Lights, Camera, History!: Film Studies

A journey through the evolution of cinema for students ages 12+. From the silent slapstick of Chaplin to the sharp wit of Billy Wilder, the suspense of Hitchcock, the samurai epics of Kurosawa, the thrilling blockbuster adventures of Spielberg, and the painterly wonder of Studio Ghibli, students will learn to watch films actively — paying attention to how directors, actors, writers, and editors make us feel what we feel. Along the way, we'll explore how movies both reflect and shape the world around them, building a shared vocabulary for talking about one of the most influential art forms of the last century.

We'll watch clips of films together in class, pausing to dig into the moments that matter. Between sessions, students will respond to what we've seen through short writing exercises — reflections, scene breakdowns, screenplay transcriptions, director's-chair pitches, and other creative prompts designed to get them thinking like filmmakers rather than just viewers. The goal isn't traditional homework but a steady habit of looking closer and putting visuals into words. No prior film knowledge required — just curiosity and a willingness to engage.

Trimester 1 (11 weeks): Silent Era through the Golden Age

The birth of cinema through the height of the studio system. Students learn the visual grammar of film, meet the first movie stars, and see how Hollywood became Hollywood.

Chaplin — The Kid (1921) or City Lights (1931), plus a short or two
The transition to sound — Singin' in the Rain (1952) as a film about this moment
The Western — High Noon (1952) or Stagecoach (1939)
Capra and American idealism — Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) or It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
The Golden Age capstone — Casablanca (1942)
End the trimester with comedy — Some Like It Hot (1959) as a bridge into the looser, more daring films of the next era
(If too much to get through we'll move one to next term)

Trimester 2 (10 weeks): Postwar through the Auteur Era

The studio system cracks open. International voices arrive. Directors become stars. Students learn to recognize a filmmaker's signature.

Hitchcock — Rear Window, Psycho, (1954) or North by Northwest (1959)
Kurosawa — Yojimbo (1961) or Seven Samurai (1954, if you have the appetite for length)
A 60s shift film — To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
The blockbuster is born — Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Trimester 3 (10 weeks): The Modern Era

The 80s onward — the medium expands. Independent voices, the animation renaissance, contemporary touchstones. Students apply everything they've learned to films closer to their own time.

An 80s touchstone — Back to the Future (1985) or The Princess Bride (1987)
Pixar — The Incredibles (2004), Ratatouille (2007),
Ghibli — Spirited Away (2001) or My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Contemporary masterpiece — Jurassic Park (1993)
Student-choice finale — students pitch and vote on a final film, present on why it matters

Assignment will include:

Writing-as-watching exercises

Screenplay transcription — pick a scene (1–2 minutes), write it as a screenplay. Forces them to notice action vs. dialogue, what the camera is doing, how performance fills the white space.
Shot-by-shot breakdown — pick a 30-second sequence, list every cut. How many shots? How long is each? What changes?
Rewrite a scene — take a scene and rewrite the dialogue, or move it to a different setting, or tell it from another character's perspective.

Response writing

The moment that landed — pick one moment from the film (a cut, a line, a look, a piece of music) and write a paragraph on why it worked.
What I'd ask the director — three questions you'd ask if you could, with a guess at the answer.
Defend the villain — write the antagonist's case for what they did. Great for Casablanca, Hitchcock, even Jurassic Park (Hammond? The lawyer?).

Creative pitches

Pitch the sequel/prequel — one page on what happens next or what came before.
Recast it — who plays these roles today, and why? Forces them to think about what an actor brings.
The trailer — write the voiceover and shot list for a 90-second trailer of a film we watched.

Comparative

Two films, one idea — compare how two films we've watched handle the same thing (a hero's choice, a chase scene, a romance).
Then and now — pair an old film with a modern one and write on what changed.

Supervised By Staff

Supervised Recess!