TPRS Movie Talk | The Smortlybacks
Watch online
http://faaf.tv/en/video/417
I. Description of The Smortlybacks
On a tabletop mountain a mahout and his
strange herd make a surprising and never-ending
journey.
II. Description makers, producers
Producer: Catherine Ann Berger, Ted Sieger, Stefan Holaus, Qi Ling, Sun Lixiang
Director: Ted Sieger, Wouter Dierickx
Screenwriter: Ted Sieger
Composer: Christoph Utzinger
Specialist(s): Alexandra Prosen, Dong Ming, Wang Luchum, Wang Xuanping, He Libin, Yu
Dan, Meng Fanming, Ou Xiliang, Zhao Xiaofeng, Feng Chunying, Qiu Minjie, Guo Dazhao,
Zhang Rui
Rerecording Sound Mix: Tilo Busch
Music: Christoph Utzinger
Animation: Wouter Dierickx
3D Animation: Ted Sieger
Characters by: Ted Sieger
Techniques: 3D Computer animation
Country
Switzerland/China
Year
2013
Running Time
5’59
World Rights
Ted Sieger
Worldwide Distribution
Distribution Switzerland: Schattenkabinett GmbH
Director WOUTER DIERICKX
Born in Belgium in 1961.
Educated in animation film at the St. – Lucas Institute Brussels, Belgium 1980-1984.
Worked as a professional layout artist, animator and director since 1985.
Founder of preproduction studio Graphics& Animation Belgium Co-founder of Animation
production studio Sophie Animation China.
Director TED SIEGER
Born in 1958, he grew up in Chile, Peru, Australia and Switzerland. Before he started
making films he travelled extensively and worked in all kinds of strange jobs, the best
were counting eggs in an egg factory and sailing with a merchant ship to Africa. He
creates, designs, writes, directs and produces animation (shorts, TV Series and soon a
feature). He lives in Switzerland and has just bought new skis.
Awards




Sassuolo, Yasujiro Ozu International Short Film Festival, "Ozu Kidz 6-10" Award 2014
Utrecht, Holland Animation Film Festival, HAFF Junior Audience Award 2014
Bern, Berner Filmförderung, Publikumspreis Bester Kurzfilm 2013
Vila do Conde, Festival internacional de cinema CURTAS, Honorable Mention (M/3) of the
Curtinhas Competition 2013
http://www.swissfilms.ch/en/film_search/filmdetails/-/id_film/2146537555
TPRS Movie Talk | lesson scheme
Underneath also are mentioned the predominating multiple intelligences
Lesson with The Smortlybacks
III. Printscreens / Props, realia [visual-spatial intelligence. Make printscreens of important scenes.
Are there important props or realia you would like to show/use]
IV. TPR [bodily-kinesthetic intelligence – use before or as brain break; you could do TPR to pre-teach the
target vocabulary]
V. TPRS structures [verbal-linguistic intelligence. Recycle old ones, but can also be pre-taught and
used in a story which you create together before doing Movie Talk, but the Movie can also be used as
the already existing story; for beginners use Terry Waltz’s Super Seven or Mike Peto’s sweet sixteen:
https://mrpeto.wordpress.com/2015/02/14/the-advantage-of-posting-high-frequency-verbs/]
structure 1 (tense 3rd person)
structure 2 (i.d.)
structure 3 (i.d.)
recycled structures
VI. PQA [interpersonal intelligence. Stay in bounds!]
Questions to students about themselves which contain
the 1rst and 2nd person of structures 1 to 3 and
recycled structures
VII. Dialogue [interpersonal intelligence. What’s the character saying/thinking/saying to
him/herself/dreaming? And use with PQA: how does it connect with the students?]
I [verb tense]
you [verb tense]
etc
VIII. Grammar pop-ups/ comprehension checks [intrapersonal intelligence. When asking the
movie & when reading together; also use the TPR words to have students show the meaning that way]
IX. Retell [Several intelligences. Have the students retell what they’ve seen until then - see also
Craig Sheehy’s workshop: variety is the spice of routine]
X. Embedded reading 1/2/3/ [verbal-linguistic intelligence. After asking the movie (have the
students) read part 1 of this embedded reading. You might before do a brain break with a song (musicalrythmic intelligence); do you know a song which contains the used structures or which has the same kind
of theme as the movie you watched or does the movie have a song? Continue with part 2 and 3 and use
different reading techniques]
XI. Ways of using the video? [Do you start at the beginning or at the end or somewhere else? Do
you use the sound? Do you start with print screens? Are there important points where you should stop? …]
XII. Circling/creating the story [Several intelligences. Questions and sentences you say aloud which
contain the three structures and the recycled structures and which tell something about what’s happening
or happened or could happen in the movie] Depending
on the level you’re teaching:
Lower level
Higher level
short, easy sentences
more complicated, compound sentences
go slower
higher pace
repeat every answer fully
less repetition of the answers
Workshop Do-it-yourself Movie Talk – Alike Last – Languagelearningmethods.com
NTPRS15 – Thursday the 23rd of July – 8.30-12.00 - Washington
I.
Description (short) movie
On a tabletop mountain a mahout and his strange herd make a surprising and never-ending journey.
Country
Year
Running Time
Watch online
II.
Switzerland/China
2013
5’59
http://faaf.tv/en/video/417
Description makers, producers
Producer: Catherine Ann Berger, Ted Sieger, Stefan Holaus, Qi Ling, Sun Lixiang
Director: Ted Sieger, Wouter Dierickx
Screenwriter: Ted Sieger
Composer & music: Christoph Utzinger
Animation: Wouter Dierickx
3D Animation: Ted Sieger
III.
Printscreens (Props)
IV.
TPR – about 10 new words
verbs
V.
nouns
other words
TPRS structures
1) there are
2) they go to
3) they want to
Workshop Do-it-yourself Movie Talk – Alike Last – Languagelearningmethods.com
NTPRS15 – Thursday the 23rd of July – 8.30-12.00 - Washington
VI.
PQA
VII. Dialogue
VIII. Grammar pop-ups/ comprehension checks
IX.
Retell – activities
Workshop Do-it-yourself Movie Talk – Alike Last – Languagelearningmethods.com
NTPRS15 – Thursday the 23rd of July – 8.30-12.00 - Washington
X.
Embedded reading 1
X.
Embedded reading 2
X.
Embedded reading 3
XI.
Ways of using the video?
XII. Circling/creating the story
Workshop Do-it-yourself Movie Talk – Alike Last – Languagelearningmethods.com
NTPRS15 – Thursday the 23rd of July – 8.30-12.00 - Washington