Here is the link to the video Trouble in the Waters:
https://tubitv.com/movies/462757/trouble-the-water?utm_source=google-feed&tracking=google-feed
After you have watched the documentary Trouble the Water,, decide on a brief clipno longer than five minutesthat seems significant to the producers vision in some way. Use time signatures to indicate the exact moment in the film you are analyzing.
To warmup for discussion, review basic recall questions:
o Who are the characters/people involved in the scene?
o What is going on? What is the basic storyline?
o What is the setting? Time period? Physical location?
o What is the point of view? Whose story is this?
o What is the theme/mood?
Close Viewing Protocol
Rationale
Like close reading of text, close viewing of film media is carefully and purposefully viewing and reviewing a film clip in order to focus on what the filmmaker is trying to convey, the choices the filmmaker has made, the role of images, narration, editing, and sound, and what the films purpose might be. Close viewing ensures that students become critical viewers of film content and that they really understand what theyve watched. Skillful close viewing is also an important foundation for helping us develop the ability to justify claims in class discussions and writing assignments with specific evidence. The following sample protocol is meant for use with a short (five- to ten-minute) film or video clip.
Procedure
1. View the Film Clip Together (if possible) in the Zoom meeting space
2. Small Group Focused Viewing Each student will take notes based on only one of the following lenses to focus their viewing of the film. Each lens includes questions to ask oneself.
a. Sound: Focus on the music in the film as well as the sound effects. What do you notice? What stands out to you?
b. Editing: Focus on the way that the interviews, photos, and video are edited together. What choices did the filmmaker make in terms of scenes or parts to show, represent, or emphasize?
c. Images: Focus on the visual experience; do not pay attention to the audio but simply take note of the images that are featured. What do you notice? What choices did the filmmaker make? What is the impact of these choices?
d. Storyline/Historical Facts: How is the story unfolding? What are the objective, historical facts that are portrayed in this film?
e. Human Behavior: How do you see the range of human behavior represented in this film? Where do you see the theme of choices or decision making?
3. Have each group member report on his or her assigned lens and what the member observed. Ask each group member to reflect on the following question: How was your viewing of the film affected by the specific lens through which you viewed it?
4. Debrief
Next, students take turns responding to the questions below.
a. What is the purpose of this film? Is it to teach, entertain, or do something else? How well is it doing this?
b. Who/what is left out of the message?
c. Whose interests are served by telling/showing the message in a particular way?
d. What motivations might the filmmaker have? How are these manifested in the film?
e. What do you already know about the topic? How might your prior knowledge of the topic change how you experience the film?
Adapted from https://www.facinghistory.org/professional-development/ondemand
The Notes Summary
In a statement of between 10-12 sentences, summarize the groups responses to the clip. Begin with a topic sentence that identifies the specific scene being analyzed and then summarize the groups overall critique of the producers use of music, image, editing, story line, and human behavior. (Address only as many as pertinent to the group numberthree group member address only three aspects, for instance.) Include a works cited entry for the documentary.
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