Film Studies:
“Directors as Auteurs”Project
Objective: Students will be able understand what the criteria is for a director to be considered an auteur, according to Truffaut and Sarris’ auteur theory and criticism. Students will research and present their findings in an extensive, informative Power Point Presentation.
Resources to consult:
- filmsite.org
- imdb.com
Slide Order / Content / Visual
Introductory Slide /
- Students’ names and period
- Director’s name
Biographical Slide(s) /
- State the facts: where and when he was born, what did he study, what were his early interests, etc. formatted in brief bullet points (NO LESS THAN 4, NO MORE THAN 7)
- Trivia knowledge: research interesting little known facts and interesting details about the director in brief bullet points
- Slide(s) should include images of the director.
- Slides should NOT include no more than 25 words per slide.
Filmography /
- Timeline of quintessential movies from your director’s career. (Suggestion: Look for the most popular, high rated movies.) NO LESS THAN 5, NO MORE THAN 10
- Auteury Theory in 3 films: Focus on three great films by your director (or two great films, and one in which your director was executive producer). Content must include the following:
- First Film:
-Plot synopsis
- Auteur theory: How does the director view the world in this movie? How is his vision reflected?
-Videoclip that supports the director’s vision
- Second Film
-Plot synopsis
- Auteur theory: How does the director view the world in this movie? How is his vision reflected?
-Video clip that supports the director’s vision
- Third Film
-Plot synopsis
- Auteur theory: How does the director view the world in this movie? How is his vision reflected?
-Video clip that supports the director’s vision /
- Slides should be organized in chronological order. Movie titleson timeline should match with a movie poster image and a date/year.
- 3 films should be on separate slides and include brief bullet points. NO MORE THAN 45-50 WORDS PER SLIDE + hyperlink video clip.
Director’s Vision /
- Summarized characteristics of the director’s films in brief bullet points. Identify the compelling vision and style characterizations that make this director’s films unique. (What are the signature story and visual qualities of this director? Certain Themes? Certain genres? Did a certain actor work in a number of this director’s films? Did this director also write scripts? Film novel adaptations or original stories? Legacy and influence on other directors?)
- Images of mentioned characteristics of the director’s films.
Bibliography /
- Include sources/ works consulted.
Rubric
Score / Level of mastery / Criteria3.40-4.00 / Advanced / Includes all the outlined information (Biography, filmography, and bibliography) in the Power Point
Presentation is clear, well prepared, visually appealing, and timely.
Minor spelling or grammar mistakes.
Student completed required research and demonstrated to be an expert in the assigned director and director’s style.
2.70 – 3.39 / Proficient / Includes most of the outlined information (Biography, filmography, and bibliography) in the Power Point
Presentation is clear and seems well-prepared. May be submitted/ or presented late. Seems somewhat organized and visually appealing.
Some spelling or grammar mistakes.
Student seems somewhat of an expert, and research is not fully completed.
2.00 – 2.69 / Basic / Includes partial information outlined by teacher (Biography, filmography, and bibliography) in the Power Point
Student did not do sufficient research; seems a bit unprepared, and is shows lack of knowledge about research
Several spelling or grammar mistakes.
Presentation is not completely organized, nor visually appealing. Student presented really late.
1.99 and Below / Below
Far Below Basic / Includes minimal information required in Power Point.
Student did minimal research or did not complete Power Point.
Too many spelling or grammar mistakes.
Student didn’t present on time or at all.
Presentation is unprepared, disorganized, and visually unappealing.