Lesson Plan
Was Stanley Kubrick an auteur?
Objectives:
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Students will understand the definition of what makes a director an auteur.
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Students will analyze and learn about film techniques that Kubrick popularized and used throughout his filmography.
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Students will identify Kubrick's distinctive style and how he fits the definition of an auteur.
Lesson Section 1:
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What is an auteur? Source: (“Film 101”) and Source: (“Film”). - 4 min
Q: What is an auteur?
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The definition of an auteur
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A director who is a master of their craft, and is technically proficient in all areas of filmmaking.
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Q: What Makes an Auteur Different From Other Directors?
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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.
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History of the auteur
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History of the word
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The word’s usage in connection with film dates back to the 1930s in France within legal disputes over artistic property rights
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The auteur theory
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The “auteur theory,” was developed in the 1950s by French film theorists, claims that the director deserves the credit for a film
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François Truffaut and the “concept of the auteur”
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Director François Truffaut is often credited for developing the “concept of the auteur”
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Argued that better films were made by auteurs as they possessed a “more unique, personal vision.”
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Lesson Section 2:
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Who was Stanley Kubrick? Source: (Wallenfeldt and Barson). - 1 min
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A brief bio on Kubrick
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Director from The Bronx born on July 26, 1928
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Had an early career as a photographer, slowly moved up the “Hollywood ladder”
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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
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Throughout his near half-a-century long career, he only made 13 feature-length films
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Died on March 7, 1999
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Lesson Section 3:
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What Makes Kubrick an Auteur? Source: (Wallenfeldt and Barson). - 2 min
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Directing Style
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While Kubrick never made the same film twice, all of his films possess his unmistakable directing style which mainly consists of:
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A unique visual aesthetic
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Tedious attention to detail
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Picturesque shot framing and composition
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Ironic/ pessimistic perspectives
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Ironic, Pessimistic, and Dark Themes and Tones
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Kubrick possessed total control over the writing, editing, and photographing process of all of his films
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Overly controlling and perfectionist directing style made him notorious for being difficult to work with
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Lesson Section 4:
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Kubrick’s Signature Techniques Sources: (Nguyen). and (“Art of the Frame”). - 5 min
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Show pictures + videos of some of his signature techniques.
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Q: What Do you Notice About These Images?
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One point perspective/ symmetry
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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.
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Q: What Do you Notice About This Clip?
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Tracking Shots
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In order to maintain symmetry, Kubrick often used tracking shots to showcase the movement of his characters, from the left, right, front, and back.
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Q: What Do you Notice About This Clip?
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Kubrick Zoom
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Kubrick often employed zoom-ins and zoom-outs to add movement to his shots while maintaining a relentless focus on his characters.
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Zoom-outs: to display a vastness of scale
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Zoom-ins: to build tension, often used in combination with the “Kubrick Stare”
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Lesson Section 5:
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Game: Kubrick or Not Kubrick - 8 min
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Show clips from both Kubrick movies and non-Kubrick movies
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Ask all members of the class to answer either Kubrick or Not Kubrick
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This game will help the students visualize and identify Kubrick’s distinctive style as an auteur
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Materials:
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Pictures and Videos from Stanley Kubrick films
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Meterstick
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