Ghibli in the Classroom
July 4, 2011 1:27 PM Subscribe
What are some ways I could incorporate Studio Ghibli films into the writing class I'll be teaching this Fall?
In a little over 2 months, I'll be teaching an undergraduate class in creative writing. We'll be covering a lot of topics concerning craft and style and touching on several genres. The class meets once a week for 3 hours.
I rewatched a few Ghibli films last week, and I couldn't help thinking (as I have every time I watch a Ghibli film) that all young people really should watch a couple of Ghibli films in their lifetime. The themes and messages coupled with the great artwork and imaginativeness give the films a real, significant value, in my opinion.
Since the class is 3 hours long, we'd have plenty of time to watch a film and have an hour or so after to discuss it and work on some related writing assignment that ties in nicely with our current topic/genre.
Basically, I'd like to somehow tie together learning about genres and writing with a selection of relevant Ghibli films. For instance, we'll need to discuss creative non-fiction -- Grave of the Fireflies would work great for this, as it was based on a semi-autobiographical work and has a lot of the emotion and exposition that good creative nonfiction should have.
Ideally, we would watch one film every two weeks.
I was wondering if anyone has taught Ghibli in the classroom with relation to writing or read anything about such a thing and could offer some tips on how to do so.
Thank you!
In a little over 2 months, I'll be teaching an undergraduate class in creative writing. We'll be covering a lot of topics concerning craft and style and touching on several genres. The class meets once a week for 3 hours.
I rewatched a few Ghibli films last week, and I couldn't help thinking (as I have every time I watch a Ghibli film) that all young people really should watch a couple of Ghibli films in their lifetime. The themes and messages coupled with the great artwork and imaginativeness give the films a real, significant value, in my opinion.
Since the class is 3 hours long, we'd have plenty of time to watch a film and have an hour or so after to discuss it and work on some related writing assignment that ties in nicely with our current topic/genre.
Basically, I'd like to somehow tie together learning about genres and writing with a selection of relevant Ghibli films. For instance, we'll need to discuss creative non-fiction -- Grave of the Fireflies would work great for this, as it was based on a semi-autobiographical work and has a lot of the emotion and exposition that good creative nonfiction should have.
Ideally, we would watch one film every two weeks.
I was wondering if anyone has taught Ghibli in the classroom with relation to writing or read anything about such a thing and could offer some tips on how to do so.
Thank you!
Totoro was also autobiographical in sone ways, set just after WWII. howls moving castle is an adaptation of the Diana Wynne Jones book of the same name, and the choices made in adapting the movie are very key to the Ghibli narrative style, imo (you'd need to study the book alongside it, tho). A lot of the themes in movies like Mononoke Princess, Kikis Delivery Service and Spirited Away are about young women coming into their own (making many weighty mistakes along the way).
posted by annathea at 1:39 PM on July 4, 2011
posted by annathea at 1:39 PM on July 4, 2011
I used Spirited Away to teach archetypes & the heroic journey to my (high school) freshmen as part of my mythology unit. You could beef it up by adding some Jung readings.
posted by smirkette at 1:53 PM on July 4, 2011
posted by smirkette at 1:53 PM on July 4, 2011
I think identifying and teasing apart all the themes and genres in Porco Rosso would be a great exercise. I don't even know what all of them are - the protagonist is a very noir-ish capable-silent-loner with a secret heart of gold, and then there's the rather noir-ish beautiful woman with something terrible in her past who is at home with the boys and in love with the loner. There's the morally ambiguous cheerful renegades, scraping by under the shadow of a great black war - sort of atmospherically like Cassablanca. And as annathea mentions, there's a young woman coming into her own. This film is really an overlooked treasure, and I'm sure there's lots more to be found in it but its been a few years since I've last seen it.
posted by tempythethird at 1:54 PM on July 4, 2011
posted by tempythethird at 1:54 PM on July 4, 2011
If you've never read Thomas Lamarre's "The Anime Machine," it might be useful. There's a large section on Miyazaki's films and how they work as animation -- how floating and flying work, especially, and how those are coded in terms of gender. It expanded my ideas of how stories do the things that they do.
posted by Jeanne at 2:00 PM on July 4, 2011
posted by Jeanne at 2:00 PM on July 4, 2011
Whisper of the Heart might be a good place to start, as the act of creative writing plays a prominent part in the story.
posted by SPrintF at 4:31 PM on July 4, 2011
posted by SPrintF at 4:31 PM on July 4, 2011
Just throwing stuff out there:
posted by AmbroseChapel at 7:56 PM on July 4, 2011 [1 favorite]
- One good question about Totoro is, how much of it really happens, and how much is in the girl's imaginations? You'll notice that Totoro and other magical things tend to happen when the girls are sleepy, or that they're found sleeping after seeing him. I can't quote you chapter and verse but hey, it's another excuse for you to re-watch it.
- A lot of Miyazaki's films are about finding your place in society and your sense of self-worth through hard work: discuss.
- Nausicaa is of course notable for its environmental themes, before such things became so common in popular culture. Canary in a coal mine? Or is it just that Japanese people think differently about nature, that their religion/spirituality is more attuned to those themes than the Judeo-Christian tradition?
- You might also like to talk about how animated films aren't seen as children's films in Japan. Nausicaa took as much at the box office in Japan as Titanic. You don't get that from just kids and their parents coming to see a kids' film.
- Could you contrast the subtitled and the dubbed versions and talk about that? Does it give you a fundamentally different experience of a film to have Jennifer Aniston or Matt Damon doing the voices?
- There's some great stuff on the collector's edition 2-DVD set of Spirited Away. Miyazaki sitting around talking to his animators about how a snake moves. Not one of them has ever seen a snake. Only one of them has ever owned a dog. They take a special trip to a vet just to see what it's like when you feed a dog a pill. Miyazaki says, semi-seriously "Japanese culture is doomed".
- Miyazaki once said, when asked what kind of world Kiki's Delivery Service takes place in, that it was Europe, but a Europe that had never had a second world war. There's got to be some discussion in that, I'd have thought.
- One last thing: Is Disney's "Atlantis" a knock-off Ghibli film? I've always thought its period setting and its feisty girl mechanics and its magical lost civilisation were very reminiscent of Ghibli.
posted by AmbroseChapel at 7:56 PM on July 4, 2011 [1 favorite]
I find a common thread in a lot of Miyazaki's films is the environmental messages and how they are integral to the plot. Especially with Nauscicaa, Spirited Away, and Princess Mononoke. (As for the latter film, I find that to have the most complexity and the most layers; multiple viewings pay off.) Also, those movies incorporate the environmental messages with Japanese religious ideas, namely Shinto gods and goddesses. For that, Spirited Away is chock full of Shinto images and characters.
posted by zardoz at 8:07 PM on July 4, 2011
posted by zardoz at 8:07 PM on July 4, 2011
How old is the class?
To me it just seems a bit weird to me to be watching films regularly in a writing class. Shouldn't they be reading books or something rather than watching films?
posted by mary8nne at 9:23 AM on July 5, 2011
To me it just seems a bit weird to me to be watching films regularly in a writing class. Shouldn't they be reading books or something rather than watching films?
posted by mary8nne at 9:23 AM on July 5, 2011
To me it just seems a bit weird to me to be watching films regularly in a writing class. Shouldn't they be reading books or something rather than watching films?
Agreed. If I were taking a college creative writing course, I'd want instruction on how to do creative writing, not how to analyze animated films. They are different media. Do you have a compelling reason to do this beyond a belief that "all young people really should watch a couple of Ghibli films in their lifetime"?
I've had a few teachers that try to integrate films into their non-film classes and only rarely did I feel it was worth it. The ones that did it well had extensive knowledge on film analysis and were teaching a course that directly related to the subject matter. You say "The themes and messages coupled with the great artwork and imaginativeness give the films a real, significant value" - what does the artwork have to do with creative writing? Do you understand that the process of creating an imaginative animated story is completely different than writing an imaginative short story or even movie script? Writers can learn lessons from movies, but an undergraduate course doesn't seem to be the place for it.
Sorry for being a downer, but I'd be very disappointed if I joined a creative writing course and we spent half the semester watching movies.
posted by bittermensch at 12:07 PM on July 5, 2011 [3 favorites]
Agreed. If I were taking a college creative writing course, I'd want instruction on how to do creative writing, not how to analyze animated films. They are different media. Do you have a compelling reason to do this beyond a belief that "all young people really should watch a couple of Ghibli films in their lifetime"?
I've had a few teachers that try to integrate films into their non-film classes and only rarely did I feel it was worth it. The ones that did it well had extensive knowledge on film analysis and were teaching a course that directly related to the subject matter. You say "The themes and messages coupled with the great artwork and imaginativeness give the films a real, significant value" - what does the artwork have to do with creative writing? Do you understand that the process of creating an imaginative animated story is completely different than writing an imaginative short story or even movie script? Writers can learn lessons from movies, but an undergraduate course doesn't seem to be the place for it.
Sorry for being a downer, but I'd be very disappointed if I joined a creative writing course and we spent half the semester watching movies.
posted by bittermensch at 12:07 PM on July 5, 2011 [3 favorites]
As the class unfolds, keep a list of the themes that emerge from your conversations with students and from the students' writing.
See if some of those themes correlate with themes and messages from the film.
Spend a class period discussing the movie along with the student writing that has similar themes, and look at how different media attend to similar themes in different ways.
Ish.
posted by Jagz-Mario at 10:06 PM on July 6, 2011
See if some of those themes correlate with themes and messages from the film.
Spend a class period discussing the movie along with the student writing that has similar themes, and look at how different media attend to similar themes in different ways.
Ish.
posted by Jagz-Mario at 10:06 PM on July 6, 2011
Response by poster: bittermensch:
"Do you understand that the process of creating an imaginative animated story is completely different than writing an imaginative short story or even movie script?"
There's no need to talk to me as if I'm stupid.
Of course there are differences. I'm aware of that. But there are also significant similarities. Storyboarding, adapatation, message, narrative, voice, dialogue, imagery, fragmentation, points of view, tense, pacing, flow, style, plot, etc etc etc are ALL common to both film and creative writing.
I believe it's important for students to gain skills in different ways and to be exposed to different forms of storytelling. Also, it's not as if we'd be doing ONLY films. We have 2 textbooks that the students will be doing readings from and we, of course, have a lot of other inclass activities. The films will be there to reinforce what we're learning and provide an alternative to doing just 100% book work.
"what does the artwork have to do with creative writing?"
I'm sorry, but seriously? Artwork can have a profound effect on writing. It can help a person learn different ways of viewing the things around them, can stimulate their imagination, and can give them all kinds of inspiration.
It seems that you view writing as a very formulaic process, when it's really anything but that. Good writers draw material from many sources. They pick up skills in many different ways. The point of a writing class is not just to teach people how to write technically well, but to also teach them how to translate the images and sentiments and stories in their heads into something stylistically and thematically brilliant that others can find enjoyment in.
posted by joyeuxamelie at 1:28 PM on July 8, 2011
"Do you understand that the process of creating an imaginative animated story is completely different than writing an imaginative short story or even movie script?"
There's no need to talk to me as if I'm stupid.
Of course there are differences. I'm aware of that. But there are also significant similarities. Storyboarding, adapatation, message, narrative, voice, dialogue, imagery, fragmentation, points of view, tense, pacing, flow, style, plot, etc etc etc are ALL common to both film and creative writing.
I believe it's important for students to gain skills in different ways and to be exposed to different forms of storytelling. Also, it's not as if we'd be doing ONLY films. We have 2 textbooks that the students will be doing readings from and we, of course, have a lot of other inclass activities. The films will be there to reinforce what we're learning and provide an alternative to doing just 100% book work.
"what does the artwork have to do with creative writing?"
I'm sorry, but seriously? Artwork can have a profound effect on writing. It can help a person learn different ways of viewing the things around them, can stimulate their imagination, and can give them all kinds of inspiration.
It seems that you view writing as a very formulaic process, when it's really anything but that. Good writers draw material from many sources. They pick up skills in many different ways. The point of a writing class is not just to teach people how to write technically well, but to also teach them how to translate the images and sentiments and stories in their heads into something stylistically and thematically brilliant that others can find enjoyment in.
posted by joyeuxamelie at 1:28 PM on July 8, 2011
Hi, I just saw your response. Sorry for continuing this digression, but I think you are missing the larger point. The sheer fact that you are crowdsourcing how to incorporate movies into your creative writing course suggests that the movies don't belong at all.
The students take worshop classes to learn how to write. They want weekly deadlines and crit sessions. They also read short stories and the teacher draws out the authors' techniques, but these lessons aren't the reason students are taking the class. If they wanted to dissect a book or a movie or a play, they'd take a comparative fiction course.
A semester lasts 12-13 weeks. Your course meets once per week. If you spend five of your 13 classes discussing movies, even in the context of creative writing, this is no longer a workshop. That’s 15 hours where the students could actually be writing or criticizing their classmates writing. Furthermore, if you choose to show the movies, you'll only spend an hour actually discussing the films (probably less when you factor in set-up for the movie, transitioning from watching the movie to starting the discussion), which is simply not enough time to do a worthwhile analysis.
I can't force your hand, but please consider why students are taking your course before trying to do something fairly radical. You don't give any concrete reason why Studio Ghibli belongs in your class. You say good writers get material from many sources…so why are you focusing your writing class on the output of a single animation studio?
If your heart is set on incorporating these movies into the course, here's what you can do: Very early in the semester, hold an evening showing of the Studio Ghibli film you think is most appropriate for creative writing. Make it a fun event, have popcorn, drinks, etc. Give a copy of the movie to students who absolutely can't make it to the showing. Devote the next class to analyzing the creative techniques the film employs. I wouldn't discuss the cultural background, environmental messages, etc. The purpose of the discussion should be how the filmmakers tell a compelling story.
This showing can be a nice hook to get students excited about the class and saying "how cool is it that our instructor had us doing a deep analysis of a kids movie." This sort of evening activity also tends to have a nice bonding side-effect as well. You get to lead a discussion of a Studio Ghibli film, the students learn a bit about creative techniques beyond literature, and it doesn't cut into the real meat of your course. However, anything more than this will be beyond your scope.
posted by bittermensch at 11:33 AM on July 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
The students take worshop classes to learn how to write. They want weekly deadlines and crit sessions. They also read short stories and the teacher draws out the authors' techniques, but these lessons aren't the reason students are taking the class. If they wanted to dissect a book or a movie or a play, they'd take a comparative fiction course.
A semester lasts 12-13 weeks. Your course meets once per week. If you spend five of your 13 classes discussing movies, even in the context of creative writing, this is no longer a workshop. That’s 15 hours where the students could actually be writing or criticizing their classmates writing. Furthermore, if you choose to show the movies, you'll only spend an hour actually discussing the films (probably less when you factor in set-up for the movie, transitioning from watching the movie to starting the discussion), which is simply not enough time to do a worthwhile analysis.
I can't force your hand, but please consider why students are taking your course before trying to do something fairly radical. You don't give any concrete reason why Studio Ghibli belongs in your class. You say good writers get material from many sources…so why are you focusing your writing class on the output of a single animation studio?
If your heart is set on incorporating these movies into the course, here's what you can do: Very early in the semester, hold an evening showing of the Studio Ghibli film you think is most appropriate for creative writing. Make it a fun event, have popcorn, drinks, etc. Give a copy of the movie to students who absolutely can't make it to the showing. Devote the next class to analyzing the creative techniques the film employs. I wouldn't discuss the cultural background, environmental messages, etc. The purpose of the discussion should be how the filmmakers tell a compelling story.
This showing can be a nice hook to get students excited about the class and saying "how cool is it that our instructor had us doing a deep analysis of a kids movie." This sort of evening activity also tends to have a nice bonding side-effect as well. You get to lead a discussion of a Studio Ghibli film, the students learn a bit about creative techniques beyond literature, and it doesn't cut into the real meat of your course. However, anything more than this will be beyond your scope.
posted by bittermensch at 11:33 AM on July 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
And as luck would have it, there's a conference in LA this weekend with a roundtable on your very subject.
Roundtable session 2:
Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli: Anime's contribution to world cinema
posted by Ideefixe at 1:35 PM on July 4, 2011