Cross Section
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A short film that documents a Niles Township High School filmmaking class. Various scenes of students and teachers going through exercises and lessons about filmmaking. Includes animation exercises, learning to use a light meter, and acting.
Credits
May Pietz (filmmaker); Gary Cohen (participant); Warren Schoen (participant); Scott Silver (participant)
Complete catalog record
Cfa collection: Jack Behrend Collection
Subjects: Students; Classrooms; Motion picture production & direction; Art
Places: North America > United States > Illinois > Niles
Language: English
Shot log: 00:08 - Blank screen with voice over of a conversation. Cut to CU of a skull and a boy working on it with clay. A voice asks “Is this your animated film?” Girls drawing on strips of film with markers in MCU and CU, camera unsteady with hand held motion.; 00:41 - “Cross-section” title fades in over a CU of the film as a girl draws on it. Var. shots of students and teachers in a classroom and voice over of brief conversations. A girl takes notes in CU, LS of people standing by a projector viewing simple animation exercies.; 01:57 - Film changes to sepia at this point. CU of var. faces. Var. shots of students and teachering using a light meter, ZOOM IN to a CU on meter.; 02:32 - A female teacher arranges a leopard print backdrop fabric. Var. CU of students. MS of a boy draped in more fabric with a fake barbell in front of the backdrop. He and another student interact, goofing off. ZOOM IN and OUT of this scene.; 03:12 - CU of a student. ZOOM OUT to a MLS as he flashes a light at the camera, grinning. Fade out to a title reading “Filmmaking in high school” and fade back to the previous scene as the student continues to flash the light, creating a strobe effect.; 03:28-03:37 - Blank screen with title “A film by May Pietz 1973”.
Cfa elements: Answer Print, 130 feet; Print, 130 feet
Cfa records: https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/Detail/objects/3444; https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/Detail/objects/3443; https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/Detail/objects/3445; https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/Detail/objects/3446
Subjects: Students; Classrooms; Motion picture production & direction; Art
Places: North America > United States > Illinois > Niles
Language: English
Shot log: 00:08 - Blank screen with voice over of a conversation. Cut to CU of a skull and a boy working on it with clay. A voice asks “Is this your animated film?” Girls drawing on strips of film with markers in MCU and CU, camera unsteady with hand held motion.; 00:41 - “Cross-section” title fades in over a CU of the film as a girl draws on it. Var. shots of students and teachers in a classroom and voice over of brief conversations. A girl takes notes in CU, LS of people standing by a projector viewing simple animation exercies.; 01:57 - Film changes to sepia at this point. CU of var. faces. Var. shots of students and teachering using a light meter, ZOOM IN to a CU on meter.; 02:32 - A female teacher arranges a leopard print backdrop fabric. Var. CU of students. MS of a boy draped in more fabric with a fake barbell in front of the backdrop. He and another student interact, goofing off. ZOOM IN and OUT of this scene.; 03:12 - CU of a student. ZOOM OUT to a MLS as he flashes a light at the camera, grinning. Fade out to a title reading “Filmmaking in high school” and fade back to the previous scene as the student continues to flash the light, creating a strobe effect.; 03:28-03:37 - Blank screen with title “A film by May Pietz 1973”.
Cfa elements: Answer Print, 130 feet; Print, 130 feet
Cfa records: https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/Detail/objects/3444; https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/Detail/objects/3443; https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/Detail/objects/3445; https://collections.chicagofilmarchives.org/Detail/objects/3446
Sources
- Chicago Film Archives · record ↗ — title, year, creator, length, format, color, sound, genre, description, credits, catalog record, video
Record added 2026-11-08 21:25:05