S1 Practical English: Learning in English – Movie-making Project

In S1 Practical English students study a variety of topics and activities. In addition to improving their English speaking and writing ability and grammar, students also learn about things using English.

This year students are again going to make a short film. Students will learn about different aspects of filmmaking in Terms 1 and 2 so they are well-prepared for making their own short films in Term 3.

Mr Simmonds is working with the students on Camera Shots and Angles – how to tell the story with pictures, and how to make each shot look good. Mr Kellum is focusing on Story Structure and Character.

Importantly, students also develop their technology skills and we hope they can use the results of this project for their e-Learning Portfolios.

The following photos show students working on Camera Shots and Angles. Students had a very short time to prepare a storyboard for a short scenario, then had to run out and capture it on the school tablets, before showing their pictures to the rest of the class.  It was a tight schedule but the results were enjoyable to watch and we learned a lot about what makes a good, interesting visual story.

First, an example of a very simple storyboard. WS = Wide shot, OTS = Over-the-shoulder shot, C-I = Cut-in – all names of shots commonly used in TV and filmmaking.

A big ‘thank you’ to our friendly librarians for their help this lesson.