Monika Davies - On the Job: Filmmakers: Adding and Subtracting Mixed Numbers

0covercover.xhtmlOn the Job FILMMAKERS Adding and Subtracting Mixed Numbers Monika Daviescover1page0001page0001.xhtml22page0002page0002.xhtml33page0003page0003.xhtml44page0004page0004.xhtmlTable of Contents The Storytellers 4 Ava DuVernay 6 Justin Lin 12 Ryan Coogler 16 Brandy Menefee : An Interview 20 Fearless Filmmakers 26 Problem Solving 28 Glossary 30 Index 31 References 31 Answer Key 3255page0005page0005.xhtmlThe Storytellers Our world is filled with stories. Some of the greatest stories are the ones that are captured on film! But, how well do we know the people who bring these stories to life? Every movie has a credits list that runs a mile long. But arguably, the leader behind the scenes is the filmmaker. The average filmmaker is more than just a director. He or she is often the film's producer and editor. Sometimes, that person is the film's writer, too. Filmmakers are some of the best multitaskers in the movie business! Take a look at some of today's leading filmmakers. Each person took a unique journey to arrive at his or her current career. These filmmakers work hard to include a variety of characters in their films. They are focused on making smart and innovative movies. They are artists. Some people may even call them visionaries. But most importantly, they are storytellers-Hollywood's finest. Clapperboards help filmmakers know details about each section of recorded film.66page0006page0006.xhtml77page0007page0007.xhtmlAva DuVernay Filmmakers are leaders. They coach actors and supervise a crew. Everyone on set looks to them for guidance. So, a very dedicated person must sit in the director's chair. For Ava DuVernay, being a leader comes naturally. She has said, "From a very early age, I felt comfortable leading. I did not have any problem with speaking up. " Even though DuVernay felt she had the ability and freedom to do what she wanted, her career path did not lead directly to making films. She first worked as a publicist. In that role, she developed her marketing expertise for big Hollywood movies. "I didn't start out thinking I could ever make films, " she said. "I started out being a film lover, loving films, and wanting to have a job that puts me close to them. " DuVernay saw a lack of African-American independent films. She wanted this to change. So, she began making changes in her life. She was still working as a publicist when she began making films. DuVernay changes the camera angle and speed to give the audience a new perspective.88page0008page0008.xhtmlDuVernay attends the TIME 100 Gala, where she is honored as one of the most influential people of the year. LET'S EXPLORE MATH Script pages are usually divided into eighths because the paper is 8 inches long. One page is about 1 minute of screen time. Suppose DuVernay needs to combine some scenes. She wants each new scene to be at least 4 minutes, or 4 pages, long. Choose all of the following expressions showing page combinations with a sum of 4 or greater. A. 1 2/8 + 2 4/8 B. 3 3/8 + 7/8 C. 2 1/8 + 2 1/8 D. 1 6/8 + 2 2/899page0009page0009.xhtmlDuVernay said, " [ I ] gave myself permission to go slowly. I didn't beat myself up for the fact that I had a day job. I considered how I could strengthen myself through my day job so that one was feeding the other. " In 2006, she released her first short, Saturday Night Life. In 2010, she directed her first full-length film, I Will Follow. Critics loved the movie. She started to get noticed for her work. In 2014, DuVernay's film, Selma, released. Selma tells the story of Martin Luther King Jr. 's march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. This march was part of the movement to secure equal voting rights for all people of color. The film's budget was $20 million. It was a big project. It came with fresh challenges. In the movie, the march is a pivotal moment. For this scene, DuVernay had to coordinate hundreds of extras and use a green screen effectively. This was new to her. But she said, "I just approached it the same way I approach any scene-what is the story here? " Her focus on the story helped bring the scene to life. DuVernay shares her vision for the scene with lead actor David Oyelowo.1010page0010page0010.xhtml1111page0011page0011.xhtmlDuVernay celebrates the premiere of the film Queen Sugar.1212page0012page0012.xhtmlIn 2015, Selma was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Its success opened doors for her. But, DuVernay creates her own opportunities. She reminds us, "It's not about knocking on closed doors. It's about building our own house and having our own door. " She now has a large list of projects, including, A Wrinkle in Time, a big-budget adaptation of the classic novel. Her show, Queen Sugar, has been watched by many people. It airs on Oprah Winfrey's OWN network. Filmmakers often start with stories that are close to their hearts. These tales highlight events that they believe need to be given attention. For DuVernay, her films speak to what is important to her. She says that is when she knew "that I just need to go out and tell my story, then things really changed for me. It's just knowing that there's nothing that anyone can give me that I can't do for myself in regards to my films. " She went on to explain, "I want to be defined as a 'black woman filmmaker' because that's the lens through which I'm working. That is my gaze. I'm proud of it. " DuVernay speaks at a 10th anniversary event that focused on giving people of all cultures a voice in the media and government.1313page0013page0013.xhtmlJustin Lin Justin Lin's name tops the credits of some of the biggest box office flicks. He has revved up engines in the Fast & Furious series. In 2016, he directed the movie Star Trek Beyond. Lin likes to reboot old, favorite films and he has turned it into an art form. Lin's family moved from Taiwan when he was young. His father was a pilot. But when they arrived in the United States, his family started a fish-and-chips shop to make money. Lin's parents worked 12-hour days. Now, Lin uses that same work ethic and focus to make films. "Film is [ like ] a basketball game, " he said. "When that buzzer sounds, win or lose, the only thing you can control is how much effort you put into it. " He burst onto the filmmaking scene with his 2002 indie debut, Better Luck Tomorrow. It featured an all Asian-American cast. The movie caused a stir. Roger Ebert, a top film critic, named Lin "a rising star. " Lin attends the London premiere of Star Trek Beyond.1414page0014page0014.xhtmlLET'S EXPLORE MATH While Lin's main focus is now filmmaking, he was a pretty good basketball player as a kid. Imagine that Lin plays 8 1/6 minutes in the first quarter and 4 2/3 minutes in the second quarter of a basketball game. 1. Does Lin play more or less than 12 1/2 minutes altogether? How do you know? 2. Choose all of the following numbers that could be used as a common denominator to find Lin's total number of minutes. A. 6 B. 12 C. 9 D. 18 3. Find the total number of minutes Lin plays in both quarters. Explain how you know your answer is reasonable. Lin watches the action unfold from behind the camera.1515page0015page0015.xhtml"Action to me is no fun if it's not built around character, " Lin explains. His success is tied directly to his focus on character. At times, Lin works with large ensembles. In Star Trek Beyond, he juggled a big cast of characters. Yet, he made sure that each character had "valid feelings and emotional connections to the audience. " He wanted to make sure that viewers felt like they had "a great relationship with all these characters. " Lin helps an actor connect with her character's emotions.1616page0016page0016.xhtmlDespite Lin's list of films that have done well, some of them have not been big hits. But, he embraces these misses. "We make movies and we all try our best, and sometimes we connect with the audience, sometimes we don't. " He summarizes, "We will all fall, and we will all get up, and we will learn. " Lin continues to accept new projects. He likes to work, even though his job is demanding. "Do what you love, " Lin advises young filmmakers. "At the end of the day, if the film is made for the right reasons, then there's no failure. " Lin poses with the cast of Star Trek Beyond. LET'S EXPLORE MATH Imagine that you are headed to see the latest movie from your favorite filmmaker. You earn points as a frequent moviegoer and have some points to use for your ticket and snack. Right now, you have 4 1/2 points. A ticket and snack deduct 1 3/4 points. How many points do you have left? Draw and use the model to prove your solution.1717page0017page0017.xhtmlRyan Coogler Ryan Coogler directs personal, truthful stories. Yet, he did not always want a career as a filmmaker. His college years began with him playing football. He had a football scholarship. And, he planned to become a doctor. But during a creative writing class, his teacher had him rethinking his career path. Coogler handed in a paper about his father. After reading it, his professor told him, "I think you should become a screenwriter. You can reach more people. " Coogler attends the premiere of Fruitvale Station at a film festival in Los Angeles.1818page0018page0018.xhtmlAt first, Coogler brushed off the idea. But, he kept thinking about stories. He began taking film classes. Soon, he veered away from football. He headed to Los Angeles for film school. In 2013, Coogler rose to fame with his first major movie, Fruitvale Station. This film told the true story of the shooting of an unarmed man, Oscar Grant. The humanity of Coogler's film spoke to viewers. "At the end of the day, a filmmaker's most important tool is humanity, " Coogler said. "You want to be able to capture humanity in your stories, you want to be able to bring out humanity in your characters. " LET'S EXPLORE MATH Suppose you start reading a book to learn more about the craft of moviemaking. On Monday, you read 2 1/4 chapters. On Tuesday, you read 3 1/10 chapters. 1. Have you read more or less than 6 chapters? How do you know? 2. Choose all of the following expressions that can be used to find the total number of chapters you have read. A. 2 10/40 + 3 4/40 B. 2 1/14 + 3 1/14 C. 2 5/20 + 3 2/20 D. 45/20 + 62/20 3. Choose a correct expression from question 2. Use it to find how many chapters you have read. Why did you choose that expression to find the solution?1919page0019page0019.xhtmlIn 2015, Coogler directed Creed. The film was an addition to the Rocky series. But, this was no standard sequel. Instead, Coogler took the franchise in a new direction. He drew from his relationship with his own father to add depth to the film's story. " [ I ] t's important to me to always work on projects that have things that I'm passionate about in them, " he said. "This work is so all-consuming that to do this job right, you have to throw yourself at it 24 hours a day for years at a time. " Coogler demonstrates a boxing stance for the lead actor, Sylvester Stallone. LET'S EXPLORE MATH Suppose Coogler buys 11 pizzas for his crew. He gets a little hungry on the way, so the crew now has 10 1/3 pizzas to eat. 1. How much of a pizza did Coogler eat? How do you know? 2. In only a few minutes, the crew devours 8 3/4 of the remaining pizza. How much pizza is left over? Show your solution strategy.2020page0020page0020.xhtmlCoogler became a filmmaker to "tell movies that came from the perspective of characters...that I wanted to watch. " His goal is to create movies that reflect "the world we live in. " Coogler's career is growing, but he tries to stay grounded. "As an artist, your greatest responsibility is to yourself, " he said. "If the work you're doing doesn't mean something to you, it's not going to be good work. " Coogler poses at the premiere of Creed.2121page0021page0021.xhtmlBrandy Menefee : An Interview Brandy Menefee has been working in Hollywood for over 15 years. Here, she shares her career insights and advice for getting started in filmmaking! Author : You are a director, a producer, a writer, and an editor! What are the main differences between these roles? Menefee : Producing is like setting the table for a big meal. Directing is like being the conductor. Editing is taking a big pile of stuff and figuring out what to do with it. Writing is where it all starts. It's your vision. This is studied by a producer to determine budget, crew, cast, and schedule. Author : Which one is your favorite role? Menefee : One of the things I love most about my work is the variety of opportunities. It's very hard to choose just one role that's my favorite. Directing comes naturally to me. Producing pushes me to face challenges and find solutions. I love the simplicity of writing. It's just me and my words. Editing feels like it combines all of those roles in one. You're the final writer of the story. You're orchestrating (directing) all the shots... and doing whatever it takes (producing) to achieve a shared goal.2222page0022page0022.xhtmlBrandy Menefee2323page0023page0023.xhtmlAuthor : You work as a storyteller in a documentary, too. What does that mean? Menefee : I profile people, and I document their milestones. This involves interviewing people and filming parts of their lives. Then, I edit those pieces together. Finally, I present it in a way that inspires and moves people. Sometimes people associate documentary with only serious subjects. But, you can create meaningful content that's also light, fun, and makes someone crack a smile. Menefee films people for a documentary film about breeding rats.2424page0024page0024.xhtmlAuthor : Tell me about a day in the life of a documentary storyteller. Menefee : Some days are all emails and phone calls. Some days, I'm buried in a dark room editing for hours. I'm making creative decisions in front of a computer screen. And I'm hoping someone brings me a snack. Some days, I'm trying to create a safe space for people I'm interviewing. A perk of my job is getting to meet fascinating people. I get to explore their world and live in it. And I get to learn from them. LET'S EXPLORE MATH Imagine that Brandy is working on her latest documentary. Yesterday, she spent 8 2/5 hours sending emails, making phone calls, and interviewing people. Today, she's been in her dark room editing for 6 1/2 hours. Brandy thinks she worked 14 9/10 hours over the last two days. Her assistant's report says 149/10 hours. Explain how Brandy and her assistant are both correct. How would you choose to show the number of hours Brandy works? Why?2525page0025page0025.xhtmlAuthor : What are some of your favorite film projects? Menefee : I directed Channing Tatum for digital promos. I've directed some of America's top chefs and traveled all over America. And, I've lived on a tour bus for 30 days to chronicle the backstage shenanigans of an A-list musical artist. I'm most proud of the content I created for the nonprofit Aware Awake Alive. Two parents came to me, deeply mourning the death of their son. They never wanted any family to go through their same nightmare. So, they formed a nonprofit organization and needed videos to tell their painful story. I conceptualized, produced, directed, and edited their story. These videos have been instrumental in the nonprofit's mission to save lives. Brandy Menefee on set in Africa.2626page0026page0026.xhtmlAuthor : What advice would you give your 11-year-old self about building a career in film? Menefee : Your point of view (POV) is unique. It's not the best. No one's is the best. Everyone has a unique voice. Find yours. Have a POV. It doesn't have to be loud or over the top. But, your POV is what separates you from everyone else. Ten people can be assigned the same story. Each one will tell it differently. How will you tell it?2727page0027page0027.xhtmlFearless Filmmakers Our favorite films connect with our emotions. They make us laugh and cry. They make us think about the world. Quite simply, our favorite films create magic onscreen. Dynamic filmmakers are the people behind that magic. The one trait that ties these directors together is their commitment. They put passion and energy into their work. Filming days are long. Directors often work before the sun rises. They often continue after everyone has gone to sleep. Ava DuVernay (left) and David Oyelowo (right)2828page0028page0028.xhtmlBut, directors are usually more than willing to commit to this heavy workload. They are doing what they love. They have important stories they want to tell. Their films grow from their drive to be storytellers. Ava DuVernay, Justin Lin, Ryan Coogler, and Brandy Menefee all work hard to make movie magic. They are committed to being leaders in their field. LET'S EXPLORE MATH Over a weekend, you decide to start writing your first movie script. You write 3 1/8 pages on Saturday. On Sunday, you write 4 2/3 pages. 1. How many pages have you written? 2. How many more pages did you write on Sunday than on Saturday? Actor Vin Diesel (left) and Justin Lin (right) discuss a scene while filming Fast and Furious.2929page0029page0029.xhtmlProblem Solving Filmmakers do not make movie magic alone. They have crews that help. Imagine you are the assistant director for an upcoming film. One of your responsibilities is to make sure everyone sticks to the shooting schedule. This timetable for filming keeps everyone on track. Prove that you understand the production plan by using the shooting schedule to answer the questions. 1. How many months will be spent in pre-production and shooting/filming? 2. How many months will be spent in development and post-production? 3. How much longer is development than the total amount of time needed for the other three stages? 4. What is the total amount of time planned for the shooting schedule? Is this amount of time greater than or less than 2 years? How do you know?