Some activities for using this film with children:

Spot the Shots. This comes from Look Again, the fabulous primary  media literacy curriculum, widely used in Great Britain to for media literacy education in grades PK  - 6. 

After their first viewing of a short moving image sequence, pupils guess at the number of shots used.

● On second viewing, they mark each change in shot, scene location and sound (use pause button if necessary).

● On third viewing they look carefully at how the shot transitions are created (eg cuts, mixes, fades, wipes etc) and whether the

sound transitions happen at the same places.

● They should also time each shot.

Possible follow-up:

● Create a script or storyboard to support their analysis of the sequence. Variations on the sequence can then be hypothesised

eg eliminating shots or changing the order of the sequence.

● If the software is available, pupils could digitise and re-edit the shots to try out different sequencing and timings.

● Does the camera show us something new each time the shot changes? (Why does the shot change at that point? What new information or

impression does the change provide?)

● Did you notice more than one way of moving from one shot to the next? (Why is this kind of shot transition used? What difference would

it make if another type of transition were used?)

● Did the length of the shots get quicker or slower at any point in the sequence? (Why are the shots of this length? Does the overall timescheme

of the shots build up a rhythm or a pattern? What is the effect of this?)

Pupils should learn that:

● The number, sequence and duration of shots in a moving image sequence all contribute to its meaning and are created in the editing

process.

● Screen time and ‘story time’ are usually different: the editing process ‘manages’ the story time for us.

● Each new shot should provide new information or impressions: shot changes are not merely ‘to keep viewer interest’.

● The pace and rhythm of editing and the types of transition used also contribute to meaning.

● Sound transitions may not match shot transitions: in drama especially they may anticipate them and this can function to

maintain or develop moods such as suspense.

● Certain kinds of shot sequence are highly conventional eg shot/reverse shot in a conversation or interview; or a character

looking off-screen being followed by a shot of what they are looking at.