Ideas for Before and After Classroom Viewing

Before Viewing the Program:

1. Show an episode of “ER.” Entire seasons are available on DVD at video rental stores.

2. Talk to the class about the general organization and premise of “ER” as given in “ER” Background. If some of the students are regular viewers of “ER” let them give basic information about the show.

A scene in the operating room where props people (some of whom are dressed in scrubs in case they accidentally appear in the camera shot) position props as the scene is being shot.

3. Give the class an overview of the program based on the material found in the Program Summary.

4. Discuss the Meaning of Below-the-line as presented in this material.

5. Go over glossary terms that you feel might not be familiar to your class using the Alphabetic Glossary or Interactive Glossary .

One of the interviews features actress Parminder Nagra. After Viewing the Program:

1. Discuss the content of the program and get student reactions. You might particularly want to ask students if they would be interested in considering a career related to props.

2. Explore some of the Web Links that are pertinent to the DVD program.

3. Show the class the bonus materials that give extra information about the production (all of these are on the DVD that contains the program) and discuss if this additional information changes any of their perceptions about TV production.

4. Show the class the DVD interviews with the executives, actors, prop people, and others who have a relationship with “ER.”

5. Show the class the forms relevant to props, printing them out for class if you wish.

6. Show students the list of Staff & Crew Positions on “ER” emphasizing the wide variety of jobs available in TV production.

7. Show students the Special Features that relate to the video.

8. Share with students information about Journeys Below the Line by using the material in the About Journeys Below the Line section.

Property Master Rick Kerns prepares a rubber BBQ for a stunt scene where nothing can be used that might injure the stunt people. As Follow-up:

1. Have the students watch an episode of “ER” with the following in mind:

a. What were the most important props in this episode?

b. Do you think most of the props were actual working medical devices?

c. How do you think the props were used so that medical procedures could be shown without actually hurting anyone?

2. Have students do research on one of the people associated with or mentioned on this program and write a report about the person or give the information orally in class. (They can use the Biographies as a starting point.)

3. If you are not currently a faculty member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, use the Faculty Academic Membership Application to join. Also have your students use the Student Academic Membership to join as student members so that they can benefit from other programs of the Academy.

4. View more programs from this series or other programs distributed by First Light.

 

Copyright © 2006 The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation