While working with students, I’ve noticed that it can be difficult to make an entertaining product that still informs the audience. I’ve been a part of plenty of projects where students had an informational project all planned out, but something becomes lost in the process and students are left with films that don’t have any message.
I’ve found that one way to get students to create more effective projects is to approach the project like a PSA, where students are always considering the subject, purpose, and audience, and asking themselves the question, “Is it effective?” With a PSA, because of its length, filmmakers can only afford to include content that directly contributes to their message, and a video project should operate the same way.
During all phases of filmmaking, from storyboarding to editing, you should have students ensure that everything they add to their film is contributing to their intended message. That way, students are the ones making sure they don’t get off track, and this is an easy way to decide whether or not something will appear in their film. When they reach the editing phase, it’s a simple matter of allowing them to keep the information that’s on track, and getting rid of everything else.
One other thing for students to consider is what an audience will learn from their video. Creating a movie about the water cycle that simply shows pictures of the clouds doesn’t teach anything. Making sure students actually explain a concept or give factual information will ensure that they’ve learned something in the filmmaking process, aside from just finding images on Google.
Overall, it can be difficult to guarantee that students are learning while they’re creating a video, but by using these techniques, you can make sure that they will make effective projects that have an educational benefit.
If you have any additional suggestions on how to get your students to create an effective project, please mention them below.
