Digital Video - making a movie

Just had a bit of a go at creating a movie file for a Grade One class on fairytales. It would be good to make a movie of the children creating a fairy tale of their own or making a movie that showed the student's own favourite fairytales.I saved it as an email file, so it wouldn't be too big for uploading.

I will give you the hot tip...I won't be entering any short film festivals!  However, can I say I think this would be a great way to get the kids involved in the 'create' stage of the learning taxonomy regardless of the topic.

If I continue with the fairy tale theme, we could ask the children to make a movie based on a few fairy tales. Similar to what Hollywood has done with Shrek which uses many characters and similar themes from a number of different fairytales.  Perhaps the students could create a new 'baddy' in the three little pigs or three bill goats gruff?

I have taken some time to prepare a short SWOT Analysis, in the lead up to Assignment Two.

Strengths

• Fun and easy to do
• Extremely cost effective.  Windows Media Maker (the software will be on all computers), you don’t even need a video camera to create the movie, just a series of still images is enough
• Visually appealing and can really tap into emotions with the use of music
• Need to plan and design the story in the movie – encourages students to build their design and literacy skills as well as all others
• Movies can be used across all KLA’s in the curriculum.

Weaknesses

• Can be time consuming – especially if not planned correctly
• Copyright and attribution – if students aren’t taught the importance of attributing others work, students could be breaking the law – particularly in a non-educational setting where “fair-dealing” doesn’t apply
• Some limitations with the software
• Technology does have some flaws - the children may skip ahead missing out on a vital component of the movie making step, or not save work so they may need to do it all over again.

Opportunities

• Children can teach their parents or siblings who don’t know how easy it is to make a movie – it gives the child the opportunity to be the teacher
• Students become more independent in their learning. They can go ahead and build their movie and the teacher can just supervise or assist where necessary
• Great collaboration opportunities with other students in the school community, not just linked to the curriculum – what about a competition amongst the school community to design a movie about their “kool skool” with age or grade divisions? Get the school band and choirs involved
• Showing movies as a lead up to a school movie night
• Show movies to new students IE the fairy tale movie could be shown to preppie students.

Threats

• Parents might not be happy about their children’s photos being on the web if a movie is published publically
• In today’s society, parents may not have the time to work on movies outside of school hours with their children, they may not have computers at home, so if not done in the school, some children will miss out, and maybe parents will put up a block because they think it will be too hard to use the technology.