Frederick Douglass Film Project

Choice 1: Frederick Douglass Biographical Documentary

Some of you were displeased with the Civil War Journal: Frederick Douglass documentary that we watched in class. Here is a chance to create your own. With this project, you will film a mini-biographical work that both summarizes the life of Frederick Douglass and discusses the political, social, cultural and economic forces that shaped the times in which he lived. Viewers of this film should walk away with both an understanding of who Douglass was and a desire to know more about him.

This project must:

• Be between twenty-five and thirty minutes long
  
• Have a point of view (while you want to give a fact based biographical account, you should still have a point of view; you should demonstrate that you have some type of an opinion about Douglass)
  
• Provide background and context; viewers should have an idea of what the United States was like during Douglass' life; the political and economic system should be discussed
  
• Discuss the life of Douglass before and after slavery
  
• Discuss the role Douglass played in the Civil War
  
• Discuss major players who had an impact on Douglass' life
  
• Discuss criticisms of Douglass
  
• Include an excerpt of at least one (or more interview
  
• Include a roundtable discussion between all group members about the major achievements of the Douglass
  
• Include excerpts from an interview of a historian or some other authority on Douglass
  
• Is based on 8-10 quotes from the Narrative (quotes and analysis and rational for use should be typed and submitted with film)
  
• Be based on 4 quotes from Zinn (quotes and analysis and rational for use should be typed and submitted with film)
  
• Be based on 3 quotes from Who Built America? (quotes and analysis and rational for use should be typed and submitted with film)
  
• Be based on 3 quotes from an outside source (quotes and analysis and rational for use should be typed and submitted with film)
  

  
   

 

 

 

 

 

Choice 2: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

The Narrative of Frederick Douglass has had a profound impact on the abolition movement and U. S. History. Put this story to film. Create a film that depicts the major events of the book.

This project must:

• Be between twenty-five and thirty minutes long
  
• Include a script that contains at least seven scenes from the book
  
• Include at least seven storyboards (one for each scene) that map out your project
  
• Have a creative set that creates a feeling of the time period
  
• Have creative costumes that create the feeling of the time period
  
• Characters that speak using the appropriate cadence
  
• Include a list of characters with one paragraph descriptions of each
  
• Provide background and context; viewers should have an idea of what the United States was like during Douglass' life; the political and economic system should be discussed
  
• Be based on 8-10 quotes from the Narrative (quotes , analysis and rational for use should be typed and submitted with film)
  
• Is based on 4 quotes from Zinn (quotes, analysis and rational for use should be typed and submitted with film)
  
• Is based on 3 quotes from Who Built America? (quotes, analysis and rational for use should be typed and submitted with film) (quotes and analysis and rational for use should be typed and submitted with film)
  
• Is based on 3 quotes from an outside source
  

  
   

  
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choice 3: Alternate Universe- What if Frederick Douglass had been a Woman?

Many of you wrote essays about the impact of slavery on black women. While keeping with the general plot of the book, this film project will recount the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass with Douglass as a woman. All of the other major characters will remain the same. Viewers of this film should walk away with an understanding of what life was like for slave women and Frederick Douglass.

This project must:

• Be between twenty-five and thirty minutes long
  
• Include a script that contains at least seven scenes from the book depicting Douglass as a woman
  
• Include at least seven storyboards (one for each scene) that map out your project
  
• Have a creative set that creates a feeling of the time period
  
• Have creative costumes that create the feeling of the time period
  
• Characters that speaking using the appropriate cadence
  
• Include a list of characters with one paragraph descriptions of each
  
• Provide background and context; viewers should have an idea of what the United States was like during Douglass' life; the political and economic system should be discussed
  
• Be based on 8-10 quotes from the Narrative (quotes, analysis and rational for use should be typed and submitted with film)
  
• Is based on 4 quotes from Zinn (quotes, analysis and rational for use should be typed and submitted with film)
  
• Is based on 3 quotes from Who Built America? (quotes, analysis and rational for use should be typed and submitted with film) (quotes, analysis and rational for use should be typed and submitted with film)
  
• Is based on 3 quotes from an outside source (quotes, analysis and rationale for use should be typed and submitted with film)