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Finding Nemo, Finding Dory... What next?
What do Mad Max's six Oscars mean for the Australian film industry?
Film Adaptations of Shakespeare! Better than the real thing? Academic Controversy Strategy
Australian Films - Which is the best one this year?

Finding Nemo, Finding Dory... What next?

Primary Middle Secondary

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Numeracy

Australian Curriculum General Capability: ICT Capability

Cooperative Learning Activity

Background

"Once upon a time" you might have known the story of Finding Nemo (released by Pixar in 2003). Based in Australia on the Great Barrier Reef. Here is the original story...

Finding Nemo - All Clips From The Movie (2003) Pixar
https://youtu.be/gAN6xSqS7_E?si=dPgGVPoc2SpQ8bWF

Disney released the sequel, Finding Dory (in 2016). Here  is the trailer

https://youtu.be/3JNLwlcPBPI

More shots of Finding Dory
https://youtu.be/AMjMFbhyhwY

Did You Know? 7th July 2016 The animated sequel [Finding Dory] continued its blockbuster run over the four-day holiday weekend by adding another $50.2 million to its already-massive ticket sales. Just three weeks into its theatrical run, the follow-up to 2003’s Finding Nemo already has the record for the biggest opening weekend of all time for an animated feature, and now it’s likely to overtake 2010’s Toy Story 3 as studio Pixar’s biggest hit in U.S. theaters, and challenge 2004’s Shrek 2 for the highest-grossing animated feature of all time domestically. Already with $380.5 million from U.S. theaters, Finding Dory is just $35 million shy of overtaking Toy Story 3 and only needs to earn $61 million more to to pass Shrek 2. (Source: Digital Trends) Together both films have brought in $1.9Billion

1. You are to become Lindsey Collins, the producer of Finding Dory. And, as Finding Dory has been so popular you are thinking of the next sequel. It is sure to be a winner - as you are counting on the ticket sales to date!


2. Each person in the class is to write a new story in the Finding Nemo, Finding Dory, Finding... Trilogy!

This time, it's Finding Destiny (the near sighted whale shark set in Ningaloo Reef) or Finding  Humpy (a Humpback whale who believes he is unable to echolocate) on the way from Antartica to the Great Barrier Reef.

Nemo, Marlin and Dory are to stay in the story but have lesser roles.

You are to introduce two new characters but they are to be Australian! And, it has to be set back in the Ningaloo Reef (WA coast) or Great Barrier Reef (like in Finding Nemo) (Queensland coast).

3. Form groups of 3 - 5 students. Share your stories and write up one story which you all agree on! This is what happens in the Disney studios.

4. You are to work out which Australian actors to cast as your new characters based on their voices. Share with a partner. Share with the class.

5. Write a marketing speech to persuade these new actors to join the Finding... Team! Share with your group and then the class.

Get the most persuasive speech and record it.

6. To make extra money to support the production of the film, with a partner from your group, create a new toy based on one of your new characters. Draw and animate it using Powtoon (only 2D)

7. Work out how much you would sell this toy for and the profit (if the toy cost $2.50 each to make for 1,000 or $1.95 each for 10,000) on 153,500 toys being sold.

What do Mad Max's six Oscars mean for the Australian film industry?

 Secondary

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy

1. Read the following article in The Conversation March 2016

2. Describe to a partner what you think this article is about in 3 dot points.

3. Vincent O'Donnell, RMIT University, describes three industries. What are they? List the movies under each category.

4. O'Donnell states: " At present, television is providing some outlet for Australia drama production, but with shrinking commercial TV revenues, it must be asked, “For how long?”

If the people engaged in Industry 3 were to return to making television shows here for the rest of the world, an Australian industry would be assured. Would a return to television production for Kennedy Miller Mitchell Productions provide some answers?"

Is this question rhetorical? What do you think?

Film Adaptations of Shakespeare! Better than the real thing? Academic Controversy Strategy

Middle  Secondary

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy

Teacher

Option A: You are to conduct an Academic Controversy Strategy using the Shakespearian play vs a particular film or sometimes a TV adaptation. You need to familarise yourself with the Academic Controversy Strategy before commencing this activity so the students will get as much out of the play they are studying as possible.

The Table below only describes the film or adaptation. The school library might have a film adaptation or a streaming service. You will need to source these resources.

See the resources listed below for film critics evaluation.

(Source: MM McClean)

Option B:  You are to select a play by Shakespeare that needs an adaptation by your students. Your students are to become Executive Producers and decide how they are going to adapt this play (Modern, Musical, set at the time Shakespeare thought it should, Shakespearian times, etc). This new adaptation needs to be different to those already created in the past. Students need to create a Film Poster to display their new adaptation.

Resources

Washington Post - William Shakespeare Movie Adaption Viewing Guide

Collider - 10 Best Movies you didn't realise are based on Shakespeare Plays

Buzz Feed - 17 Movies that are cleverly disguised Shakespeare Plays

Guardian - Best Shakespeare Films Ranked

Overall Articles on the Screen Adaptations - Wikipedia

Australian Films - Which is the best one this year?

Middle  Secondary

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Literacy

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Intercultural Understanding

Philosophy

Cooperative Learning Activity

1. In groups of 3 - 4 students, you are to answer the following question: "Which is the best Australian film this year?"

To discover the latest Australian Films, you are to look at two of the following Australian Film Festivals:   

Sydney Film Festival	Adelaide Film Festival
Perth International Film Festival	Melbourne International Film Festival