Part of Lesson Plan: One Shot Short

Activity Overview / Details

In preparation, students should read a few pages from a professional script. The IMSDb site (listed below) is a good source.

Establish teams for the One Shot Video. Teams of 3-5 should be enough.

While in groups, have the students brainstorm ideas and then fill out the Student Activity Sheet: Story Development in the Story Development Handout once they have agreed on each section.

Before filling out the Beatsheet section, have students read a portion of the Sample Beat Sheet. They will need additional paper for the beatsheet. They should fill in the Plot Structure Diagram before tackling the beatsheet section.

Have students present their story idea to the class in the form of an " elevator pitch" where they condense the plot and story down to a synopsis of 50 words or less.

Have the other students provide a critique and make suggestions that will help clarify the story. Students should then work to incorporate the feedback into their story.

Students can also use the Anatomy of a Scene to analyze their story or the story of others to help refine them and add additional detail. Use the questions that are relevant to the current project.

Additional Resources

The Internet Movie Script Database (IMSDb)
http://www.imsdb.com/

Teacher guides from Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
http://www.oscars.org/education-outreach/teachersguide/

Media College-Free resources for film and video production
http://www.mediacollege.com