The Greatest Showman

Sound effects are essential in creating a mood or atmosphere; imagine a horror film without creaking floorboards or an eerie breeze through trees. Equally important in the sound of a film is the use of silence. Nothing creates tension and atmosphere better than when a character is creeping down a deserted corridor trying desperately not to make a sound. Silence can also be used to create an emotional response or a sense of isolation, or to heighten the awareness of the audience.

WRITING

Complete the Spotify soundtrack task and sound effects task in your activity book (see pages 81 and 82–83). ACT IVITY The Greatest Showman The Greatest Showman is based on the life of P.T. Barnum, who was famous for running a museum of human curiosities and a travelling circus in the nineteenth century. READING Read more about the life and legacy of P.T. Barnum, then answer the questions that follow: edco.ie/2ycv edco.ie/bgyv 1 What was the most interesting thing you found out about P.T. Barnum? 2 From your research, do you think P.T. Barnum was a successful businessman? 3 What do you think people today would have thought of P.T. Barnum’s show? Do you think people would think that he was exploiting his performers? ©The Educational Company of Ireland

COMMUNICATING: GROUP DISCUSSION

What would you expect to see in the opening scene of a film? Why is the opening scene of a film important? What would you expect to see in the end scene of a film? Why is the ending of a film important? Watch the opening scene and the end scene of The Greatest Showman. Then, in small groups, discuss the questions below. Opening scene Watch the opening scene from The Greatest Showman: edco.ie/6tpj 1 List any editing techniques you can spot in this scene. 2 Describe the mise-en-scène of this scene. 3 Describe the costumes in this scene. 4 Describe the use of sound in this scene. How does it affect the atmosphere? 5 Describe the lighting used in this scene. 6 List any camera angles used in this scene. 7 How are the opening credits used in this scene? 8 Do you want to keep watching? Explain why or why not. End scene Watch the end scene from The Greatest Showman: edco.ie/pq5c 1 List any editing techniques you can spot in this scene. 2 Describe the mise-en-scène of this scene. 3 Describe the costumes in this scene. 4 Describe the use of sound in this scene. 5 Describe the lighting used in this scene. 6 List any camera angles used in this scene. Comparing the two scenes 1 What was similar about the two scenes? 2 What did you notice that was different about the two scenes?©The Educational Company of Ireland

WRITING

Here is a film review of The Greatest Showman. It was written by a First Year English student. The teacher’s feedback is below. Look at each comment and think what improvements you would make to the text. Use the recommended resources indicated below to help you with your redrafting and editing. A copy of the review is in your activity book (see page 84). Annotate the text with your changes, using the teacher’s feedback to guide you.

The Greatest Showman – A Review

RATING: 9.5/10

DIRECTOR: Michael Gracey

STORY BY: Jenny Bicks

SCREENPLAY: Jenny Bicks, Bill Condon

STARRING: Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya Hugh Jackman is one of my favourite actors and I was so excited about seeing The Greatest Showmanmostly because it starred him and a bunch of good actors, I adore including michelle williams, zendaya and zac efron. The Greatest Showman is inspired by the true story of PT Barnum, how he created The Barnum & Bailey Circus and the lives of those involved. Hugh Jackman is such fun to watch and he did a good job as PT Barnum. Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, rebecca ferguson and zendaya all did great jobs with their roles and so did the supporting cast. Zendaya was the perfect actress for the role of Anne Wheeler . She looked so great and I couldn’t get enough of her. It was filmed and directed so well and the music, which was choreographed so perfectly, made me happy. The songs were very catchy .I couldn’t stop listening to one song in my house and that song was ‘This Is Me’. Musicals are not my favourite type of movie but when I saw The Greatest Showman, I was hooked. Yes, the plot may not match the true story but it was amazing nonetheless. I was gripped from beginning to the end. I loved the overall theme of acceptance, loving oneself and being content. It was a great film and I wouldn’t mind seeing it again. If you want to go see a great movie, go and see The Greatest Showman.

Feedback Resources to help you

There are several mistakes in the spelling and punctuation that you need to fix – in particular, some commas and capital letters are missing. Go to page 272 to see the relevant advice on spelling, punctuation and grammar.

There is no variety in sentence types, which makes the writing repetitive and not as interesting as it could be. Look at non-fiction sentence types on pages 215 and 241.

The descriptive adjectives need to be upgraded and varied.

Read up on adjectives on page 238. ACT IVITY ©The Educational Company of Ireland