Greatest Scene Ever | American University School of Communication

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Greatest Scene Ever Promo

Worst Scene Ever

There are good films, and bad films, and films that are so bad they’re good. But what about those films that are just bad? No redeeming value whatsoever. Some of them have ended up here, on a special edition of Greatest Scene Ever.

What is the "greatest scene ever?"

Thousands of films. We all have our favorites. But what is it about a movie that catches our attention, holds us in its cinematic sway? It’s a question that’s endlessly debated. When we got to thinking about a concept for a TV show about film, we considered the subjective nature of the question, “What’s the greatest film ever?” Refining the idea down a bit more, we got to the core of the question: “What’s the greatest scene ever?”

The idea came from an assignment I give to my students for my Film and Video Production II class at AU. By posing the question about a greatest scene, the answer, “I just thought it was cool” doesn’t quite always do. And as film professionals and academics, the question can (and should) be answered using specific criteria to justify the choice, ie: editing, acting, music, lighting, camera, historical context, emotional impact, etc. That’s the basis of our show.

Each program will have a central theme, ie: Westerns, Comedy, Action/Adventure, notable directors, etc. After an introduction that establishes that day’s theme, we throw out the first choice and play a clip from it. After the clip ends, we explain why it’s one of the greatest scenes ever (within that genre). And so on throughout the show.

In addition to having fun watching great film clips, our secret mission is to provide a conversation that’s enlightening and educating by providing the academic context in which films are made and seen by audiences.

So, join us in our cinematic adventure to answer the unanswerable: the Greatest Scene Ever.

- Professor Greg Smith