DirectorProject

Writeaone-twopagepaperonyourassigneddirector.Eachpapershouldincludethe
followinginformation:
CharlieChaplinwasbornonApril16,1889inEngland.Hisfamilywasextremely
theateroriented,bothhismotherandhisfatherwereactorsandsingers.Forthefirst10
yearsofhislife,Chaplingrewupgoingtoplaystowatchhisparentsperformandhesoon
becamecomfortableintheindustry.In1895hismotherhadamentalbreakdown,andin
1899hisfatherdied,soCharlieandhisbrotherSydneywerelefttofendforthemselves.
CharlieChaplinwentintotheonlybusinessheknew,andstartedworkingwiththegroup
TheEightLancashireLads.Hegraduallygainedpopularityfromhistap-dancingskills,
andheeventuallygotasupportingroleasBillyinaproductionofSherlockHolmes.After
Chaplinbecameinterestedinvaudeville,andbeganacareerasacomedian.In1910hewas
broughttotheUnitedStatestoworkasaplayerintheFredKarnoCompany.
ThroughoutChaplinslifehedirectedmorethan50films,andmostofthemwere
adoredbytheiraudiences.OneparticularlyfamousfilmhedidwasTheKid.TheKidcame
outin1921wasChaplinsfirstfulllengthfilm,anditunveiledhislater-iconiccharacter,the
TramportheLittleTramp,whowasfeaturedinChaplinsmostsuccessfulmovies.Someof
whichwereModernTimes,CityLights,andTheGoldRush.Thesemotionpictureswere
worldrenownedandverypopular,duetoCharlieChaplinshumorousportrayalofthe
world.Thefilmsprovidedapositiveoutlookonlife,eveninthemidstofsomethingas
terribleasWorldWarII.Healsotriedtoconveythatthehumansoulwillalwaysbethe
sameatheart,throughinhisfilms.Supposedly,Charliewasverydetailorienteddirector,
andheenjoyedwheneverythingwasfinallyexactlyhowhewantedit.Heconstantly
encouragedhisactorstoshownottellasmuchaspossible,becausehebelieveditmadethe
storysomuchmorerealistic.In1972,ChaplinreceivedanHonoraryAcademyAward,for
"theincalculableeffecthehashadinmakingmotionpicturestheartformofthiscentury".
OutofthemanyfilmsdirectedbyCharlieChaplin,thesefourfilmsweresomeofthemost
belovedbytheAmericanpeople.
CharlieChaplinwasprobablyinfluencedbymanyunknownpeople,buthedid
dedicateoneofhisfilmstoMaxLinder,asilentmoviestar,whowasinaway,Charlie
Chaplinspredecessor.MaxLinderinfluencedsomeofCharlieChaplinscomedyandwas
definitelyagreatfriendofhis.Wemaynotknowmuchaboutwhoorwhatinfluenced
Chaplinsamazingwork,butwedoknowalotaboutwhoheinfluencedevenfourdecades

later.Forexample,CharlieChaplinestablishedthepitiableclownpersonathatstilllivesin
modernmovies.ThatcharacterisusedinmanyTVshows,especiallycomedyshows.People
lovewatchingafoolmakethesamemistakeoverandoveragain,anditwasChaplins
creation.Manystudentsstudyingdramaandstand-upcomedyusethetactic.Charlie
ChaplinsmovieTheKid,thatImentionedbefore,startedthepairingofachildandan
actor.Beforethattime,itwasntbeendoneoften.Charliealsoalwaysadvisednottotellbut
toshowwithexpressionsandbodylanguage.Manytwentiethcenturydirectorsbegan
cuttingasmuchofthescriptaspossible,sothattheaudiencewouldbemoreengagedand
touched.AlthoughthedayofCharlieChaplinarelonggone,hislegacystilllivesonthrough
modernmoviesandcomedy.
Asadirector,CharlieChaplinwasconsideredtobeanextremelyeccentricdirector.
Heneededeverythingtobeperfect,andhewouldoftenactouttheotheractorsparts,down
tothetiniesthandgestures,toshowthemwhathewanted.Herefinedeverything,andhe
beentoldtohavefilmedscenesoverandoveragainuntilhehadachievedtheperfectionhe
strivedfor.Heneversharedhiscreativeprocesswithanyone,becausehefeltitwouldtake
themagicawayfromhisfilms.Asaresultweknowonlywhatpeoplehavetoldeachother,
butweknowenoughtoknowhewascarefulandmeticulous,becausehethoughtthatevery
minutedetailmattered.Accordingtosomepeopleheneverusedascript,andinsteadlet
thesceneprogressorganicallyintoitsownshape.OverallCharlieChaplinwasandstillis
oneofthefilminggreats,andthathisworkwillberememberedforyearstocome.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Export,Roy.CharlieChaplin:OverviewofHisLife.CharlieChaplin-OfficialWebsite.
BubblesInc.Web.11.25.14.
<http://www.charliechaplin.com/en/biography/articles/21-Overview-of-His-Life>
Smith,AmyCharlieChaplin-BiographyIMDb.IMDbInc.Web.11.25.14.
<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000122/bio>
Cinemaholic14.TheBestCharlieChaplinFilms.IMDb.IMDbInc,5.22.11.Web.11.25.14.
<http://www.imdb.com/list/ls000256365/>
Perkins,Rachel.WhyCharlieChaplinisStillImportanttoComedy36YearsAfterhis
Death.LaughSpin.03.08.13.Web.11.25.14.
<http://www.laughspin.com/2013/03/08/why-charlie-chaplin-is-still-important-to-c
omedy-36-years-after-his-death/>

OMalley,Sheila.WhyactorsstilltalkaboutCharlieChaplin,andwhatheteachesthem
aboutnotactingfunny.Capitol.12.21.11.Web.11.25.14.
<http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/culture/2011/12/4726463/why-actors-still-ta
lk-about-charlie-chaplin-and-what-he-teaches-them>
Vance,Jeffrey.Mutual-ChaplinSpecials.CharlieChaplin-OfficialWebsite.
BubblesInc,2003.Web.11.25.14.
<http://www.charliechaplin.com/en/filming/articles/211-Mutual-Chaplin-Specials>

Whowerehis/herinfluences-whodids/helooktoforinspiration?Whohass/he
influenced?
- influencedbymaxlinder,hispredecessor
- establishedthepitiableclownthatstilllivesinfilms
- usedinmanyTVshows
- dramaandstand-upcomedystudentsusehistacticofmakingafooloutofhimself
tomakepeoplelaugh
- startedthechildandcomediancombination
- showedthatindicatingthingsissomuchmoreaffectivethanjustsayingit
- influencedcomedians/actors
Whatdefineshis/herstyleasafilmmaker?Didthatstylechangeoverhis/hercareer?
How?
- eccentric,hewouldactouthow/whathewantedtheactorstodo
- perfectedwhenhefilmedtheMutuals
- refinedeverythingdowntoeachsmalldetail
- filmedscenesoverandoveragainuntilhewassatisfied
- didntbelievethatsharinghiscreativeprocesswouldhelphisfilms
neverusedascript,heletthescriptdevelopasthesceneprogressed
Describehis/herupbringingandentranceintothemovieindustry
- fatherwasavocalistandactor
- mother(LilyHarley)wasaprettysingerandactress
- heandhisbrother(Sydney)learnedfromparents
- afterhisdaddied(charliewas10)startedworkingwiththegroupTheEight
LancashireLadstosupporthimandSydney1999
- gainedpopularityfromhistapdancingskills
- firstappearedasBillyinaproductionofSherlockHolmes
- startedasavaudevillecomedian
- in1910UStookhiminasaplayerintheFredKarnoRecordCompany
Whatwerehis/hermostwell-knownworks?Why?
- TheKid
- ModernTimes
- CityLights
- TheGoldRush

theywerefunny
charliechaplinwassupposedlyaperfectionist
peoplelovehischaractertheLittleTramp
wonanacademyawardbecauseofhis"incalculableeffectinmakingmotion
picturestheartformofthecentury."
hisfilmsshowapositiveoutlookonlifeevenwhenthereareproblemsandthethe
humansoulwillalwaysstaythesameatthecore
reallyhadtheactorsshownottell
committedfullytoeachmomentinthemovie,andlivedtruthfullyundergiven
imaginarycircumstances

Writeaonepagereviewofthefilmyouwatched.Includethefollowing:
WhatistheThreeActStructureofthefilm?Whatistheexposition,theincitingincident
andtheclimax?

Whatisthegenreofthisfilm?Whatmiseensceneelementsindicatethatgenre?
comedy-hiswayofdressing,themustache,the
drama-

Giveexamplesofparticularshots:highangle,lowangle,trackingshots,montages,etc.
Whatisthesignificanceofthoseshots?

Giveexamplesofsymbolism,metaphor,allusionandmotif.
symbolism-inthebeginningthebridedropsaroseandthehusbandstepsonit
babycryingaftermendrovehimaway
pictureofthewomanburningatthemanshouse
themotherwalkingawayafterleavingthebaby

Themovie,TheKid,directedbyCharlieChaplin,isawell-developedstory,which
primarilyfollowsasimpleThreeActStructure.Inbeginningofthefilm,Chaplinusesthe
firstfewminutesasexposition.Hesetsthestagewithawoman,walkingfromahospital
holdingababy.Thiswomanlooksconflictedandsad,asifshewouldrathernotbeholding
thenewborn.After,theaudiencemeetsTheMan,apainter,whohasaphotoofthe
womaninhisworkshop.Inthescenethough,thephotofallsinthefire,andheneglectsto
takeitbackoutagain.Thisisametaphor,implyingthatthewomanandthemanareno
longerconnected,theywontseeeachotherforalongtime,andthemanwontbehelping
herraisethebaby.Nowthattheaudiencehasmetmostofthemaincharacters,Chaplin
createsacatalyst,anincitingincidentthataffectstherestofthestory.Thishappenswhen
themotherleavesthelittlebabyinacarwithanote,hopingthattherichownersofthecar
willtakehimin,butChaplinastheTrampendsupcaringforthechild.Lateroninthe
movie,thechildisbeingtakenfromthetrampbytheorphanage,andChaplinchasesthem
byrunningoverrooftops.Thetramptakesthechildandrunsoffwithhim,onlyforthekid
tobetakenagainwhilehewassleeping.Thisistheclimax,thepartwhentheprotagonist
hashitrockbottom,andisstillrevoltingagainsttheantagonist.Thisfilmisbothacomedy
andadrama.Inthebeginning,whenitopenswiththewomanbeingalone,andherphoto
burninginafire,themovieleansmoretowarddrama.ButthemomentthatChaplinenters
asthetrampdressedinbaggyclothesandasmallmustache,thepicturemorphsintoa
slapstickcomedy.Throughoutthemovie,theaudiencecanseethreadsofbothgenres.An
exampleofansymboloccursduringthefirst10minutesofthefilm.Thetragicwomanis
walkingandseestwonewlywedswalkingoutofabuilding.Asthebridewalksarosedrops
fromherbouquetandiscrushed.Thissymbolizesthatthesadwomanisnevergoingto
havethatconnection,theroseisherdreamsbeingcrushed.