackluster. The other posters feature different styles but are not much better. One features the boys on the rearing horse that is reminiscent of the Wild West but it does not share the mystical quality of the film. Another featuring the white horse looks mystical but does not reveal much of the story. If one of the students does not suggest that the title in the trailer would make a great poster, then I will prompt the class. In the trailer, the letters "Into the West" appear on the predominantly rich blue evening sky and curve around as the horse runs by the sea. Now that would make a striking poster!

Before analyzing posters, the students will watch the entire film Into the West. We will discuss the themes of binary oppositions such as sea versus city, the modern world versus the old world, British versus Irish, TV versus campfire storytelling and horse versus helicopter. The horse's role will be discussed as the mender of the broken family as will be the parts that the characters play and the title's meaning. The students will be asked how an effective poster might reflect the core of the film. As the students watch trailers throughout the unit, they will be asked to watch for a key scene or image that they think will summarize the film or capture the essence for a movie poster. This will be a moment in the story that graphically gives the feeling for the whole story. They should also be alert for how two key images can be combined together to create an improved illustration. An outstanding example of this combining of crucial images is the King of Masks poster. In it, on the lower left, is an image of the beaming grandfather illusionist holding a happy Doggie, his adopted child. They are superimposed over a huge striking image of a mask on the right. The mask is drenched in colors that transition from brilliant red at the top to blues and grays.

The students will watch the trailer for the Irish tale The Secret of Roan Inish. The discussion that will follow will include the mood, tone, what they perceive to be the plot from the short bit they view, the use of graphics and images, and how compelling the trailer is in its mission to get them to see the film. They will be asked if they think that the trailer captures the essence of the film. How will they know if it does? I will fill in the plot for them after they pick out events in time, characters, main elements and any other striking observations. The next strategy would be the comparison of the trailers for Into the West and The Secret of Roan Inish. The trailers for both films capture the essence of the stories but the posters for the latter are stronger. They will also compare the posters for both films.

The importance of thumbnail sketches in developing ideas to create a poster that clearly communicates an idea will be stressed. Students are encouraged to become good problem solvers and explore multiple solutions to a design challenge. In this case, the challenge will be to design an effective movie poster. At least two of the thumbnails should be of designs in which the design elements are broken down into simplified, abstract images.

Students will combine all previously learned material about storytelling, the tone and essence of a film as captured in movie trailers with what they know about creating effective film posters into the culminating poster project. After seeing demonstrations and experimenting with different media, students will select the media that will work most effectively for the creation of their individual posters. Thoughtful, careful selection of media, materials and techniques will be stressed. Another objective is for students to accomplish this with the safe, responsible, non-wasteful use of these materials.

The students will be able to effectively describe, analyze, evaluate, and judge films and trailers and their own thumbnail sketches and posters and those of their peers. Evaluating and sharing ideas on the progress of the posters through critiques is an effective tool for the improvement of the posters.

Students will understand the elements of storytelling, narratology, narrative forms and functions. Students will understand the differing storytelling traditions of various countries, including the role of the griot in the oral traditions of African cultures. They should also understand that restrictions and censorship have been imposed for a variety of reasons including religious reasons on some filmmaking communities such as those in Iran and that politics can play an important part in others such as Cuba.

These objectives are aligned with the six Delaware State Art Standards which in turn reflect the National Art Standards. They are listed in the appendix.