The JRFF Academic Program
I had two goals for the Jordan Raddick Film Festival: to bring my friends together, and to celebrate film as a creative art form. JRFF I and II succeeded spectacularly in bringing my friends together, and I'm sure that JRFF III will be a similar success. So, I'd like to focus attention on my other goal - to encourage festivalgoers to think about the creative and technical process involved in making a movie.
Here's how the process will work:
First, watch any of the movies at JRFF III. Then answer one or more of the questions below. "Film 101" asks you to evaluate any film you see, and the ten "Challenge" questions ask you to think about one or more movies in detail. By answering either type of question, you earn credits toward a degree in film festivology from the Jordan Raddick Fictitious University.
By "answering" a question, I mean discussing the question with me or one of my festival co-hosts. Just give a quick verbal response. There are no right or wrong answers - as long as you put some thought into your responses, we'll give you the academic credit. Seriously - these questions are supposed to be fun, not work. I'll keep track of which questions you've answered, and will hand out official, suitable-for-framing JRFF Academic Degrees after the Festival.
Hopefully the Academic Program will spark some interesting discussions on film as art. If it's as fun as I expect it to be, it will return for JRFF IV.
On to the questions!
Film 101:
101) After watching any film at JRFF III, evaluate it. What were its strengths and weaknesses? Be sure to discuss both narrative elements (plot, character, setting, etc.) and filmic elements (camera, lighting, editing, etc.).
Challenge Questions:
1) The Seventh Seal was created as a serious movie - so why do we find it so funny? Could it be due to a difference between American and European audiences?
Could it be due to the passage of time since the movie was filmed in 1957?
2) Compare the depiction of homosexuality in But I'm a Cheerleader and
Strangers on a Train. How are they similar and different? What do the
differences suggest about how society changed between 1951 and 1999?
3) In Strangers on a Train, the character Bruno is portrayed as gay. But in 1950's Hollywood, even
saying he words "gay" and "homosexual" onscreen was forbidden. Since no one explicitly acknowledges that Bruno is gay, why is it
so clear in the movie? Think about the plot, Bruno's relationships with other characters, and the camera angles.
[Note: I wrote a paper on this very question for a film theory class in college.
If you ask really really nicely, I might show it to you.]
4) In Rashomon, what is the significance of the multiple perspectives
on the same event? Have you seen any other movies that use similar multiple
perspectives? How can this be related to eyewitness testimony in court?
5) In The Iron Giant and Lilo and Stitch, can you tell which scenes were hand-drawn and which were computer-generated? How?
6) Compare and contrast images of masculinity in (pick any two):
But I'm a Cheerleader, Soylent Green, A Clockwork Orange,
Election, Spider-Man. What does the "ideal man" act like? How do the films' characters fit or depart from the ideal?
7) Several films at this festival are science fiction:
Minority Report, Star Trek II, Soylent Green, The Iron
Giant, Lilo and Stitch, A Clockwork Orange, and La Jetee. Others have major science fiction elements:
Spider-Man, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Discuss the challenges of presenting science fiction on screen. How can science fiction
movies be made more convincing?
8) La Jetee was the inspiration for the film
12 Monkeys. If you have seen 12 Monkeys, what similarities and differences do you see between the two films? If not, how would you go about making a feature-length version of
La Jetee?
9) Of all the films shown at JRFF III, Spider-Man was the most successful financially, grossing over $800 million worldwide. Why do you think it was so successful?
10) Are Office Space and Election funny? Why or why not? What does this say about the educational and entertainment value of so-called "black comedies"? Can you think of other particularly good black comedies? What makes them good?
You can earn one of seven degrees for answering the Film 101 and Challenge
Questions. Here they are:
Certificate: Film 101
Degree: Film 101 + Any Challenge question
Degree with Honors: Film 101 + Any 2 Challenge questions
Degree, Magna Cum Laude: Any 4 questions, including Film 101 and
Challenge
Masters' Degree: Any 6 questions, including Film 101 and Challenge
PhD: Any 8 questions, including Film 101 and Challenge
PhD, Summa Cum Laude with High Honors and Mad Props: Film 101 + All 10
Challenge questions
I'll track which degree you earn, and I'll send you your degree after the festival. Have fun!