Filmmaking As An Educational Tool

Many of us want to be that person who wants to be part of the change. Maybe you speak up at rallies, go door to door spreading the word or join clubs and organizations that want to make a difference. But the most powerful way to stimulate a response is through visual stories. Filmmaking has had a huge impact on social change, it inspires people to take action or even change their opinions. Filmmaking is a really easy and great way to gain a greater audience. These two articles help me to prove that films have the most potential to shape cultural attitudes and to bring social change. In the field of filmmaking, films can act as an influence. After watching a film no matter the type if its an action, romantic, comedy, in this case, documentary participants tend to change their opinion. Some, such as Belinda Smaill (Smaill, pg. 80) film documentary invites the spectator to understand themselves and the subject of knowledge. Understanding the subject through a visual medium offers a better method to feel compassion towards the subject. However, it is a hard process to get it through because several protocols need to be followed.

Frederick Wiseman (Wiseman, pg. 43) and Jouko Aaltonen (Aaltonen, pg. 64) discuss the practical problems involved in obtaining the people’s consent and the relationship procedures that need to be follow in order to respect their privacy issues while at the same time the use of the three techniques need to be managed successfully in order for the film to look credible. Some background information that should be disputed is that Documentary Filmmaking can be powerful and effective tools for academic resources. It is easier for a student to retain information through a visual medium. It is a great mechanism for conversation and reflection for sensitive topics. As for Aaltonen mentions in his article “Help us understand societal opinions, help us understand institutions, and even demystify aspects of society” (Aaltonen, pg. 70). Major concern and costs are that educational institutions are failing to catch up. With technological advancements over the past decade have put the resources required for film and media production closer to people than ever before. It may be expensive for educational institutions to purchase the necessary tools to create a film, but I believe it is essential to learn these methods. A few movies even have a provoking message which creates conflicts among the people thus disturbing the harmony of the place as well as the country.

People learn wrong habits like smoking and drinking which are showcased in almost all the movies. This is definitely a big concern as the major audience of the movies is the adults and they get carried away with the stuff done by their favorite actors. So it is very important that the film-makers understand that value of movies in people’s lives and make sure that the right theme is projected. This will not only change the society but also help the people in living a happy life. Movies are just a mirror for us and therefore we should grab the positive things from rather than leaning towards the negative ones. So watch good movies that inspire you and bring a change in your life. But according to Melissa Kelly, Filmmaking as an educational tool may not always be a good resource. “Showing a film in class may engage students, but engagement cannot be the only reason.

Teachers must understand that the planning for viewing a film is what makes it an effective learning experience for any grade level. Before planning, however, a teacher must first review the school's policy on the use of film in class” (Kelly, Pros and Cons of Using Movies in Class). Kelly points out that movies can sometimes be very long, sometimes it may even take an entire week of classroom time. Even a short movie can take up 2-3 days of classroom time. Further, it can be difficult if different classes have to start and stop at different spots of a movie. Other points brought up was that the movie may not be completely historically accurate. Movies often play with historical facts to make a better story. Therefore, it is important to point out the historical inaccuracies or students will believe that they are true. If done properly, pointing out the issues with a movie can provide the teachable moments for students. But there are several solutions and benefits for this counterargument. A well-planned film, or even a short clip, can illustrate a point and spark productive conversation because everyone can opine on the matter. That’s the power of film! Films can have a leading role in education. Film clubs are being run in more than 7,000 schools, with 220,000 young people watching, discussing and reviewing a film. By joining these clubs students engage, collaborate, and practice leadership.

Expanding their creative boundaries and as well as learning background information towards a certain topic, for cause research has to be done in order for the film to be done. That’s why film should be considered an educational tool. Children with severe learning difficulties and disabilities who struggle with any kind of academic curriculum can often relate to film, said Koenig, Riley "Film is a universal language. " It is really worth the cost “The whole idea of showing a movie to a classroom full of students sometimes carries negative connotations, and that’s somewhat understandable. When I was an elementary student and a teacher would show us the occasional movie in class it often had little to do with the subject we were being taught it was simply filler” (Koenig, pg. 24) With the help of the movies, you come to know about the different things happening in our society. And using filmmaking as an educational tool will bring many positive impacts to the professor and to the students. Films have the most potential to shape cultural attitudes and to bring social change. If you want to stimulate change, people need to see your message, and the most effective way is by creating an engaging narrative with a story using the techniques and methods of persuasion that these two next sources share. The article “Animals, Identification, and the Citizen-Consumer” examines documentary films on food production, the meat industry, and animals in the agriculture and fishing industries. It is reasonable and very well-supported, and it proves useful background information to support my claim.

Film documentary invites the spectator to understand themselves and the subject of knowledge. Understanding the subject through a visual medium offers a better method to feel compassion towards the subject. Sharing stories of other lives and their experiences impact the spectator an effective way. This article informs viewers about the process of food production described by Belinda Smaill. Suggests that films promote ethical consumerism and help food consumers identify their values related to consumption, and discusses images of slaughter in the documentaries that evoke emotions in viewers such as disgust. Belinda Smaill made a really interesting point about how visual persuasion is really important. I agree that a visual imagery is the best weapon when it comes to impact decision making and changing minds. The reason why I picked this article by Belinda Smaill is that it proves that documentaries films have the most potential to shape cultural attitudes and to bring social change, with visual persuasion as one of the methods. The article “Visualizing urban inequalities: The Ethics of videography and documentary filmmaking in water research” by Rusca, Maria analyses visual methods how they are becoming increasingly popular in sciences.

This paper reflects on the role and potential of videography to capture and visualize inequalities in urban water supply and access. The paper is based on research undertaken over a period of 4 years, in which a mix of talk based and video graphics methods were used to capture the production of uneven conditions of access to water in Lilongwe, Malawi, and Maputo, Mozambique. It reflects on the important and unique ethical questions raised by video methods, including the data collection process, the type of knowledge that is produced, how it is mobilized, who has access to it and the relation between a representation of social reality and the power of storytelling. “As a ‘multisensory ethnographic method’, it captures things that are overlooked in a text, such as a gaze, body posture, gesture, tones, interactions, sound, and, thus, the context and culture in which a given phenomenon is embedded. Videography has much to offer to social scientists attempting to develop creative methodologies to capture what people do and the way urban experiences are produced by and produce social relations” (Rusca, pg. 2). Sequences on the documentary show rich information on ordinary life during water shortages, when water is only available for a few hours at night.

The camera captures the physical and psychological fatigue of a woman, who wakes up at 3:00 a. m. to turn on the tap and fill her water buckets. The images show her tired gaze, the slow body movements, and the flow of water reduced to a trickle, indicating low pressure. “While filming these scenes, I was experiencing the same fear and sense of insecurity. It is, therefore, not only about what this method allows researchers to visualize, but also about what one experiences alongside the contributors: filming requires presence and, in a way, the participation of the researcher” (Rusca, pg. 8) Videography and documentary projects require collaboration with filmmakers, journalists, audio specialists, story consultants, composers, and professionals involved in the research. In terms of academic governance, this means that documentaries will become more prominent in the social sciences and serve as an educational tool. In conclusion, the technique of the use of visual persuasion and the three Modes of Persuasion correctly, makes the documentary film the most powerful tool to convey strong feelings to an audience. It helped me to prove that films have the most potential to shape cultural attitudes and to bring social change. As well as filmmaking is a great educational tool.

On a general level, many students respond better to watching movies than to reading which helps in keeping them interested and prevent them from getting easily distracted. This is especially effective for those who are not motivated readers and prefer videos over the written word. While there is no questioning the fact that movies can be a competent method of education, there are still several challenges it needs to overcome to be accepted universally. Filmmaking as an educational tool makes it the best, fastest and effective method for students, not only to retain information but for them to be able to discuss a sensitive topic from a deeply personal perspective.