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title: Silent Film Workshop Resource Document

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<h1>Silent Film Workshop Resource Document</h1>

<p><strong>Location:</strong> Learning Lab, Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard</p>

<p><strong>Course:</strong> SLAVIC191 - Silent Film</p>

<h2>Workshop Overview:</h2>

<p>Welcome to the Learning Lab. This workshop is designed to immerse you in the world of silent films, a unique period in cinematic history where the art of storytelling was expressed purely through visuals. We will be focusing on three main components of silent films: lighting, set design, and holistic analysis. The films we will be analyzing are two classics of the silent era, 'The Passion of Joan of Arc' and 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.' </p>

![alt text](https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T0HTW3H0V-F0617A3PZAL/20231010_slavic_stills_clips_forgif-001_360.gif?pub_secret=7faa24d215)

<h2>Workshop Structure:</h2>

<h3>1. Station One: Lighting and Storytelling</h3>
<p>In this station, we will delve into the world of 'The Passion of Joan of Arc.' This film is renowned for its dramatic use of lighting and camera angles, which were used to convey the emotional depth of the characters and the power dynamics within the story. We will explore how these techniques can be used to tell a story in a series of shots, a technique that was being developed in the early years of cinema. This hands-on experience will provide a deeper understanding of the innovative storytelling techniques of the silent era.</p>

![alt text](https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T0HTW3H0V-F060JBNEDM0/20231010_ja1.jpg?pub_secret=48aabe314f)

<h3>2. Station Two: Set Design</h3>
<p>This station will focus on 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,' a film that is famous for its surreal and distorted set designs. These designs, which often featured crooked and irregular shapes, were used to create a dreamlike and unsettling atmosphere. Participants will have the opportunity to recreate some of these unique set designs and inhabit them, providing a firsthand experience of how set design can influence the mood and tone of a film.</p>

![alt text](https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T0HTW3H0V-F0603QMD4NT/20231010_scared_marlon.jpg?pub_secret=2c3c932784)

<h3>3. Station Three: Holistic Analysis</h3>
<p>At this station, participants will engage in a holistic analysis of the films. This will involve reflecting on the films, arguing interpretations, analyzing the techniques used, and narrating the story. Participants will articulate what's going on in the films and the shots that their comrades are creating. This will be done in the form of intertitles or title cards, a key storytelling device in silent films.</p>

![alt text](https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T0HTW3H0V-F0617BTJMDW/20231010_facial_expressions.jpg?pub_secret=a583fea247)

<h2>Workshop Flow:</h2>

* ![alt text](https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T0HTW3H0V-F060JATHJCB/20231010_main_table_group1.jpg?pub_secret=f7da97f646)

<p>Participants will be divided into three groups. Each group will start at a different station and rotate from station to station. At the end of the workshop, we will cut together the scenes created at each station into a silent film about silent films, which will be sent back to the class.</p>

<p><strong>Group One:</strong><br>
Start at Station Three with Anna and analyze some of the film. Come up with some of the title cards for what everyone else is doing.</p>

<p><strong>Group Two:</strong><br>
Start at Station One with Casey. Recreate the Joan of Arc close-ups and act out the scene.</p>

<p><strong>Group Three:</strong><br>
Start at Station Two. Construct the sets from 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' and act in them.</p>

<p>Remember, this workshop is about exploration and creativity. Silent films were a time of experimentation and innovation, and we encourage you to embrace this spirit. Don't be afraid to experiment with different techniques and ideas. We look forward to seeing what you create.</p>

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## Creations: 

* Station One: 
    * ![alt text](https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T0HTW3H0V-F060JBJM3CK/20231010_ja2.jpg?pub_secret=a4fdf5aa09)
    * ![alt text](https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T0HTW3H0V-F060JEU3283/bw1.jpg?pub_secret=6e2d12f542)
* Station Two: 
    * ![alt text](https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T0HTW3H0V-F060FL5SAQM/greenscreen8.jpg?pub_secret=b63ec0dcf5)
    * ![alt text](https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T0HTW3H0V-F0617DMEUGG/20231010_green_screen1.jpg?pub_secret=20092fa67a)
    * ![alt text](https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T0HTW3H0V-F060J9J6MC3/20231010_crazy_expression_1.jpg?pub_secret=3771480fea)
* Station Three: 
    * ![alt text](https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T0HTW3H0V-F0617L61FS4/silent_film_title_card_2.gif?pub_secret=26f4950648)
    * ![alt text](https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T0HTW3H0V-F060JJF4F0A/silent_film_title_card__2_..gif?pub_secret=7bd53b14ac)
    * ![alt text](https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T0HTW3H0V-F060FMVEHUM/silent_film_title_card__4_..gif?pub_secret=b3bb09033b)
    * ![alt text](https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T0HTW3H0V-F060JKC8ALS/silent.gif?pub_secret=0ffba622e0)
    * ![alt text](https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T0HTW3H0V-F060M3S2QS0/silent_film_title_card__3_..gif?pub_secret=ff4cb59daa)

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GAI Creations: 

* Group One, Station Three 
    * Transcript: 
        * "Okay, well I'm Hannah. I'm Osher. I'm Rachel. And we are looking at some individual frames from Joan of Arc and what they say about the techniques behind them. I was focusing on this very close-up shot of one of the clergyman's lips. Okay. And the focus on, instead of his entire character, instead on his speech and the effect, the very harrowing effect that that had on Joan, the following shots focus on her reaction, and we've talked a little bit more about close-ups. But I, I mean, full facial close-ups, but here it's focusing on a singular part of the face and what that says about what we're focusing on. And in this instance, it's the speech. Throughout the film, not just with regards to Joan and the clergyman, but also the clergyman and the soldier, angles, dramatic angles, enhance power structures in the film. We look down upon Joan. We look up to the clergy that has the power to condemn her to death, to torture. And even in the chain of command, we have the soldier looking up to the clergyman because even though he's above Joan, he's below the clergy, and the angles just reinforce the power structure that we already see within the film. Yeah, to build off that, I was also looking at scenes where you can see Joan's whole face, but then you can only see the man's, a quarter of a face. So that shows, I thought that that showed, like, man's effect on woman, and how you can see Joan's whole reaction, but you can't really see what the man, you just see that the man is talking to her, not what he's actually saying. And then I also looked at the lighting and how that displays emotional reactions and just the dramatic effects of how the actors were reacting to what was occurring. One of the other interesting things is, we've been talking a lot about close-ups to facial expressions, but a scene that doesn't actually display many facial expressions is when they vote, and you just see the back of people's hands being raised, and when voting, basically the humanity of the clergy has disappeared, and it's replaced by the cold, numeric tally of hands, because the condemnation is not really according with their human nature and with the story and the nature of Joan that we see throughout the film."
    * GAI Poem:
        * In the silent halls of silver screen, a tale unfolds, yet words unseen,
            A clergyman's lips, a whisper harrowing, on Joan's soul, a fear is gnawing.
            Beneath the gaze of power, we find, angles sharp, a structure defined,
            Upon Joan, we look from high, beneath the silent, watchful sky.

            A woman's burden, a tale untold, in Joan's full face, emotions bold,
            Yet man's quarter face, a mystery behold, in silence, a thousand tales are told.
            Shadows dance in silent play, emotions bare in the light of day,
            In the flickering light, they hold their sway, in silence, they refuse to stray.

            Hands raised in cold condemnation, a chilling tally, a silent proclamation,
            The clergy's humanity lost in translation, in silence, echoes Joan's damnation.
            In the silent halls of silver screen, a tale of Joan, pure and serene,
            In every frame, a word unseen, in silence, a tale is weaved, pristine.



![alt text](https://files.slack.com/files-pri/T0HTW3H0V-F060JNSE37U/bw3.jpg?pub_secret=707cfaa166)


