From the Teacher

I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you again for your gracious donations to our class. 

This week, my students completed the filming of their projects and they are now beginning to organize and edit their raw footage. Everyone in the class has enjoyed this project immensely, and I can see that it will be a mainstay of the curriculum for years to come. 

The most popular genre, by far, was horror parody. As teams planned their films, we discussed the genre conventions of suspense films, and we studied a few scenes to show how directors build suspense. We also discussed how some directors use the conventions of suspense films in exaggerated or unexpected ways to create humor. In all, four of the five student groups created films that attempted to frighten, while one group of mostly seniors created a dramatic film around two cheating couples. The engagement that I have seen throughout this project is palpable, and it has infused the last few weeks of school with an excitement and a sense of urgency that I rarely see at this time of year. 

Next year, when we have access to these cameras for the entire school year, we can scaffold in a number of other projects before the final creative film is due. Moreover, other classes will certainly benefit from this equipment as well. I am already planning small group video projects for my English classes next year. All of this has been made possible by your generous donations.

- Mr. Eletz

From the Students