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5 to 8 (middle school)
social studies, applied arts, civics
approximately 3 class periods
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Using the first early filmmaking efforts by New York's cinematic
pioneers, this activity asks students to think about what it was like when
audiences flocked to movies that simply showed glimpses of everyday life.
It suggests that they make a film or series of films in the style of the
earliest cinema, when moving pictures were just that -- moving images of
everyday life.
The activity is very straightforward and will require minimal
supervision on your part. Basically, your role can be limited to hosting a
discussion of early filmmaking and offering a space for your students to
show their efforts at pioneer movie-making.
Begin by having your students read the article "Moving Pictures." Hold a class discussion about the early
movie-making efforts in New York. What did some of the first films depict?
Why did audiences flock to films about ordinary life? Why did movies
change?
You might also want to discuss how movies have changed the world in
the 100 years since? What have their economic, social, and political impact been?
Also, what about the invention of other great forms of media? How have
radio, TV, and the internet changed the world? What were they like in
their early days? How have they matured?
This activity is designed for students working by themselves or in
small groups.
- As noted above, there is really very little that you need to do with this activity. You might help students gain access to video or movie cameras. Perhaps, there is an audio-visual lab at school. Or maybe you
can get those students who have access to cameras to link up with students
who do not. In the activity, we offer students two alternatives to using a
video or movie camera. One would be to shoot the same scene with a series
of still photos. Another would be to create a storyboard of the film they
would like to make.
- Finally, you might want to offer a venue for students to show their
films. Perhaps invite students from other classes, parents, and members of the
community. Make it into a film festival of sorts.
Click!
In some ways, the first filmmakers had things easy. All they had to do was point their cameras around them and they had a film that people wanted to see: a train leaving the station, pedestrians hurrying down a sidewalk, a horse leaping over a fence. In this activity, students have had to think about how they would film their communities in order to capture its essence today.
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Early New York