Sherlock+Holmes+Video+Clip+Assign.

media type="youtube" key="I0hXhGt5XPg" height="385" width="480" Original Movie Trailer

media type="youtube" key="fTetL3wENeY" height="405" width="483" Guy Ritchie and Robert Downey Jr. discuss the movie.



media type="youtube" key="uaxdGr3DyU4" height="385" width="480" Teaser for the 1968 film A Study in Scarlet

media type="youtube" key="OjEUNLtXmyU" height="385" width="480" Scene from 1946 film Dressed to Kill


 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/ArthurConanDoyle_AStudyInScarlet_annual.jpg align="left"]] || [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e0/Sherlock_holmes_ver5.jpg]] ||

Now that you have read some of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s //Sherlock Holmes// short stories, seen the movie trailer for the 2010 film, and brainstormed with your groups, it’s time to write.

Take one of the topic questions you discussed in your small groups and develop an essay. Refer to the wiki for the movie trailer and other Sherlock Holmes resources. As a reminder the questions we have looked at include:

a. In what ways does the movie attempt to transmit the British culture? b. In what ways does it seem the film has modified the book narrative in order to entertain the viewer? c. Do the changes made to the original Sherlock Holmes concept improve upon or distract from Sir Conrad’s original vision for the detective and his sidekick Watson? d. What are some of the themes you are able to identify in the movie trailer and why might those have been chosen as the focus? e. Take another character from literature that we have already discussed and explain what changes you would make to the original text when turning the narrative into a movie.

We will work on this first draft for the remainder of class. Please complete the first draft tonight so that we may workshop during tomorrow’s class and begin working on our final essay. You will then have two days to complete the essay and the final version will be due in class on Friday. Your final essay should be 2-3 pages, have a clear topic, and be well organized. I am less concerned with the structure and length as long as you clearly explain and defend your topic. I will give more individualized feedback on structure and organization when I review your first draft.

This assignment will count as one test grade and will be comprised of 4 separate components. Group Discussion participation – 10% First Draft - 35% Workshop participation - 10% Final Essay - 45%


 * Teacher Resource Below*******

This lesson is intended for a high school British Literature course. The class would look at the video clip after reading and working with some of Sir Conrad’s //Sherlock Holmes// short stories. This lesson is based around standards ELABLRL2 and ELA12LSV2, and specifically teaches to media and visual literacy. The goal is to increase critical thinking skills in these areas.

This video clip was chosen because it is related directly to the subject matter that we have been reading, and it is relevant to students and today’s culture. It is important for students to be able to quantify the value of the entertainment. Students should be able to analyze the media, compare the two forms of text, and think critically about any additional appeal that the newest film version appears to have. They should understand that almost everything they consume is a text that needs to be analyzed and evaluated. Some of the essential questions the assignment addresses include the following. Are texts contextual? Are they informed by the culture/time period in which they are written or in which they are read? How are we affected by media in our relation to literature? When thinking of the intellectual value of this work, students will learn how to anlayze media, film, and pictures as text, comparing and contrasting each, increasing their ability to think critically. This assignment matters beyond the classroom because students need to be able to analyze what they are seeing all around them, and be fluent in media literacy in order to successfully navigate the world. They need to understand that text is more than words on a page to accurately decipher the hundreds of messages they are bombarded with each and every day.

Begin discussion by asking about the book: What is the tone? Is it exciting? Suspenseful? Romantic? Funny? Edgy? Then, show them the video clip: What is the point of a movie trailer? What do you notice first about the video? London: look of town, costumes, time period is evident. What is the tone of the clip? What emotions does it convey or inspire? What makes it funny, exciting, engaging? What draws you in? What is the style of cinematography? How is the color scheme stylized? Compare and contrast book jacket and movie poster on wiki. Use this to show colors and tone of movie. What effect is the director trying to achieve with the colors? What parts of the culture of London at the time are evoked by the poster and/or the trailer? What effect is the director trying to achieve with the soundtrack? Watch interview with Robert Downey Jr. and Guy Ritchie. What changes were made by the director according to the interview? How do you think these add or take away from the Sherlock Holmes you know from the stories you’ve read? How was it made contemporary? Do you feel that this is necessary for today’s audience, or for you? Compared with the other two clips—the 1968 trailer and 1946 movie clip—why do you feel that the newest movie trailer is or is not most appealing? How are they different? Are there ways that they are similar? What kind of audience is the 2009 trailer aiming to induce to see this movie? What does it imply about its audience? Having read the stories and seen the trailer (and the movie, perhaps), how do you think the two are different or similar? How does the movie trailer change how you see Sherlock Holmes and the life he leads? How has our contemporary culture informed the making of this movie, and does it add to or take away, do you think, from Doyle’s original vision?

There are possible challenges in this project. For one, not every student has internet access at home, and half of this assignment is based upon a computer resource. They may not be able to refer to the wiki at home and therefore do not have the advantage that other students have. Also, some students may have seen the movie before they read the stories, which may inform their reading before the comparison. If they read the book and picture Robert Downey, Jr. as Sherlock Holmes, the comparison may not have the desired effect. It is important to stress the way the trailer is created and its desired effect, not just how it is different from the books.