WALKMAN D EJ118 Crossroads 10 For English 20 2, Unit 3
User Manual: WALKMAN D-EJ118
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THE PRODUCT IS NOTHING™ (magazine article)
•develop ideas •analyse product advertisements 118
MARKET SAVVY TEENS (newspaper article)
•write an essay •write an article 121
THE PURPOSE IS PERSUASION (print ads)
•respond personally •create print ads 127
TUNING IN TO ABORIGINAL TV (article)
•explore ideas •debate a media issue 132
ON THE BOX (poems)
•respond critically •use communication skills 136
BAD DRIVING (script)
•present a script •develop a script 138
MARY, MARY, QUITE CONTRARY (profile)
•analyse magazine articles •create a comedy skit 141
NOTES FOR A MOVIE SCRIPT (poem)
•present a poem •write a review 146
TO BUILD A FIRE (storyboard)
•develop a movie treatment •analyse movie techniques 148
THE SAGA OF FILMING NEVER CRY WOLF (article)
•respond critically •analyse phrases and clauses 154
HOW TO WRITE A MOVIE REVIEW (focus on process)
•summarize and describe a movie •present an opinion 160
INTERNET IS HERO’S WINDOW (newspaper article)
•evaluate Web sites •analyse newspaper articles 162
U N I T AT A G L A N C E
117
M E D I A
FR O M T H E IN S I D E
FR O M T H E IN S I D E
Fiona Jack of Auckland, New
Zealand is getting Nothing done.
One-third of Auckland’s population
have viewed her advertisements,
but no one’s buying. No upper man-
agement complains, no share prices
fall, no lack of demand for the
project exists. What exactly isn’t
selling? Nothing™.
Jack, a twenty-four-year-old
graphic designer, launched the
Nothing™ campaign hoping to raise
awareness about why we buy. “I
was thinking about advertising and
all its strangeness. Its coercive
ability to sell the most completely
bizarre things to people who
usually don’t need them,” explained
Jack. “I realized that the ultimate
non-existent product would be
nothing. To actually call a product
nothing and try and market it.”
118 Develop ideas for a new product.
Analyse how products are advertised.
G OALS AT A GLANCE
G OALS AT A GLANCE
Read on to find
out about a clever
ad campaign that sends
an important message
to consumers. The Product
Is Nothing™
M a g a z i n e A r t i c l e b y H i l a r y K e e v e r
FROM THE INSIDE •119
After conceptualizing
Nothing™, Jack approached New
Zealand billboard companies to
sponsor the campaign, promoting
it under the auspices of
an art project. The Outdoor
Advertising Association of
New Zealand chose Jack’s
advertisements for a
market research campaign
to assess the effectiveness
of billboard advertising.
Jack received the use of
twenty-seven billboards at
no cost, although OAANZ
imposed a gag order for the
duration of the campaign.
Both parties declare the
Nothing™ campaign a success.
OAANZ’s statistics suggest over
a third of Aucklanders viewed the
billboards. The company also
received phone calls from
viewers asking where they could
buy Nothing™—viewers
knowledgeable of a brand but
not a product.
Jack’s campaign flourished
when the OAANZ billboard
campaign ended: she could
start talking. Three out of four
New Zealand TV stations
covered her story, along with
national newspapers, radio,
and magazines. “I think the
Nothing™ campaign proved
the point that you can market
anything if there’s enough
money behind it, that money
is basically the main thing that’s
required to convince the public of
something these days,” emphasized
Jack.
Some critics challenged Jack for
accepting the deal with OAANZ,
saying if the results were successful,
her campaign would encourage more
advertising. “That my anti-advertis-
ing message got completely funded
by one of the biggest advertising
organizations in New Zealand is
ironic,” said Jack. “I think it’s
perfect. The whole campaign is full
of irony and absurdity.” ◆
120 •FROM THE INSIDE
1. RESPONDING TO THE MAGAZINE ARTICLE
a. What is ironic about the Nothing™ campaign?
b. What is a gag order and why do you think it
was used?
c. Explain why you agree or disagree with this
statement from the article:
“Some critics challenged Jack for accepting the deal with OAANZ,
saying if the results were successful, her campaign would
encourage more advertising.”
d. This selection was originally printed in a magazine called Adbusters.
Find a copy of this magazine in your local librar y. With a partner,
discuss the magazine’s purpose, audience, and content.
e. With a partner, discuss the purpose of an ad campaign.
2. MEDIA MAKER DE V E L O P I N G PR O D U C T ID E A S
This is not the first time “nothing” has been advertised and sold. There
have been books and music albums promoted and sold that have been
blank inside. Think of your own example of a “nothing” product that people
might be persuaded to buy. What is it? How would you advertise it? Why
might people buy it?
3. MEDIA MESSAGES AN A LY S E AD V E RT I S I N G
With a small group, brainstorm the different types of advertising, such as bill-
boards or radio ads. Each group member can choose one type and research it,
finding out how successful this type of advertising is at selling products. For
example, you might investigate magazine articles on advertising, search the
Internet for ad agency sites, or talk to family and friends. Summarize what you
have learned in one or two paragraphs. As a group, compile your summaries,
producing a report on advertising. Work together to revise, edit, and proofread
the report.
SELF-ASSESSMENT:Do you listen to others when they offer comments and
criticisms? Do other people’s comments help you improve your work? Do you
offer comments to others in a fair, non-judgmental way?
Irony is the use of an idea,
word, or phrase to mean the
opposite of its normal meaning.
121
Are you aware of the techniques
advertisers use to persuade consumers?
Market Savvy
Teens
Almost two hundred youths
weighed in on the subject of
marketing to teens in the
first Young People’s Press and The
Toronto Star Internet forum.
The strongest response: They
are torn between two opposing
forces. One tells them, “Be who
you want to be.” The other tells
them, “Be who we want you to be.”
Most said they were trying to
decide whether to follow the way
the media represents “coolness” or
follow their own ideals and
principles.
And they had a lot to say about
how the media use implicit yet
powerful techniques to make a
profit.
Tim’s response was caustic.
“Instead of ‘Be young, have fun,
drink Pepsi,’ why [don’t advertisers]
say it in plain English: ‘You’re
stupid! Give us all your money!’”
There was a lot of agreement
that the media simply do not give
young people enough credit for
realizing what’s going on.
Others said the media
know how important it is for
adolescents to feel accepted and
they exploit it.
“The media play upon people’s
insecurities, especially [those of]
women,” says Molly Bell. “They
make us feel as if we aren’t ‘good
enough’ unless we have that certain
product.”
Write an essay about the effects of advertising.
Model the selection to write an article.
G OALS AT A GLANCE
G OALS AT A GLANCE
Newspaper Article
by Kathy Friedman
and Lauren Krugel
122 •FROM THE INSIDE
Although youth know compa-
nies feed on the inner workings of
their psyches, they admit savvy
marketing professionals are tremen-
dously difficult to resist.
“It seems like my whole
teenage life has been shaped by
what the advertisers tell me is cool
and what’s not,” says Camren A.
“It’s automatic now, if it’s on
TV, I want it. I’m eighteen and I
find it hard to pass a Gap store
without thinking of the song ‘They
call me Mellow Yellow.’”
It was a strong theme—the
media are there, the media affect
what they choose to buy, and
there’s absolutely nothing they
can do about it.
Young people said they are in
constant conflict between their own
values and those portrayed by the
media.
Since finding one’s identity is
so important to teens, they look to
role models for answers. That
makes celebrity endorsements
probably the most manipulative
way to get teens to buy products,
they said.
“I think for younger children,
it’s normal to wear clothes that
a celebrity wears. At that age,
celebrities are like heroes,” reflects
Jennifer-Ashley Kendall. “When you
reach a certain age you become
more opinionated and you realize
you like a certain style. You don’t
FROM THE INSIDE •123
care if someone else doesn’t like it,
it’s not theirs—it’s yours.”
However, others admitted they
still rely on celebrities to help them
create an identity even as they get
older.
When asked his definition of
cool, Matthew replied, “I can tell,
because the stars wear it, so it’s
cool.”
Teens like to feel like they are
part of something—and to many,
seeing their idols promoting prod-
ucts helped them feel better.
“I think that celebrity endorse-
ment is cool because if you have
the hat Tiger Woods does, you
might feel as if you are part of the
game,” Brian Lewis said.
Respondents also said that
discovering how to be cool is a
difficult and lonely process,
especially since no one seems to
agree what cool actually is.
What is cool?
Many argued coolness is about
being true to yourself. That’s easier
said than done, they admitted,
because the process of growing
older is about finding out who you
are—and many young people aren’t
there yet.
Sarah Leroux spoke for many
when she said: “All these teens
feel stereotyped and are basically
putting down the media, yet they’re
still buying the latest fads.”
Teens must always be on top of
what is “in” to make sure they are
accepted. “Yes, I do find myself
wanting the goods I see in commer-
cials because I do not want to be
the only one not wearing FuBu or
Nike,” said Brian Lewis.
What’s cool?
It depends
on where you’re
coming from.
Other young people admitted to
dressing like their friends, listening
to the same music, and having the
same interests as a way of defining
cool.
As E. Phillips put it, “To me
cool is what’s in. Not cool is if
you’re not like everyone else.”
Then again, people who hang
out with carbon copies of them-
selves often risk being stereotyped,
and that’s definitely not cool.
There’s a familiar cast of char-
acters in a typical high school, said
Nicole Mulholland: “You have the
preppies, goths, ravers, skaters,
rockers,...hip-hoppers, coolies, and,
of course, the outcasters.”
Why such sharply defined cate-
gories? Many young people seem to
feel it comes from wanting to
create an easily definable identity.
According to Camille R., this is
because of media influence. “Our
identity now seems to be defined by
what we wear, what we listen to,
and so on. There seems to be so
many advertisements that pressure
124 •FROM THE INSIDE
us teenagers into believing that
image is everything. We are so
pressured that we often confuse
image with identity.”
Image is our external appear-
ance, she said, and identity is who
we really are.
Not everyone falls into a cate-
gory, though, despite the pressure.
“That’s what makes us cool—
not following the in-crowd,” Laura
wrote. “When people look at me,
it’s exciting in a way. When people
dress all the same, it’s boring and
sort of depressing.”
Each cultural group also
embraces its own ideals of what is
acceptable. According to the teens,
the media have managed to exploit
this as well.
Christos wrote: “Sure I’m a
black guy with oversized clothing,
with a Walkman blarin’ Noreaga &
Mobb Deep, but how can [the
media define me] by these charac-
teristics only? I live in a white
suburban neighbourhood and I work
in a men’s suit store. So what does
that make me?”
“Cool is just
conformity
wrapped in
the guise of
self-expression.”
For some, the word cool is an
illusion, used by advertisers to con-
vince teens to buy their products.
“In the corporate sense, cool is
really just conformity wrapped in
the guise of self-expression,” said
Adi Persuad. A cool person embod-
ies “individuality, leadership,
confidence, rebelliousness, and faith
in one’s own beliefs,” whereas a
mass-marketed version of coolness
is about conformity—the complete
opposite.
Media pressure is not just con-
fined to advertising. TV programs
aimed at teens often present an
unrealistic image of what their lives
should be like. According to these
shows, all cool teens have lots of
gorgeous friends, wake up fully
made-up or perfectly coiffed, and
always have a girlfriend or
boyfriend.
Yes, teens can tell reality from
TV fantasy, but it’s hard to resist
the fantasy when all TV teens act
and look a certain way. Anastasia
Koshkin wrote: “Through these
shows, I find out how other people
my age should/often live.”
And other youth found that the
issues that some TV shows raise
have helped them deal with prob-
lems in their own lives, issues
like drugs, pregnancy, and sexual
harassment.
Product placement in movies
and TV shows is increasingly
blurring the distinction between
commerce and entertainment,
bringing us back to the days of
early TV when actors regularly
FROM THE INSIDE •125
endorsed products during their
shows. Many youth admitted being
seduced by this process, saying they
felt more in touch with the actors if
that actor ate a chocolate bar they
liked.
“To me, cool
is what’s in.
Not cool is
if you’re not like
everyone else.”
Bombarded with media images,
it is increasingly difficult for many
teens to find out who they really
are. The majority of youth revealed
in the YPP forum that they are
aware of the effect the media have
on them, yet they feel powerless to
stop it.
Sha-awn Marcano wrote that
even though wearing the best brand
names may seem shallow, “you just
can’t change something that the
whole media has clearly brain-
washed you into thinking is right.”
How can teens remove
themselves from the trap of a
pre-packaged, mass-marketed
perception of individuality?
“You just have to grow, mature,
and understand WHO YOU ARE
before you can break free of the
cool pressure,” wrote one youth.
“If you are defining yourself by
a subculture, by the music you
listen to, or by what brand of pants
you wear, you haven’t discovered
who you are yet…so keep search-
ing…and keep the faith. YOU are
somewhere in there. Explore.”
1. RESPONDING TO THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE
a. In small groups, discuss the meaning of the following quotation from the
article:
“Image is our external appearance, identity is who we are.”
Which idea—image or identity—do you think is most important? Explain.
b. How does the article define cool? What is your definition of cool?
c. What person mentioned in this article is most like you? least like you?
Explain your choices.
d. Who has the greatest influence over you? friends? family? media
personalities? your “inner voice”? Give reasons for your choice.
126 •FROM THE INSIDE
2. MEDIA MESSAGES AD V E RT I S I N G ES S AY
The article raises a number of questions about advertising and teens. What
questions do you have about advertising and the way it may influence peo-
ple’s lives? Jot down a list and then choose one of your questions and use
it as the basis for an essay about the influence of advertising on teenagers.
Before you begin, develop a good thesis sentence and essay outline. Ask a
partner to help you edit and revise your first draft.
S T R A T E G I E S
S T R A T E G I E S
3. MEDIA MAKER A N E W S PA P E R AR T I C L E
This selection reports on an Internet survey conducted by The Toronto Star.
Reread the article, noting its features and organization. Use this selection
as a model to write a newspaper article about how people feel about some
aspect of media. You could write about role models, celebrity endorse-
ments, product placement in movies, or another topic of your choice.
Begin by surveying friends, school mates, and family about your topic.
How do they feel about it? What makes them angry? What do they appreci-
ate about it? What would they like to see changed? Have they ever com-
plained about it? Develop your questions into a questionnaire, passing out
this form to the survey participants. Like The Toronto Star, you could post
your survey on the Internet. If you do so, you may want to limit your partici-
pants to a certain age group.
Analyse the results of your survey. Write an article, reporting the
results of your survey, including some statistics, as well as quotations
from the participants. Include any conclusions you can draw from the
results. Remember to use the features and organization of “Market Savvy
Teens” as a model for your article.
Use a computer to give your newspaper article a design that is similar
to other newspaper articles. Publish it on the school’s Web site, in the
school newspaper, or share it with your classmates.
SELF-ASSESSMENT:In your notebook, describe those elements of writing
an article that worked well. What writing skills do you need to work on?
What would you do differently next time?
127
Respond personally and critically to ads.
Model the selection to create print ads.
G OALS AT A GLANC E
G OALS AT A GLANCE
Check out how these advertisers use advertising techniques to persuade their audience.
The Purpose Is
Persuasion
Print Ads from Canadian Magazines
128 •FROM THE INSIDE
FROM THE INSIDE •129
130 •FROM THE INSIDE
1. RESPONDING TO THE PRINT ADS
a. Which ad gives you the most information about what it is promoting?
the least? Which ad do you prefer? Why?
b. Which ad (or ads) is designed to appeal to your emotions? to your
intellect? to your sense of humour? Why would advertisers choose
these methods? (Read activity 2 to see other methods an advertiser
might choose. Have any of these methods been used in the ads?)
c. Which ad (or ads) depends upon you having some background
knowledge? What are the advantages and disadvantages to this kind
of advertising?
d. For one of the ads, explain why you think the ad agency chose its
image and message.
FROM THE INSIDE •131
S T R A T E G I E S
S T R A T E G I E S
2. MEDIA MAKER CR E AT E A PR I N T AD
Think of a product (real or imagined) that you could create a print ad for.
For whom is the product intended? This group will be your target market or
audience, and you should consider its needs and interests as you design
a print ad. The purpose of your ad is to persuade this target market to buy
your product.
As you design the ad think of how you can combine
text and visuals effectively. The text should describe the
product in a clever or humorous way, and may include a
slogan. Use photos or drawings, and perhaps a logo, to
create visuals for the ad. Here are a few examples of
the types of ads that are commonly used:
•Ads that show famous people—If it’s good
enough for me, it’s good enough for you.
•Ads that offer comfort—Toilet paper so soft you can use it to blow
your nose.
•Ads that offer great value—Buy one, get one almost free.
(Some conditions apply.)
•Ads that offer factual “proof”—Nine out of ten people choose Bix Bits
for breakfast.
•Ads that show beautiful people—If you buy this car, you’ll be a
supermodel, too.
•Ads that play on emotions—One day you may have this disease,
so give generously now.
Use one of the above methods, or a method of your own, to develop your ad.
You could use publishing and design software, if they are available, to put a final
copy of your ad together. Share your ad with a small group, explaining the effect
you hoped to achieve.
SELF-ASSESSMENT:Does your ad successfully combine text and images?
Does your ad provide your target market with enough information about the
product? Is your ad persuasive? Would you buy this product?
Aslogan is a short, catchy
phrase most often used by a
business or company to
advertise its product or service.
Alogo is an identifying symbol
or image used in advertising,
for example, Nike’s swoosh.
In September, 1999, a remark-
able event unfolded on TV
screens across Canada—the
launch of the Aboriginal
Peoples Television Network.
Broadcast live from the APTN
studio in Winnipeg, Manitoba,
the launch featured a three-
hour celebration complete with
speeches, storytellers, singers,
and dancers in traditional dress.
At first glance, viewers
might have assumed that
Canada’s fourth network was
launched overnight. In reality,
however, the APTN had been in the making for more than twenty
years. That’s how long it took for the Aboriginal communities and the
132 Explore ideas for a new TV specialty channel.
Debate a media issue.
G OALS AT A GLANCE
G OALS AT A GLANCE
Tuning in to
Article
by Marie
Verdun
In the 500-channel universe, the appearance of a brand new
broadcaster could go unnoticed—
unless it’s something really special.
FROM THE INSIDE •133
network’s founders to convince the media powers-that-be that a Canadian
TV network dedicated to programming by, for, and about Aboriginal peoples
was both necessary and practical.
The final result was a triumphant opening show—and the beginning of
lots of hard work.
If you tune in to Aboriginal Peoples TV (APT in your broadcast guide),
what can you expect to see and hear? The range of programming is similar
to that on other networks: a wide range of choices such as documentaries,
news magazines, dramas, entertainment specials, children’s series, cooking
shows, and educational programs.
Our People is a series of hour-long shows profiling Aboriginal people,
places, and events. It also imports specials of Aboriginal interest from other
countries such as the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Other
programs such as Spirit of the Land and Tribal Journeys investigate the
experiences and beliefs of First Nations people, Métis, and Inuit from the
West Coast to the east.
Takuginai, which means “look here” in Inuktitut, is a program from
Nunavut aimed at five to seven year olds. Hosted by a mix of young people
and puppets (look for “Johnny” the lemming), the show explores cultural
values through fun and games. It also teaches Inuktitut numbers and
symbols.
A popular show for teens is Qaujisaut, meaning “to see, to find out.”
It’s a fast-paced program that deals with issues faced by Inuit youth who
sometimes feel caught between two cultures, between new ways and
traditional lifestyles. The show is broadcast in Inuktitut with occasional
English.
Which brings us to another
question: What language will you
hear when you click on APTN? It
varies: sixty percent of the network
shows are in English, fifteen
percent in French, and twenty-five
percent in a variety of Native lan-
guages such as Cree, Mi’kmaq,
Ojibwa, and Inuktitut. In other
words, the network is definitely
accessible to both Native and non-
Native viewers.
OBJECTIVES OF THE APTN
The APTN strives “to reflect the
Aboriginal community and give
Aboriginal people a sense of pride in
their history and their culture,” says
Jennifer David, the network’s
spokesperson. “Our other objective is
to ensure that Canadians have access
to our stories so they will see accurate
portrayals of our people.”
Creating eighteen hours of programming each day keeps everyone at the
Winnipeg broadcast centre very busy. With a permanent staff of only forty,
the network relies heavily on shows created by freelance writers, producers,
and directors. The Program Selection Committee is the group that considers
and selects proposals for new programs.
Program proposals may be submitted by people of any cultural or racial
background, but the network’s licence (granted by the CRTC—Canadian
Radio and Television Commission) suggests that preference be given to
Aboriginal producers. The idea is always to promote the original vision and
objectives of the network.
Although the hands-on programming is all centred in Winnipeg, the
APTN’s corporate offices are in Ottawa. Two of the important people
working there are Chief Operating Officer Abraham Tagalik and Board
Member Alanis Obomsawin.
Obomsawin is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who has been
directing documentaries for twenty-five years at the National Film Board of
Canada. After lobbying hard for the creation of an Aboriginal broadcast
network, she has remained very involved in the direction of the APTN and
all its ventures. Obomsawin acted as host for the spectacular launch of the
network.
Tagalik handles the business issues of APTN. He spent twenty years as
a radio announcer, TV producer, and network manager with the Inuit
Broadcasting Corporation. Tagalik stresses that APTN is not just another
specialty channel but a network like CBC or CTV, offering a full range of
programs. In other words, it’s an ongoing challenge.
Aboriginal broadcasting is definitely on an upswing, and Canadians
have said they approve. In January, 1998, an Angus Reid poll concluded that
two of every three Canadians supported the idea of a national Aboriginal
TV network.
In the past, Aboriginal people have felt both underrepresented and
misrepresented on TV. With the addition of APTN to the channel line-up,
Canadian audiences—Native and non-Native—have a long overdue
opportunity to see and hear the stories of our Aboriginal peoples, told
by the people themselves. We should all reap the benefits.
APTN was twenty years in the making. What will the next twenty
years bring?
134 •FROM THE INSIDE
FROM THE INSIDE •135
1. RESPONDING TO THE ARTICLE
a. Is the article objective or subjective? Support your opinion.
b. What did you learn from the article about how a TV network is
organized?
c. What TV channel do you watch most often? Why do you watch it?
What purpose do you think the channel serves?
d. What do these words and phrases from the article mean: ventures,
Angus Reid poll, and on an upswing? Add any other unfamiliar or
interesting words from the article to your personal word list.
2. MEDIA MAKER SP E C I A LT Y CH A N N E L S
Cable TV has introduced a number of specialty channels that concentrate
on a theme or a subject area, for example, Much Music and Arts and
Entertainment. Think of a new specialty channel you would like to see on
TV. List at least ten programs it might have. Write program guide listings for
your programs, including a brief summary, length of the show, and the time
of day or night when it is on. Be sure to give your specialty channel a name.
3. ORAL LANGUAGE DE B AT E A N IS S U E
Most TV channels are brought directly to homes by way of cable wires, and
cable companies charge a monthly fee for this service. Originally TV shows
were broadcast free, and were paid for by commercial or government
sponsors. In small groups, debate whether everyone, rich or poor, should
have the same access to TV programs.
SELF-ASSESSMENT:During the debate, did you listen to the opinions and
ideas of others? Did you support your own opinions with facts?
4. LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS AB B R E V I AT I O N S
Reread the article, locating the abbreviations. Record these
abbreviations, with their definitions, in your notebook. With a
partner, discuss the purpose, advantages, and disadvantages
of abbreviations. List some common media abbreviations—like
CBC or sfx—that are important to know as you work on a media unit.
An abbreviation is a
short form of a longer
word.
Perhaps our age has driven us indoors.
We sprawl in the semi-darkness, dreaming sometimes
Of a vague world spinning in the wind.
But we have snapped our locks, pulled down our shades,
Taken all precautions. We shall not be disturbed.
If the earth shakes, it will be on a screen;
And if the prairie wind spills down our streets
And covers us with leaves, the weatherman will tell us.
136 Respond personally and critically to poetry.
Use communication skills in small group discussions.
G OALS AT A GLANCE
G OALS AT A GLANCE
On the Box
The Forecast
Poem by Dan Jaff e
FROM THE INSIDE •137
How pure, how beautiful, how fine
Do teeth on television shine!
No flutist flutes, no dancer twirls,
But comes equipped with matching pearls.
Gleeful announcers all are born
With sets like rows of hybrid corn.
Clowns, critics, clergy, commentators,
Ventriloquists and roller skaters,
M.C.s who beat their palms together,
The girl who diagrams the weather,
The crooner crooning for his supper—
All flash white treasures, lower and upper.
With miles of smiles the airwaves teem,
And each an orthodontist’s dream.
‘Twould please my eye as gold a miser’s—
One charmer with uncapped incisors.
Reflections Dental
Poem by Phyllis McGinley
1. RESPONDING TO THE POEMS
What two viewpoints are presented in the poems? What is the opinion
of each poet about TV? What’s your opinion of TV? Do you think it’s an
important medium that enriches people’s lives? Do you think it’s an escape
from reality that makes it difficult for people to cope with real life? Explain.
2. POET’SCRAFT PO E T I C DE V I C E S
With a small group, discuss both poems. What is the tone
of each poem? How do the poets use poetic devices like
alliteration, simile, or rhyme, effectively? Choose an
image from each poem and explain what you think the
author means. Read aloud lines that you find particularly
effective, explaining why you like them.
Alliteration involves the
repetition of the same first
sounds in a group of words or
line of poetry; for example,
“He clasped the crag with
crooked hands.”
Bad
Driving
HAROLD: Our Car Buffs today are my Uncle Red and his best friend,
Dougie Franklin. We’ve received a letter that reads: “Dear Car Buffs. I
consider myself to be an above-average driver. However, the judge who
took my licence away suggested I may not be as good as I think. Exactly
how do you tell if you’re a bad driver?”
RED: Well, Dougie, bad driving is certainly your area of expertise.
DOUGIE: No kidding, Red. You want to know about bad drivers, I’m your
man. I must run into one of those bad drivers every month or so. Usually
head-on. Okay, first of all, I blame our driver education system.
138 Present a script.
Develop a script modelled on the selection.
G OALS AT A GLANCE
G OALS AT A GLANCE
How can you tell if you’re a bad driver?
Red Green asks an expert, Dougie, for the answer .
Script from The Red Green Show
FROM THE INSIDE •139
RED: Yep. You’re right there. I agree.
DOUGIE: I mean a kid spends four years at school learning how to control
a pencil, which has no moving parts, could never go more than about a
kilometre an hour, and won’t burst into flame if you roll it over. Then they
spend a few weeks learning to drive a two-tonne ball of metal, glass, and
rubber, which goes a hundred and fifty clicks an hour down the highway.
RED: A hundred and fifty?
DOUGIE: And them driving instructors spend hours teaching kids how
to parallel park and basically no time on stuff like avoiding high-speed
collisions. How much danger can there be while you’re parallel parking?
RED: Well, Dougie, remember that time you parallel parked into the tanker
truck and...
DOUGIE: That was a freak accident, Red. My point is that there’s all this
time on parking and nothing on high-speed collisions. And speaking for
myself, I parallel park maybe once a month, whereas I’m always avoiding
high-speed collisions.
RED: Not always, Dougie. Remember that load of cabbages...
DOUGIE: That was a freak accident, Red. The fact remains that we’re not
teaching kids right. And how can we? The teachers are talking theory.
You’ve gotta learn from someone who’s been there. Like my own family.
We’ve had every kind of automobile accident there is. Sideswipe, roll over,
head-on, rear-ender, T-bone. We’re the ones who should be teaching the
kids. You get me, my dad, and my brother in front of a classroom and I
guarantee ya it’d bring down the number of bad drivers on the road.
RED: Yeah. By three.
1. RESPONDING TO THE SCRIPT
a. Why could this segment of The Red Green Show be called a satire?
What is the point of this satire? Does it provide the reader with any
helpful factual information? Explain.
b. What do you find humorous in this script? Why? What is the punch line?
Briefly define humour.
c. The Red Green Show is a popular Canadian TV show. Based on this
script, explain why you think it might be popular.
d. In a paragraph, describe what makes a bad driver.
2. ORAL LANGUAGE PR E S E N T A SC R I P T
With two classmates, prepare a performance of this script. Think about how
the words should be spoken. Practise performing the script, experimenting
with volume, tone, expressions, pauses, and gestures. When you think your
delivery is just right, present the script to your class. You may want to video-
tape your presentation.
GROUP ASSESSMENT:Was your performance smooth and flawless? Did
each group member present his or her lines in sync with the others? Did
you work well together? Why or why not? If you work together again, what
would you do differently?
3. MEDIA MAKER DE V E L O P A TV S C R I P T
Assume that you’re a writer on The Red Green Show. You’ve been asked
to develop another short skit involving Red, Harold, and Dougie. Work
alone, or with a partner, to develop this script. Your script should be at
least a page long, and should include at least three funny points, including
a punch line.
Watch a few episodes of the show or reread “Bad Driving” to find
out more about these characters. Note how the writers use punctuation,
repetition, slang, and colloquial language.
140 •FROM THE INSIDE
141
Analyse the structure of magazine articles.
Create a comedy skit.
G OALS AT A GLANC E
G OALS AT A GLANCE
Would you like to know how to build a career
from being funny? You might pick up some
tips from this TV star—but remember, she’s…
Ma r y, Ma r y,
Q u i t e
Meet Marg Delahunty. She’s
Canada’s most fearless comic
character, lampooning politicians
and skewering the media weekly on
This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
Marg Delahunty isn’t real, of course.
She’s the delicious invention of Mary Walsh,
creator and co-star of CBC-TV’s This Hour
Has 22 Minutes, a show that attracts nearly a
million viewers. Besides the feisty Delahunty
(named for a friend of her Auntie May), Walsh’s
comic inventions include Dakey Dunn, a male
character based on her brother, Greg, and
Connie Bloor.
P r o f i l e b y C h a r l o t t e G r a y
The show’s knife-edged satire has catapulted Walsh to national fame,
along with her co-stars, fellow Newfoundlanders Cathy Jones, Greg
Thomey, and Rick Mercer. But while the brassy Marg would take such
acclaim as her due, it seems that Walsh can’t quite get used to success.
“Humour is a shield,” Walsh admits. “It allows you to say the
unsayable. I’m not in the least emotionally brave myself.” Sitting
in the sunny Toronto living room of writer Sandra Gwyn, a fellow
Newfoundlander, Walsh hugs her knees to her chin. With a mix of teeth-
gritting honesty and disarming chuckles, she talks about the self-doubt that
has dogged her from childhood.
There were eight children in Walsh’s family in St. John’s, but she
didn’t grow up with her siblings. In 1952, aged eight months, she caught
pneumonia and was sent next door to stay with her aunt because her
parents’ house was too damp for a sickly baby. She never went back, but
she recalls the wicked attraction of her next-door family, always getting
into trouble.
Auntie May is still a beloved figure in Walsh’s life, regularly phoned
and visited in her nursing home. But Walsh cracks her knuckles as she
recalls how she used to wonder, Why me? Why did they give me away?
“Being abandoned…it’s one of those things that plays on you.”
After finishing high school, Walsh made two mainland forays. The first
was to Colorado, with an American boyfriend. It was a disaster. The second
venture was to Toronto, at age twenty, to enroll in acting classes at Ryerson
Polytechnical Institute. During a summer job at CBC Radio in St. John’s,
Walsh had decided she wanted to be a performer. But in Toronto, she was
soon wooed away from school by a bunch of wickedly talented compatriots
who were putting on a play at Theatre Passe Muraille. The group, which
included Cathy Jones, Dyan Olsen, Greg Malone, and Tommy Sexton,
would later become the comedy troupe CODCO.
The play, Cod on a Stick, was loosely based on the group’s experiences
as Newfoundlanders in Toronto. It was a success from the day it opened in
1973, and it was sweet revenge for a troupe sick and tired of Newfie jokes.
Toronto audiences were so busy laughing that it didn’t seem to matter that
the jokes were on them! The play was also crucial to Walsh’s own develop-
ment: it took her back to the place where she didn’t feel an outsider.
After touring the play through Newfoundland and Labrador, the
CODCO members decided to stay home and use comedy to hold a mirror
up to their own province. They wrote about Newfoundlanders leaving for
Toronto, and the threat from greedy developers to St. John’s historic down-
town. It was in these skits that Walsh developed some of her finest comic
142 •FROM THE INSIDE
FROM THE INSIDE •143
creations, such as Mrs. Budgell, owner of a St. John’s rooming house. Show-
ing a prospective tenant around a broom closet, she says: “Don’t let the size
fool you, Mr. Macerelle. It is an efficiency apartment. You can stand in the
middle of the apartment and touch everything…”
Walsh’s characters succeed because she never patronizes them, says
Jackie Maxwell, former artistic director of Toronto’s Factory Theatre, who
worked with Walsh on a 1986 show called Hockey Wives. “Her characters
are too rich and human to be stereotypes, because she taps into their
psyches. It’s not a smart person play-acting someone stupid.” Sandra Gwyn
agrees that real emotion drives Walsh’s comedy. “She feels passionately, and
she’s not afraid to break taboos.”
By the early 1980s, Walsh was a well-established fixture in St. John’s.
Along with her CODCO work, she had taken on the administration of the
Longshoremen’s Protective Union Hall, a ramshackle building that housed an
exuberant explosion of experimental theatre. As director, actress, and writer,
she was involved with many of the hall’s shows.
As an artist, Walsh flourished in this maelstrom of creative activity. But
the small St. John’s world also meant suffocating intimacy and competition,
plus endless boozy post-performance binges. One dinner party ended with
the dining chairs and wineglasses smashed, and Walsh last seen sitting on
the top of a car.
Friends urged Walsh to do more theatre outside St. John’s. Usually she
ducked the challenge, but there were periodic glimpses of her in theatre on
the mainland. Then all the CODCO players reached a national audience
between 1987 and 1993, when the CBC ran seven seasons of half-hour
comedy shows. The show allowed Walsh to learn how to shape her satire for
TV. By the time CODCO went off the air, however, its members had had
enough. “It was like a family, wonderful and horrible,” says Walsh. “We’d
been together too long.”
Walsh was spreading her wings. She spent the summer of 1987 in a
small Innu village in Labrador, organizing a community theatre project
around the disruption caused by Armed Forces flights over Innu land. In
1992, she directed Ann-Marie MacDonald’s Goodnight Desdemona, Good
Morning Juliet at Montreal’s Centaur Theatre. In 1993, her performance in
Eugene O’Neill’s A Moon for the Misbegotten in London, Ontario, received
enthusiastic reviews.
By now, Walsh had a real family. In 1989, she had adopted a baby boy,
Jessie. “Jessie changed everything,” Walsh says. The most dramatic change
was her gradual acknowledgment that alcohol was interfering with her
life. “I’d always wanted to see myself as this romantic, wild, impassioned
actress.” But there was no
room in this vision for a
chubby baby and the
demands of motherhood.
So, in 1992, she quit drink-
ing. In the process, she
says, she grew up.
The success of This
Hour Has 22 Minutes has
reinforced Walsh’s
confidence. “You haven’t
got time to beat up on
yourself when you’ve got
to do the program every
week. And I know that,
even if by midweek I’ve
still got nothing ready to
record on Friday, somehow it all comes together.” The format—a spoof
newscast—allows Walsh to play to the best of her strengths, biting political
commentary.
Walsh may have finally achieved a balance between life and work, but
she still takes nothing for granted. As Marg Delahunty would say with a
loud guffaw, “It’s up with a rocket, down with the sticks, you know.”
144 •FROM THE INSIDE
1. RESPONDING TO THE PROFILE
a. What, if anything, does the title of the article have to do with the
nursery rhyme of the same name? Why do you think the author chose
this title?
b. Mary Walsh says in this article, “Humour is a shield.” What does she
mean? Compare this humorist’s definition of humour to the definition
of humour you wrote for “Bad Driving.”
c. Mary Walsh talks about the self-doubt that has plagued her since
childhood, yet she’s still able to perform in front of people. What
feelings of self-doubt do you have? Do these feelings help you or
prevent you from doing the things you want to do?
d. Not everyone is a performer. What type of personality do you think
makes a good performer?
The cast of This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
2. LITERATURE STUDIES MA G A Z I N E PR O F I L E S
“Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary” is a profile (an article that is part biography
and part “snapshot” of a well-known person). Reread this profile and note
what it says in the introduction, the examples it uses, and how it concludes.
Does it follow the model of an essay? Does it have a thesis that it develops
and proves? Compare this profile to others you have read. Briefly explain
what you have learned about the way profiles are written and organized.
3. MEDIA MAKER CR E AT E A CO M E D Y SK I T
Mary Walsh’s comedy skits often use humour directed at TV shows,
commercials, or famous people. Often, the humour grows from something
she and her co-writers find ridiculous in the original. If possible, watch a
few episodes of This Hour Has 22 Minutes and analyse how the group
creates humour.
Work with a partner to write a five-minute comedy skit on something you
find ridiculous (school lunches, a local politician, a commercial). Present
your scene to a group of students or the class and ask for feedback.
PEER ASSESSMENT:What do others think of your scene? Do they find it
as funny as you do? Do you agree with their comments? Explain.
4. LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS AD V E R B CL A U S E S
Adverbs can modify a verb or an adjective. A clause (a group of words that
has a subject and a verb) can also act like an adverb and sometimes is
used to introduce a sentence. Here is an example of an adverb clause:
After she finished high school, Walsh made two mainland forays.
What does the clause add to the sentence? It gives you information
about the verb, “made.” It explains when Walsh made her “mainland forays.”
Notice, too, that at the end of the clause there is a comma. The comma
separates the subordinate adverb clause from the main part of the sentence.
If a clause comes at the end of a sentence, it has no comma. For example,
Walsh made two mainland forays after she finished high school.
These words often begin adverb clauses: after, although, as, before,
if, once, since, until, when, and while. How could you use adverb clauses
to tighten your writing?
FROM THE INSIDE •145
Fade in the sound of summer music,
Picture a hand plunging through her hair,
Next his socked feet and her scuffed dance slippers
Close, as they kiss on the rug-stripped stair.
Catch now the taxi from the station,
Capture her shoulders’ sudden sag;
Switch to him silent in the barracks
While the room roars at the corporal’s gag.
Let the drums dwindle in the distance,
Pile the green sea above the land;
While she prepares a single breakfast,
Reading the V mail in her hand.
Ride a cold moonbeam to the pillbox,*
Sidle the camera to his feet
Sprawled just outside in the gummy grasses,
Swollen like nightmare and not neat.
Now doorbell nudges the lazy morning:
She stills the sweeper for a while,
Twitches her dress, swings the screendoor open,
Cut—with no music—on her smile.
146 Use oral skills to present the poem.
Analyse a war movie and write a short review.
G OALS AT A GLANCE
G OALS AT A GLANCE
Notes for a Movie Script
Poem by M.Carl Holman
*pillbox: a small, low fortress with very thick walls and roof, having machine guns,
antitank weapons, and so on.
FROM THE INSIDE •147
1. RESPONDING TO THE POEM
a. What story does the poem tell?
b. Why do you think the writer chose a movie metaphor?
What other metaphor might be appropriate in telling
this story? Explain your choice.
c. Locate the contrasting images the poet uses. What
sense or picture do these pairs of images convey
to you?
d. Why is there no music at the end?
2. ORAL LANGUAGE PR E S E N T A PO E M
Poems are meant to be heard as much as they are intended to be read.
With a small group, read aloud “Notes for a Movie Script,” and then listen
as others read it. What different images do you imagine on hearing the
poem? Discuss whether, when listening to a poem or song lyrics, you are
more aware of the language of the words or the images the language
creates in your mind.
3. MEDIA MESSAGES WA R MO V I E RE V I E W
With a small group, discuss a movie about war that you have all seen recently.
In your notebook, briefly describe the events in the movie, and record answers
to the following questions.
•Whose point of view was most of the movie told from?
•Whose point of view was not shown?
•Did the movie show all aspects of war? Explain.
•Did it glorify war in your opinion? Explain.
•How was music or sound effects used effectively or ineffectively?
•What shots or scenes were particularly effective? Why?
•What is your opinion of the acting? the script? the direction?
•Would you recommend this movie to others? Why or why not?
You could use these notes, and other points from your discussion, to develop a
brief movie review. Write your review independently, and then compare it with the
reviews of other group members.
SELF-ASSESSMENT:Check that your review includes a brief synopsis of the
movie without revealing the ending, your opinion on the acting, script, and
direction, and a recommendation to others.
Ametaphor is a comparison
that describes one thing as
something else, suggesting
that they share a common
quality.
To
Build
aFire:
S t o r y b o a r d b y P a t r i ck Fi t z g e r a l d
Shooting a movie involves carefully planning each shot to get it right
(on the first or second take, hopefully). A storyboard—a shot-by-shot
visual of each scene in a script or story—can help the director, and the
sound and special effects crew to foresee any problems. A detailed story-
board also helps them imagine what the finished movie will look like.
The following storyboard for the movie version of “To Build a Fire”
shows the shot-by-shot planning for one of the story’s most exciting scenes.
Scene:
A snowy, dark, winter day in the Far North. No clouds. Can tell from
clothing that time period is early 19th century.
Characters:
Man, wearing mittens, hat with ear flaps, moccasins, warm socks, and
a fur coat. Looks prepared for cold. Grey dog, wolfish, lean, hungry.
148 Develop a treatment for a movie.
Analyse the effect of movie techniques.
G OALS AT A GLANCE
G OALS AT A GLANCE
Before a movie gets
filmed, an artist develops
a storyboard—like
this one.
Bringing a Short Story to the Big Screen
1. POV: FROM ABOVE/CUT T O
LG SHOT, ESTABLISH ARCTIC SETTING/MOOD
FROM THE INSIDE •149
2. MED SHO T, CLOSE IN ON MAN AND DOG
FILLING SCREEN
SOUND FX: FIRE SIZZLES OUT
4. Man now desper ate.
ZOOM IN ON MAN’S F ACE/ZOOM IN ON EYES
5. Dog breaks away, backs up .
CUT TO DOG’S FACE/CLOSE-UP
SOUND FX: WHINE TURNS TO GROWL,
SNARLING
MAN’S PANICKED BREATHING
6. Dog has hackles raised, stance shows fear ,
anger.
CAMERA FOLLOWS MOVEMENT OF DOG
CUE MUSIC TO INCREASE VOLUME SLOWL Y
3. Man tries to grab dog with arms. Dog
struggles.
SOUND FX: WHINING OF DOG
150 •FROM THE INSIDE
7. Man looks despairingly at frozen hands .
FADE TO MAN/CUT TO HANDS/TO CLOSE-UP
OF DISMAYED FACE
PULL BACK TO FULL SHOT INCLUDING
THE DOG
8. Dog returns to unlit fir e. Man tries to
warm arms .
MED SHOT OF MAN AND DOG
CUT TO MAN’S ARMS FLAILING
SOUND FX: BEAT OF ARMS DROWNS OUT
MUSIC
9. In panic, man runs, stumbling through snow .
SHOT OF MAN AND DOG, PANNING T O
BLUE SKY
CUT SOUND FX OF BEATING ARMS SHARPL Y,
TO SOUND OF RUNNING, HEAVY BREATHING
10. Man has vision of Mercur y, Roman
messenger of gods .
MED SHOT OF MAN
SUPERIMPOSE IMAGE, HIS VISION OF
SELF AS MERCURY
CLOSE-UP ON MERCUR Y’S WINGS
SOUND FX: HOWLING OF DOG
FROM THE INSIDE •151
11. Man stumbles and falls .
MED SHOT OF MAN FALLING
12. Man rests. Looks peaceful.
MED SHOT OF CRUMPLED BOD Y
CLOSE-UP ON HANDS/CUT TO F ACE
CUE MUSIC, H AUNTING MELOD Y
SUGGESTING COLD DEATH
13. Man forces himself to rise, begins to run
again.
POV: FROM ABOVE SEE MAN RISE
PULL OUT TO A SHOT FROM GROUND
LEVEL
SOUND FX: LABOURED BREATHING,
RUNNING
13. Man falls. Dog moves in, sits to watch
alertly.
POV: DOG’S EYE VIEW OF MAN
PULL OUT TO MED SHOT INCLUDING DOG
FADE TO CLOSE-UP ON MAN’S F ACE
152 •FROM THE INSIDE
16. Dog moves off, the survivor. In distance ,
smoke indicates salv ation is not that far
away.
POV: FROM GROUND SEE B ACK OF DOG
FOLLOW AS HE TR OTS AWAY INTO
DISTANCE
CUT TO SHOT OF ARCTIC
LANDSCAPE/AS IN OPENING OF
SEQUENCE.
15. Man closes eyes, speaks, and after a while ,
dies. Dog sniffs warily .
DIALOGUE: “YOU WERE RIGHT, OLD HOSS;
YOU WERE RIGHT .”
CUT TO MED SHOT OF MAN AND DOG
CUT TO DOG
SOUND FX: DOG SNIFFING, WHINING
1. RESPONDING TO THE STORYBOARD
a. Read the short story “To Build a Fire” on pages 99–113. How does
the last scene of the short story compare to this storyboard?
b. Do you think you would like this movie? Why or why not? What
elements of movies does it include that you usually enjoy?
c. Why do you think stories are often changed when they are made into
movies?
d. Movies are a visual/auditory medium. Prose is meant to be read and
sometimes heard. Both mediums, though, use some similar elements.
Explain what you think they are and how they are used differently in
each medium.
pov: point of view
med shot: medium shot
lg shot: long shot
sound fx: sound effects
FROM THE INSIDE •153
e. Music is suggested at various places in the storyboard. What music
would you choose for these parts and why?
f. Add a “voice-over” narration to the storyboard sequence using the
author’s words. To add your narration, you should be able to answer
these questions: What shots should have narration? How much should
you add? Should it be in the first or third person?
2. MEDIA MAKER MO V I E TR E AT M E N T
Scripts are rarely sold to a movie producer without someone first presenting
a story synopsis called a treatment. This is a short narrative—without a lot
of technical movie description—that gives a sense of what the movie will be
about. Write a one-page treatment for the short story “To Build a Fire.” Be
sure to emphasize the dramatic elements that would make this movie
interesting. Be aware that a movie is at least ninety minutes long. Short
stories often don’t have enough action to last this long on the screen.
What other events will you have to add to make this story a feature-
length film?
3. MEDIA MESSAGES AN A LY S E TE C H N I Q U E S
Filmmakers use a number of techniques to create a story: photography,
sound effects, music, lighting, editing, and sometimes special visual
effects. Select one of these elements (or one of your choosing) and,
keeping it in mind, watch a movie. Write a one-page review explaining
how the element you have chosen enhances or lessens the effect and
enjoyment of the movie.
SELF-ASSESSMENT:How critical are you when you watch a movie or TV
program? Do you notice techniques such as photography or sound effects?
Are performances more important to you than technique? Explain.
The Saga
of Filming
Never Cry Wolf
The Saga
of Filming
Never Cry Wolf
Even before he was fully awake, the man could feel the late summer
afternoon change course. He had dozed off after a solitary swim in an
arctic lake, and now he found himself in the path of a heavy-breath-
ing herd of caribou. Some of the animals seemed agitated. Scanning the
herd, the man saw why: they were being driven by a pack of wolves
hunting along their flank. Impulsively, the man began to run.
Zigzagging across the tundra, he was swept along with the chase. He
saw the way the wolves worked, testing the caribou with quick bursts that
were just as quickly abandoned if the deer seemed strong. Then the wolves
sensed one sick caribou and poured on the speed, isolating the animal from
the rest of the herd and running it hard. The fatigued buck turned to face
his attackers on a small rise, but in an instant 5 wolves flew at him like
blades from a knife thrower’s hand. They knocked the buck down on the
first strike and killed him while other caribou hurried past, sniffing the air.
Those who see Carroll Ballard’s Never Cry Wolf*may find their own
nostrils flaring, for this hunting scene vividly conveys both the power of
the wolf pack and the misconceptions many have about Canis lupus**.
Based on the 1963 Farley Mowat bestseller of the same name, the movie
154 Respond critically to the article.
Analyse the use of phrases and clauses.
G OALS AT A GLANCE
G OALS AT A GLANCE
Unco-operative caribou and wolves that had
to be taught to be wild were only
some of the problems in making this hit movie.
Article by Bruce Brown
*Never Cry Wolf: a movie based on a Farley Mowat novel of the same name, was released in theatres
in 1983. It was directed by Carroll Ballard and starred Charles Martin Smith and Brian Dennehy.
**Canis lupus: wolf.
FROM THE INSIDE •155
tells of a bearded young biologist named Tyler who is studying arctic
wolves for the Canadian Wildlife Service. He finds that wolves eat chiefly
mice and rodents. When they do kill a sick or injured caribou, they confirm
the Inuit saying, “The wolf keeps the caribou strong.”
The tale that Ballard brings to the screen is about the loss of wildness
in the world. The same directorial eye with which he made The Black
Stallion, a landmark in animal photography, is evident in the handling of
the wolves. The three wolves that Tyler comes to call George, Angeline,
and Uncle Albert emerge as characters who watch Tyler when he doesn’t
realize it, but let him watch them only when they choose. Their habits
structure Tyler’s days, and in the end they propel the film to its dramatic
climax.
To play Tyler, Ballard chose Charles Martin Smith, best known for
his role as Terry in American Graffiti. Two Canadians play other major
parts: Samson Jorah plays Mike, and Zachary Ittimangnaq plays the wolf
shaman Ootek.
Ballard managed to coax exceptional performances from his animal
stars—even though all the wolves in the film were raised in captivity and
had to be taught to behave like wild wolves.
A scene from Never Cry Wolf.
Almost as remarkable as the animal scenes, are the difficulties the
Never Cry Wolf crew encountered during what became a marathon filming
in the North. In his planning in early 1980, Ballard discovered it would be
impossible to use wild caribou in a critical sequence. Some Inuit near
Nome, Alaska, agreed to rent him a herd of about 2500 domestic caribou as
long as the filming ended on June 15, when they would round up the
animals and cut off their velvety new antlers, prized in Asia as an aphro-
disiac.
But the sequence called for no snow on the ground, and the snow didn’t
melt until the beginning of June, so Ballard and his crew had about two
weeks to shoot. “It rained the first 10 days,” he recalled. “On the 11th day,
buyers arrived with briefcases full of money for the antlers.” Then the
animals disappeared in a storm, and it took helicopters and riders several
days to find them. With Ballard’s production manager negotiating to hold
off the Inuit and the buyers, shooting began.
In one scene, after emerging nude from a lake, Smith was to mingle
with the herd. “I was supposed to spring over an embankment, surprise the
caribou, and run among them. When I went over the top, though, they were
long gone. You can’t just sneak up on caribou—they make their living not
being sneaked up on.”
Ballard did not finish shooting before the caribou had their antlers cut
off, and he decided to push on to Skagway, Alaska, for the next sequence.
The roving film crew, made up largely of technicians from Vancouver, came
to resemble a sort of arctic commando outfit that had to learn to accommo-
date to Ballard’s style. He was always willing to keep reshooting a scene
until it was absolutely right, or to sit and wait for the weather he wanted.
Thus, the filming of Never Cry Wolf stretched into more than 9 months
over a period of a year and a half.
Probably the most dangerous stunt in the movie occurs when biologist
Tyler falls through lake ice, sinks to the bottom under the weight of his
gear, fights free to the surface, shatters the ice with his shotgun, and drags
himself to the shore. In preparation, holes were cut in the half-metre-thick
ice and allowed to refreeze a bit. Underneath the ice, ropes and platforms
were rigged; after Smith fell through, divers would give him oxygen and
help get him in position to break back up through the ice.
“Right away,” recounts Ballard, “2 of the divers got into trouble—
oxygen-regulator freeze-up—and had to be hauled out. Then a stunt person
tried, and he got into trouble. So we were down to Charlie, and I asked
him. ‘You want to try it?’” Ballard laughed. “Charlie said, ‘Sure’—he put on
the gear, dropped into the lake, swam 15 m under the ice and did the
156 •FROM THE INSIDE
FROM THE INSIDE •157
scene. Not once, but twice.” The second time was to satisfy Ballard’s desire
to get the segment just right.
To find the 2 Inuit actors, Ballard dispatched freelance consultant John
Houston on a more than 16 000-km trek across the Canadian North. “It was a
tremendously romantic journey,” said Houston, a Canadian whose father, James,
is the author of The White Dawn and other books about the Arctic. “We trav-
elled by plane, snowmobile, and dogsled.”
At each settlement, Houston—who later became Ballard’s assistant—
broadcast a radio invitation to local residents to audition for the movie.
“I would say, ‘Good morning, I am the son of the Left-Handed Man’—my
father’s name among the Inuit—‘and I have come on behalf of the folks who
bring you Wonderful World.’
“Because Walt Disney has provided a good deal of TV entertainment in
the Arctic, scores would show up to audition on videotape. Many of the
shows they put on for us were quite imaginative. One man demonstrated
his expertise with an 11-m dog whip.”
At Baker Lake, Nunavut, Houston found the Inuit who plays Mike. “At
the end of our taping sessions,” Houston said, “a man walked in who said
his name was Samson Jorah and that he was an apprentice mechanic and
had done some hunting.” As Jorah opened up and delivered a monologue,
he reminded Houston of the young Buster Keaton. “He had great comic
ability, delivering deadpan lines with wonderful intuitive timing. When
I screened the tape for the director, he said, ‘I want to have a shot at this man.’”
Houston’s next stop, Pelly Bay, provided the second Inuit character, the
wolf shaman Ootek. “When we asked about an older man to appear in the
movie, everyone said, ‘Older man? Talk to Zachary Ittimangnaq. He’s got a
lot of movie experience.’ It turned out that Zachary had appeared in a series
of films made by the National Film Board about the old ways of the Inuit.
Fifteen years later, he was living as a sort of retired movie star in Pelly
Bay.” Houston knew right away that Ballard would choose Ittimangnaq to
play Ootek because he is a venerable man, “what the Japanese call a living
national treasure.”
The 30 wolves used in making Never Cry Wolf were accompanied 24 hours
a day by trainers skilled at the judicious dispensation of chicken parts, wieners,
and, sometimes, authority. Ballard once persuaded Kolchak, the wolf that plays
George, to sniff for a close-up by having a live chicken in a cage sitting on top of
his own head as he sat behind the whirring camera.
The wolves not only had to be coaxed and coached, they had to learn at least
some lessons of the wild the hard way. The 5 used in the caribou attack-scene,
for instance, had never hunted caribou. The leader of the pack, a large male
named Avatar, tried to
take on a healthy
caribou buck with a
broad span of antlers.
Avatar ran the buck for
nearly a kilometre and
finally drove it out into
the water. The wolf
dove in pursuit, but as
soon as his feet no
longer touched the
strand, the caribou (still
touching bottom)
wheeled, caught the
wolf with its rack and
hurled him high in the
air. “I’ll never forget the
look in Avatar’s eyes
when he came down,”
says Debbie Coe, the
wolf’s trainer. Avatar survived the encounter, and thereafter the wolves con-
centrated on the weaker members of the herd.
When the Never Cry Wolf crew returned to Nome, Alaska, in June 1981
to have a second try at the caribou hunt sequence, wolves and people were
better prepared, and the crucial scene was finished. But even with all
filming completed, months of work remained.
“The problems in shooting were nothing compared to what we had in
postproduction,” says Ballard. The material was edited, re-edited, and
eventually cut to 2900 m of film from an original 229 000 m. At last, 31/2
years after starting the project, Ballard was satisfied.
Some of the movie’s happiest incidents just happened to be filmed in
Ballard’s eagerness to get it all. At the very end of Never Cry Wolf, while
the credits roll, Tyler and Ootek sit together in the evening sunlight. Tyler
makes 3 snowballs, juggles them, and then hands them to the old man. The
grey-haired wolf shaman takes them with a laugh, tries unsuccessfully to
match Tyler, and then performs a juggling pantomime. In this spontaneous
moment fact and fiction meet, like hands pressed to the mirror, and
become the image of 2 people having the time of their lives.
158 •FROM THE INSIDE
Tyler threatens poachers who have been capturing wolves.
FROM THE INSIDE •159
1. RESPONDING TO THE ARTICLE
a. What do you think the purpose of this article is?
b. Reread the first two paragraphs. What impression do they convey?
Compare them to the last paragraph. How are they similar? What idea
is the author trying to express in the introduction and the last
paragraph?
c. How is the director of the movie portrayed? What do you imagine are
the qualities that would make a good movie director?
d. Does the author have a personal point of view? Discuss why you think
writers of information articles should or shouldn’t have a point of view.
2. LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS PH R A S E S A N D CL A U S E S
Simple sentences are made up of a subject and a verb, for example, “She
thinks” or “The dog is barking.” Of course, most of what you read, as well
as what you write, uses more involved sentence
constructions. Phrases and clauses are elements of
sentences that allow you to express more complex
ideas. Look at the definitions at right and compare
them to the following examples from the article.
Phrase To play Tyler, Ballard chose Charles
Martin Smith, best known for his role
as Terry in American Graf fiti.
Clause As Jorah opened up and delivered a
monologue, he reminded Houston
of the young Buster Keaton.
Each phrase and clause modifies some part of the main sentence.
What do the above underlined words modify? Reread “The Saga of Filming
Never Cry Wolf” and list a few more phrase and clause examples,
explaining what they modify.
SELF-ASSESSMENT:If you examine your own writing, you will see that you
use both phrases and clauses. Do you know what they modify? Do they
help make your writing clearer?
Aphrase is a group of related
words that does not have both
a subject and a verb.
Aclause is a group of related
words that has both a subject
and a verb or verb phrase. A
main clause is an independent
sentence. A subordinate clause
can’t stand alone as a sentence;
it supports the main clause.
P R O C E S S
Amovie critic’s job is to let the audience
know if a movie is worth seeing. To be
a great critic, you should know your audience,
be able to state your opinion clearly and
concisely, and really love the movies.
Review Styles and Features
Take a look at the variety of movie reviews in
newspapers, magazines, video and TV guides,
and on Web sites. Take note of the different
styles and approaches to reviewing. These
are the common elements in movie reviews:
•basic information about the movie
•an opinion on the overall quality of the movie
•supporting evidence to back up the opinion
•a descriptive opening sentence
•the movie title and genre (romantic comedy,
drama, documentary, horror, and so on)
•the names of the leading actors, producers,
director, and sometimes the cinematog-
rapher or screenwriter
•a final rating
At the Movies
Choose a movie that you think your readers
will want to see. Remember to bring a note-
book when you view the movie so that you
can make notes either during or immediately
after the screening. Jot down the title, the
director, the leading actors, and any other
pertinent information.
After you’ve seen the movie, think about
your initial reaction to it. You might want to
focus on the following elements and record
your responses to them.
•The actors: Were they well cast? Were
they good actors or not?
•The directing: Did the director handle
the actors and screenplay well?
•The screenplay: Was the script mediocre
or superb?
•The cinematography: Was the camera work
spectacular or boring?
•Summarize and describe a movie. •Present an opinion with supporting evidence.
160 •FROM THE INSIDE
Writing Your Review
Here are some strategies you can use to help
you organize and write your review.
1. Decide on the one major element that made
the movie good or bad. This might be the
acting, direction, or screenplay.
2. Your opening paragraph should grab the
reader’s attention by setting the tone of the
review. It needs to include a description of
the movie as well as your opinion of it. Use
vivid adjectives, such as fast-paced, witty,
disturbing, shocking, or action-packed.
3. The synopsis, or summary, of the movie
should be brief. It should describe the main
action or conflict and characters without
giving away the whole story or the ending. If
what makes the movie so good is a surprise
in the plot that you have to reveal, include a
warning giving the reader a choice about
whether or not to keep reading.
4. Give your opinion of the movie, offering
evidence to support it. Examine why you
have such strong feelings about the movie.
Ask yourself the following questions:
•Was the story well-developed?
•Were the characters believable and multi-
dimensional, or stereotypical? If they were
stereotypical, was there a good reason?
•Was the movie too long or too short?
•Were you entertained throughout the movie
or were there parts that dragged?
•If you state that the movie was funny and
well-written, give examples of humorous
lines. If you claim that the acting was poor,
offer reasons. If you have mixed feelings
about the movie, sort out what you believe
were the good and bad parts, and write
about these separately.
5. End with a concluding statement explaining
why you recommend or do not recommend
the movie.
6. Give the movie a rating. You can use letters
of the alphabet (A being the best, D being
the worst) or stars (five stars, the top rating,
one star, the lowest). Expressing your per-
sonal opinion here is vital, as many readers
will determine whether or not to see a movie
based on your review and rating.
Revising Your Review
At the revision stage, you have a chance to
make sure your review has achieved the right
tone and mood, and will be useful in helping
your readers decide whether or not to see the
movie.
Self-Assessment
Use the checklist below to assess your review.
❏I researched various types of reviews.
❏I selected a movie that was appropriate for
my audience.
❏I watched the movie with a critical eye,
examining the writing, acting, cinematog-
raphy, directing, music, and so on.
❏I recorded my initial reactions to the movie.
❏I informed the readers about the basics of
the movie.
❏I presented my opinions and supported them
with examples.
P R O C E S S
FROM THE INSIDE •161
Internet
IsHero’s
W
indow
CANTERBURY, England
Hero Joy Nightingale lets
the whole world know
what’s on her mind, though
she’s unable to speak or
walk.
Nightingale puts
together an Internet maga-
zine that boasts readers in
77 countries and guest
writers like U.N. Secretary-
General Kofi Annan,
Canadian author Margaret
Atwood, and the leader of
the Anglican Church,
Archbishop George Carey.
Now on its 5th issue,
From the Window began 2
years ago as a way for Nightingale to
meet people beyond Canterbury, the
fabled city where she lives.
It has evolved, however, into
an acclaimed and award-winning
project that led to a visit with Annan
in his 38th-floor office at the United
Nations headquarters in New York, a
globetrotting journey to pick up a
prize in Australia, and a rush of new
friends.
“I can’t find the superlative to
describe it,” says Wendy Clarke, head
162 Develop a form for evaluating Web sites.
Analyse the structure and content of newspaper articles.
G OALS AT A GLANCE
G OALS AT A GLANCE
When it comes to publishing
magazines, the Internet
has changed many things.
Hero Joy Nightingale
demonstrates how .
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE BY MARA BELLABY
Hero Joy Nightingale, who has a rare neurological condition, puts
together an Internet magazine that boasts readers in 77 countries
and guest writers such as Margaret Atwood.
FROM THE INSIDE •163
of occupational therapy for the East
Kent Health Authority, who has
worked with Nightingale since she
was 2. “It has opened up the world
to her.”
Nightingale was born with what
doctors call a “locked-in condition.”
It is marked by an inability to
perform complex movements of any
of her muscles, abnormally low
muscle tone, and an unknown
neurological disorder.
To communicate, Nightingale’s
arm must be supported while she
scrawls letters into an assistant’s
palm. The “enabler,” currently
Nightingale’s mother, must
recognize the subtle movements
of Nightingale’s hand and transcribe
her thoughts. It is a slow, arduous,
word-by-word process.
“Writing is everything,” says
Nightingale. “Without writing I am
nothing because everything I feel,
think, and need must be conveyed
through my spelling.”
It is that love of writing—and
meeting new people—that has made
the Internet such a critical part of
her life, she says.
Working with her mother in a
cozy room overflowing with books,
Nightingale spends all day in front
of the computer screen. She hunts
down potential essayists, sifts
through contributions, and puts
down her own thoughts.
It is nearly a full-time job—for
Nightingale and her mother, who
must type all of her dictation into the
computer.
Nightingale, who also composes
music and plans giant art installa-
tions, keeps a list of people she wants
contributions from for the magazine.
Successes so far: Annan, Atwood, and
Helen Sharman, the first Briton in
space. Among those on the wanted
list: new British poet laureate Andrew
Motion, writer John Mortimer, and
tennis star Tim Henman.
“It’s very difficult for me to
explain or even understand why
some small percentage of my targets
respond and an even smaller
percentage respond with an article,”
Nightingale says. “But it’s very nice
when it happens.”
From the Window is graphically
simple. But the heavy-hitting contrib-
utors who write first-person accounts
of their experiences and Nightingale’s
blunt talk about being disabled—put
the site in a category all its own.
“I don’t dwell on what I might
have been like if I were not disabled,
because it’s too ridiculously silly to
do so,” Nightingale says.
It is her straight-talking descrip-
tions about herself and her disability
that make From the Window come
alive.
“I have a lot to do and I have to
get on with it,” she says.
From the Window can be found at <http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/hojoy/>.
#1: Content (is King or Queen!)
No matter how flashy or impressive a Web site is, it will ultimately
be judged by its content. Is the text well written? Is it succinct
and communicative? Is it tailored to the target audience? These
questions are paramount for the design of a successful Web site.
+
#2: Visual Appeal
Layout, image quality, and colour scheme each play an important
role in the overall appearance of a Web site. The legibility of the
text should be top priority—always try to have a high contrast
between the text and the background.
+
#3: Creativity
Develop a theme or metaphor for the Web site. It is challenging,
but well worth the effort. When the images and overall look of a
site create “thematic glue,” the site is an experience as opposed
to a mere collection of information.
+
#4: Ease of Navigation
Is the information logically laid out? Would a novice user be able
to navigate easily through the site? How deep into the site is the
critical information? Always test the site with inexperienced Web
users and use their feedback. Create a navigation scheme that
makes sense for the novice but that doesn’t annoy the expert.
Use colour coding where possible and keep a consistent layout.
164 •FROM THE INSIDE
Web Tips:
T
he
E
quation
FROM THE INSIDE •165
+
#5: Responsiveness
“If I don’t see something in ten seconds, I leave!” Believe it
or not, this is a very common statement among Web users.
Sites that download quickly are sites that will be used at least
once! Ensure that images appear quickly, but without compro-
mising on image quality. Have the text download first and then
let the images fill in.
+
#6: Multi-Platform Compatibility
Does the site perform properly on the major browsers? On
different releases of the browsers? Does the site work well on
low-end systems (640X480 resolution and 256 colour-depth)?
What about high-end systems? Does the site look great on
Apple systems as well as PCs? These questions are critical
since you have no way of controlling the user’s environment.
+
#7: Marketing
“Build it and they will come.” This statement is a fallacy on
the Web. The site must be easy to find from the commonly
used search engines. All marketing materials, including print
advertising, letterhead, and so on, should promote the site.
Encourage repeat visits by ensuring that the site is not static.
Keep it fresh by changing content regularly.
=
Result
An award-winning high traffic site!
166 •FROM THE INSIDE
1. RESPONDING TO THE SELECTION
a. Why is the Internet a particularly important tool for Hero Nightingale?
b. On the Internet, find an example of a personal Web site (or examine
From the Window). Write a brief review of the site.
c. The Web tips are written to help explain how to create a successful
Web site. Explain whether you think this information is helpful.
d. List the information on Web sites that you didn’t understand.
What resources could you use to find this information?
e. What did you learn from this article about creating e-zines and
Web sites? What more do you want to learn?
2. MEDIA MESSAGES WE B SI T E EVA L U AT I O N
Web sites on the Internet use both print and visual media to convey infor-
mation. They are organized with sections and subsections. Not all sites,
however, are interesting, easy to follow, or comprehensible.
Create a report form that you can use to evaluate Web sites. For exam-
ple, your report form could contain the subject or purpose of the site, how it
is organized, how easy it is to get around or navigate, its use of graphics,
and whether it is easy or difficult to read and understand. Use this form to
assess several Web sites. Share this information with your classmates.
3. MEDIA MESSAGES AN A LY S E NE W S PA P E R AR T I C L E S
If you examine newspaper articles, you’ll find they have many elements in
common. Choose several newspaper articles and answer these questions:
•What does the first paragraph tell you about the article?
•How is the heading related to the first paragraph?
•Does each article answer the 5 W’s of journalism?
•What is the average length of each paragraph?
•How does each article use quotations?
Summarize what you have learned about how newspaper articles
are written.
SELF-ASSESSMENT:Choose an article that you’ve written and shorten it by
half its length. Does it still convey the same basic information? Does it
read better in the shortened version?
FROM THE INSIDE •167
REFLECTING ONTHE UNIT
SELF-ASSESSMENT:ME D I A
As you worked on the activities in this unit, what did you learn about
•films and film scripts?
•storyboards?
•movie reviews?
•news reporting?
•TV?
•Internet Web sites?
•advertising?
How did this unit help you learn more about what goes on behind the scenes in
creating various media? Write a statement in your notebook explaining what you
learned.
MEDIA MAKER MO V I E S
With a partner, discuss what you learned about analysing and creating movies
during this unit. Together, generate ideas that you think would make a good
movie. Write a one-page film treatment proposing the best idea for the next
blockbuster. Outline how you think the story should develop. Write a one-
paragraph description for each of the main characters. Share your treatment
with another group.
MEDIA MESSAGES AN A LY S E AD S
Choose a print or TV ad that you think is effective. Show the ad to a number
of people, and have each person write a sentence or two about what image or
message the ad conveys to them. Summarize the results of your survey.
Now research the product the ad is selling. Look in consumer magazines
and books for information or search the Internet for consumer opinions and
information. Interview people who have used the product and ask for their
recommendations.
Compare your findings with the summary of your survey. In an essay, explain
whether or not the ad accurately described the product. Did the facts you
discovered support the claims in the ad?
