Community Highlight

                                                                                         By Joseph Canistro

‍

At Natoaganeg School, we’ve made a middle school movie almost every year since 2011. Our program has grown exponentially over the years through both our experience and the support of many organizations, including AFNTS.

The benefits of making movies in the classroom go beyond being simply another level of differentiation. As we prepare our students to thrive in a modern world, one of the most challenging yet necessary skills we can teach them is the ability to collaborate. Collaboration is inherent in filmmaking, so much so that the process is impossible to do by yourself. The best movies will be made by people who learn to refine their interpersonal skills and value the contributions of each individual. Regardless of what their role is, everyone involved will be more productive if they feel that their contributions are valued.

‍

There are also roles to suit nearly everyone’s strengths and interests. Obvious roles include writing, shooting, performing, and editing. With the equipment that we now have access to, some students focus on lighting or audio recording. Artistic or mechanically inclined people may be interested in production design or set building/decorating. A driven person with solid organizational skills would thrive as a producer. This is just the tip of the iceberg. There truly is a place for everyone on a film production.

‍

Another in-demand skill that can be developed through movie-making is creative problem-solving. We’ve worked on more than a dozen productions at our school. Some were smoother than others, but there is always some sort of monkey wrench thrown in our plans. Whether it’s a dead battery, uncooperative weather, or an absent performer, something unexpected is bound to go wrong. What makes this experience so valuable is that there is no textbook way to solve our problems. Perfect situations are so rare that we have to learn to do the best we can in any particular situation. Developing genuine problem-solving skills is more valuable than any specific skill I could ever hope to teach in a classroom setting.

‍

Finally, and this is the big one, telling stories in this way is fun. It may be stressful at times, but this isn’t Hollywood, and we don’t have millions of dollars and the livelihoods of hundreds of people riding on the success of our movies. We’re in school and we’re making something cool. Many of the relationships formed over the course of various productions are some of my most treasured.

‍

Not only that, unlike a play, we have a keepsake that will last forever. These movies are snapshots of where we were in our lives when we made them. If you are fortunate enough to work in a close-knit community, these movies can span generations. I now work with colleagues who were former students who were in our productions when they were thirteen or fourteen years old. Even better, we now have students who can see their older siblings, aunts and uncles, or even parents in our movies. Recently, a beloved co-worker passed away. He was a great sport and would always do anything for our productions. His performances are now treasured memories. Since we lost him, we have dedicated each movie to him.

‍