Abrams/Royal- English 10
“Cinema is a matter of what's in the frame and what's out”
-Martin Scorsese
Due Date:
January
Watching like Watson: Grab your popcorn, a comfortable spot on the couch, and a
pen!
The Plan:
 We will be asking you to watch three movies of your choice
 Our only requirement: all of the films must have the same director. Directors
are the creative forces behind the film. Their responsibilities range from giving
actors direction and guidance during filming to working with editors and
cinematographers to create the final masterpieces (or duds in some cases…) Their
choices are very purposeful, as you’ll come to realize.
 You can watch the films alone or with a partner
The Procedure:
 When watching each film, you’ll need a notebook (or smartphone/tablet/laptopyour choice!)
 For every fifteen minutes of film time, ideally, we would like you to write down at
least 2 thin and thick questions. To do that, you’ll need to keep track of details
along the way (see the next page for a rundown of Watson techniques.)
 You are welcome to use the organizer on the following pages, or just make a list of
your own. If you are watching the movies with a partner, it’s best to have your
own set of thin/thick questions.

Some Examples:
If I’m watching the masterpiece that is Disney’s “Frozen” (seriously, it’s fantastic!) I
might write the following thin questions for the scene where Anna meets Kristoff and his
trusty friend (reindeer) Sven:
Where exactly do Anna and Kristoff meet?
What is Kristoff’s initial reaction to Anna and her request?
My thick questions might be:
What is the significance of Anna and Kristoff meeting in this particular setting, away
from the town?
Why might the director have chosen an animal companion for Kristoff?
Remember thin questions are factual questions (numbers, settings, etc.) Thick
questions, on the other hand, must be answered in more than one word and are
more thought provoking. The answer’s not right there in the scene
Don’t forget to use Watson’s Noticing Techniques when pulling out details for your
questions:
1. The revealing detail (also known as "the telling detail") - if you had to choose one
detail to present as the "essence" of the subject what would it be and why?
2. The confusing/conflicting/strange/anomalous detail - what details don't make sense
on a first glance and why? What detail seems not to fit with the other details.
3. The seemingly irrelevant or unimportant detail - choose something that looks like a
"throw-away" detail and see if you can build an interpretation of it as the most
important detail (this is good exercise for the mind).
4. The affecting details – a detail that bothered you- 'not liking something' can work
either against you or for you. Our tendency when we don't like something (a person,
film, book, character etc.) is to shut it out or avoid it. An even better strategy is actually
to look closer at the subject of dislike and to figure out why we have such an aversion to
it. Such an analytical move can often lead us to surprising revelations about ourselves
OR the detail you liked the best or produced a positive physical reaction in you:
laughter, smiling, cathartic crying, etc.
5. The repeated/patterned/ echoed detail: these are details that seem clearly related to
each other. Can be exact repetition, a noticeable similarity, or a binary opposition.
The Outcome: So what’s the point of this, other than getting to watch some great
movies and practicing your thin/thick questions? We’ll be using what you collect to
continue with expositions and begin working on analyzing and comparing your chosen
films through writing.
Every year, Variety, a weekly entertainment magazine, publishes its “10 Directors to
Watch” list. This year’s list just came out on December 3rd. For inspiration, check out
their website – www.variety.com or http://variety.com/2013/film/news/varietyannounces-this-years-10-directors-to-watch-1200910433/ for the direct link.