Alan Smithee

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/alan-smithee

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the pseudonym originator?Directors Guild of America
2. What is the year of introduction?1968
3. Why do directors use the name Alan Smithee?Directors use the name when the studio or producers change the film so much that it no longer looks like their vision. It helps protect the director’s reputation and artistic integrity.
4. How does a director become credited as Alan Smithee?A director must ask the Directors Guild of America and show a panel that they lost creative control over the film. If the guild agrees, the director can use the name.

Pseudonym: A fictitious name used by an author or artist to conceal their identity.
Directors Guild of America (DGA): A labor union representing film and television directors, assistant directors, and unit production managers.
Creative Control: The authority vested in a director to make artistic and technical decisions regarding a film's production.