The Magic of Film

With movies and videos so popular in today's world, I'm not sure if teenagers really think about filmmaking being an art form.  I would incorporate film critique into my curriculum to demonstrate why film is in fact an art.

I would begin with a discussion, asking my class to list the different forms of art, to see if they include filmmaking in their selection.  If they do not, I would ask them to think about film and how it could be considered an art.  If they do include film, I would ask them to tell me why.  From here, I would move into a presentation about the aspects of filmmaking, including language such as frame, shot, scene, and sequence.  I would then go into detail about each, including types of shots, camera angles and movement, and editing techniques, with film clips and stills as examples.

Medium shot, The Hunger Games

Extreme close-up shot, Titanic

Canted camera angle, Inception

After going over these terms and examples, I would have the students analyze a scene of their choice, from the New York Times Anatomy of a Scene selection.  They would analyze character placement, scene setup, framing, camera angles and shot choice, and how these all relate to the purpose of the scene and the meaning of the message created by these techniques.  Once this is complete, I would have the whole class watch a movie and review it based on the qualities and techniques we have reviewed.  By the end of this unit, the students should have a better understanding film in relation to art.

A Project for All Levels

In a public school environment, art teachers are tasked with teaching students of many different levels of skill and ability.  In some cases, there may be gifted, average, and special needs students all in one class, all of which operate at different levels and require assignments tailored to their needs.  To meet these needs, we, as art teachers, have to be prepared to alter our lessons to fit the needs of the students.  One example of a project that can be adjusted to fit all levels is a still life.

With gifted students, there are a few ways to make the assignment more challenging.  One would be to make a still life of shiny objects, including metal and/or glass, which forces the students to really pay attention to the areas of light and dark.  This could be completed on white paper with charcoal, which makes the student choose their areas of shading carefully to leave the highlights truly white; or on brown paper, making the students pick the darkest darks and lightest lights, leaving the middle tones to the paper.  The decision could also be made to have the students complete the entire composition or choose a focus point.

This assignment would be for a separate gifted class, with space to store a separate still life arrangement.  In the case of limited storage or gifted students in a general population class, the students could use the same still life as the other students, but use the brown paper to create more of a challenge.

In a group of average students, such as Art I or II, I would arrange a simpler still life with little to no shiny objects, allowing the students to focus on proportion, composition, and smooth shading.  This class would likely use graphite, maybe charcoal depending on the class behavior and ability, and would require a demonstration of proper shading and blending before completing.

Students with special needs would also use graphite and a simple composition.  If they were in a separate class, I would have them do one or two objects, depending on ability.  If they were with the general population class, I would either have them focus on one object within the arrangement, or do the best they could with the whole composition, also depending on ability.  The last thing I would want to do is single these students out and make them feel more different or separate from the group, so I would attempt to include them in the group assignment while still making sure that they are able to operate at their own level.

Something as simple as still life can be altered to fit each of these levels, allowing the students to work at their own pace and level to build their skills.

Incorporating Media in the Classroom

Although I am not the most proficient or comfortable with media arts, I do recognize that as the generations become more and more media-driven, the incorporation of technology and digital mediums into an art classroom is key.  Ideally, I would have a separate class for media arts, providing a place for students who are not well-versed with physical mediums to still have the chance to make art that they are proud of.  This separate class would require a computer lab, cameras, tripods, and access to software such as Photoshop and iMovie.  Access to Photoshop is expensive and could be forgone, however, it is such a diverse tool, which not only allows for photo editing, but also digital painting.  A student who may not be able to physically paint or draw very well may be able to create fantastic digital drawings and paintings using the digital software.

I would begin with a photography lesson, to get the students acquainted with the cameras and the techniques for taking quality pictures.  This project would include a review of the elements and principles of design and compositional strategies, which the students would record on a worksheet to have with them while taking pictures.  Here is an example of a similar worksheet, completed by a student from Spring Valley High School under the instruction of Josh Keiper:

Once the students have completed their photography project, I would move on to teach stop-motion using the cameras and iMovie.  At this point, the students would have a good understanding of composition, lighting, and focus, which are all vital when arranging scenes for a stop-motion.  The students would be tasked with creating a stop-motion movie involving toys in situations that are different from their original purpose.  I would demonstrate how to use the tripod and arrange scenes before sending the students out to photograph.  Once they have a good set of images, I would demonstrate how to use iMovie to sequence and edit the order and speed of the images, insert transitions, and incorporate music.  As an example, I would show my stop-motion video created in Dr. Ivashkevich's class:

The next project would be more open to the students' creativity:  using Photoshop to create a personal collage and a surreal self portrait.  I would begin by teaching the basic tools of Photoshop, and having the students complete a fruit face activity to get acquainted with the basic function of the tools.

Then, the students would photograph objects, and places, that are important to them and have a partner photograph them, or use a tripod and timer; no "selfies" are to be used in this project.  The collage would be the first of the two projects, allowing the students to still work out the functioning of the tools and layering techniques to create an appealing composition of images.  After completing their collage and having it approved, they would then create their surreal self portrait, which can include whatever tools and techniques they wish to use.  This gives students a chance to explore the capabilities of the software while creating an image of themselves that they would like to display.  These are my examples, created during the Adventures in Photography summer program at the University of South Carolina in the summer before my junior year of high school:

These projects are obviously introductory-level media arts projects, teaching the basic skills needed to progress in the creation of digital art.  I would love to be able to learn more about other software and techniques that I could teach students to allow them to grow and develop in this area of visual arts.