Actors+Directors

Actors/Directors
__Task 1, Books I-IV__ You are pitching an //Odyssey// film to a studio. The studio executives have some concerns about the character of Telemachos being multi-dimensional enough to engage the audience. However, you have a clear vision of the way Telemachos should be portrayed and who might be the best actor to portray him. The studio executives want you to develop a brief (time is money) presentation in which you pitch the actor of your choice, using evidence from the story and the actor’s prior work to explain why he would make an appropriate Telemachos. Remember, you want to **sell** your idea, so make your presentation exciting and persuasive.



__Task 2, Books V, VI, and IX__ You and the actor you have chosen to play Odysseus (aka Eric “The Tank” Kountzgate) are in conflict over how the character should be portrayed. True to his name, “The Tank” wants to play Odysseus as a man with more “brawn than brains,” exerting his physical, rather than intellectual, strength. In order to avoid another literary box office epic failure, convince your actor to portray Odysseus in Homer’s vision. (Hint: Use your text!) Remember your audience. “The Tank” doesn’t like to exert himself too much intellectually, so you will need to find a way to capture his attention and convey your message in a Tank-friendly manner. Regardless, you still must be convincing. What’s a director to do?

__Task 3, Books X-XII__ You are in the process of filming //The Odyssey//, but you are already over budget and behind schedule. The studio executives have told you that you must cut scenes. Reviewing Books X, XI, and XII, which key scene MUST you include in order to keep the plot line intact? Rewrite/script the key scene, including significant quotations. In your script notes, include brief explanations about why you chose that scene and any suggestions for filming (set design, etc.) that might help to lower the cost. If you feel that one scene isn’t enough, consider utilizing flashbacks or verbal references to other events by key characters.

Task 4, Books XVI-XXIV__ You have finished directing the movie version of //The Odyssey//, and you are working on the “extras” for the DVD. You have finished the bloopers and deleted scenes sections, and now the director has asked you for a more serious piece, incorporating Joseph Campbell’s Heroic Cycle. Consider what you want your viewers to take away from this “extra” section – Comparisons between the Heroic Cycle and Homer’s works? Modern day depictions of a hero? A synopsis of Odysseus’s journey according to the Heroic Cycle? Then, think of the best way to present this information to your viewers. Extra section on DVD? Interactive CD-Rom? Diagram or handout inside the DVD case? First determine your message, then find the method to best deliver it! **Click here to go to the special features menu of the Odyssey DVD.**