The scene that I decided to select for this week's activity was from the movie "Miracle" starring Kurt Russell. For those who are unfamiliar with the movie it is about the 1980 U.S. Olympic gold medal hockey team. The movie depicts the teams journey from tryouts to the gold medal game and medal ceremony at the Lake Placid winter games. The main challenge standing in the way of this group of kids fresh out of college is the team from the Soviet Union. The Soviets have been on an undefeated winning streak for a number of years, beating any team standing in their way. This includes NHL all-star teams. Also, the Soviets have won the gold in hockey every year since the 1960 winter Olympic games.

With all of this in mind, the scene that I have selected to analyze comes from the first time that the U.S. plays the Soviet superpower. Eleven days before the opening ceremonies at Lake Placid the two teams play a game at Madison Square Garden in New York. The scene begins with a wide angle shot from the rafters of the building showing both teams lined up on their respective bluelines before the game. In this shot, the audience is given a perspective look at the magnitude of the event. Not only does the viewer see both teams squared off in opposition, but they also get a good view of the crowd that has turned out to watch the game. There are thousands of people in the stands to watch the game, and this view immediately gives the game a sense of importance as everyone seems to be at the game.

After the shot from the rafters the film takes several close-up shots of the coach for the U.S. team and the coach of the Soviet team. In each close-up, the coach of the opposing team appears over the shoulder of the coach in focus. The camera then proceeds to blend these two images together, and in order to create tension it shows several stare downs between the two coaches. Then, when the centers glide in to take the opening face off, the U.S. center is shot from above making him appear smaller and weaker than he really is. The Soviet center is shown with low upward looking camera angles making him appear taller and stronger. This affect puts the power in the hands of the Soviets, and the viewer who is pulling for the U.S. gets the feeling that the task at hand will be a difficult one for the U.S. hockey team.

When the puck is dropped and the game begins, the audience is kept on the edge of their seats as the camera whips around the ice surface at a frantic pace. There are several swirling shots, and picture changes from one camera to another and yet another. This constant switching of perspective through the different cameras provides a sense of speed and intensity to the game. In real time, the players themselves are not moving all that quickly, but with low camera angles from the ice surface, shot through moving moving feet and sticks, this sense of speed is further enhanced. Also, at certain times the game is shot as a reflection in the plexiglass surrounding the rink. This view shows the reaction of the fans in the stands, while still depicting what is happening on the ice. Seeing the fan's reactions to certain plays increases the sense of urgency and difficulty for the players from the U.S. team.

In all, as a depiction of a sporting event, the camera shots and angles work to effectively increase the sense of intensity with which the game is being played. The camera creates a high stakes environment, and it really works to play off the viewer's preconceptions that these two teams are at odds with one another. Additionally, the camera shots are able to create a frenzied and fast paced game that the Americans are ill equiped to play at this point in the movie. The camera accomplishes the dramatic shots that are necessary to creating a thrilling sporting event, and it also causes the adrenaline of the viewer to pump at full force. Conclusively, this scene puts the viewer square in the middle of the action, and I think that it is a fine piece of film making.

The scene that I decided to select for this week's activity was from the movie "Miracle" starring Kurt Russell. For those who are unfamiliar with the movie it is about the 1980 U.S. Olympic gold medal hockey team. The movie depicts the teams journey from tryouts to the gold medal game and medal ceremony at the Lake Placid winter games. The main challenge standing in the way of this group of kids fresh out of college is the team from the Soviet Union. The Soviets have been on an undefeated winning streak for a number of years, beating any team standing in their way. This includes NHL all-star teams. Also, the Soviets have won the gold in hockey every year since the 1960 winter Olympic games.

With all of this in mind, the scene that I have selected to analyze comes from the first time that the U.S. plays the Soviet superpower. Eleven days before the opening ceremonies at Lake Placid the two teams play a game at Madison Square Garden in New York. The scene begins with a wide angle shot from the rafters of the building showing both teams lined up on their respective bluelines before the game. In this shot, the audience is given a perspective look at the magnitude of the event. Not only does the viewer see both teams squared off in opposition, but they also get a good view of the crowd that has turned out to watch the game. There are thousands of people in the stands to watch the game, and this view immediately gives the game a sense of importance as everyone seems to be at the game.

After the shot from the rafters the film takes several close-up shots of the coach for the U.S. team and the coach of the Soviet team. In each close-up, the coach of the opposing team appears over the shoulder of the coach in focus. The camera then proceeds to blend these two images together, and in order to create tension it shows several stare downs between the two coaches. Then, when the centers glide in to take the opening face off, the U.S. center is shot from above making him appear smaller and weaker than he really is. The Soviet center is shown with low upward looking camera angles making him appear taller and stronger. This affect puts the power in the hands of the Soviets, and the viewer who is pulling for the U.S. gets the feeling that the task at hand will be a difficult one for the U.S. hockey team.

When the puck is dropped and the game begins, the audience is kept on the edge of their seats as the camera whips around the ice surface at a frantic pace. There are several swirling shots, and picture changes from one camera to another and yet another. This constant switching of perspective through the different cameras provides a sense of speed and intensity to the game. In real time, the players themselves are not moving all that quickly, but with low camera angles from the ice surface, shot through moving moving feet and sticks, this sense of speed is further enhanced. Also, at certain times the game is shot as a reflection in the plexiglass surrounding the rink. This view shows the reaction of the fans in the stands, while still depicting what is happening on the ice. Seeing the fan's reactions to certain plays increases the sense of urgency and difficulty for the players from the U.S. team.

In all, as a depiction of a sporting event, the camera shots and angles work to effectively increase the sense of intensity with which the game is being played. The camera creates a high stakes environment, and it really works to play off the viewer's preconceptions that these two teams are at odds with one another. Additionally, the camera shots are able to create a frenzied and fast paced game that the Americans are ill equiped to play at this point in the movie. The camera accomplishes the dramatic shots that are necessary to creating a thrilling sporting event, and it also causes the adrenaline of the viewer to pump at full force. Conclusively, this scene puts the viewer square in the middle of the action, and I think that it is a fine piece of film making.

Curriculum of District X: The views of this district concerning media literacy are that kids should use their time in school to concentrate on basic school related tasks such as reading and writing. Their is not really any allotment for time to study other forms of communication that do not involve the canonized texts, or even the cannonized forms of essay writing. The view of the community is that kids are over exposed to media in their everyday lives and that school time should be reserved for quality literature, and traditional teaching formats. Therefore, with their strong convictions to teach the basics and inability to incorporate forms of media literacy, district X is really getting away from what is important, and that is teaching students how to interact with media in a critical and well informed manner.

Framing English Curriculum: The main goal of an English curriculum in such a district would be to incorporate media literacy with teaching the basics. In other words, my curriculum would form new and meaningful connections between traditional styles of reading and writing and current versions of popular reading and writing that are characteristic of the media. By doing this, children would be able to connect what they learn in school to their everyday lives, hopefully enhancing the quality of their learning experiences as well as that of their level of enjoyment. In short, an English curriculum framed in terms of media literacy would create a more balanced and well rounded student equiped to face real world situations. Instead of simply talking about the traditional forms of literature, these students would be able to apply traditional forms of literature to everyday situations. This type of English education would be ideal for all involved, as it does not have to deviate too far from tradition and it can still include current applications of material.

Additional Benefits of Framing the English Curriculum in terms of Media Literacy: In this particular school district the value of media studies is considerably low. Basic English tenets seem to be valued, but the wide range of viewpoins presented in the various types of media appears to be offbase. Basically, this school district believes that, "We don't need to be teaching our kids about computers and technology as much as we need to teach our kids about pen to paper reading and writing." In other words, if kids can produce quality writing that is accompanied by average levels of reading liturature, we are meeting the goals of literacy and English education.

In contrast, it is my argument that media studies is an intigral part of student development in terms of literacy. We cannot simply accept the most basic levels of understanding and push students through to the next grade because we consider them to accel in basic reading and writing skills. We need to be critical of the fact that some students are able to produce teacher induced responses in order to make the grade. In order to counter this, we need to propose systems of teaching reading and writing that promote analytical and skeptical views of reading and writing. In other words, we need to promote the practice of critical thinking. Kids need to be able to analyze the credibiliy of sources along with the purposes and motivations for writing. In this day in age we as a people are constantly inundated with advertisments, public statements, and various other forms of media controlled propeganda. No matter where we turn we are being sold, bought, or persuaded. Media literacy teaches kids how to distinguish between the various forms of commercial persuasion that we are exposed to everyday and the genuine news stories of the time. By teaching kids how to differentiate between the various forms of persuasive pieces of journalistic advertising and the credible pieces of honest news, we are building a generation that is equiped to make appropriate value judgments on its own. This type of media education allows students to formulate their own educated positions and opinions about the issues at hand, and in turn, it allows for a greater sense of public awareness. By educating kids how to interperet the different types of media literacy available to them, one is enabling these students to transcend the beliefs held by others and to create a radically new environment of thinking that is free from outside influence. In short, exposing students to media literacy in this fashion allows them to create their own identities that may or may not exist independantly from the culturistic views that are encapsulating them.