AUTEUR+PROJECT


 * INTRO**

For the director's project, you will become the **expert** in the work of a film director that you like. We will research, analyze, deconstruct, and construct - and watch their films.

Our first step, therefore, is to choose our directors. Here are the rules:

1. No Tarantino. He just remixes other director's work. 2. No Michael Bay. If you need an explanation, please see your guidance counselor about switching classes. 3. No doubling up. There are plenty of directors to go around. 4. Choose someone with a cohesive body of work and an obvious style. For example, James Cameron (//Aliens, Titanic, Avatar)// has made some of the century's most remarkable films, but it would be harder to analyze his style than someone like Jean Jeunet (//Amelie////).//

Here are some (very imperfect) lists of directors to choose from: [|IMDB] [|Metacritic's Best Directors of the 21st Century] [|Guardian] [|AMC]

Since most 'best director' lists tend to be freakishly male and white, you might also want to look at:

Here's a [|pretty good list] that's a little more balanced at IMDB.
 * Spike Lee || John Singleton || Rick Famuyiwa ||
 * Mira Nair || Tran Anh Hung || Chen Kaige ||
 * Maya Deren || Stephen Chow || Zhang Yimou ||
 * Julie Taymor || Wong Kar Wai || Akira Kurosawa ||
 * Jane Campion || Bong Joon-ho || Chan-Wook Park ||
 * Kidlak Tahimik || Satyajit Ray || Juzo Itame ||


 * Sandra || Wong Kar Wai ||
 * Steph || Claire Denis ||
 * James || Stephen Chow ||
 * Michael || Xavier Dolan ||
 * Aaron || Edgar Wright ||
 * Samon || Rick Famuyiwa ||
 * Ji Min || Bong Joon Ho ||
 * Joey || Coen Bros. ||
 * Nicole || Andrei Tarkovski ||


 * PART II (Directions are on the sheet)**



**PART ONE** For your first assignment for the **Auteur's Project** you are to look at how your director's style is evident in **one five minute extract** in the first film that you watch. To begin, find a decent **article** that discusses some of what your director is known for in terms of their **style** and **themes**:

You should find a well researched and scholarly article, you might want to try these sites for research:

[|Film Studies For Free] [|Senses of Cinema] [|Mubi] [|Strictly Film School] [|Cinemafile Archive]

Next, you can present this information in any creative way that you'd prefer as long as the information is clear. You could do the entire assignment on the form below or use it as a guide to create your own response:

//**Example: David Lynch**// //(note: In this example, I pull from multiple scenes and multiple films - we'll be adding to your projects with more examples later).//

**that your director is known for?** || **Example** || //Twin Peaks.//
 * || **What are the stylistic examples**
 * **Cinematography** || Close ups that reveal secrets || •The motorcycle reflected in the crow's eye in

//•//The show push underground that reveals bugs beneath the serene landscape of Lumberton in //Blue Velvet.// || characters and their alter egos meeting as they cross each other's loop.
 * **Editing** || Nonlinear stories || •//Lost Highway// seems to exist as a loop, with

//•//The Black Lodge seems to exist outside of time

in //Twin Peaks.// || low key flickering lighting during scenes of violence. || •Laura Palmer's death in //Twin Peaks// //•//The opening dream sequence of //The Elephant// //Man.// ||
 * **Editing** || Quick Violent Cuts accompanied by
 * **Lighting** || Flickering lights || •In //Twin Peaks// when the dead body

of Laura Palmer is being examined, the broken fluorescent light foreshadows the violent editing and flashing lights that occur onscreen during the flashback to her death. || orchestral scores from Lynch's go to composer. || •//Blue Velvet// //•Twin Peaks// //•Elephant Man// || communicate a dysfunctional and degraded society. || •//Eraserhead// •//Blue Velvet// //•Twin Peaks// || of Bob's victims in //Twin Peaks.// ||
 * **Sound** || Music by Angelo Badalamenti;
 * **Mise-en-scene** || Setting: Industrial backdrops that
 * **Mise-en-scene** || Props || Iconic prop: cut out letters under the fingernails
 * **Performance** || A Strange Song & Dance || •In //Twin Peaks// the 'man from another place'

dances in the Black Lodge to illustrate the surreal nature of the place. This is accompanied both by Lynch's strange use of sound (it is recorded backwards and played forwards) and lighting, which flickers.

• In //Eraserhead// the woman in the radiator sings a sad song and dances as Henry contemplates his fate.

//•//The singer in //Mulholland Drive// seems to trigger a response in Betty and Rita that transform them into two entirely different people.

//Other examples://

FBI Agent Flo dances to communicate about a supernatural disturbance in //Fire Walk with Me.// || films tend to have evil alter-egos, or simply other versions of themselves that contrast their outward personalities. || •Laura's secret life literally contrasts her mainstream 'prom queen' personality in //Twin// //Peaks//. •Bob in //Twin Peaks// seems to represent a doppleganger of whoever he chooses to inhabit. • Every actor in //Mulholland Drive// plays two versions of their character with different personalities. •Bob turns into someone entirely different in//Lost// //Highway//. ||
 * **Theme** || Dopplegangers: Characters in many