Welcome to the comprehensive guide for building video production lesson plans. This article will help video production educators understand broadly craft their curriculua.
TLDR: Download some free lesson plans from EditMentor to get you started.
Building video curricula takes a few weeks but refining it takes years. Refining starts with your industry knowledge and is aided by classroom trial and error. The final polishing comes when it’s align to state or national standards like CTE, ISTE, or Common Core.
Even when you have the knowledge, finding the right examples, and scaffolding all that information into a curriculum times time and effort. Below you’ll find explanations of what the main goals of your curricula should be, plus some other free resources for courses on Broadcast Journalism, Film, and Youtube.
This article will provide media teachers with valuable insights and practical advice on creating their own video production curriculum for the classroom. By developing effective teaching materials you empower students to unleash their creativity, enhance their critical thinking skills, and produce high-quality videos that showcase their learning. Let’s dive right in!
Understanding the Importance of Structured Video Production Curriculum
Why is it important to have a structured curriculum for video production at all? Isn’t video art? Many video production teachers, particularly those who come directly from industry and don’t have as much of a teaching background, are hesitant to enact any kind of “formal, official” or “standardize” curriculum for a creative art class.
Recently, the state of California’s Department of Education, brought together a group of video production teachers to rewrite the state’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) standards. Matthew Waynee, a video teacher at the USC Media Arts & Engineering Magnet School in Los Angeles, said on the TV Matters Podcast that the new state standards were heavily reliant on industry partners who asked schools to specifically teach certain employable skills. So the state standards are designed to help get your students jobs based on what’s out their in the industry.
Furthermore, creating a curriculum that you can build, adjust, and pass onto a new teacher, means you’re creating a process that can be measured and improved. It can become a legacy, too. Far too often, when media teachers retire, their programs get shut down. Don’t keep your lesson plans “in your head” or design them “on the fly.” Use this article to help you design curricula following best teaching practices.
When you create lesson plans, you’re helping other teachers, too. When you pass a class off from one teacher to another, it’s helpful to share lesson plans so that material isn’t duplicated or missed.
Video production skills play a pivotal role in a student’s professional development, too. It offers a unique and engaging way for students to express their ideas, demonstrate knowledge, and collaborate with their peers. With the rise of digital media and the increasing prevalence of video in our society, it’s crucial that educators meet students where they are, and harness the power of video production.
Your Role in Teaching Specific Video Production Skills to Students
If you’re a high school teacher, it’s not essential that you master every piece of software or hardware that you teach your students. In fact, that’s probably not possible. You have to teach a wide range of skills in a short period of time to a lot of students. You could have 100 or more kids coming into your classroom every day. Your goal should be to create an environment of exposure to new jobs, gear, and inspirations. Your structured classroom learning time will mostly be used with freshman who will learn basic skills about cameras and editing. As those students become sophomores and move up to more advanced classes, you should partner them with incoming freshman. Empower your older students to pass on their knowledge to the younger ones. You’ll be amazed at what skills they seek out on their own. Encourage exploration outside of your curriculum. As a high school teacher, your primary job is to inspire students, not turn them into technically skilled craftspeople (but do that too, if you have time).
As a college professor, you are largely being hired for your industry skill. Your curriculum should reflect industry best practices and your goal should be to get students jobs. You should be an expert in your field, but that field is typically specialized. If you’re teaching video production, you should have experience as a cinematographer. If you’re teaching editing, get certified on the editing software you teach. We recommend Avid’s affiliate program at a minimum. Professors often take their curriculum with them if they transfer schools. If you’re a new professor at a school, you may be surprised that the out-going professor didn’t leave you much. And if you’re the out-going professor, my feeling is that it’s best to leave some breadcrumbs for the new person coming in.
In high school and college, video production classes should allow students to not only acquire technical skills, such as filming and editing, but also develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills. Encourage students to review each other’s work, learn to give and take feedback, show up on time, and complete the work they say they are going to do.
All forms of media are good for teaching soft skills. Through video production, students can create documentaries, news reports, short films, and multimedia presentations that capture their understanding of subject matter in a compelling and dynamic way.
Finally, video production can be a powerful tool for differentiated instruction. Some students will take to technology quickly, others will hate it the whole time. A student’s ego is sensitive during the learning process, and so I encourage you to be supportive and discard the concept of “the school of hard knocks” or “fail until you succeed” or similar ideas. Help them succeed. Give them some wins. They will fail plenty anyway.
Integrating Project Based Video Production Curriculum
Video production is a hands-on learning experience. Pretty much at all moments, your students should be working on projects; shooting one-minute silent films, two minute news packages, a five minute daily news show or creating PSAs for the school. I encourage teachers to find real clients for students, such as local stores needing commercials, shooting weddings, or filming for city council. Project based curricula builds student demo reels, confidence, and team work.
If you’re teaching editing only, give your students professional practice projects to work on. Review the cuts with other students, allowing them to demonstrate their understanding of complex concepts, such as character perspective, fostering a deeper comprehension of the subject.
Video production projects like shooting short films, cultivates collaborative skills as students work together in groups, dividing tasks and sharing responsibilities. This collaborative aspect not only enhances students’ social skills but also mirrors real-world work environments where teamwork is essential.
Classroom time shouldn’t all be spent on shooting projects. Video production should also aim to improve students’ digital literacy, as they learn to digest the messages that are broadcast to them all day long. These are transferable skills that are invaluable in today’s media-driven society. By introducing students to the world of video production, you equip them with practical skills that can open doors to future career opportunities in film, television, advertising, and other creative industries.
Furthermore, video production can also promote cultural awareness and empathy. Through the creation of videos, students can explore different perspectives, cultures, and experiences, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of diversity.
Building the Foundation of Your Curriculum: Basic Concepts in Video Production
If you’re teaching film, sign up for EditMentor’s free educational account and try our lessons free.
Your Curriculum Should Highlight Each Stage of Video Production
A successful project based curriculum involves engaging students in each stage of video production: pre-production, production, and post-production.
Pre-production focuses on planning, scriptwriting, storyboarding, and location scouting. Do not skip this step. We recommend this three-part exercise, where students do a table reading of screen play, acting out each part, and discuss the role each character plays in the story. When students work on their own projects, they should be required to submit a script, and shot list before being allowed to check out cameras. We recommend also providing them with cells for storyboards. The more planning they do, the better their projects will turn out.
Production involves capturing footage and audio. Encourage students to experiment creatively with various filming techniques, and camera angles. Provide opportunities for collaboration during production. Every student should have a job on set. Assign rolls like director, cinematographer, and audio person.
Post-production encompasses editing, adding effects, and exporting the final product. Editing should not be a group activity. Typically, only the student director and editor will be working together at this point. That means a lot of students will be sitting around doing nothing. We recommend using EditMentor during this down time. Don’t let students complete their work without having at least one revision pass. More of this in the feedback section of this article. Students always think the work is done when they turn in their assignments, but the real world is nothing like that.
Try Different Types of Video Production
Unless you’re teaching a film specific, or broadcast specific class, it’s our opinion that you should expose students to many different forms of media production. Video is a versatile art form that encompasses various styles and formats. Educators should introduce their students to different types of video production, such as documentary, narrative, promotional, and instructional videos. By exposing students to different genres, they can explore their creativity, discover their interests, and develop a well-rounded skill set.
Providing Constructive Feedback
Feedback plays a crucial role in student growth and development. That said, it’s difficult for a student to change quickly, particularly if it’s in front of their peers. We are strong proponents of the sandwich complement. When screening student projects to a group, start by asking what others liked about the project. Then ask for constructive feedback from peers. Hold off on sharing your opinion. In the best case scenario, other students will say what you wanted to say anyway. And because your students look up to you, make sure that while you highlight areas of improvement also acknowledging their strengths. Encourage self-reflection as an exercise after students receive feedback from their peers. Self-reflection reinforces critical thinking skills and promotes a growth mindset. By focusing on the learning process rather than the final outcome, you create an environment where students feel supported and motivated to continually strive for improvement.
The Most Important Thing: Encourage, Expose, Experiment
Beyond any technical skill they learn from you, the most important think is that you expose them to it. Curiosity leads to passion. Your job is to find what they are curious about and help light the spark of passion.
Expose them to different art forms: podcasts, animation, filming, editing, anything. How can they know what they like until they try it?
Encourage them when they fail, which they will. Students will forget to bring batteries for their microphones while interviewing the President of the United States. It happens. Don’t roast them over it. Always be a kind teacher with high expectations.
Experimentation is a form of artistic expression. Students need to find their creative voice, but not all of your students think of themselves as creative in the first place. Your assignments should force them to think outside the box, push their creative boundaries, and experiment with different styles and genres. By fostering an environment where creativity is celebrated, you inspire your students to produce unique and captivating video projects that showcase their individuality and passion for the craft.
