Posts Tagged documentary
Documentary Filmmaking : Learn How to Make a Documentary Film
Digital Media Academy News + Events | March 10th, 2009 by Instructor
My name is Matthew Levie, and I’ll be teaching Documentary Filmmaking again this summer. I’m a professional editor, and feel free to browse my web site to see what I do.
Last year’s Documentary Filmmaking class was a fantastic experience for me as a teacher. The students included:
• a businesswoman from Boston,
• a sociologist from Japan,
• a teenager from France,
• a flight attendant from Miami,
• a scientist from Texas,
• and a teacher from South Carolina
Imagine what you could learn from a group like that!
Here’s a small snippet from the course. Since I’m an editor I can’t resist an example of phenomenal documentary editing. Have a look at the following clip, from the documentary Carrier, about the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.
So first, one of the pilots introduces the idea that everybody on the carrier needs to do their job correctly, at the right time, for the carrier to function properly. And that sets off this montage of flight deck operations, set to—wait, can it be?—the “March of the Wooden Soldiers” from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker.”
Notice how similar motions are grouped together—there’s a beautiful series of circular motions, for instance. And at the end, somebody declares “it’s like a ballet.” Which makes perfect sense, since the filmmakers have already make that perfectly clear from a visual standpoint! But then they extend the metaphor to other areas of the ship, particularly the people feeding the ship and cleaning it up.
This is actually an important priority of the filmmakers: making the viewers understand that an aircraft carrier isn’t all about the planes and the flight deck, but that there are people greasing the cables and cleaning the toilets as well. And they’ve done a great job of conveying that visually at every opportunity.
Want more? Well, you’ll have to come to Stanford. Not a lot of people regret spending a week in Northern California, and I’m sure you’ll learn a tremendous amount and enjoy yourself as well!
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Student Technology Showcase at CUE
Digital Media Academy News + Events | March 7th, 2009 by Margaret Lim
Traditionally on the last day of the annual CUE conference, selected students from various regions of California have an opportunity to present projects as part of the CTAP Student Technology Showcase Program. The California Technology Assistance Program (CTAP) is funded by the California Department of Education and is divided into eleven regions covering the entire state. CTAP provides assistance in integrating technology into teaching and learning, especially in the core content areas. Every year at CUE, the CTAP Student Technology Showcase is an opportunity for teachers across the country to be inspired by real life examples of student work, presented by the students themselves!
I had an opportunity to talk today with three eighth grade students from Abraham Lincoln Middle School in Fresno County, CA. Trent Viau, Celeste Mendoza, Ally Miller and Colton Pierce (not present in the photo) showcased a ten-minute video on General Sherman and his Civil War March to the Sea. I was drawn to their video because of the professionalism of their work. Upon talking to these students, I learned that their documentary had won an award in the 2007 National History Day Contest. Focusing on the contest’s theme of “conflict and compromise,” the documentary asks whether General Sherman’s March to the Sea was “morally correct.” When asked about their conclusion, Trent commented that “it was for a greater good.”
In addition to being impressed with their critical thinking skills, I was inspired by how much work these students put into creating this piece. They started the summer before the 2007-8 school year and spent most of “their own time,” especially weekends, to work on this. They relied on one parent’s computer and created the whole documentary using iMovie and GarageBand. What impressed me about their work was the smoothness of their transitions, the use of historical photos and artifacts, and the eloquent narration. I felt like I was watching the History Channel.
This story is just one example of how technology integrates well with teaching in the core content areas. With the use of video editing and audio recording, history is literally coming alive for thousands of students across California and across the nation. To be further inspired, I would encourage watching the online version of the Student Technology Showcase.
