| 2014-04-17 | | | The 5th Kids Film Workshop: Report |
14 children from the ages 3 to 13 took part in our annual kids film workshop, happening for the fifth time this year.
First, an exploration into the film library! Lots of movie film reels, looking long and heavy, were stocked on the shelves. The children reached up high to snap the projector switch on tiptoes, and the machine started to roll with a thundering roar. A silent film from 80 years ago! Some kids seemed bewildered to see a movie with no colors or sound.
Participants made direct-paint-films by drawing pictures straight on 35mm clear film stock. Tiny paintings hand drawn frame-by-frame came alive to dance on the big screen. Was it a long journey or easy feat for each child to fill up 3 seconds length (72 frames)?
Heavy roaring projectors, long and heavy film reels, the smell of machinery and film stock - all these have disappeared from contemporary movie theaters, as if the 100-plus years of movie projection history never existed. Nevertheless, the joy of making things creatively and a dark space filled with anticipation are still strongly present today. There is lots more fun in stock as we continue to connect cinema with children’s hands.
* You can watch the completed footage created by children:
“Let’s Draw, Project, and Animate!” (MP4 format, 59MB)