Media Arts Lesson Plan and Resources for Middle and High School Students
Lesson Plan for making a short informational film. Free filmmaking resources highlighting the steps of filmmaking for students. Winning middle and high school film examples are included to inspire video production.
Media Arts Middle and High School
Credit: MY HERO
MAKING A SHORT INFORMATIONAL VIDEO
What you will need to create your film:
Your phone or a camera and Movie editing software such as iMovie or Pinnacle Studio
PRE-PRODUCTION: Scriptwriting, Storyboarding, 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
Writing the Script
Credit: intofilm
Pre-Production
Credit: intofilm
Storyboard Shotlist
Credit: MY HERO
Storytelling on Film
Credit: Film Education
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: intofilm.org
1 minute @ Baycat on Framing
Camera Framing and Motion
Credit: Youtube Creators
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
Beginners Guide to Video Editing
Credit: YouTube Creators
Submit Your Film
submit button
Credit: myhero
PRINTABLE VIDEO STORYTELLING GUIDES TO SHARE WITH STUDENTS
Share these video storytelling resources with students. Included is information about pre-production and types of films, the actual production of films including camera angles and sound, and interview tips.
Video Storytelling Field Guide
Credit: MY HERO
Foldable Video Storytelling Pocket Guide
Credit: MY HERO
AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE SCREEN EDUCATION GUIDE
AN EXCELLENT GUIDE TO PRODUCTION FROM AFI SCREEN EDUCATION
Screen Education Guide - AFI
Credit: myhero
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
EXAMPLES OF WINNING MIDDLE SCHOOL DOCUMENTARY FILMS
THANK A HERO: MAURICE HILLEMAN
Jasmine Blossom Martoglio, Aurelia Sunshine Martoglio | Batchelor Middle School
This is a documentary about an unsung hero named Maurice Hilleman who created an amazing amount of vaccines, and made it possible for modern vaccines to work.
Martin Luther King Jr: A True Hero
Kameron John feagans | Batchelor Middle School
This is a video about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King jr. and why he was a hero.
The Bon-Bon Bomber: Gail Halvorsen Story
Oscar Paul McDermott-Sipe, Tristan Alma Williams | Batchelor Middle School
Gail was inspired to drop candy to the children of Berlin and how he started a ripple effect.
Dr. Anthony Fauci: A Hero In Healthcare
Breckin Tyler Anderson, Beau Badger | Lora Batchelor Middle School
Amid the ongoing coranavirus pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci has delivered Americans everywhere scientifically correct research surrounding the pandemic...
Katherine Johnson: The Human Computer
Jasmine Blossom Martoglio | Batchelor Middle School
This is a documentary about Katherine Johnson and why she is an American hero.
The Man in Orange
Produced by:Deya Mounis, Aya Qawass, Nadine Abu Nemeh, & Mohammad Khreasat
Students in Jordan discuss their heroes who work to make their city clean.
Tomorrows Classroom
Produced by:Alex Emerson
Why should students be trapped within the four walls of the classroom when there are billions of other people to learn with? Welcome to Tomorrow's Classroom.
My Family Journey: Pathway to Empowering Hispanic Women
Angelina Pendleton-Mendez
Angelina Pendleton-Mendez interviews Maria Mendez, her paternal grandmother about her family and their journey.
EXAMPLES OF WINNING HIGH SCHOOL DOCUMENTARY FILMS
Remember Us: An Historic Chapter at Anaheim High School
Remember Us documents the internment of Japanese American students at Anaheim High School forced to relocate to concentration camps.
Joan Ganz Cooney: The Unsung Hero Who Led Us All To Sesame Street
Anna Brodine | Seaman High School
Joan Ganz Cooney as producer of Sesame Street, combined education and entertainment in children’s television programming..
Hello From Malaysia
Produced by:Kira Bursky
Aiman has just moved from Malaysia to the U.S. and finds it hard to fit in with the cultural differences.
Dangers Of Vaping
Basil Patterson, Avital Mintz, Sebastian Alexandre, Miranda Bauer
A film about how vaping is marketed to children. By: Basil Paterson, Avital Mintz, Sebastian Alexandre, & Miranda Bauer
Madre e Hija
Kacey Kim and Chance Walker
“My wish for my children is that they have the opportunity to study, which I didn’t have.”
Life On The Line
Brandon Hill
This documentary explores the experiences of five firefighters from the L.A.F.D.
TRANSPARENCY: Becoming Oliver
Tessa Grace Morell
Experimental short film made to visually accompany the original poem "Becoming Oliver" written by Oliver Marino.
A Quest for Peace: Nonviolence Among Religions
Produced by:Matthew Evans
Young filmmaker, Matthew J. Evans, takes a look at one of the most pressing issues in our modern society: violence among religions.
EXAMPLES OF EXPERIMENTAL FILMS MADE BY STUDENTS
Cries of the Children
Produced by:Angel Miracle Espericueta
Cries of the Children is a short film about how Latinos are affected by social media postings illustrating child separation.
As An Asthmatic
Alayna DeGraef, Elise DeGraef, and Bailey Revering | In-Progress
A video short about the impact of vaping on youth.
Another World
Produced by:Kayla Briet
"Another World" has the goal of inspiring others to find their voice through finding their passion, ultimately encouraging the public to use their newfound voice to positively impact their community.
8 Minutes and 46 Seconds
Angel Miracle Espericueta
A video poem dedicated to the memory of George Floyd and those that stood up in protest against his murder by police.
EXAMPLES OF EXCELLENT STUDENT MADE MUSIC VIDEOS
Hard Times
Produced by:Dir. Alex Sorto & Hugo Castillo
57 Years Ago
Jackson Carrico | New Roads High School
A short anti-racism music video honoring the victims of police brutality.
Hands Up Don't Shoot
Produced by:RAP ARTIST:Queen McElrath, DIRECTOR: Aniea Cody, PRODUCER: Todd Youn...
Nashville students, Queen McElrath and team show love and talent for Michael Brown and the people of Ferguson Missouri.
Don't Give it All Away
Produced by:Slater Jewell-Kemker
Slater uses this wonderful song by World Party to promote youth activism.
EXAMPLES OF STUDENT MADE ANIMATION FILMS
Tipping Scales: The Story of Lisa Jura
Produced by:The Righteous Conversations Project Students
Tipping the Scales' follows the journey of a young woman on the Kindertransport from Vienna to London in 1938. This short film was created by students in the Righteous Conversations Project Digital Storytelling Workshop, Summer 2015.
Emma Cushman: A Light in the Darkness
Produced by:Colin Caviness
Unsung hero Emma Darling Cushman, an American nurse who saved the lives of thousands of Armenian children during the Armenian genocide.
Dutch sisters, born on the same day but years apart, are separated by the Holocaust and raised in hiding by two very different families.
The Story of Three Rings: The Memoir of Dana Schwartz
Produced by:The Righteous Conversations Project Students
Holocaust Survivor Dana Schwartz recounts her life in the Lvov Ghetto during the Holocaust in 'The Story of Three Rings', created by students in the Righteous Conversations Project Digital Storytelling Workshop, Summer 2015.
More Media Arts Education Resources
Media Arts Education Resources
Credit: MY HERO
MY HERO International Film Festival
Credit: MYHERO
Organizer created on 3/16/2022 5:06:49 PM by Wendy Milette