the anglethe casethe practicethe evidencethe next level: developing film-makers

the angle

The moving image is the richest, most complex artform and medium of expression human beings have ever invented. And it’s the first one that we learn..

the case

To be literate is to participate fully in a culture

To participate fully in 21C culture, we have to be literate in the moving image

It is vital and obvious that understanding, manipulating, and appreciating the film sentence should be an accepted part of the education systemAnthony Minghella

Film, media, or literacy?

Film and media AS literacy

Choose and access

Understand and analyse

Create and express

Challenge

Participate

About Literacy…

Three Cs…

Creative Critical Cultural

… integrated

backstory

Reframing Literacy…

• Since 1999.. Core period 2004 - 08• 4 - 14 yr olds• 70+ Local Authorities in England; also cross-UK• Research and evaluation (Moving Literacy On, Marsh and Bearne, UKLA)• Big impacts on literacy - and pedagogy• 7 (now 9) DVD compilations of 55 (75) short films; 20,000 copies sold• 200 Lead Practitioners trained; cascaded to 2000 teachers 2005-07

the practice

Why short films?

• New to children

• Manageability

• cinematic qualities

Short film pedagogy

• ‘Tell Me’ grids - in target language

• Hiding and revealing

• Stopping and starting

A question about print and film

Character

Setting

Story

Symbol

Sequence

Chronology

Camera

Colour

Sound

Composition

Cutting

The Cs and Ss

character setting

story mood

Tell Me Aidan Chambers/ CLPE 1992

The Tell Me questions: adapted for film

Basic questionsWas there anything you liked?What caught your attention?Was there anything you disliked?Was there anything that puzzled you? That you'd never seen in a film before?Were there any patterns?

General questionsHave you seen any films like this before? How were they similar? How were they different?How is this different from other films you've seen before?Having talked about the film, have you changed your mind about anything? Seen anything new? Been surprised by anything?

Special questions

How much time did the story in the film cover?Are there parts of the story that took a long time to happen but were shown quickly?  And vice versa?Were there particular things in the film - shots, sounds, images - that you liked or didn't like?How could you have made the film better?Has anything in the film ever happened to you?What would you tell other people about this film?How many different stories can you find in the film?Where did the story happen?  Did the setting matter, or could it have been set anywhere? Are there parts of the film that are especially about this place?Which character interested you the most?  Is that character the most important person in the film? Is the film really about someone else?Did you ever get to know what the characters were thinking or feeling? Or was the story told from the outside of the characters, watching them, but never knowing what they were thinking or feeling.

Short films:

The SandmanEl CaminanteBush BikesTripe and OnionsThe Man with the Beautiful

EyesTapsDangleLes CrayonsMavis and the Mermaid

• Father and Daughter

• Lucky Dip• Baboon on the

Moon• Le Pain et la Rue• The Lunch Date• Virus

an example

character setting

story mood

Tell Me Aidan Chambers/ CLPE 1992

puzzles patterns

surprises predictions

Tell Me Aidan Chambers/ CLPE 1992

Hide the screen, Mark…

Starting Stories and Starting Stories 2 (EYFS/ KS1)

Story Shorts and Story Shorts 2 (KS2)

Cine-minis (KS2 &3 French and literacy)

Real Shorts (KS2 & 3 non-fiction)

Screening Shorts; Moving Shorts (KS3/4 English)

Available at BFI Filmstore online

BFI Shorts

the evidence

What does the research tell us?Digital Beginnings, Jackie Marsh et al, Sheffield University:

Children develop enormous repertoires of knowledge, skill, understanding before they set foot in school. Most parents recognise the value of this; many teachers do not

Reframing Literacy, BFI/ Moving Literacy On (Jackie Marsh and Eve Bearne)

Impacts on attainment, motivation, pedagogy, and system capacity

Impacts of Moving Image Education: A summary of research for Scottish Screen

7 impacts: incl: engaging disaffection; enjoyment and self confidence; literacy attainment;

The Bradford Media Literacy Project

Progress of average 4PS, 57 children, in 10 primary schoolsReading as well as writing

• Extensive range and high quality of activities undertaken in relation to moving image media

• significant impact on the capacity of LAs to initiate and develop work on moving image media education.

• Important contribution to teachers’ subject knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge in relation to moving image media education.

• Pupils have shown significant improvements in motivation, engagement and attainment.

• Practitioners enabled to explore issues relating to the nature of literacy in a new media age and to engage in work which will significantly inform the development of educational practice in relation to moving image media education

Moving Literacy On: Reframing Literacy

Phase 1 of the project involved 9 schools, 11 classes and 57 targeted pupils. The aim was for the targeted group of children to make 4 APS progress in Literacy in the 9 month project. The group made an average of just over 4 APS in that time period. The 57 children were trained to be ‘Digital Media Literacy Leaders’ and the 9 staff involved became trained Media Literacy Leaders.

Phase 2 involves a further 20 schools with 8 of the qualified MLLs from Phase 1 co-delivering the programme to the new schools and their classes this year. The target of 4 APS has remained and early data would suggest we are on track for this target. CapeUK have supported the project in Phase 2 by funding professional film makers to engage with the training and work directly with the schools as part of Phase 2. They will be evaluating the impact of this engagement at the end of Phase 2.

Bradford Media Literacy Project

Greengates and Wibsey PSsQualitative.The qualitative impact on the children has been extremely positive. At the start of the year, I had a number of reluctant boy writers who would display disruptive behaviour when we started a writing lesson. One boy would just put his head down and do nothing. Recently this child said ' I love Media Literacy because I can write anything now because I can imagine it.' I can confidently say that all my children have been engaged by the use of media. It has had a positive impact on both my writing and my reading which will be explained below. But it isn’t just the data that has shown the impact, I recently asked the children to write a letter explaining why they would like to continue with media next year. Here are a few quotes from them; “I really think we should do it because it has improved my writing. I can describe things better because I can see them in my head .”  “I like talking about films in snack because I never joined in that much but now I say more because I understand the story.” “ I want to be a writer and it has helped my imagination a lot. I think I could be a good writer now. “

Greengates and Wibsey PSsWibsey:Reading attainment of focus children: APS 4.6Writing attainment of focus children: APS 4.6Developed IT skills (children and teacher) Enhanced self-esteem and view of self as a learner.Greater engagement with learning. Many children chose to blog about their Media Literacy learning experiences on the school website.

Greengates:Writing APS overall in Year 4 was 4.1 this year - the highest APS we have had in one year group for writing in KS2.My 6 targeted children’s APS was 4.3All the children made an APS of 3 or more.Several boys made and APS of 6. Reading APS overall in Year 4 was 3.9 this year.Some of the boys made an APS of 8. 

Cinema Cent Ans de Jeunesse

• Watching, making, understanding film• Since 1995; Cinematheque Francaise• Film language themes: colour, sound, camera

movement, mettre en scene• Clips to watch around the theme• Exercises for trying out the theme• Final ‘film essai’

2013/14: The Long Take

there are two kinds

Where it all started: the Lumiere Brothers

Alasdair Satchel’s Youtube playlist

Lumiere Brothers examples

Exercise 1: Lumiere minutesEach participant will film a minute of material in the manner of the Lumiere Brothers. The shot will be from a fixed position, lasting one minute and include the sounds recorded on location at the time of filming. The ‘minute’ can be filmed either inside or outside. Choose a place, a subject, a moment, and record it, without influencing anything in the shot.All participants, including teachers, film-makers, and cultural partners should make a Lumiere minute.

‘Lumiere Minutes’: some examples

http://markreid1895.wordpress.com/2013/10/25/first-london-training-session/

Several varieties of long take

Long takes and… physical performance Sherlock Jr.

Deep focus: two scenes at the same time Citizen Kane

Decoupage: several scenes in one take The Player

Long takes and.… jeopardy Rope

The existential long take Stalker

Alasdair Satchel’s Youtube channel: Understanding Cinema

Exercise 2: Create a short sceneCreate a brief scene which will then be filmed using a Long Take. Film the scene from a fixed point Then film the same scene with a moving camera Each version must be between 2 minutes long

Indicate which type of Long Take you are using in the title card for the clip: double scene; telling a story; a contemplative shot; a physical performance; changing during the shot; split shot

Film essai: a troubling encounter

At a certain moment a character or characters have an encounter which troubles them.

Create a film around the provocation above which includes several long takes. The film can be edited together, including elements of montage if you wish. Final length 7 minutes. In one of the Long Takes the camera must forget the character or characters and become autonomous, following another path, and then finding the character or characters again.

This section should create an emotional response in the viewer

Blue Raspberry

English blog

http://markreid1895.wordpress.com

Mark.reid@bfi.org.uk