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Lesson Plan

Was Stanley Kubrick an auteur?

Objectives: 

 

  1. Students will understand the definition of what makes a director an auteur.

  2. Students will analyze and learn about film techniques that Kubrick popularized and used throughout his filmography.

  3. Students will identify Kubrick's distinctive style and how he fits the definition of an auteur.

 

Lesson Section 1:

 

  1. What is an auteur? Source: (“Film 101”) and Source: (“Film”). - 4 min

Q: What is an auteur? 

  1. The definition of an auteur

    1. A director who is a master of their craft, and is technically proficient in all areas of filmmaking.

Q: What Makes an Auteur Different From Other Directors?

  1. An auteur director exercises control over all aspects of their films to such a high level of involvement that a distinctive style can be recognized across all of their films.

  1. History of the auteur 

    1. History of the word

      1. The word’s usage in connection with film dates back to the 1930s in France within legal disputes over artistic property rights

    2. The auteur theory

      1. The “auteur theory,” was developed in the 1950s by French film theorists, claims that the director deserves the credit for a film

    3. François Truffaut and the “concept of the auteur”

      1. Director François Truffaut is often credited for developing the “concept of the auteur”

      2.  Argued that better films were made by auteurs as they possessed a “more unique, personal vision.”

 

Lesson Section 2: 

 

  1. Who was Stanley Kubrick? Source: (Wallenfeldt and Barson). - 1 min

    1. A brief bio on Kubrick

      1. Director from The Bronx born on July 26, 1928

      2. Had an early career as a photographer, slowly moved up the “Hollywood ladder” 

      3. The critical and significant box office success of 2001: A Space Odyssey in 1968, enabled Kubrick the freedom and control to make any movie he wanted

      4. Throughout his near half-a-century long career, he only made 13 feature-length films

      5. Died on March 7, 1999

 

Lesson Section 3:

 

  1. What Makes Kubrick an Auteur? Source: (Wallenfeldt and Barson). - 2 min

    1. Directing Style

      1. While Kubrick never made the same film twice, all of his films possess his unmistakable directing style which mainly consists of:

        1. A unique visual aesthetic 

        2. Tedious attention to detail

        3. Picturesque shot framing and composition

        4. Ironic/ pessimistic perspectives

        5. Ironic, Pessimistic, and Dark Themes and Tones

      2. Kubrick possessed total control over the writing, editing, and photographing process of all of his films

      3. Overly controlling and perfectionist directing style made him notorious for being difficult to work with

 

Lesson Section 4:

 

  1. Kubrick’s Signature Techniques  Sources: (Nguyen). and (“Art of the Frame”). - 5 min

    1. Show pictures + videos of some of his signature techniques. 

Q: What Do you Notice About These Images?

  1. One point perspective/ symmetry

    1. Kubrick uses one-point perspective to provoke a feeling of uneasiness as the viewer is essentially trapped, locked into focusing on the middle point of the frame. 

Q: What Do you Notice About This Clip?

  1. Tracking Shots

    1. In order to maintain symmetry, Kubrick often used tracking shots to showcase the movement of his characters, from the left, right, front, and back.

Q: What Do you Notice About This Clip?

  1. Kubrick Zoom

    1. Kubrick often employed zoom-ins and zoom-outs to add movement to his shots while maintaining a relentless focus on his characters.

    2. Zoom-outs: to display a vastness of scale

    3. Zoom-ins: to build tension, often used in combination with the “Kubrick Stare” 

 

 

Lesson Section 5:

 

  1. Game: Kubrick or Not Kubrick - 8 min

    1. Show clips from both Kubrick movies and non-Kubrick movies

    2. Ask all members of the class to answer either Kubrick or Not Kubrick

    3. This game will help the students visualize and identify Kubrick’s distinctive style as an auteur

 

Materials: 

 

  • Pictures and Videos from Stanley Kubrick films

  • Meterstick

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