The Art of the Fiction Film (Kist)

I am incredibly interested in using film in the classroom. However, I do not want to use film like it was used when I was in school. The predictable pattern some teachers use is to have students read a material, watch a movie on the work and then take a test over the material. During the film most students would absentmindedly stare at the screen and daydream. This method of 'teaching' does not teach anything. What if film in the classroom raised ideas about "deeper issues about literacy, contrasting media, and the purposes of art" (Costanzo 3)? Films are appealing to students. Films may even be more appealing than books to students. Teachers should use that in their favor. I like the activity we did in class. Students can take note of lighting, color, framing, motion, sound, transitions, acting and other things. It was interesting to me when Costanzo noted that movies are a "new rendering of a story, to be appreciated on its own terms" (Costanzo 15). I often don't think of books turned into movies in that way. I usually compare and contrast the two and decide which one I like better. Doing this subtracts from the art of film!


Recently I saw a film by Sufjan Stevens called The BQE. Stevens displays the Brooklyn Queens Expressway as art in the film. He records footage of driving the BQE as well as what one might see around the expressway. He then artfully edited it together. He also composed an album that serves as the background music to the video footage.

 

Above is a photo of Sufjan Stevens filming The BQE.

The film was then projected above an orchestra as they played the music that Stevens composed. Below are a couple photos of the live performance.

Viewing this film deepened how I feel about film as art. Stevens included his notes during filming in the CD sleeve. Seeing music, film, and writing come together to form one piece helped me understand how different each art form is. The profound writing about the concept of hula hoops and the automobile deepened my experience while watching the film. It made me dig deeper than I would have had I not read his notes. The images in the film displayed the limitations that writing has and evoked deep thoughts and emotions. The music also invaded my senses and evoked emotion. I think it was important for me to experience this because it showed me what film can do in the classroom. Students can use the actual writing to understand the text but if he or she connects the writing to images and music his or her understanding of the work deepens. I'd like to have a classroom that dives deep into material and I think film can help me achieve that goal.