Part of Lesson Plan: Basics of Camera Movement and Perspective

Activity Overview / Details

DIGITAL STORYTELLING

Using images or video to tell a story is not too much different than how we use words to tell stories.

Ask the students this question: “When we tell stories, what are the smallest ‘pieces’ or ‘building blocks’ needed to create the communication?”

Wait for it….     “Letters.”

Think of letters as single video frames.  It takes a combination of letters to make most words – as it takes a combination of video frames to create a second of time showing an image.

Because we usually don’t shoot video frame by frame, then let’s jump to the next level of this comparison: 

Think of a WORD as single SHOT you capture on the video camera.

A Series of WORDS, make a ________?

Wait for it……  “Sentence!” 

The same way a series of WORDS make a SENTENCE, a series of SHOTS make  SCENE.  Now think of the CHAPTER in the written story.  This compares to the SEQUENCE.  A Sequence is a series of Scenes, or shots.