And the oscar goes to…
What filmmaker doesn’t want to receive an “Oscar”? It’s a complete validation of one’s hard work and perseverance in the often overlooked and undervalued world of filmmaking.
Luckily, for you teachers out there, buying faux Oscar statues isn't too expensive. Visit Amazon and search “Oscar statues” and you can find a 20 pack ($19.99) or 36 pack ($26.95) of 6 inch statues.
You can pay more if you want to have them engraved or get a larger size; however, that’s more money and more time, and, as teachers, those are two things in which I am already lacking.
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Here’s one thing that is important to know regardless of your approach–make sure kids know in advance that winning an “Oscar” statue is in play for a project–it’s highly motivating for kids (and we always take a picture of the kids afterwards) and it affords the winners bragging rights for eternity.
What’s more, the actual event of viewing student films takes on new meaning and adds some stakes to the event (you can hype it up as the Oscar viewing party!).
Also, I recommend giving individual Oscars to kids (they aren’t expensive and kids will want to show them off to parents and friends) as opposed to giving a single, group award.
You don’t need me to tell you how to award Oscar statues to your kids, but here are three viable options to consider if you’ve never done it before.
Option #1: VOTE!! Kids watch the films and then the class votes on the best film (we usually use a Google form). Viola, the team with the most votes wins (we ask kids to truly vote for the best work, not just vote for their group’s film–results may vary).
Option #2: DIVERSIFY!! Instead of giving only the “winning” project an award, break down the award into categories: Best Picture, Best Editing, Best Sound Design, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Makeup, etc.
This is a great option to spread the wealth (maybe a talented kid gets stuck with a lackluster group–this option encourages kids to do their best in any given role). Also, this is a terrific way for kids to understand the responsibilities of their given production role.
Option #3: CAMPAIGN!! I am a big fan of having kids reflect on their filmmaking experience. Have kids write a short explanation of all the ways in which they believe that their work in a given role should be worthy of award recognition.
Bonus–have them make a “pitch” to the class (with possible visual/aural evidence) to argue why their work in a role deserves to be honored with an award.
Having kids try to persuade their classmates of their excellence in a role creates the perfect opportunity for kids to explore their initial, creative intentions to create meaning as well as address their abilities to solve problems in a role. Most importantly, it's great for other kids to see or read or hear these explanations to get a better understanding of what went into a role.
Whatever route you take with adding some stakes and recognition to your filmmaking projects, rest assured that kids will be excited about their chances of being a school award winning filmmaker!
Meet the Author, Adam Russell
Adam Russell lives and works in Marietta, Georgia. He is finishing his 22nd year of teaching both film and literature. A 13 year veteran of teaching IB Film, Adam seeks to constantly refine and demystify the art of teaching within the IB framework to help teachers and students find success. In his spare time, he writes feature length scripts and consumes anything and everything that he can get his hands on regarding film: screenplays, films, video essays, books on screenwriting, etc. Comments or questions: write ADAM in the subject line and email streamsemester@gmail.com.
If you're a school administrator or CTE director, you know the drill: it's early spring, and there's money in the budget that needs to be spent by May 31st. The challenge isn't whether to spend it—it's where to spend it wisely so your investment actually makes a difference for students and staff.