1. ‘The Artist’ LO: Develop understanding of independent film by scanning texts for important information

2. The Artist – a case study Watch the trailer Why do you think the film was so successful? – A compellingly love told story with well developed characters – A daring choice when 3D and special effects are so common – this is a real USP – which means the story has no hiding place! – It honours film-making (and so appeals to judges of the Oscars!) – http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500185_162- 57335380/harvey-weinstein-on-why-he-risked-the- artist/ http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500185_162- 57335380/harvey-weinstein-on-why-he-risked-the- artist/

3. The Artist – a case study The Artist is a 2011 French romantic comedy-drama film in the style of a black- and-white silent film The film was written and directed by Michel Hazanavicius The film was produced by La Petite Reine and ARP Sélection for $15m and grossed $133m The story takes place in Hollywood, between 1927 and 1932, and focuses on the relationship of an older silent film star and a rising young actress as silent cinema falls out of fashion and is replaced by the "talkies” The Artist received strongly positive reviews from critics and won many accolades: – Dujardin won the Best Actor Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, where the film premiered. – The film was nominated for six Golden Globes, the most of any 2011 film, and won three: Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Original Score, and Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Dujardin. – In January 2012, the film was nominated for twelve BAFTAs, also the most of any film from 2011, and won seven, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Hazanavicius, and Best Actor for Dujardin. – It was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won five, including Best Picture, Best Director for Hazanavicius, and Best Actor for Dujardin, who was the first French actor ever to win for Best Actor. It was the first French film to ever win Best Picture, and the first mainly silent film to win since 1927's Wings and Sunrise won best picture awards at the 1st Academy Awards in 1929. It was the first black-and-white film to win since 1993's Schindler's List.

4. “It is loving toward the past, but ultimately embraces the future and the movement toward ever-newer and more sophisticated technological achievements. It is cool and artsy, and appeals to the desire of Hollywood to feel at once relevant and mainstream but also unique and enlightened” If you had to explain what this quote meant to someone who knew nothing about the film, what would you say?

5. Independent film research Analyse the trailer of your film so that you can show it and talk about it to the class. You should use this analysis to help you tell us: – Important background information about the film (e.g. studio, actors, plot etc.) – How you know it was successful – Why you think it was successful

6. Independent film research Films for you to choose from: – Donny Darko (2001) – Halloween (1978) – The Blair Witch Project (1999) – The Terminator (1984) – Memento (2000) – Reservoir Dogs (1992)