| The team. Coach/filmmaker gathers the cast
for a meeting. We plan on about a half hour of meeting time. |
| The idea. What do the
kids want to make a story about? |
| Development. Around the
table, the team brainstorms the idea. Pros and cons are
debated. We keep in mind how many actors we have and what
kind of "set" and costumes are available. Who are the
characters? We talk a little about want the main character
-- the "hero" -- wants more than anything. The team finally
agrees on a plot statement and who will play the roles. |
| The big ending. Still in
brainstorming mode, the team decides on the big final scene
they want to see. We're going from an idea to something
concrete. What will the audience see and hear? |
| How it begins. Now that
we have the ending, what kicks off the action? How does it
all begin? Describe the opening scene. |
| The scenes. How will we
get from the opening scene to the big ending? Each scene is
a step toward the end. In such a short production, we will
probably have one reversal -- the hero thinks he's
achieved his goal, but then... |
| Costumes and props. Once
we have the scenes, the team quickly gathers up some
costumes and props. |
| ON LOCATION - Dialogue
improvisation. Kids are great at improv. Since they
understand the plot and where they are going with it, all
they need is some direction from their coach in setting up
the action. We plan on about an hour of fast-paced filming. |
| Troubleshooting. If
something isn't working or we realize we've missed a link
between beginning and ending, we go back to the
brainstorming table for a few minutes and hammer out a
change. |
| After. We hook up the
camcorder to the TV and watch the "rushes" over lunch. The
footage is then taken in post-production, where it is edited
into the story. Music and titles are added. The process is
documented, so the kids have a reminder of how they
accomplished their success. The final product is given to
the team members in DVD form. |
|
SAMPLE
PRODUCTION: "The Cost of Cool" |
| The
process (PDF file). The outline for Patrick and Sam's
Trick Mule Production
The movie. Windows
Media format -- postage stamp size! |
