A new film of Romeo & Juliet

I'm researching Romeo & Juliet trailers and video bits for a lesson (will share 'em later - found some Amazing Stuff!) and tripped over mention of a new film.  I still think Baz Luhrmann's 1996 Romeo + Juliet is fabulous, but this one looks interesting too.  Cast includes True Grit's Hailee Steinfeld as Juliet

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and Douglas Booth (who was in Pillars of the Earth) as Romeo - both young, but probably close to the given ages in Shakespeare's play. 

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Benvolio is played by young Australian actor Kodi Smit-McPhee, from Romulus my Father, Let Me In, The Road. 

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Release date is given as 2012, so don't hold your breath, and the script is by Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park, Downton Abbey).  Director is Carlo Carlei.

More at IMDB here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1645131/

Cheers

Ruth

PS. Luhrmann's film is 16 years old now?  Yikes!

Photos from their respective IMDB profile pages

100 years' footage in 100 seconds

From Getty Images:



Here's the YouTube link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxqG2etM63Y

Short, sharp, and one to share - English teachers, History teachers....

Cheers

Ruth

Trailers for English: the Batman lesson

I've been working all year with the English teacher who has a low-ability Year 9 English class.  All but one boys.  It's an interesting challenge to find material for them, that is within their scope, not patronising, not childish but accessible and attention-grabbing.  We've done a 'film trailer' lesson with them already, using 2012 (which a number had seen, and all thought RUBBISH) and The A-Team.  It worked out well, and they had lots to comment on and discuss in class.

Wanting to cover tone, colour and suchlike with them, we hit on using Batman as our example.  Contrast/compare can really help these kids see the differences and therefore be able to comment on them, and most have some idea of Batman based on the most recent films, so it gives them some secure ground under their feet/confidence to contribute.

Compare the 1960s Adam West/tv series Batman, not afraid of the daylight:

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with more recent versions, usually shown at night, and in FAR cooler gear:

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In showing trailers/clips from each, there's plenty to talk about - use of colour, tone/feeling, the way the stories are being presented, the characters are being presented, how music and voiceover are used.  Lots of obvious details that the kids could pick up on - the suit, the badge, two versions of the Joker etc etc - that could be used for discussion/elaboration.

Here's the list of trailers/clips I compiled for the lesson in the library - some we showed twice.  In their next classroom lesson the teacher has a worksheet prepared for them to work through as a class group, to make notes and discuss what they've seen.

Batman: Trailers and Clips

1960s Batman introduction (TV series)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jgE-lrfZ3k  

1960s Batman shark scene (TV series)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0UJaprpxrk  

1989 Batman film trailer (Tim Burton)

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi850985241/

2005 Batman Begins film trailer (Christopher Nolan)

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi2743468569/

2008 The Dark Knight film trailer (Christopher Nolan)

http://www.trailerspy.com/trailer/170/The-Dark-Knight-Trailer

2008 teaser

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi324468761/

The boys said they'd MUCH rather wear the latest Batman's suit, not the stretchy purple number from the 1960s; but they found Heath Ledger's Joker much scarier than Jack Nicholson's (esp. since some of them recognised Jack from one of his more recent films, a comedy).

They also found the 1960s Batman corny (well it was...); and the two teachers' reaction to the shark clip (labelled Bat Ladder!  Helicopter that requires careful piloting until this inconveniences the plot! the shark! - we had tears of laughter!!) rather funny too.

I've created several lessons for English classes based on film trailers and clips - with YouTube, TeacherTube, direct projectors and computers, it's much easier to do than it once might have been (at the start of my teaching career one of my jobs was setting up the reel to reel film projector for colleagues, films out of big round tins...) and it's engaging for the kids, visual literacy...and fun.  Fun's good for learning.

Cheers

Ruth

PS if you reproduce this blog entry or list anywhere, can you please acknowledge the source?  Thank you.

Graphic Festival in Sydney

GRAPHIC is a new festival focusing on animation and comic-book culture.  Among the featured 'names' are Kevin Clark and Neil Gaiman: meet the mythmakers of the modern world is one of its taglines. 

Read more about it here - it's on in Sydney at the Sydney Opera House this coming weekend 8-9 August 2010. 

Bookings, info, downloadable program etc. here. (Source of the screenshot image above).

One to get out to the manga/anime/graphic/comicbook/Supernovaisoverforanotheryearandmylifeisadesert crew.

Cheers

Ruth

75 vampire books and counting...

The US National Public Radio program, All Things Considered, recently did a program on vampire fiction.  Including a list of seventy five vampire books read by Margot Adler.  Read her article and list, For love of do-good vampires: a bloody book list, or you can listen to it at that link too.  It's an interesting historical analysis of the vampire genre in fiction and on film and television - why they intrigue us, why this genre, constantly reinvented, sustains its appeal.

Not to be picky or nuffink, bu she misses the best one (as I note was pointed out in at least one comment at the end of the article):

Sunshine, by Robin McKinley.  My absolute favourite.  I've blogged about it before, and re-read it every year or two, to savour it again.  Wonderful writing, fabulous world-building, great characters.

From a school library point of view, the list isn't specifically compiled for a teenage audience, so don't assume all the titles are Safe For The Young and instant school-library-adds.  But it's a great resource.

Cheers

Ruth

PS. found the link via the blog at http://www.gailcarriger.com/

GIFSL* 42: : Trailer Time

So if you happen to have a screen, projector and computer available in the library....
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...and your office won't fit all the kids who want to see the trailers you're talking about... (as in, you have an office that ends up looking like a sixties-style-how-many-people-fit-in-my-Mini? plus multiple noses pressed to the glass...) when you're showing a trailer...(as I often do)...
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...why not have a trailerfest one lunchtime?

Here's the list of trailers I showed on Friday, in the second half of lunch (most of which I've mentioned previously on this blog) (and how curious that so many are related to books!):

Sherlock Holmes (books by Arthur Conan Doyle)
http://www.trailerspy.com/trailer/4086/Sherlock-Holmes-Trailer-HD
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Fantastic Mr Fox (book by Roald Dahl)
http://www.trailerspy.com/trailer/4784/Fantastic-Mr-Fox-Trailer-HD
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Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (books by Rick Riordan)

http://www.trailerspy.com/trailer/4628/Percy-Jackson-and-The-Olympians-The-Lightning-Thief-Teaser-Trailer
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Where the Wild Things Are (book by Maurice Sendak)
http://www.trailerspy.com/trailer/4894/Where-the-Wild-Things-Are-Full-Trailer-HD
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Alice in Wonderland (book by Lewis Carroll)

http://www.trailerspy.com/trailer/4697/Alice-in-Wonderland-Teaser-Trailer-HD
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Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant (books by Darren Shan)

http://www.trailerspy.com/trailer/4882/Cirque-du-Freak-The-Vampires-Assistant-Trailer
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Twilight: New Moon (second trailer) (books by Stephenie Meyer)
http://www.trailerspy.com/trailer/5011/The-Twilight-Saga-New-Moon-Trailer--Featurette-HD
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and a mashup: When Buffy [the vampire slayer] met Edward Cullen
http://www.rebelliouspixels.com/2009/buffy-vs-edward-twilight-remixed

Hints'n'tips:

• Have a list with links like this, so you're not hunting for them. 
• Open each link in a new browser tab, wait for each one to load/do its initial buffering, then press the Play arrow and then Pause.  Some won't start loading unless you press Play; you want them started so you don't have to wait while a trailer is buffering.
• Do this setup before lunch or lunch 1 (if you're showing them lunch 2, as I did) so you're ready to roll.
• I thought about popcorn - but wasn't sure if that would end happily for me or the cleaner, and then forgot to buy any in the morning, so this time it didn't happen (microwave popcorn).  (Of course, she says with a mean grin, I could always just zap some microwave popcorn for its sensory/olfactory impact, without actually offering any around...)
• Ratings: the list above generally reflects that I'm in a high school - primary schools may want to pick and choose to suit.  Generally, trailers are PG/suitable for all audiences (even if the final film has a tougher rating) so they can reach as wide an audience as possible.
• There are other teaser trailers and earlier trailers/other trailers for some of these films - I picked the ones I wanted to show.
• Next time I might take requests in advance and show a couple of those (vetting...).
• I did mention to the assembled crowd, while switching from one trailer to the next, the book connections of the trailers.  What cinema doesn't have advertising??
• The sound was up, of necessity: as of course you realise, one MUST comment throughout any trailer to one's friends.
• I'm not aware of any students whose work was disadvantaged by this; if any had needed a quieter section, we would have pointed them in the direction of the senior study upstairs (which has closing doors).  Mostly, our library lunchtimes are busy and not silent (keeping up to 150 kids silent for 50 minutes?  You need more than a credit card for that one - priceless!), but since this was an extra-loud treat, I figured, what the heck!
• Cost?  Nothing, as long as you have the equipment (as an increasing number of libraries do, or to which they have access) and take the time to set it up (and lookee, I had to invent my list and I've given it to you free!).

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If you have any other book-related trailers to suggest, suggest away!  These are almost all on Trailerspy, as this site doesn't usually have fanmade trailers (which are like rabbits to the power of ten on YouTube, even if you try to search to exclude them), and it may be unblocked where YouTube is blocked on some school systems.
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There are a lot of upcoming literary adaptations, though - I was surprised how many. This was another way to show the library as being a 'happening' place where good stuff goes on and it's fun to be.  It would have been impossible before the days of direct projectors or the internet etc - but now, there is fun to be had!  Certainly this also encourages reading of the books - kids will often ask for the book after seeing a trailer.
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Here's how it looked:

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As you can see, the layout of our library (and configuration of the light switches) lets this one area become dark (often useful in class time to focus attention on the big screen).  Before you think, well, MY library doesn't do that...we have a screen/tablet, not an interactive whiteboard, so the screen (electric, an idea I was so grateful to be able to borrow from Rooty Hill HS) is only down when in use (otherwise the back area is out of sight).  Now if I had an interactive whiteboard...hey, isn't that a great billboard opportunity?  We make what we can of what we have.

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The rather recognisable face on the screen is from the Buffy v. Edward mashup.  It was really fun for me to listen to the kids' assorted reactions to the various trailers (and you will see I neatly accommodated both Twilight lovers and Twilight haters!).

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I didn't advertise this madly, as it was a test run.  Numbers grew by word of mouth over a couple of days as I mentioned it to regulars, and grew through the lunchtime.  Next time I'll use the library door noticeboard and maybe email to kids about it (ie. rewarding those who either visit the library or read their school email).  If we have student Sharepoint up by then (it's in the works), I will have a Library section there which I could use too.

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As the kids were leaving the library, my school assistant tells me that lots were talking very happily about this, as being cool and fun and great and good.  Hurrah!  Think I'll keep it as a treat a couple of times a term, though, so it doesn't lose novelty value (and there are enough new trailers to show).  Since many films nowadays have more than one trailer (eg. Twilight had a teaser and two subsequent official trailers) you can use the same film/different trailer to fill out your list.

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What do you think? - do leave a comment!  Could you try this in your library?  (Ask around the school for a a direct projector and a screen you could borrow, if you don't have these or an interactive whiteboard in your library).

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Cheers
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Ruth
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PS.  Since 42 is the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything**...I'm not sure that this GIFSL (am I really up to 42 of them???) is that answer.  But by golly it was fun to do, for the library staff as well as the kids.  Everybody happy!

*GIFSL = Good Ideas For School Libraries
** as is known to readers of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
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Where the Wild Things Are: news and links

Ah, the book that became a film that became a different book.  I've had links on this blog to the teaser trailer and longer trailer of the upcoming Spike Jonze film of Maurice Sendak's book.  Given that the book is a picture book, of limited words, it's hardly surprising that a feature film includes a few more words.  And that therefore, the book that became a film becomes a novelisation, Wild Things, loosely based on the picture book.

This is limited faux-fur edition - there will be an unfuzzy one too.  I learned about this at EW's book blog, Shelf Life here (also the source of the image).  They also have a link to an excerpt from Dave Eggers' novelisation, published by the New Yorker (read it Max At Sea here or click here for all eight pages on a single web page.).  One tiny excerpt:

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So he had a choice. Would he stay behind the curtain and think about things, marinate in his own confusion, or would he put on his white fur suit and howl and scratch and make it known who was boss of this house and of all the world known and unknown?

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I'm looking forward to this film! - and so are many of the kids.

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Read an interview with Dave Eggers in the New Yorker here.

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Here's the film's official site at Warner Bros, where you can find the trailers and this poster:

The film's director, Spike Jonze, has also established a website/blog related to the film, called We Love You So.

Find it here.

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Cheers

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Ruth

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Australia film: Set to Screen Podcasts

As part of the publicity and buzz around Baz Luhrmann's new film, Australia, there's an educational component involving podcasts and creative challenges for students.  To quote from that website:

Learn moviemaking from a master.



Great movies are full of adventure, and Australia, the next film from Oscar-nominated director Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge!, William Shakespeare’s Romeo+Juliet), is no exception. But making a movie is an even bigger adventure—an adventure in creativity—and with the Apple Set to Screen Series, you can be a part of it.

Every few weeks through October, a new podcast episode from Baz and his production team will introduce you to another aspect of moviemaking, starting with on-set still photography, then moving on to costume design, cinematography, scoring, and more. You’ll get insights from the artists at work on Australia, watch them in action, view footage the rest of the world hasn’t seen yet, and follow along as the movie comes together.

Start your journey now.


Subscribe to the Set to Screen Series, and iTunes will automatically download each new episode that’s posted. Once you’ve watched an episode, come back here to check out the notes about the featured member of the production team, and—if there’s a challenge for that episode—get all the details you’ll need to participate.



Image source.

Updates: Black Google and Twilight film

Thanks to a couple of commenters - here's some additional info.

There are apparently a number of versions of black google around, and Cleanblack is one that allows you to play a little with colours.

Twilight film release date: with the Harry Potter film pushed by the distributors from a November 2008 release to a July 2009 release (to be a 'tentpole summer film' or some such - but the fans are squealing as you may well imagine), the distributors of Twilight have jumped into this convenient 'hole' and have moved the US release date for the Twilight film from December to 21 November 2008.  At the moment the Australian release date appears to be the same as it has been thus far, 9 January 2009: but perhaps the HP change will have a knock-on effect here too.  The Internet Movie Database (imdb) page is usually a reliable source of release date info (although it hasn't yet caught up with the Twilight change, it will).  Twilight's imdb page is here, with worldwide release dates.

Twilight teaser trailer #2 (DET accessible site)

There's a second Twilight film teaser trailer...



the link
http://www.trailerspy.com/movie-trailers/view/737/twilight-teaser-2/

This website worked before for DET schools, so fingers crossed...

There's new footage on the front page of the Twilight official movie website too - Edward and James fighting over Bella in the mirrored dance studio.  If you don't find it there, look in the Video Gallery.

If you can access YouTube, here's the film company's official page for video/trailers.
http://www.youtube.com/user/officialtwilightfilm?ob=4


There are a bunch of films coming up for release that have been made from books likely to be found in school libraries; I'll put a list in a future blog entry.

More on the Twilight film

I was amused to find this article from Variety about the Twilight film - and even more amused by the irate and persnickety fandom who corrected the author's misconceptions and errors in the comments below the article. Politely, but definitely. Be careful whose fans you mess with... The author also links to the MTV movies blog, which has several entries about the film.

After Twilight, keep reading.. # I

Here's one answer to the question, I've finished reading the Twilight books, miss, so what can I read now?



James Patterson's Maximum Ride series begins with an intriguing premise: 98% human, 2% bird. It's not hard to find info on the net about the series, and students here have been borrowing the books with enthusiasm.

1. The Angel Experiment


2. School's Out - Forever


3. Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports


4. The Final Warning

and a book five is on the way, apparently. There are also film plans - mentioned in an article from Variety here, scheduled for release in 2010 and 2012 and using 'performance capture' (as found in the film of The Polar Express, for instance).



Book cover image from www.amazon.co.uk

Australia film teaser trailer

I'm sure this film will end up scrutinised as a version of Australian history and a representation of Australian culture. Quite apart from all the people who'll just enjoy it. Baz Luhrmann is a clever, clever director (and Strictly Ballroom is an HSC text, of course).

Here's the first teaser trailer for Australia, which stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman (sourced from the website which seems to be OK for DET computers).



Link for this trailer: http://www.trailerspy.com/movie-trailers/view/611/australia-teaser-trailer/

Here's a fansite dedicated to the film.

Twilight teaser trailer (DET accessible)

The previous embedded trailer was on YouTube, and thus inaccessible through the NSW DET portal.

This trailer is not (currently) blocked, so you can play it for your Twilight enthusiasts. Mine sighed and pined and thought December was a LONG time away....!




link: http://www.trailerspy.com/movie-trailers/view/582/twilight-teaser-trailer

Twilight poster and teaser trailer

Twilight poster from imdb here



and, courtesy of bookshelves of doom a teaser trailer for the film:









YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBvOhfL4mYw

If neither of those work for you, try the links on the imdb site.

More on Twilight

In response to the Time magazine article comparing Meyer to Rowling, here's a blogger commenting with a different perspective.





The film of Twilight is due for release in December 2008 in the US - links, pictures and more at the Internet Movie Database here. (IMDB was the source of thumbnail below, click on the picture to see more).

A silent play, with 450 characters and 27 actors

Amid the mind-boggling array of gadgets and gimmicks drawn to the internet world's attention on Book of Joe, an account of a play that may intrigue drama teachers - or at least prompt useful discussion about what is essential to a play, or drama, or stage performance.

The Hour We Knew Nothing Of Each Other by Peter Handke (at London's National Theatre, February 2008).

A few days ago he also linked to an excellent interview with actor Daniel Day Lewis (related to the premiere of There Will Be Blood for which he has been nominated for Best Actor).

(While these are Usefuls, gee whiz I do chuckle at some of Joe's finds!)