Career Day

Owen

Owen

Photoshop Savant
I've been asked to speak at career day for a local elementary school. The kids will come in groups every fifteen minutes or so and range from ages 4 - 11.

I can take camera, lights, film clips, etc. The only time I've spoken before was to a group of teens and I did a storyboarding workshop for about an hour. There's not time for that here. I can't just walk in and say "Hi, I make movies. Here are clips. Have mommy and daddy visit my web site and buy some for you!"

Anybody have any ideas or suggestions?
 
I just did a lecture for a college and I found, to just be yourself and talk about your filmmaking journey, how you started, the learning process etc....But if you're in a school, push going to school for film, afterall that is why you are there! I didn't go to film school but was 'behind it' for the students...And I agree, there are many good points as far as school goes, I just didn't care for it, for myself...
 
One thing I would suggest is having the students submit questions before you get there. Maybe have each student write 3 questions on an index card and turn them into their teacher. That way, if you get stuck, you can go to the questions.
 
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You know what helped, the girl that put it together asked me if I would rather have it set up like the 'actors studio' where someone asks the questions and controls the flow of the lecture. I opted for that and it went smooth. Just in case you have that choice...
 
Yeah I prefer that, but this school is setting up a ton of rooms, with one "Career" person in each. The kids are so young that I can't get TOO technical or film-schoolish.

I'm thinking about having them walk into an empty room with a blank TV screen and talking them through the key ingredients of a movie set. Like "what do we need to make our movie?" and maybe they reply "a camera" or "an actor" and so I'll add each ingredient.

By the end I would have a kid behind the camera, a kid playing "director," a kid with a microphone, a kid in front of the camera, and we finally see a lit image of an "Actor" on our TV.

I'm doing another middle school soon where we'll have more time, so I'll definitely try out the actor's studio and index cards suggestions.
 
If you're bringing film clips in, it would be cool to bring some of the ones that will impress people of a young age. Like car crashes or things like that. Maybe bring in some Behind the scenes material of some elaborate setups and such. I know when I was younger, the elaborate setups and cool stunts in BTS material were what got me excited.
 
OK, ages 4-11. This is a guess but I'm guessing all that have replied so far don't have kids...

At that age they don't care about camera's and lights. If you are going to take your camera I'd suggest that you also take a (large) monitor, depending on the size of the class divide it into two smaller groups and video tape a fun, simple single take skit that you can replay.

They will have more fun just watching themselves on TV.
 
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