As preparation for a filmmaking project, 7th-grade students heard from Kelley Slagle, an actress who also writes and produces short films.
For the second year, English Teacher Jessica North Macie, in collaboration with Instructional Media Coordinator James Lucas, is assigning 7th grade students a final filmmaking project as part of the Shakespeare unit on A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Teams of four are each assigned a scene from the play. Each team will: write a treatment and a script adapted from the original text; create a storyboard; plan a shooting and editing approach; and act in the films. The project blends traditional English course content with media and technology learning, art, and drama.
Ms. North Macie thought it would be helpful if the students heard from someone who has successfully tackled the challenges of making a film, and invited Ms. Kelley Slagle to speak to her students. Ms. Slagle has been acting in the DC Metro region for over 12 years, and has also been directing, writing, and producing short films and music videos with her company, Cavegirl Productions. they have created films for many 48-Hour Film Project and National Film Challenge competitions, and shown in other festivals. Her most recent film, the mockumentary PRESENCE, received five awards in the 2012 DC 48-Hour Film Project.
Ms. Slagle showed an excerpt from a pilot she recently produced, and then talked about the challenges of independent filmmaking. She stressed the importance of planning, explaining that for the pilot, there was a year of preparation before two days of shooting. She also gave practical tips, such as advising students to be very aware of the need for continuity, from light conditions to gestures, if the same scene is shot at different times.
We are grateful to Ms. Slagle for coming and sharing her experience!