Movies/Television

Movies/Television

On any given day, thousands of people around the world go to the movies. Millions and millions of people watch television! Motion pictures and television programs are capable of stirring deep emotons in viewers--fear, sorrow, happiness, etc. In this way, the art of movie making and television production can be considered to rank with other art forms that also evoke strong emotion like literature and painting and theatre.

Movies and television programs are products of the imaginations of many individuals from screenwriters to producers to directors to actor, editors, and special effects artists.

The effect that movies and television has on popular culture is considerable, and their visual record can have a powerful influence on our minds and imaginations.

Sample some of the following activities to learn more about movies and television.

Places To Go | People To See | Things To Do | Bibliography

Places To Go

The following are places to go (some real and some virtual) to find out about motion pictures.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Go to the Academy Awards! Find out which films won the award for best picture since 1928. There is more to the Academy that an annual awards program. There are ongoing efforts in film preservation, a move to develop educational programs for future filmmakers, and a body of reference and resource materials for motion pictures.

Oscar.Com
Visit the Acadamy Awards again! This site is called "The Official Academy Awards Site". You can visit each of the 72 previous film and best actor/actress award winners. You can view a poster of each best film winner and find out what is in and out of style. There is also a fun trivia section.

Sesame Workshop
Visit Sesame Street. Is there any place more imaginative? The Children's Television Workshop site has stories, games, activities, printables, and more. Give Mr. Rogers equal time, although Daniel Striped Tiger can't hold a candle to Kermit.

TvParty
Revisit your favorite TV program from your childhood. This site is dedicated to the preservation of old television shows and commercials.

Cinema
Travel to Hollywood and find out how movies are made from screenwriting to directing to producing to acting to editing.

Wendy's Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Travel to the Land of Oz. The book was written by L. Frank Baum over 100 years ago! The movie is a classic that has become part of the collective imagination of the U.S.

Visit your school or public library and pick up Special Effects in Film and Television by Jake Hamilton. It was a nominee for the Utah Children's Informational Book Award for 1999-2000. Discover how Steven Spielberg created the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, how Jim Carrey's eyes were made to pop out in The Mask, and how they staged the spectacular arrival of the alien spaceships in Independence Day.

People To See

Howdy Doody Show
Get to know Howdy Doody. Years before Kermit and Ernie puppets debuted, Howdy Doody, a wooden puppet, entertained young people. His friends were Buffalo Bob, Princess Summerfall Winterspring, and Dilly Dally. You can learn about the show, the characters, and the cast members.

Lassie
Make the acquaintance of movie and television animal stars--Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, Flipper, Benji, Flicka, and others. It took 48 different pigs used to create the role of Babe in Babe the Gallant Pig. The reason for this is that pigs grow very fast and making films takes a very long time. So it was necessary to have many pigs to play the role of Babe.

Charlie Chaplin
Meet Charlie Chaplin. He is considered one of the greatest comic geniuses of all times.

Things To Do

American Movie Classics
Watch actual films from the 1940s and 1950s.

Like Television
At this site, you can view streaming movies, music videos, short films, classic television, comedy, sports, news, and weather.

The Greatest Films
Check out the 200 best Hollywood and American classic films.

Nickelodean
Vintage TV shows! Have students discuss how Gilligan's Island and the Brady Bunch are different from today's sitcoms. This Nicelodean site has a nice section that teaches kids how to be safe on the internet.

Motion Picture Industry : Behind the Scenes
Learn about the world of film-making.

Elizabeth's Classic Movie Homepage
Learn about the classic age of Hollywood and see why stars such as Clark Gable and Judy Garland were so popular.

Disney Online
Learn about Disney studios.

Internet Movie Database
Enjoy this online resource for movies. It has reference material stretching all the way back to 1892. You can find plot summaries and cast and crew credits for zillions of movies.

Bibliography

Durston, Marie. They Make Movies, Don't They? Chicago : Houghton Miffin, 1997.
Hitzeroth, Deborah. Movies : The World on Film. San Diego : Lucent Books, 1991.
Howe, Dylan. American Television Classics. New York : Montero Books, 1998.