Ako Hiko Film Festival

2021

Film Festival Resource

​

Plan B - Animation Film Festival

​

​

There is no common theme for the festival but your school can create their own theme if you’d like to. Can be any genre but keep it positive - any kind of bullying, violence or weapons are off limits.

​

Dates:

​

Wednesday 8th Dec (week 8)

All projects posted on class or individual blogs.

Entry form completed for each film.

​

Thursday 9th/Friday 10th Dec

Students view other films and leave quality comments.

​

​

Google Slides:

-Tutorial on the Cybersmart challenge site.

-This challenge also shows you how to speed up your animation when it’s embedded in your blog.

-Use Screencastify to add your voiceover or backing music (Incredibox or Music Lab) like Lucy did.

Stop motion animation:

-App works on Chromebooks or iPads.

-Check out this professional example

or this student example.

-Tutorial video.

Scratch:

-Use one of these ideas to create an animation.

-Remember to sign into Scratch before you start so that you can save and embed your animation.

-For an extra challenge create your own sprites and backdrops. Watch this video to learn how.

​

​

​

dance moves of the centaury

space travel

Checklist for Google Slides Animations

​

​

​

How do you think they created that film?

​

What challenges do you think they came across?

​

How do you think they collaborated and communicated with each other?

I agree, and would like to add...

Linking to what ___ said, I think...

Can you explain a bit more about...

You mentioned ___ but what about...

I understand your point but have you thought about...

I was wondering about ____, what do you think?

build

challenge

So are you suggesting that...

clarify

What makes you think?

probe

The important details are...

summarise

What you need to know

​

• Films need to be no longer that 3 minutes.
• There is no common theme for the festival but your school can create their own theme if you’d like to.
• Can be any genre but any kind of bullying, violence or weapons are off limits.
• Films for screening event submitted by 24th September.
• Screening event held @ Event Cinemas St Lukes at 6:30pm on Wednesday 20th October.
• All films posted on class blogs at 6:00am on Thursday 21st October (scheduled post) and students encouraged to visit and comment on films.
• Amount of teacher involvement is up to you! BUT we want to make sure the films that are shown at the screening are of a high quality.

​

Need some inspiration?

One of last year’s Cybersmart sessions was based around blog commenting on Manaiakalani Film Festival entries. This is a great way to give students ideas for their films and start discussions around the different aspects of the films. Check out the lesson here.

​

2020 Films

Need some inspiration?

Here’s a T-shaped literacy unit focusing on sound in films.

​

Planning your film

-Genre

Documentary

Comedy

​

Action

Science Fiction

Animation

(Google Slides or Stop Motion)

​

Music Video

Thinking outside the box...

Historical Documentary

Public Service

Announcement

Ted Talk

Book Adaptation

Comedy Sketch

Animation

Planning your film

see storyboard slides

see angles and shots slides

see T-shaped literacy slide and

sound slides

see editing slides

Planning your film -Storyboarding

​

Start with a STORYBOARD (if you like)

​

Helps you plan how you are going to tell your story.

​

Creating a step by step visual plan of your film.

Think about:

• Dialogue
• Camera angles and shots
• Setting and transitions

Planning your film -Storyboarding

​

Does your film make sense?

​

Your film might make sense to you but you’ve been working on it for weeks.

​

Think about someone watching your film for the first time!

​

Can they:

• tell the who, what, where, when and why of the story?
• see a clear beginning, middle and ending?
• understand the main challenge of the story and how this is solved?

Planning your film - Storyboarding

This is a great time to plan what angles and shots you will use.

​

Check out this article about Michel Mulipola for more tips (plus some tips about writing comic strips).

Planning your film - Storyboarding

Template

(feel free to make a copy and adapt)

​

​

Notice how I’ve planned for each shot of the scene, thinking about how I will get quality sound and how I will keep the iPad still.

​

​

Shooting your movie - Angles and Shots

Mid Shot - Good for running and conversations. Mostly body shots.

Wide Shot - Set the scene. Shows location.

Worms Eye View - Making someone look big and strong/powerful.

​

It’s ALL about the Angles & Shots

​

• Your angles and shots are what is going to make your film interesting
• Be intentional with what shots you use
• Shots help you tell your story

​

​

Birds Eye View Shot - Looking down at someone/something.

Close Up - See emotion and reactions.

Over the shoulder shot - Having a conversation, looking at something from someone's perspective.

Shooting your movie - Angles and Shots

​

It’s ALL about the Angles & Shots

​

• Your angles and shots are what is going to make your film interesting
• Be intentional with what shots you use
• Shots help you tell your story

​

​

angles

cuts

angles and shots

Shooting your movie

- sound

​

Ideally you would use an external microphone to record your sound. If this is not possible here are a few tips to make your audio as clear as possible…

​

• Make sure only one person is speaking at a time
• Encouarge students not to shout
• Check that any music or sound effects aren’t too loud compared to the voices
• Use headphones to check volume levels when editing films

​

Shooting your movie - sound

Thinking outside the box! Other ways to improve your films in terms of audio...

​

​

​

Silent Film

Avoid audio problems altogether by having no voices.

​

​

​

Dubbed

Tricky, but try recording the dialogue on top.

​

​

​

Narrator

Record the sound separately from the action.

​

​

​

Subtitles

Tell your story through subtitles instead.

​

​

​

Shooting your movie

- sound

​

You can also shoot your footage and record your audio separately. For example you could have an iPad recording a wide or mid shot but record the audio on a phone which is nice and close to the people talking.

​

​

​

This video explains how clapperboards are used to sync the footage and the audio. And you can just clap instead of buying a clapperboard!

​

​

​

Shooting your movie - gear

​

Getting your gear sorted

​

• HD Camera - Handycam, DSLR, even higher spec smartphones and tablets will work.

​

• Keeping your camera / iPad / phone still… we have tripods you can use
• Think about your sound… we have two microphones you can borrow

​

​

Shooting your movie - keeping it still!

​

How could you keep you iPad / camera still?

​

• Use a tripod - we have some you can use.
• Put your iPad on a desk or something else flat to keep it still (make sure you’re still holding it safely).
• Use different shots so you can keep the iPad still instead of following the action and having a wobbly film.

​

​

Editing your film - software

​

Macbooks & iPads

​

iMovie

​

Windows

​

​

​

​

Chromebooks

​

​

​

Editing your film

• Splitting your footage
• Cutting and Trimming footage
• Transitions between clips (be aware these significantly increase the size of the file)

​

​

​

iMovie

Windows

Photos

WeVideo

Tutorial Videos

importing

media

titles

cuts

We

Video

​

Top Tips for Making a Blockbuster!

​

• What’s your message?
• All about the shots and angles!
• Avoid wind noise & background noise
• Keep your camera still and avoid the zoom
• Always shoot landscape if you are filming on a phone or tablet
• Check your background music and sound levels
• Avoid flashy transitions and pre created templates
• youtube.com/audiolibrary for sound & effects
• Utilize tutorial videos to extend your knowledge

​

​