Doing everything from photography, writing, narration and directing, fifth-grade students at Stony Point Elementary School recently finished their own films — and even got to see them on the big screen at the Paramount Theater.
In addition to giving them a taste of filmmaking, the project helped the Albemarle County students improve their writing skills as they composed numerous drafts of scripts. Students said they learned to write concisely and appeal to an audience.
Student Madison Plecker said one of the most difficult aspects of the project was matching images to narration.
“We had to have, especially, teamwork and patience, because at some points it was kind of frustrating,” Madison said.
She said her group had to edit the script repeatedly, to keep the film under the two-minute maximum.
“Ours kept going over, and so we just had to keep trying and trying,” Madison said. “And finally, we got it right. And we were just like, ‘Yes!’”
Student Elise Underwood said the project wasn’t quite like anything she had done before.
Teacher Daisi Burris said students’ engagement levels flew “off the charts,” adding that some students had shown higher than usual interest in class while creating the films over the course of about three weeks.
Some of the films were featured during the Virginia Film Festival, and all were recently shown at the Paramount in Charlottesville.
“I learned that you could be just a regular person going to school, and next you’re, like, going to the Paramount watching your own movies,” student Avery Snyder said.
Students walked down a red carpet for showings, decked out as movie celebrities.
“My film was about the real heroes of Stony Point [Elementary School],” Avery said, adding that it provided a “behind the scenes” look at the school.
The film featured the school’s janitor, Gary, who students call “Superman.”
“It was a calm day at Stony Point Elementary School. Kids were playing and running around,” the film’s narration detailed, coupled with school grounds pictures.
That’s when scary music kicks in, as the film describes a legendary attack of bees at the school.
“And suddenly [students] got stung by the queen,” the film says. But that’s when their Superman sprays the bees dead, according to the film.
The film explains the janitor’s conquest of the bees is what earned him the nickname “Superman,” but then concludes that he would have been a hero anyway, because he keeps the school clean.
Without him, “it would be a dump.”
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