To celebrate the publication of my new book Film in Action for DELTA , I’m going to share some activities from the book in a series of posts over the coming weeks.
This is a wonderful short film I recommend you use with this activity.
Less Than One from artperezjr on Vimeo.
If you try this activity with your students, do please let me know how it goes (in the Comments box below)!
Kieran
One of the activities in my new book Film in Action (DELTA Publishing) is called One-second films in which students create their own one-second-long films about something which is beautiful or important to them and to then talk about why they chose this moment to film.
Here are two great videos from students at a Portuguese secondary school, Escola Secundária de Estarreja. Thanks to their Teacher Glória Silva for sending the video to me.
You can find a description of the activity below, if you’d like to try it out with your students.
If you can’t find a compilation of one-second-long videos, here’s a compilation which has worked well with my students.
Seconds Of Beauty – 1st round compilation from The Beauty Of A Second on Vimeo.
Use this compilation or choose your own, and then move onto the activity as outlined below:
You might like to hold an awards ceremony for your students’ films. You might also like to create – or even better, get your students to create – a compilation video of all their films.
If you try this activity with your students, do please let me know how it goes (in the Comments box below)!
Kieran
Film in Action in the DELTA Teacher Development Series is available to buy at book stores worldwide or online at Amazon UK, Amazon Spain, Amazon Germany, Amazon Italy, Amazon Japan, or Amazon USA.
You can find out more about Film in Action by watching this video trailer.
To celebrate the forthcoming publication of my new book Film in Action for DELTA Publishing, I’m sharing some activities from the book in a series of posts over the coming weeks. In this activity students respond to a viral video by creating their own video response. Here is a viral video which works well with this activity.
If you try this activity with your students, do please let me know how it goes (in the Comments box below)!
Kieran
To celebrate the publication of my new book Film in Action for DELTA , I’m going to share some activities from the book in a series of posts over the coming weeks.
This is a wonderful short film I recommend you use with this activity.
WE’VE ALL BEEN THERE :: Short Film from Truce Films on Vimeo.
If you try this activity with your students, do please let me know how it goes (in the Comments box below)!
Kieran
I’m delighted to announce that students of Rebekah Gordon at Southwest University in Chongqing, China, have won the Film in Action filmmaking competition. Her students, who are all English majors, created a very interesting and amusing short video to promote their imaginary product the ephone which makes everything easy for you! I think it’s a great example of a simple but engaging film-making project for English language students. You can watch the video below.
This EFL lesson plan is designed around a short filmed commissioned by Johnnie Walker Whisky starring Jude Law. In the lesson students watch the short film speculate about what it may be advertising and make their own short film as part of a competition to win a copy of my book Film in Action. The teacher who submits the best film wins a copy of the book.
Language level: Intermediate (B1) – Upper Intermediate (B2)
Learner type: Teens and adults
Time: 90 minutes
Activity: Watching a short film, speaking and creating a short film
Topic: Branded short films
Language: Language connected with film-making
Materials: Short film
Downloadable materials: the gentleman’s wager lesson instructions
Step 1
Elicit or explain that a branded short film is a short film created for a company or product.
Step 2
Tell the learners they are going to watch a short film which is actually an advertisement for a company or product – a ‘branded short film’. Their task is to decide what type of company or product is being advertised.
Step 3
So the learners don’t see the company’s name or logo, you should start the film at 00:04 and pause before the closing credits at 05:49.
Show the film.
Step 4
Divide the class into groups of three or four:
Step 5
Hold a feedback session on their opinions.
Step 6
Show the film a second time:
Step 7
Hold a plenary session based on these questions:
Step 8
Ask the learners to imagine that they are advertising executives who want to make a short film for a company or product.
Step 9
Divide the class into groups of three. Each group chooses the company or product they want to advertise.
Step 10
Tell the groups their task is:
Step 11
Tell them they are going to perform and film their presentation.
Step 12
Two learners perform the presentation, while the third learner is the film director whose role is to:
Step 13
When the ‘director’ is happy that the others know their lines and has set up the scene:
Step 14
The director sends you a video file. You watch the video files and give the learners feedback on performance and pronunciation. If you would like to enter your students’ short film in the Film in Action competition to win a copy of the book send a link to the film to kieran@kierandonaghy.com
Here I am showcasing one of the entries from the Film in Action film-making competition.
My name is Bozica Saric-Cvjetkovic and I’ve been teaching English for almost ten years at a state primary school in Serbia. I also teach private one on one lessons at home.
This video is made by Miona Pavlovic. She is thirteen years old and preparing for B1 level of English. She chose the topic herself and named it “How to make a bracelet from small elastic bands”.
I hope you enjoy the video. Perhaps your students could create a similar video.
Here I am showcasing one of the entries from the Film in Action film-making competition.
“I am Vanja Fazinic a secondary school teacher based in Croatia. Here’s is my students’ film – a how to video . The video is not a typical how to video and maybe not quite what you expected, but that’s the way my students are! I hope you will like it anyway. My students enjoyed immensely the process of creating it, despite a few bumps along the road!”
I hope you enjoy the video. Perhaps your students could create a similar video.
I am showcasing entries in the Film in Action film-making competition. Here’s an excellent entry from a Ukrainian teacher and her student.
“I am a teacher from Ukraine Olesya. I work in school in a small town Kirovograd. My pupils and I like creativity very much.We usually use out telephones and make videos during the lesson for 5 minutes. Once a month we have a motto “ no paper during the lessons only devices “Pupils like it very much and create something new! I learn a lot of interesting things from my pupils. Lera who is 12 created this video for the Film in Action competition.”
I hope you like Lera’s video. Perhaps your students could create something similar.
Film in Action 