Communications: Public Speaking/Film & TV/Advertising
September 2007

The following titles are available at Vairo Library. Film descriptions are from the LIAS CAT entries, most of which are copied or derived from the film containers. For more information on any of the titles, search the LIAS CAT by title, and limit the material type to Video Material.

Actors and the camera. (1991)
Explains techniques of directing actors in relation to the camera, and demonstrates how important it is for the director to understand the choreography of and interrelationship between actors and camera.

The ad and the ego truth and consequences. (1996)
Discusses how the market economy has grown to the point that commercialism invades the most intimate aspects of life. Leading media critics show how living in an environment saturated with advertising creates a psychology of need. The history of advertising is traced from the 19th century through today.

Alfred Hitchcock. (1997)
Alfred Hitchcock talks with Pia Lindstrom about actors and actresses he has directed and with film historian William Everson about the development of his film-making style.

American cinema. (1994)
Examines how business savvy, creativity, and technical skills come together to drive the $20-billion-per-year motion picture industry. Includes interviews with more than 150 Hollywood insiders and clips from more than 300 of the greatest movies ever made.

The art of public speaking. (1992)
Public speaking.

Black Hollywood, the way it was the secret history of Blacks in films. (1986)
African Americans in the motion picture industry.

Bollywood bound finding fame and identity in India's filmmaking capital. (2002)
For many children of Indian immigrants, the land of milk and honey that their parents sought is not North America, it is Bombay, home to the Hindi film and television industry known as Bollywood. This fascinating program follows four aspiring stars as they return to their parents' country to encounter not only the challenges of casting calls and rehearsals but the feeling of being an outsider in their own native culture. Questions of religious, linguistic, and moral identity are frankly addressed, providing a compelling study of what it means to feel like a foreigner in two countries--Container.

Camera Early photography & moving pictures. (1991)
An early history of still photography & motion pictures, showing pioneers like Niepce, Talbot, Daguerre, Eastman, Edison and others.

The celluloid closet. (2001)
Assembles footage from over 120 films showing the changing face of cinema homosexuality from cruel stereotypes to covert love to the activist cinema of the 1990s. Many actors, writers and commentators provide anecdotes regarding the history of the role of gay men and lesbians on the silver screen.

Chick flick vs. dick flick. (1999)
A panel of screenwriters, movie producers and marketers discuss whether studios deliberately create movies to appeal specifically to male or female audiences.

Cinema history. (2001)
" This program captures more than a century of moviemaking, from the pioneering work of the Lumiâere brothers and the early silent classics to recent box office hits and modern masterpieces of world cinema"--Container.

Control room. (2004)
A chronicle which provides a rare window into the international perception of the Iraq War, courtesy of Al Jazeera, the Arab world's most popular news outlet. Criticized by Cabinet members and Pentagon officials for reporting with a pro-Iraqi bias, and strongly condemned for frequently airing civilian casualties as well as footage of American POW's, the station has revealed (and continues to show the world) everything about the Iraq War that the Bush administration does not want the public to see


Critical thinking. (1997)
Critical thinking details five principles of thinking analytically. It presents examples of personal (ethical) proofs, and discusses deductive and inductive arguments.

Critiquing public speeches. (1997)
Stressing that personal biases influence how one evaluates a speech, this video considers how to analyze the merits of a speech. It discusses how to evaluate topic selection, the purpose of the speech, and the speaker's proofs, organization, and delivery.

The cutting edge the magic of movie editing. (2005)
Bullitt's dynamic editing, highlighted by its twisting, squealing, hill-leaping chase sequence that leaves viewers whooping and woozy, earned a 1968 Best Film Editing Oscar and helped make the film an action classic. Includes interviews with a who's who of contemporary directors and editors.

Dark side of the moon.    (2004)

David Puttnam: Hollywood 's role in shaping values. (1994)
Filmmaker David Puttnam talks with Bill Moyers about the state of American cinema today and how films can reflect society.

Doublespeak.    (1993)

Faces of culture. (1994)
Pt. 4 (Language and communication) shows how language, the primary means of human communication, is expressed in the sounds and movements of every culture to reveal feelings and aspirations. Pt. 11 (Sex and marriage) investigates the unique sexual and marital customs of different societies around the world. Pt. 12 (Family and household) explores the concepts of family and household from a cross-cultural perspective and examines the basic functions performed by these units. Closed-captioned.

Great escape, 1927. (1998)
By the mid-1920s, millions were already confirmed moviegoers. Movies reflected and affected the way people dressed, thought and spoke, teaching the inexperienced about love, courage, and how to dress, while governments around the globe were quick to realize the power of film: this new mass entertainment would also prove an unrivaled tool of mass persuasion. Here moviegoers reminisce, revealing how the new medium persuaded, influenced and enthralled them, as it offered a welcome refuge from the century's pressures.

Great speeches. (1986)
v. 1. Inaugural Address / John F. Kennedy ; "I Have a Dream" / Martin Luther King, Jr. ; Farewell Address / Gen. Douglas MacArthur ; 1934 Nazi Party Congress / Adolf Hitler ; 1942 State of the Union / Franklin D. Roosevelt -- v. 2. Two wartime speeches (St. James and "Chicken") / Winston Churchill ; U.N. missile crisis, October 25, 1962 / Adlai Stevenson ; "Constitution" speech / Barbara Jordan ; "Checkers" speech / Richard Nixon ; 1957 U.N. General Assembly / Golda Meir --
v. 3. The rainbow coalition / Jesse Jackson ; Resignation / Richard M. Nixon ; VP acceptance / Geraldine Ferraro ; Atoms for peace / Dwight D. Eisenhower ; KAL 007 disaster / Jeane Kirkpatrick -- v. 4. 1984 Democratic keynote / Mario Cuomo ; 1980 Presidential acceptance / Ronald Reagan ; 1976 Democratic keynote / Barbara Jordan ; VP acceptance / Hubert H. Humphrey ; Houston ministers / John F. Kennedy -- v. 5. First Inaugural & Declaration of War / Franklin D. Roosevelt -- 1965 Voting Rights Act / Lyndon B. Johnson -- Tribute to the Challenger Astronauts / Ronald Reagan -- Eulogy of Martin Luther King, Jr. / Robert Kennedy -- v. 6. "Mountain Top Speech" / Martin Luther King, Jr. ; United Nations Address / Eleanor Roosevelt ; "Truth and Tolerance in America" / Edward Kennedy ; "Defense of Saudi Arabia" / George Bush ; "Watergate Speech" / Richard Nixon - v. 7. RFK Foundation Awards Keynote / Lech Walesa ; Energy Crisis / Jimmy Carter ; 1991 State of the Union / George Bush ; 1988 Democratic Convention / Jesse Jackson ; America's Policy Toward South Africa / Jerry Falwell -- v. 8. Bishop Fulton Sheen's speech about the role of communism and the role of America ; one of Harry Truman's whistle-stop campaign speeches ; "We Ain't Going" message / Stokeley Carmichael ; "Ich Bin ein Berliner" / John F. Kennedy ; 1988 Democratic Convention keynote speech / Ann Richards -- v. 9. Albert Gore's 1992 vice-presidential acceptance speech ; Barbara Bush's 1992 Republican Convention address ; Mikhail Gorbachev's speech at Westminister College ; Dwight D. Eisenhower's farewell message ; 1941 radio address / Franklin D. Roosevelt -- v. 10. Bill Clinton's inaugural address ; Gerald Ford's message upon assuming the presidency ; Lyndon Johnson's "Let Us Continue" speech ; Hillary Clinton's address to the American Medical Association ; Boris Yeltsin's speech before the U.S. Congress -- v. 11. Colin Powell's Howard University commencement address ; Elizabeth Glaser's 1991 Democratic Convention speech ; Richard Gephardt's 1995 message before the U.S. Congress regarding relinquishing leadership ; Newt Gingrich's comments during his swearing-in ceremony as House Speaker ; Fidel Castro's speech at the Rio de Janeiro Environmental Conference -- v. 12. Sarah Brady's 1996 Democratic Convention address ; Colin Powell's 1996 Republican Convention speech ; Ann Richards' eulogy at the funeral of Barbara Jordan ; two historic speeches by Harry Truman ; Ronald Reagan's address at Moscow University -- v. 13.

Hitch the genius of Alfred Hitchcock. (2003)
This two-part series presents an examination of the life and works of Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense, whose career spannned over 60 years. Each program features extensive film clips, interviews, commentary, and previously unavailable materials, including outtakes, filmed auditions, and Hitchcock's own home movies

Hollywood censored movies, morality & the Production Code. (2000)
"The mass appeal of movies, including their portrayals of sex and violence, have made them a target of censors since the early days.  In the 1930s, Hollywood studios enforces the Production Code, a set of guidelines for movie content, to answer growing charges of immorality.  The Code lasted 20 years and still influences moviemaking today.  As feature films continue to cause controversy, the question remains: do movies reflect--or cause--social behavior?"--Container.

I have a dream the nature of great speaking.    (1994)
Using examples from the Roman writer Longinus to Dr. Martin Luther King, Michael Osborn explains what great speaking is and analyzes the elements of an effective speech.

The industry leaders and online strategy. (2000)
In this program, leaders in the field of online marketing cut through the confusion to lay out the principles of driving traffic, branding, and targeting on the Internet. Executives from companies offer keen insights into a wide range of topics, such as the value of online linking, how to effectively integrate offline and online brands, and the use of focus groups and site registration to gather demographic information in niche communities.

Internet shopping interactive or invasive? (2000)
An analysis of commerce, advertising and consumer privacy on the Internet, focusing on Buy.com, Doubleclick.net and Lycos, Inc.

Karen Blixen storyteller.    (1995)

Documentary on the Danish author Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen). Features interviews with a number of her closest friends. .546. In Danish with English subtitles.        

Keynote address, conference on research & gender & communication. (1990)
This keynote program from a conference on gender and communication held at the Georgia State University focuses on differences in communication among women that result in barriers to communication and how to use those differences to create unity. Also includes a short theater piece illustrating some of these issues.

Killing us softly 3. (2000)
Jean Kilbourne's third examination of the manner in which women are portrayed by advertising, charging that the industry preys on the insecurities and fears of consumers and looks at the effects this has on women's images of themselves.

Killing us softly advertising's image of woman. (1979)
Author Jean Kilbourne explores the images of women, men, and children presented by modern advertising. She illustrates with examples the use of women as sex objects. She also examines the techniques used by advertisers to exploit the insecurities of consumers, particularly the concerns about aging, body image, and sexuality.

Lenses and light. (1991)
Demonstrates the 3 decisions a director must make before the start of every shot: the position of the camera, its height, and the focal length of the lens. Illustrates how lenses affect the apparent speed of movement on the film. Provides examples of focus pulling and the effect of light on image and depth of field.

The Library of Congress and Smithsonian video present America's first women filmmakers Alice Guy-Blache and Lois Weber. (1993)
Alice Guy-Blache was probably the first person (of either sex) to direct a narrative film. Her first film as she remembered it as an 1896 minute-long tale called la Fee aux Choux (The cabbage fairy) ; Lois Weber made films that looked deeply into society and behavior. For a time in the mid-1910s, she was both the most distinctive of auteurs and the highest salaried director in Hollywood.

Making a drama of it. (1991)
Relates the steps involved in mounting a drama, using a twelve-minute episode to present information particular to the shooting of drama on location, including casting decisions made by the director, logistics surrounding location and scheduling, the development of characters during rehearsal and shooting, and the final edit.

Making your point without saying a word. (1994)
Shows professionals how to communicate more effectively by using and improving nonverbal skills, and how to better interpret the messages other people send.

Marlene. (1999)
A film portrait of actress Marlene Dietrich.   

Media hype when news coverage goes too far. (2002)
Examines factors that contribute to the exaggeration of risks and danger in the news media, using stories involving murder, shark attack, road rage, and carjacking as examples of skewed reporting.

Media impact. (1998)
"This program emphasizes the seductive nature of films and television. The pervasiveness and sheer volume of electronic images in daily life make it extremely difficult for viewers to discern fact from fiction. This program is an essential component of any course that addresses the importance of critical viewing skills and an awareness of the media's impact on perceptions."- Container.

Media interrupted the dissection of media in American culture. (2001)
Philosophers, communication professors, and advertising executives discuss various aspects of the media's influence on American society.   

More treasures from American film archives, 1894-1931 50 films.    (2004)

An anthology of films from American film archives. In addition to rare silent-era features, includes cartoons and animation, documentaries and newsreels, earliest American movies, pioneering sound and color experiments, serial episodes, trailers for lost films, advertisements, avant-garde shorts, ethnographic footage, films of ethnic communities, and other film types invented during the first four decades of the motion picture. Contains 50 films followed by six previews for lost features and serials. Also contains newly recorded musical scores and over        

The monster that ate Hollywood. (1999)
The large motion picture production studios are now merely sub-divisions of multi-national corporate "nation-states" whose focus is on producing the blockbuster.  The massive production and promotion budgets required for such films render it nearly impossible for all but a few films to break even, thus draining away the possibilities that more modestly creative projects will ever be produced.

Mr. Sears' catalogue. (1989)
Covers the beginning of the Sears catalog and biographical information on Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck. Discusses the role Mr. Sears played in the development of American society, particularly on rural America.

The Mythology of Star wars with George Lucas and Bill Moyers. (1999)
Bill Moyers conducts an interview with George Lucas in which he discusses his efforts to tell old myths in new ways, the role of faith in his own life, and the influence of his mentor, Joseph Campbell.

Orwell rolls in his grave. (2004)
Brings together an ex-"60-Minutes" producer, a United States congressman, as well as some of the country's leading intellectual voices on the media to examine the mix of business, politics and idealogy that is the modern mainstream media. From the very size of the media monopolies and how they got that way to who decides what gets on the air and what doesn't, this film moves through a troubling list of questions and news stories that go unanswered and unreported in the media. Does the corporate media reflect public opinion or create it?

Oscar's greatest moments 1971 to 1991. (1992)
An extraordinary video compilation of the most memorable highlights from twenty-one years of televised Academy Awards presentations.

Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's war on journalism. (2004)
In-depth look at Rupert Murdoch's Fox News Channel and the dangers of corporations taking control of the public's right to know. Media experts, including Walter Cronkite, Jeff Cohen of FAIR, Bob McChesney, and Chellie Pingree, provide context and guidance for the story of Fox News and its effect on society. Volunteers around the country scrutinized every hour of Fox News programming, noting examples of bias in its coverage. The result is an intense examination of Fox News and the lie inherent in its favorite motto: "Fair and Balanced."

[Presidential campaign ads 1952-1988]. (1989)
Collection of 29 political television spots from the U.S. presidential election campaigns from 1952 through 1988.

Private conversations on the set of Death of a salesman. (1986)
A documentary that goes behind the scenes to examine the making of the film version of Arthur Miller's Death of a salesman. Playwright Miller, Dustin Hoffman, and director Volker Schlèondorff discuss the production and the original play and are seen working on the set.

The public mind. image and reality in America. (1989)
This four-part series explores "image and reality in America," and examines the impact on a mass culture of an information system based on image making, the media, public-opinion polls, public relations, and propaganda. The first program looks at a society inundated with visual images such as billboards, rock videos, and newsstands. The second examines the power of professional pollsters to influence public opinion, noting that the industry that probes our minds serves every facet of American culture. The third looks at the dominance of the visual image in news and politics that allows candidates and media consultants to manipulate campaign coverage, and examines its effect on the voters. The fourth analyzes how deception has influenced some of the major events of recent past and how self-deception shapes personal lives and the public mind. Blue Ribbon winner, American Film Festival.

The Real Ellen story. (1998)
Examines the controversial television Sitcom "Ellen" in which a major character reveals that she is a lesbian. Includes interviews with actors and ABC/Disney executives.

Rouch in reverse. (1995)
Malian filmmaker and New York University Professor Manthia Diawara explores European anthropology from the perspective of what he calls "reverse anthropology" where the former subjects of investigation study their former investigators. Here, Diawara examines the work of Jean Rouch, considered by many to be the most distinguished ethnographic filmmaker of the 20th century, and the result is a cross-cultural encounter that is alternately wrenching, affectionate, personal, and a keen portrait of Africans' view of Africa. The program includes clips from Rouch's disturbing documentary Les Maitres Fous (The Mad Masters), his cinema verite classic Chronique d'Ete (Chronicle of a Summer), and his pioneering New Wave masterpiece Moi, un Noir (I, a Negro), originally titled Treichville. Diawara explains: "I made this film on Rouch as a rite of passage for myself ... to render visible new African voices and images, the ones that defy stereotype and primitivism."

Single-camera shooting an ambitious sequence. (1991)
Shows how a single-camera crew works on location while covering a complex story as quickly and economical as possible. Demonstrates how the director approaches the many on-site decisions that have to be made, how the crew is briefed, and how they all work together to film a high-tech sequence using only one camera.

Slaying the dragon. (1988)
Describes racial and gender stereotyping of Asian women in U.S. motion pictures, television programs, commercials, newsreels and news broadcasts. Includes interviews with Asian historians, sociologists, actors and actresses and broadcasters.

The Soundtrack. (1991)
Provides a brief history of sound recording and shows how early developments still influence the work of professionals. Includes interviews with 2 BBC experts about location recording techniques and a visit to a dubbing studio. Demonstrates the creative use of sound and an analysis of stereo recording techniques.

Speaking with confidence an introduction. (1997)
Introduction to public speaking

Speaking with confidence and skill. (1989)
Oral communication.

The Speeches of Martin Luther King.    (1998)

This collection of Martin Luther King, Jr. speeches follows his early days as a young pastor in Montgomery , to the great march on Washington . It also includes the final prophetic speech in Memphis , just days before his assassination.             

A Talk with Hitchcock. (2000)
An interview with Alfred Hitchcock reproduced from the television series Telescope in which he discusses some techniques of storytelling in film such as juxtaposition of images in various sizes, orchestration of sounds, and cinematic effects used to create shock.  The interview includes discussion of playwrights and actors, his experiences as host and impresario of a long-running TV show, and his opinions on the social impact of film.  Film clips from several well known works illustrate the ideas.

Treasures from American film archives 50 preserved films. (2000)
An anthology of films from 18 American film archives. Films include documentaries, newsreels, the earliest American movies, avant-garde and independent works, pioneering special effects, amateur and home movies, animated and industrial films, and silent movies from the earliest years of motion pictures (1893-1985).

Virtual objectivity media and the critics.    (1996)
Professor Noam Chomsky discusses the role of the increasing corporatization of the global mass media and evaluates the concept of journalistic "objectivity" in that context. Janos Horvat, notes that television news in America is show business. Edward Bishop says the media is not separate from society but reflects society. Klotzer and Bishop point out that Americans do not cover issues from the "left" point of view as do the Europeans. The video also describes the role of CNN, with its global point of view and compares it to the more insular network television in the United States

Visions of light. (1994)
The story of cinematography as seen through the lenses of the world's greatest filmmakers and captured in classic scenes from over 125 immortal movies.

Last Updated September 26, 2007

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