Movie Makers

Process

The context for this topic came from the children on their return to nursery after the Christmas break. The staff had been listening to and observing the children in order to identify their current interests and ideas - information which is often used by the nursery staff to plan relevant topics. 

The children were talking about and acting out various films they had received for Christmas in the form of DVDs, toys, games and dressing-up costumes. This led the staff on to using the word ‘films’ within their mind-map process.

After consulting with the children, using mind maps, and discovering what the children knew about their favourite films, the staff began to provide learning opportunities for the children to enhance their knowledge and understanding of films. This was applied through all the key aspects of the curriculum, offering the children many learning opportunities to explore films and the process involved in making films.

The children were keen to bring their films into the nursery and watch them. They brought their toys in and even turned up dressed in character! This led nicely into role play and expressive arts. The children started inventing their own stories through physical development and movement and they created their own story books using words and pictures.

Making their own films

Soon the children were using the nursery’s video cameras and the digi blue cameras to make their own films. Narrating, acting and producing were becoming an everyday event! Then along came Peter and Martin from ‘Films Media Company’ and the show was put on the road!

First of all, a group of keen actors and producers were identified. Then, in conjunction with  the staff and the Films Media Company, the children wrote, illustrated, performed, narrated and filmed their own stories, entitled ‘The Mermaid and the Big, Bad Shark’ and ‘Stitch the Magic Alien’. All were keen to be expressive through song and dance, influenced by the ‘High School Musical’.

The children who were a little camera-shy were given the role of the film crew and they learned all the terminology for the props. This was an important job, using the camera and the boom pole, and the biggest attraction was the clapper board where the children just loved using the phrase ‘Take One and Action’.

The children’s documentary and stories are now being put together on DVD and will be available for parents/carers to purchase in the next few weeks.