Year 8 are currently studying silent movies in Drama and, this week, following several planning and rehearsal lessons, they finally began creating their own silent movie style films. Inspired by the likes of Charlie Chaplin and his overexaggerated physicality, students had a great time forming their stories in groups and then playing the role of director, actor, and camera person – allowing all students to get the chance to see where their passions lie in this varied subject!
Two groups spent a cold and frosty morning in the woods, utilising its atmospheric feel to create thriller styled clips. It was a great way to enable students to build their skills in collaboration, sharing ideas as well as experience first-hand the roles which are behind the scenes in cinema. After their filming is completed, students will then spend time in lessons refining their work through editing, reflecting and identifying the key silent movie concepts they have been able to include.
Also, with the HPL theme of the week being analysis, Director of Drama, Mrs Monk, encouraged students to analyse their work – from the range of camera angles used, to the effectiveness of their storytelling. She also challenged Year 8 to think logically about their ideas, using their knowledge of the genre to justify their creative decisions. It was extremely pleasing to see many of the students correctly identifying the key cinematic skills and stock characters used in silent movies and being able to provide critical justification for their thought processes.
Mrs Monk hopes that the films will be completed in time to have a popcorn-fuelled premiere before the end of term!
