Just as students define purposes for selecting certain techniques, they also need to consider purposes for editing decisions regarding the length of shots and scenes, relationships between shots and scenes, and linking sound and music to the action. In creating their own videos, they may formulate these decisions prior to shooting through a storyboard, so that they know that they will have the material they need for editing. This include what is known as “master shots” — shots of the overall action or people together in the same shot, as well as separate close up or mid shots of the same action so that they can combine this material to create a variety of different perspectives on the action.

A storyboard is a visual, drawn rendition of different key shots in a film. Asking students to create a storyboard requires them to envision how they would use certain techniques to convey certain meanings. In working with students, it is important that they focus on creating storyboards for only a short segment of film. They could select a couple of scenes from a short story or novel, or create a television commercial or public relations ad.

Scripts. Prior to creating a storyboard, students first need to construct a script. (A full-length film would be based on a screenplay). A script outlines the key events or scenes in film, specifying actions, dialogue, sound effects, and music. In creating a script based on a literary text, students need to consider how they can translate characters’ actions, dialogue, or thoughts into a visual form that conveys the ideas they want to convey.

Filmmaking 101: Writing a Script

Published screenplays of current films

Interactive Simulation: creating a script

Scriptware: scriptwriting software: free demo

Sriptwriting shareware, ScreenForge

Scriptwriting shareware, ScreenPro 97 2.0a

Drew's Script-o-rama

Storyboards. Students then take the script and create a storyboard. You can provide them with sheets with empty boxes that they use to fill in material. You need to stress to students that they should not be concerned about creating highly artistic material. Students could also study comics for ideas about uses of techniques; they could also create a storyboard based on an actual film segment.

For each box, students could list the number of seconds for a shot or scene, the type of shot or angle, the use of music or sound effects, and any special editing transitions between shots.

Atomic Learning's Video StoryBoard Pro: free storyboard-creation software program

This software allow students to:

• Enter shot titles and descriptions, complete with planned lengths and edited order.

• Indicate shot types: video, still, audio, music, or titles.

• Enter film tips for your camera person when videotaping the shot and editing tips to be used when editing in iMovie or Final Cut Pro or Premiere, or any other editor of your choice.

• Import existing video clips, still pictures, and sounds to better illustrate each shot.

• Create, save, and import templates for video projects.

• Print copies of your storyboard for use while filming or editing.

• Print blank storyboard worksheets for brainstorming new ideas.

• Access shot tips that link to online Atomic Learning Library sample video clips.

Directors Board: free storyboard software

Ian Pegler: free storyboard/scriptwriting software

Main Studios: free storyboard software

Springboard

Creating Storyboards

Laurie Brooker: How to Draw Storyboards

Acting with a Pencil: Storyboarding Your Movie

On-line samples of storyboards:

Ted B. Studio
Child: A film based on a children's book
Side by Side Examples: Back to the Future
Gerald Forton's Storyboards

Webquest: Lights, Camera, Film Production

A student film: Fat Man and Little Boys

Ideological stance and technique. Students also need to realize that different techniques are employed to achieve different ideological goals reflecting different stances adopted by filmmakers towards their subject matter and audience. In a unit on stance and documentary filmmaking, Norina Beck, an art teacher at Crosswinds Middle School, in Woodbury, MN, employs video production to help students understand the relationship between stance and their production techniques, stances of being an advocate, observer, or poet.

Concepts for Understanding

Documentary Styles and Point of View

Students will view sequences from three different styles of documentary that focus their attention on a particular community. These three documentary stances will be discussed in relation to the others and analyzed for their content and technique.

Documentor as Advocate: The Advocate Perspective takes advantage of the sensual allure of film to sell a particular position. Films in this genre use editing to select specific parts of a story that best represent the film-makers or producers stance.

Triumph of the Will — 1934 — Leni Reifenstahl — Germany. This film is a blatant example of government sponsored propaganda. The film portrays Hitler as a demi-god, admired by thousands and in control of massive military and political power. The film was thought to have been responsible for gathering thousands of supporters and intimidating global powers with its portrayal of Hitler as a savior of the German people.
 
Land Without Bread —1932 — Luis Bunuel — Spain. This film describes in sardonic detail the life of a small Spanish town nestled in the mountains — and the misfortunes the common villagers have faced due to modernization, disease, and poverty. This film has a relies on a disturbing them/us dichotomy blaming the villagers for their wretched situation.
 
The Filmore —1990 — Kevin Jamison — Unites States. This film is one in a documentary series about the history of San Francisco neighborhoods. Filmore began as a primarily Japanese neighborhood — after most of its residents were forced to move to internment camps during W.W.II, it became a prosperous African American neighborhood. A city planning community leveled the neighborhood again in the 70s forcing its residents out to build new high rise apartments that none of the former residents could afford.

Stylistic/technical characteristics: voice over guided narration / outside looking in / Point of View / Bad guys/Good Guys / use of camera angles to guide viewer's perspective characterized by a dramatization of an event

Documentor as Observer: The Observer subgenre was developed in reaction to the advocate films. These film makers use minimal editing and long shots to try to present a series of events as they actually happened.

Warrendale — 1967 — Allen King — United States. This documentary was filmed at a home for disturbed children — and details the affects of the death of a much loved cook on the troubled young.
 
American Dream —1972 — Barbara Kopple — United States. This documentary tells the story of a small town workers union who strikes dramatic pay cuts at the Hormel meat packing plant. Seen through the eyes of its workers, Kopple sharply describes the position of labor against the tyranny of money-making corporations.
 
Decline of Western Civilization II — 1999 — Penelope Spheeris — United States. This is a great community film for teen audiences — it explores communities of teenage “gutter punks” in the early 90s. Their story is one of homelessness — squatting — drugs and punk rock. It is a depressingly realistic look at a destructive and lonely community.
 
Home Movie — 2000 — Chris Smith — United States. This documentary focuses on five different families in America and the eccentric and personal ways they have created homes for themselves. Humorous and diverse, this film explores our strong ties to home — and the creative lengths to which we will go to make a place for ourselves.

Stylistic/ technical characteristics: audio primarily interview based steady camera shots minimal editing/camera manipulation Match frame editing — to emphasize real time sequences interested in “Conveying their feel in terms of people” (Karel Reisz)

Documentor as Poet : In every artistic medium there is a group of artists who love the medium. In film these film makers are very interested in beauty, special effects, and the ambiance of their films. These films read as a short ode — and use a visualy delightful language.

Rain (Regen) — 1929 — Joris Ivens — Netherlands. A lyrical view of Amsterdam through the lens of rain. This film describes a single rainstorms affect on a city. Ivens uses an impressionistic/ painterly language to sketch a beautiful cityscape and reveal the lives of the people who live in it.
 
Hands and Threads (Ruke I Niti) — 1964 — Mica Milosevic — Yugoslavia. The film shows in fascinating detail the activity of a rug-weaving shop. The viewer is mesmerized by the rhythmic action of the shuttles and the quiet concentration of the young women at work. When this is synchronized with harp music, we get the impression that the weavers are producing celestial music.
 
Juan I Can't Remember — 1999 — Juan Carlos Rulfo — Mexico. This film explores themes of old age and loss by focusing its attention on a small elderly community in rural Mexico. I particularly love this documentary for its stylistic qualities. The film maker combines time-lapsed scenes from nature with stories about the lives of his subjects to create a very powerful and evocative story about old age and death.

Stylistic/technical characteristics : interested in contemplating themes through the lens of beauty rhythmic editing / carefully composed shots / montage editing / special effects/video overlay / music added as an emotional element / dissolves/smooth transitions / wonder in contemplating nature

Lesson Sequence:

For further reading:

Begleiter, M. (2001). From word to image: Storyboarding and the filmmaking process. New York: Michael Wiese.

Fraioli, J. O. (2000). Storyboarding 101: A crash course in professional storyboarding. New York: Michael Wiese.

Katz, S. (1991). Film directing shot by shot: Visualizing from concept to screen. New York: Michael Wiese.

Pope, T. (1998). Good scripts, bad scripts: Learning the craft of screenwriting through 25 of the best and worst films in history. Pittsburgh: Three Rivers Press.

Simon, M. (2000). Storyboards: Motion in art, 2nd Ed. New York: Focal Press.

Module 3: Word document

Visual Literacy: Starting with the Image

Studying Images through Still Photography

Comics and Film Technique

Film Techniques

Lighting

Editing

Sound

Using Film Techniques to Convey Cinematic Meanings

Defining Purposes for Editing Decisions: Creating Storyboards

Analysis/Evaluation of Film Technique

Film History

Television History

Accessing On-line Films / Film Reviews / Ratings / Information

Animation and Special Effects

Film Study Methods

Writing about Films

Film Study Resources

Film Journals/Magazines

References

Teaching Activities