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Telling Stories with FilmText Overview

We will view a series of feature films and film clips and read a collection of supporting texts on film analysis. The titles, directors, authors, and locations of these films and texts are indicated in the Unit Text List. Unit Readers are available through Open Up Resources.

Core

  • Unit Reader
    • “Attributes and Aptitudes,” excerpt from The Power of Film, Howard Suber, Michael Wiese Productions, 2006
    • “Flick Chicks: A Guide to Women in the Movies,” excerpt from “Is Everyone Hanging Out without Me? (And Other Concerns),” Mindy Kaling, Crown Archetype, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, 2011
  • Multimedia
    • Blackfish, Gabriella Cowperthwaite, Magnolia Pictures, 2013
    • Excerpts from Hidden Figures, Theodore Melfi, Fox 2000 Pictures, 2016
    • Excerpts from Rushmore, Wes Anderson, Buena Vista Pictures, 1998
    • Excerpts from The Hate U Give, George Tillman, Jr., Fox 2000 Pictures, 2018
  • Digital Access
    • “Character Arc” from “Pixar in a Box: The Art of Storytelling,” Pixar Animation Studios, Khan Academy, 2017
    • “Disney Plus Adds Disclaimer about Racist Movie Stereotypes,” Mae Anderson, Associated Press, November 14, 2019
    • “Hidden Figures Is a Groundbreaking Book. But the Film? Not so Much,” Marie Hicks, The Guardian, 2017
    • “‘Hidden Figures’ Review: Three Women Make History in Inspirational Space-Race Drama,” Peter Travers, Rolling Stone, 2016
    • “How Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Was Animated,” Sony Insider, YouTube, 2020
    • “Internal vs. External Features” from “Pixar in a Box: The Art of Storytelling,” Pixar Animation Studios, Khan Academy, 2017
    • “Introduction to Storytelling” from “Pixar in a Box: The Art of Storytelling,” Pixar Animation Studios, Khan Academy, 2017
    • “Obstacles” from “Pixar in a Box: The Art of Storytelling,” Pixar Animation Studios, Khan Academy, 2017
    • “Review: ‘Hidden Figures’ Honors 3 Black Women Who Helped NASA Soar,” A. O. Scott, The New York Times, 2016
    • “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse — Movie Review,” Chris Stuckmann, YouTube, 2018
    • “Stakes” from “Pixar in a Box: The Art of Storytelling,” Pixar Animation Studios, Khan Academy, 2017
    • “Story Spine” from “Pixar in a Box: The Art of Storytelling,” Pixar Animation Studios, Khan Academy, 2017
    • “Theme” from “Pixar in a Box: The Art of Storytelling,” Pixar Animation Studios, Khan Academy, 2017
    • “Theodore Melfi: Hidden Figures,” The Movie Times, YouTube, 2016
    • “Wants vs. Needs” from “Pixar in a Box: The Art of Storytelling,” Pixar Animation Studios, Khan Academy, 2017
    • “What Sets the Smart Heroines of Hidden Figures Apart,” Leneka Cruz, The Atlantic, 2017
    • “What if...” from “Pixar in a Box: The Art of Storytelling,” Pixar Animation Studios, Khan Academy, 2017
    • “Your Favorite Stories” from “Pixar in a Box: The Art of Storytelling,” Pixar Animation Studios, Khan Academy, 2017

Optional

  • Unit Reader
    • “Hello, Hitchcock: Replicating Angles to Enhance Your Videos,” Laci Texter, SproutVideo, 2015
    • “Want to Measure a Film’s Diversity? Try ‘The DuVernay Test’,” Victoria Massey, Vox Media, LLC, 2016
  • Multimedia
    • Half the Picture, Amy Adrion, Gravitas Ventures, 2018
    • Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman, Sony Pictures, 2018
  • Digital Access
    • “Act 1” from “Pixar in a Box: The Art of Storytelling,” Pixar Animation Studios, Khan Academy, 2017
    • “Act 2” from “Pixar in a Box: The Art of Storytelling,” Pixar Animation Studios, Khan Academy, 2017
    • “Act 3” from “Pixar in a Box: The Art of Storytelling,” Pixar Animation Studios, Khan Academy, 2017
    • “Film Grammar” from “Pixar in a Box: The Art of Storytelling,” Pixar Animation Studios, Khan Academy, 2017
    • “‘Hidden Figures’ Is a Subtle and Powerful Work of Counter-History,” Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 2016
    • “Pitching” from “Pixar in a Box: The Art of Storytelling,” Pixar Animation Studios, Khan Academy, 2017
    • “Review: ‘The Hate U Give’,” Jessica Kiang, Variety, 2018

Text Icons

The following text icons are used in the Text pages:

Unit Reader Unit Reader Texts

Digital Access Digital Access Texts

Tradebook Tradebook Texts

Multimedia Multimedia Texts

To find digital access texts on the Internet, complete the following steps:

  1. Locate the reference information for the text (text title, author, date of publication, and publisher) found on the Text page for a unit, section, or lesson.

  2. Highlight and copy the reference information.

  3. Paste the information into a search engine.

  4. The text will appear as one of the first search results.

  5. Verify the result by comparing the reference information on the website to the information on the Text page.