MEDIA ARTS LESSON PLAN
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High School Students: Create a Video About Your HERO

MY HERO’s mission is to use media and technology to celebrate the best of humanity and to empower people of all ages to realize their own potential to effect positive change in the world. These free media arts education resources support all levels of media makers with the tools needed to produce meaningful hero films that can be shared with our global audience.

Create a Video High School Students
Credit: MY HERO

The MY HERO Pocket Field Guide can be printed for students to use as a resource. If you would like to have a smaller, foldable pocket guide, use this link.  

 

POCKET GUIDE
Credit: MYHERO

Steps to Creating a Hero Film

1. Decide on your hero!

2. Decide what kind of movie to make.

3. Shoot footage and gather media for your movie.

4. Edit footage.

5. Add music & titles.

6. Share your film. 

RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS TO USE DURING EACH STEP OF THE FILMMAKING PROCESS

STEP ONE: DECIDE ON YOUR HERO

Use the following essay, What Kind of Heroes Should We Embrace to start a discussion about heroes? Students identify the difference between a hero and a celebrity as they discuss what type of person is a hero.

What kind of hero should we embrace?
Credit: myhero

STEP TWO: DECIDE WHAT KIND OF MOVIE YOU WANT TO MAKE

What type of film will students be creating? Do you want to create a documentary, narrative, or PSA (Public Service Announcement)?

The following student-made films from the MY HERO short film library are wonderful examples of a PSA film, an interview, and a call to action. 

PSA - An American Girl

Naja Butler, Samrina Vasani, and Sophia Villatoro
A day in the life of a typical American girl. This Public Service Announcement was produced by students in The Righteous Conversations Project.

INTERVIEW - MY HERO Reporter Slater interviews Jackie Speier

Produced by:Slater Jewell-Kemker
Bay Area Congresswoman Jackie Speier

Sultana Call to Action

Produced by:Madeline Gullim
Madeline Gillum's 6th Grade Class at Sultana Elementary created this video through the MY HERO / iEarn Learning Circles!

Resource for Narrative Filmmaking

  TED Talk The Power of Personal Narrative | J. Christian Jensen

Narrative is one of the most powerfully motivating human forces. Filmmaker J. Christian Jensen reveals how the same emotional forces that thrust us forward in a good film can propel us to do remarkable things. Illustrated by scenes from his Oscar- nominated documentary, White Earth, Jensen tells how to construct your own personal narrative to accomplish things no one else can.


Narrative Storytelling Resource
Credit: MY HERO

Resource for Creating a Documentary Film

The Independent Initiative - Documentary Filming With Your Smartphone

Shooting documentaries on a smartphone is so simple! Check out these creative tips to help you with your next project!

 

The Six Types of Documentaries
Credit: MY HERO

The Beat -  The 6 Types of Documentary Films

Details the various types of documentaries with multiple examples of each.

Resource for Creating a PSA

How to Write a PSA

Credit: MediaTracks

Credit: MY HERO
Action Civics Collaborative - PSA Guidelines & Tips
Credit: Action Civics Collaborative

Credit: Robert Renda

For those students creating a PSA, watching the film New Together is recommended and other excellent examples are located in the MY HERO PSA Film Library.

Conducting an Interview

 

DigitalStorytellers - MAKE Your Story: Interviews

The "Dos and don'ts" of recording interviews! Tips on background, sounds,lighting, and spacing during interviews


TIPS FOR A GOOD INTERVIEW
Credit: myhero

STEP THREE: STORYBOARD AND SHOT LIST

First, do research about the topic and make notes on a computer or notepad

Then create a rough draft of a script - this does not have to be word for word.

Then create a storyboard, or shot list. 

Pre-Production

Credit: Into Film

Credit: intofilm
Storyboard Shotlist

Credit: MY HERO

Credit: MY HERO
Writing the Script

Credit: Into Film

Credit: intofilm

STEP FOUR: FILMING: CAMERA SHOTS, ANGLES AND MOVEMENT

Make sure you have good, front-facing lighting and are not backlit.

Get a good angle with your entire face in the shot.

Memorize small parts of your script at a time so that you aren’t reading off the page-- it takes away from the energy and charisma (gaps in between sections are okay, they can be edited out!)

BE ENGAGING! Even if you aren’t passionate about what you are talking about, act as if you are.

Production

Credit: Into Film

Credit: intofilm.org
1 Minute @ BAYCAT on Framing
Credit: BAYCAT

STEP FIVE: POST-PRODUCTION AFTER FILMING

Transfer your clips onto whichever device you will be using to edit. A computer is recommended but alternatively, you can use a phone or tablet

Learn how to use your editing platform. See tutorials below.

Include pictures and subtitles, you can find free images on Wikimedia commons.

iMOVIE Editing Tutorial
Credit: MY HERO

WeVideo offers editing on a PC. Visit this page for tutorials.

WE VIDEO ACADEMY FOR PC
Credit: WEVIDEO

STEP SIX: ADD MUSIC AND TITLES

The following three links are resources to copyright free images and sound.

FREELY USABLE IMAGES

UNSPLASH
Credit: unsplash

FREE MUSIC ARCHIVE

FREE MUSIC ARCHIVE
Credit: free music archive

FREE IMAGES, VIDEOS & MUSIC

PIXABAY
Credit: PIXABAY

STEP SEVEN: SHARE YOUR FILM

SUBMIT YOUR FILM TO THE MY HERO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL. ONGOING SUBMISSIONS ACCEPTED

 

Credit: myhero

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The following resource assists student filmmakers in creating a video using a mobile phone. 

Shooting Video with an iPhone tips

Credit: Wistia

Credit: Wistia

Using Canva to Create Videos Tutorials

USE CANVA TO CREATE A SIMPLE VIDEO PROJECT! THIS PAGE HAS MANY TUTORIALS TO GET STARTED.

CANVA
Credit: CANVA

Organizer created on 8/8/2022 2:00:50 PM by Laura Nietzer

Last edited 1/9/2024 3:50:55 PM by Rachel Priebe

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