Success Story: Movie-making Camp

Our Mission:

In 2007 Nortel LearniT supported Actua in a movie-making learning initiative in three underserved Canadian Aboriginal communities, reaching 60 youth aged 9-16.  Actua is a national charitable organization dedicated to providing young Canadians with positive, hands-on learning experiences in science, technology and engineering. Through hands-on learning, the movie-camp experiences inspired youth to consider the diverse opportunities available to them in science and technology.  The camp activities engaged them in a field that they could easily relate to – movies! 

Nortel LearniT 21st century eLearning initiative

The project involved youth in all aspects of professional video production and the movie-making process from pre-production to post-production, including story-boarding and script development, shooting, lighting, sound, special effects, editing and export to video format.

Funding was used to purchase laptops, software and lighting equipment and to support Nortel ambassadors' travel to the three camp locations. Nortel also provided video cameras, microphones, and other necessary equipment to conduct the camp. Actua used videos from Nortel LearniT's Skills-building Videos video production collection on everything from camera operation to more advanced editing. (Find key Nortel LearniT resources.)

The youth participants worked collaboratively in teams. They were led and mentored by young, energetic undergraduate students in science and technology, who were trained by Nortel LearniT. Throughout the week, campers developed and utilized team, communication, and technology skills to express themselves creatively.

Each camp week began with campers working on short film and editing projects. Nortel LearniT videos on topics such as cameras, lighting, the rule of thirds, production sound, editing basics, Introduction to Windows Movie Maker and the Jump 5 teen rock group Career Bytes were used as resources to engage the students and to demonstrate video production techniques. This helped provide the basic skills that the students would need for the production of their main movie project.

Throughout the week, campers learned about the variety of careers involved in movie making as they each took turns carrying out the roles of director, camera operator, interviewer, lighting technician, sound technician and grip.

To provide campers the opportunity to practice their interviewing, filming and editing skills, Actua invited special guests as mentors to provide topical presentations that the campers could film.

For example, at the Odawa Native Friendship Center, Moshi Kotierk, an Inuit geneticist from Igloolik, talked about his life growing up in the Arctic.  As part of their recording of the talk, the campers filmed Kotierk's demonstration of the extraction of DNA from a strawberry. 

As multiple film crews took turns interviewing Moshi Kotierkat the Odawa Native Friendship Center, questions included: 

• What's it like to be a biologist? (Very fun and exciting!)
• What's your favorite food? (Walrus meat sausage)
• Have you ever gotten frostbite? (Yes, on my nose!)

Following the interview, campers worked together to edit their footage into a mini-documentary on Moshi Kotierk, a positive Aboriginal role model.  Click the links at page end to see that video and other student video projects. 

The camps offered a unique opportunity for young Aboriginal Canadians to explore and to document some locally relevant cultural traditions and stories on film. Overall, the camps served as a fun, engaging and empowering experience, instilling a sense of confidence and pride among participants.

Actua supports a growing network of members across Canada who offer hands-on summer camps, workshops and community outreach initiatives to over 225,000 youth in 375 communities annually. Actua is committed to making science accessible for all youth through its specialized programs for girls, Aboriginal communities and underprivileged youth.

• Lesson Plans and Guides
• Technology Skills-building Videos
• Resources and Best Practices