Our First Film Project

So in the past I have struggled to create just the right first project for my filmmaking class. I tried music videos, silent films, shots examples, but none of them have really gotten kids jazzed about filmmaking.

Main problems I notice while teaching film:

1. Lack of initial buy in

2. Some students work really hard, where others never really learn how to edit and embrace the creativity filmmaking

3. When they work in groups some student never actually learn how to use the editing software.

So I created an assignment where they all have to make a product, it is something all of them are used to consuming so they all have an idea of what it should look like, and I allow them to use any form of recording. 

So this year I decided to have them create Vlog project, where students had to turn in a video they did that show a well shot film version of something in their life. 

The assignment

1. Tell us a story about you day, something you like to do, or an event you went to. 

2. Use multiple angles and shots. Get lots of B-Roll to cut with your project 

3. Video must be 1 minute or longer

4. Must use Premiere to edit

5. Must have some sort of narrative, it cant be random, with no sense of time. 

6. Must use proper camera techniques, no shaky camera or out of focus film. 

Other than that, I give them free reign of the project, I let them tell what ever story they want, to best suit their interests.

Here is my Vlog that I did for them, about how I want a drone. 

But we focused on a lot of other filmmakers. We looked mostly at Casey Niestat because of how most of the students know him, and he does a really great job of modeling a well crafted vlog that still uses the ideas of good filmmaking.

We also looked at some instructional vloggers, because there is realy no right or wrong way to do a vlog you just need to make something interesting. 

Here are a few examples of students films. Enjoy

Our Mic failed a little on this first film.