Journal 6

“Filming Compassion”
By Janet Bremer and Marilyn Clark

This journal article has been my favorite so far. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Communication Design with an option in Media Arts. I’ve made many movies, commercials, and educational videos. This was right down my alley! The article talked about having video production classes in our schools. Across the nation schools are increasingly adding a service-learning component in their curriculum. Why not video production? Janet Bremer, a teacher at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy in Cincinnati, Ohio had her video production class make educational films. Her co-author Marilyn Clark helped plan the video assignment. The class got into teams and selected from a list of nonprofit organizations. These included: An after-school care facility for inner-city children, an organization that provides high quality used clothing for low income customers, an inner-city school, and a center that provides hot meal for homeless and low income clients. The nonprofit organizations were told once completed the video would be their property. Due to the fact they were student-produced videos, professional-quality results were not guaranteed. The students came up with storyboards and shooting schedules. The nonprofits came up with educational video ideas that they could use. The students did all the filming, editing, and even added music to their videos. Once completed, everyone was amazed! The students did superb jobs and they looked very professional. Not only did the students learn about the process and technology of making a movie, they also got to spend quality time at these nonprofit organizations. Everyone involved in this project benefited.

Questions:

How easy would it be to have a video production class in your school?

It depends if the school has the funds to support a class like this. I don’t think that many schools would be able to afford all the equipment. Students would end up having to share few pieces of equipment and lessons would be delayed. This also takes up a lot of time outside of school. With so many kids involved in sports and after school activities, and not to mention tons of homework, would there be time?

What is a good age to start a video production class?

Middle school would be a good age to introduce video production, but I’d wait for hands on until high school. Equipment is very expensive and if the students must complete their videos outside of school, who is responsible if something breaks? That is a lot of pressure on a student. I know I was scared in college taking home equipment. I also think high school students would be able to appreciate the assignment more. They also are more likely to be able to drive themselves to the locations.