ENG 3U Summative Project

1 ENG 3U Summative Project: Dystopian Novel -- Film Interpretation (Including Written, Creative, and Oral Elements)

You will assume the role of a film director and come up with a detailed cinematic vision for a film version of the dystopian novel you have read. Successful, insightful completion of the three summative components outlined on pages 2, 3, and 4 will (hypothetically) result in you securing unlimited studio funding for your proposed film and, hopefully, an excellent summative mark based upon the ENG 3U Summative Rubric.

RECOMMENDED READING STRATEGIES:

If you have never read a true dystopian novel before, take care!!! You cannot read it as you would an ordinary novel. If you read simply for plot and character interaction, you will be disturbed by the dystopian world you see, but may miss the author’s point. True dystopian novels must be read more for ‘the world’ they present, and not so much for the characters. The reader must continually have an eye towards the author’s comments on society. Let the characters ‘show you their world’; you should come away with much deeper insights and reflections about ‘your own world’, and the societal implications of negative trends.

NOTE: Keeping the questions below in mind may help you stay alert for important thematic aspects of your text, above and beyond the superficial details of plot and character:  Who’s telling the story? Why that narrator instead of someone else?

 What is the setting (time, place, atmosphere)? Is this important, or could the novel occur anywhere?

 What aspects of the social order are utopian or ‘ideal’ (if any) and which are dystopian or ‘negative’?

 Are there any ‘rebels’ in your novel who oppose society? What are they rebelling against and why?

 What messages or main themes are emerging in the novel? How are these being conveyed?

 At various stages of your reading, what predictions might you make about the probable outcome of the novel? What surprising twists upset your predictions?  What similarities or parallels are there between the fictional world of the novel and our world (i.e. recent past, present, or near future)?  How ‘realistic’ is the novel? How does the presence or absence of realism help to convey the author’s message(s)?

Here is a list (in no particular order) of noteworthy aspects of dystopian societies that can be found in varying combinations in the texts on our list. These aspects form the basis of each author’s ‘warnings’ to readers because we recognize their negative implications for humanity:  Types or degree of control  Governance and social structure  Role of OR misuse of technology  Values perverted  Loss of rights  Abuse of punishment  Gender issues  Family structures undermined  Valuing human life VS dehumanization  Relationship strictures  Use (or misuse) of education  Genetic engineering 2  Propaganda  Religious persecution or extremism  Conditioning / brainwashing  Environmental damage COMPONENT # 1 – ‘FILM PROPOSAL’ – three written pieces of 500± words each – plus visual(s)

(Due Friday, April 13 th – Hard Copies of Text & Visual(s) AND Text via Turnitin.com ):

Under the following three headings, convey the preliminary details of your directorial vision for your chosen novel. Demonstrate insightful analysis for each decision you make, being sure to provide clear support through relevant references to specific details of the text.

PART A: Overall Vision [500± words]

REMEMBER: Dystopian novels are meant to warn, disturb, enrage, and sometimes even terrify the reader in order to elicit deeper insights and reflections about the ‘real world’ (past, present, and/or future). Based on your close reading of the novel:

 What key dystopian themes (or ‘lessons’) will shape your overall directorial vision in your film version?

 Explain how these themes are conveyed in the novel AND how they will be conveyed in your film, by providing insightful analysis and relevant supporting narrative details regarding plot and characters.

 Conclude with links a modern-day viewing audience might make to ‘real world’ situations (rooted in the recent historical past and / or evident somewhere in the world at present and /or as possible trends in the future).

PART B: Cast List [500± words & optional visual(s)]

 Come up with a selection of actors who will portray your key central and secondary characters.

 Provide a detailed description of each character’s psychological and physical characteristics based on the information in the novel, and supplemented by any additions or revisions you envision in your film.

 Explain why you believe your chosen actor (or ‘actor-type’) is well-suited to each particular role (this may include, but is not restricted to, insightful comments on their relevant previous film roles).

PART C: Setting [visual(s) AND 500± words]

 Create one or more visual(s) to depict the major scene location(s) where the action of your film takes place. These can be hand-drawn, crafted three-dimensionally, computer-generated, etc.

 The visual(s) must be accompanied by detailed point-form explanations of why you picture the location(s) this way and how these depictions will help convey your overall vision.

 Keep in mind added elements of setting and cinematography such as: props, use of sets VS natural landscapes VS CGI (computer generated images), colour palette, lighting choices, etc.

 If you are setting your film in a time period or location different from what is depicted in the novel, explain why you are doing so and how this change will help convey your vision. 3 ______

COMPONENT # 2 -‘SCENE SELECTION’- written piece of 800-1,000 words (Due Monday, April 30 th – Hard Copy AND via Turnitin.com):

 Choose a portion from your novel that clearly demonstrates your selected theme at work AND would serve as a critical scene in your film, and briefly describe the situation in terms of plot and character.

 Explain what techniques you, as a film director, would use to convey the dominant mood or atmosphere of the scene. Describe in detail your decisions based on a good selection of the following elements, providing clear reasons for each choice you have made. Feel free to format your piece with headings.

Music / Sound Effects Setting Lighting Editing Colour Palette & Vibrancy Focus (soft / sharp) Costumes Props Dialogue Blocking (Action) Special Effects (CGI) Make-Up Volume (dialogue / music / sound) Stunts Split Screen Juxtaposition

Camera Angles: High-angle / Eye-level / Flat shot / Low-angle Camera Distance: Extreme close-up / Close-up / Medium shot / Long shot / Point-of-view shot Camera Movement: Pan / Follow / Zoom in / Zoom out / Dolly-shot / Hand-held camera Camera Transitions: Dissolve / Fade-in / Fade-out / Jump Cut

OPTIONAL: If you have chosen to use an existing piece of music, feel free to name the piece and describe its atmospheric qualities and/or lyrics in this written piece. If you wish, during your actual presentation you may include a brief music or sound clip to help convey this dominant mood or atmosphere. This could be an existing clip, or one you have created. ______

COMPONENT # 3 – Oral Presentations of 10-12 minutes INCLUDING a ‘ Bring it to Life’ Creative Piece (All students ready for Monday May 14th)

You are now going to present your ‘vision’ to a gathering of ‘movie producers’ (your classmates and teacher). You must do your best to ‘sell’ your ideas and convince them to invest in your film. Find a creative or engaging way to present the information in Components #1 and #2 to the producers. You must BE VERY SELECTIVE about what you say. If you did a good job on the written process work, you will have far more material than you’ll have time to present, so insert only the most important details in the 10 – 12 minutes you have been allotted. NOTE: Suggested time limits are included after each presentation component below:

1. To give the producers a context for what you will say, you need to begin with an extremely BRIEF OVERVIEW of the dystopian society your novel presents – do NOT get off track or lost in myriad plot details! (1.5-2 minutes maximum)

2. What key dystopian themes (or ‘lessons’) will shape your overall directorial vision in your film version? (1 minute)

3. Conclude with links a modern-day viewing audience might make to ‘real world’ situations. These ‘real world’ links can be rooted in the recent historical past and / or evident somewhere in the world at present and /or as possible trends in the future. (1.5-2 minutes maximum)

4. If you included any visuals with your ‘Cast List’, these MAY be used as you BRIEFLY EXPLAIN your casting decisions AND BRIEFLY EXPLAIN the ‘Setting Visual(s’) you have already created. (1.5-2 minutes maximum)

5. Provide a BRIEF OVERVIEW of the directorial decisions you made in order to achieve a particular mood or atmosphere in your ‘Scene Selection’ (Component # 2). (1.5-2 minutes maximum) 4 6. Close your presentation be presenting or performing your “Bring It to Life” option (Component # 3) (3-5 minutes). *** See next page for details of “Bring It to Life” options *** “Bring It to Life” Options for ENG 3U Summative Presentations

Choose ONE of the following options to create for the final 3 – 5 minutes of your presentation. NOTE: This is the most heavily weighted component of the oral mark.

Bring It to Life Option #1 Write a one and a half page monologue/soliloquy (single-spaced) for one of your major characters wherein the character is experiencing and/or reacting to conflict. You will present this monologue, in character, to the class, and explain the creative decisions you made both in the script and in the performance.

Bring It to Life Option #2 Create a detailed video montage of the key locations for your film. Your montage should include sketches/visuals of each setting and run in the order that the scenes will appear in your production. Think of this as a diorama ‘in action’ and be prepared to explain your creative decisions.

Bring It to Life Option #3 Create a storyboard for your film. Your storyboard should include a detailed collection of ten key moments from your film in the order in which they will occur. You will take us through the creative process and provide a rationale for each frame.

Bring It to Life Option #4 Create an adapted dialogue-based script for your scene. You will present this scene live or filmed (using volunteer actors which may include yourself, unless you wish to serve solely as director), and explain the creative decisions you made both in the script and in directing the performances.

Bring It to Life Option #5 Create an animated video representation of your scene and take us through the creative process. Provide a rationale that includes what your animated film conveys with reference to your novel.