Movie Making in the Classroom

In our classroom, we enjoy making movies to extend our learning. Writing scripts and working together to display our knowledge in a creative way are both benefits of movie-making in the classroom. We use the movie-making process to help us understand, reinforce, and review new concepts we are learning in different areas of the curriculum. We also make creative movies to enhance our ability to write interesting stories.

Brainstorming: The process begins at our class meeting where we decide on a topic or theme for a classroom movie. Oftentimes an idea has already surfaced during a learning experience in our classroom and we have gathered together to brainstorm and develop specific ideas as a class. This is a way for all students to be involved in the planning process. Students take turns explaining their ideas to the class, and I list all of the ideas on chart paper. Movie ideas in my classroom have ranged from a creative adventure that highlighted places in our local community to a fun yet informative reenactment of a day aboard the Titanic, to a commercial promoting a school-wide skating party. The options for movie topics are endless!

Developing a Plot and Assigning Roles: Once we have decided on a plot, we then create a rough draft of a storyboard on chart paper. We determine the scenes we will need and indicate what “characters” will need to be in each scene. We then list all of the acting parts in the movie and add parts if necessary to be sure that all students will have a part. I have yet to have a student who does not want to be in a movie, but, if this is the case, stage hands, camera operators, and set or costume designers can also be listed. I then type up the list of roles and have students rank their role choices on their own copy of the list. I try to give each student one of their top five choices. Students can even write a persuasive paragraph to let me know why they think they would be good in a certain role.

Writing the Script: Once the roles are assigned, students work in small groups with the other students in their scene to write their script. Writing workshop mini-lessons focus on script writing and how this genre of writing includes stage directions as well as an indication of who is speaking each line. Students finally type up their scene on a PowerPoint slide. All of the slides are combined into one slideshow and rearranged in the order they will be performed as I project the slideshow on the large TV in my classroom for the entire class to see. The storyboard view helps us organize and sequence our ideas to determine the final order of the scenes that will ultimately be part of the movie. Each student receives a copy of the PowerPoint slides (printed as handouts).

Planning & Practicing the Scenes: After all scenes are written, students make a list props that they will need to make or bring from home. This also includes costumes. Although I have collected quite an array of costumes over the past few years that are often used, students also enjoy designing with their own costumes by gathering materials and clothing from home. Students also determine if their scene will need to be taped in front of a green screen and decide whether or not they will need certain pieces of furniture in their scene. Actors then memorize their lines and then practice their scene to make sure it is ready for filming.

Filming the Movie and Using a Greenscreen: Sometimes we film scenes in front of our makeshift "green screen" using a turquoise flannel blanket that we tack to a bulletin board wall in our classroom. This allows me to project images behind the students when editing the video on the computer. For many movies, this makes students look like they are in different states and countries. By using a sturdy tripod, students can take turns as the camera operator.

Editing the Video: The scenes are captured onto the computer and edited using a software program called Pinnacle Studio. It is a user-friendly program that includes many great features including built-in music, titles, transitions, and DVD menus. I burn the final movie to a DVD and send a copy home with students as a traveling DVD so that students can enjoy a “movie night” with their families and friends when they get to bring it home. We also show some of our best movies to the entire school on the morning announcements. At the end of the school year, I put all of the movies on a single DVD and make a copy for each student as an end-of-the year gift. All of the class movies I have made with my classes over the past four years can also be viewed in Windows Media Player on our class website. Click HERE to check them out!

I have found that movie-making is a great way to build community among students, hone students’ writing skills, engage students’ creative imaginations, and instill confidence even in those students who might begin the school year afraid to be in front of the camera.