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Davidson Films, during its long history,
has offered an unusual employee benefit. Long-term employees are encouraged
to use the company's resources and their unique talents to produce projects
dear to their hearts. This policy has resulted in some wonderful productions
that are outside the sphere of our usual work. Currently, we are offering four very interesting and informative film projects that span a broad range of subject matter. Each is a carefully crafted look at a unique topic.
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HIS OWN BEST SUBJECT: A VISIT TO B.F. SKINNER'S BASEMENT With Julie Vargas, Ph.D. B.F. Skinner applied his unique behavioral principles
to his own life. In this film, his daughter, Julie Vargas, gives us a tour
of the basement study in which he wrote many of his books and articles.
Skinner developed wonderfully ingenious gadgets designed to enhance his
workspace, and he created clever ways of organizing the writing that was
the central focus of the Dr. Vargas and her sister also share fond memories of their father, who was a very involved and loving parent, happily setting aside his writing goals to be available to them. Subjects covered:
(2000) 20 minutes $45.
ISBN: 1-891340-72-7 [ BACK TO TOP ] I HAVE A DREAM: THE NATURE OF GREAT SPEAKING With Michael Osborn, Ph.D.
This fascinating film analyzes why Martin Luther King's extraordinary 1963 speech was so effective. The film combines film sequences from the speech, historical photos from the Civil Rights movement, and graphics with an appreciative and probing examination of King's use of words and images. Dr. Osborn draws heavily on the work of the Roman writer, Longinus, augmenting classical theory to enhance our current understanding of the impact of King's oration. Illustrated with archival news clips, photos and other contemporary film, and with commentary by Dr. Osborne, theory is tied to practice in a manner that promotes thoughtful discussion of one of the most widely studied speeches of our time. This film is an excellent resource for all public speaking classes, courses in rhetorical theory and criticism. For students of American history or the Classics, the film serves as a vital link between disciplines. Subjects covered:
(1994) 25 minutes $85. A review of this film: Reviewed by Rue Herbert, Library Media Center, University of South Florida, Tampa I Have a Dream: The Nature of Great Speaking utilizes an in-depth analysis of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous speech to illustrate elements of great public speaking. The careful analysis by Dr. Michael Osborn is guided by the writings of Roman scholars Longinus and Aristotle. The program begins with Dr. Osborn providing a brief overview of the history of Roman oratory. He then discusses in detail the measures of greatness in public speaking by examining the following qualities as reflected in the "I Have a Dream" speech: 1)elevation of the mind; 2)superior structure; 3)bold imagery; 4)response to great challenge; 5)transport (changing the audience). The program progresses to provide insight into both the dynamics of extraordinary public speaking and the functions of great rhetorical language, by interspersing the analytical commentary with film footage and still photos of the 1963 speech together with other events during the Civil Rights Movement. In his treatise On the Sublime, Longinus states "That is truly great which bears a repeated examination and which it is difficult or rather impossible to withstand, and the memory of which is strong and hard to efface." As one of the most published and studied speeches of our time, Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" would qualify as great by these standards. The video and audio production qualities of the program are very good. Dr. Osborn's commentary is clear, concise, and well illustrated. At times, he is almost too low key in his presentation, causing the viewer to either briefly drift away or strain to remain involved with the discussion. However, the program is impressive in its structure and content, making it a worthwhile research tool. Given the level of thorough analysis in the content of the program, I Have a Dream: The Nature of Great Speaking is recommended for academic libraries only. Possible subject areas for which the program would provide course support include Communication, History, and African-American Studies.
ISBN: 1-891340-63-8 [ BACK TO TOP ]
MORALITY: JUDGMENT AND ACTIONS With Elliot Turiel, Ph.D.
Thoughtful humans have always been deeply concerned with
the moral nature of their actions and recent historical events have This video reviews some of the basic work of Piaget, Kohlberg and Milgram and investigates current research into the domain theory of Dr. Turiel and his associates. Factors that lead us to act on our judgments, or not, are critically examined using issues important to today’s students. (2002) 32 minutes $250.
[Film Review] "Elliot Turiel’s video on morality is informative, compelling, and engaging. I have used it 4 or 5 times in my courses already, and I plan to use it every semester. The narrative is easy to follow, and brings an important academic area of scholarship to life. The video covers research on children’s and adolescents’ social and moral development. It covers how children acquire morality, and the distinctions that they are able to make early on regarding their knowledge about different types of rules in everyday, familiar settings, such as playgrounds and classrooms. My students read much of the material covered in the film prior to viewing it and they marveled at how comprehensive, and at the same time, compelling it was to listen to the narrative and watch the testimonies from the individuals in the film. In addition, the students found it very helpful to see how the interview methodology is actually carried out. The film shows interviewers asking children, adolescents, and adults to make moral judgments about a range of social issues. These vignettes gave a reality to the methodology that was less obvious to the students when they read the materials. Moreover, the examples from a range of cultures are very timely, and significant in this era of globality, mobility, and multi-culturalism. Rather than just drawing on middle-class U.S. children, the film displays children and families from all over the world. Interviews are conducted with individuals from different parts of the globe, and my students and I greatly appreciated this type of inclusive approach. Surprisingly, it is rare to find academic films with this type of breadth, candor, and scholarship. Morality: Judgments and Action is a must for any course that touches on morality, ethics, social development, and culture." View a short clip from this film. Go to the complete discussion of this film. Visit our Support Materials section to view or download the Learning Guide and Discussion Topics for this film.
ISBN: 1-891340-74-3 [ BACK TO TOP ]
THREE FILMS ON INFANCY AND TODDLERHOOD
With Bettye Caldwell, Ph.D. Bettye M. Caldwell, Ph.D. continues to be recognized as an important researcher and advocate for the very, very young. These three Caldwell productions were lovingly made to introduce audiences to the important components of development before age three. In brief and compelling presentations, the films discuss the emotional and cognitive tasks of infancy and toddlerhood, capturing the vitality of these amazing months of life. Filmed in homes and in centers, the films model the practices on the part of caregivers that best enhance healthy development. IN THE BEGINNING: THE PROCESS OF INFANT DEVELOPMENT This film chronicles the important physical, intellectual and emotional milestones of the first twenty-four months of life. (1978) 15 minutes ISBN: 1-891340-13-1 NURTURING: Winner of several major awards, this film illustrates how thoughtful infant care practices result in optimal intellectual and emotional growth during the infancy. (2002) 17 minutes ISBN: 1-891340-14-X MASTERING THE TASKS OF TODDLERHOOD: Mastery experiences, oral language development, and emotional growth are among the topics handled in this film that captures both the challenging liveliness and charm of this period of life. 2002) 25 minutes ISBN: 1-891340-29-8
SPECIAL PRICE: $125
for all 3 films on a single
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last decades of his life.
How do we explain
extraordinary accomplishment in public speaking? Martin Luther King's "I Have a
Dream" speech is the foremost contemporary example of such greatness. In this
film, Dr. Michael Osborn, Professor of Communication at
Memphis
State University, and past-president of SCA, delineates the five characteristics that
contribute to the excellence of this landmark speech.
further widened the scope of this interest. It is only within the last
hundred years, however, that we have systematically examined factors
involved in moral behavior. 
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