Filmmaking 101: Smartphone Filmmaking "for Teens" - 5 Week Course
Create a film from start to finish using your smartphone.
Mr Gus
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(241)
What's included
5 live meetings
5 in-class hoursClass Experience
The teacher connects with students during every class by talking about their favorite movies, directors, and type of films they love.
The student's primary goal is to create a two-minute (Minimum) film made with a smartphone.
The course is a daily session for one week with a total of 5 sessions. Each class is 60 mins long.
- Welcome
- Group check-in (A question about themselves related to movies)
- Warm-up watching projects made with smartphones. (Every film is student age oriented)
- The core activity is a specific topic from the process of moviemaking. (see the breakdown by day below)
* This course is a condensed version of my digital media class's entire semester with students in school.
The five-session course subjects are:
o Week 1 – Introductions & Course goals.Foundation in screenplay development (Story circle Three Act Structure )
Screenplay format. How to create a strong character for your film.
o Week 2 – Informal Pitch to shooting ( Visual Storytelling, how to communicate using show don't tell.) Develop Visual Storytelling Tools, Foundations about Storyboard/Animatic/Shooting
Board)
o Week 3 – Smartphone filming, apps, and suggested equipment. Type of shots, Steps for Lighting a Scene
o Week 4 – Foundation on film editing and sound. Editing apps.
o Week 5 – Watch films (Final reflection of the course)
The class is built in a PowerPoint presentation with slides divided into sections containing concepts, subjects, photos, and video clips. In addition, some sessions have live challenges where the students need to complete the tasks during class time.
Students are encouraged to participate fully in this class by sharing opinions, ideas, and assignments.Learning Goals
Foundations for screenwriting, visual storytelling skills, camera angles, editing techniques and transitions, foundations in sound. In the end, students create a film of their own and enjoy the experience of making their film using just a smartphone.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
The content is curated and reviewed for the students. I regularly check the material I show in class with https://www.commonsensemedia.org/, a great tool for parents and teachers to understand what is appropriate to show kids and what age.
The teacher always advises students to check with parents that the teacher mention in class. Sometimes the teacher talks about certain films that are not age-appropriate for them; however, the teacher will never show these films' video clips.
Supply List
Students must own/have access to a smartphone or a Smart Tablet for the class. I recommended editing software that is free and can be downloaded from the appropriate website. During the course, I will send a list of proper equipment and apps for students who want to embark on smartphone filmmaking during the course. However, it is not mandatory to buy equipment that is just a list of tools for them to use.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in Music or Theatre or Arts from Academy of Arts University
I have been teaching digital media to students from 1st to 6th grade. Students love the dynamic of making a film. As a film professional, I love to teach the kids about these subjects, I'm very passionate about it. From my own perspective, I engage with the students by talking about movies and how fun is to create them, I also enjoy building collaborative groups and leaders who work together to create something new and unique. Reviews
Live Group Class
$75
for 5 classes1x per week, 5 weeks
60 min
Completed by 1 learner
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-17
3-9 learners per class
