Education and Early Childhood Learning

The Magic of Silent Films

How do we tell a story without words?

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In a multi-year high school drama class, the teacher asked how actors could communicate a story without using words. For three class periods learners participated in exercises to explore non-verbal communication and how the actor can communicate without dialogue. Some examples of exercises the teacher used during this time were tableau, high status/low status walks, gestures, location walks, and subtext scenes. (The website Theatrefolk: The Drama Teacher Resource Company, and the book Stages: Creative Ideas for Teaching Drama by Talia Pura are two resources that offer many different activities and explanations.) The teacher led these games and facilitated discussion throughout on how the actor translated meaning within each activity.

Learners then watched the film The Artist and discussed how the acting differed from films with dialogue. In teacher-selected groups of five to six, learners brainstormed the physical techniques the actors used to convey emotion, express key story elements, and maintain the rising action of the film. Learners also studied how music could serve as a storytelling catalyst and how the juxtaposition of music and acting could create interesting effects. To support the learners’ discussions, examples of scenes from It’s a Wonderful World and Good Morning, Vietnam were also shown.

In subsequent classes, learners listened to a piece of instrumental music and created short scenes without dialogue, using the music as background. They performed these scenes for one another and the audience was asked to describe the action and point out any areas of confusion. Groups revised their scenes for clarity based on the feedback from the class. Each group came up with a different concept and genre, including romance, comedy, tragedy, and horror. The class discussed how the same piece of music inspired such diverse interpretations.

Before beginning film production, groups participated in a group contract activity. They constructed criteria for being good collaborators, including how to communicate outside of class, how to resolve disagreements, and how to handle individual responsibilities. The creation of group contracts with clear expectations promoted responsibility and encouraged group problem solving without the aid of the teacher. Each learner signed the contract, and a copy was kept with the teacher.

Learners then began collaborating on their own short films. Each learner brought a piece of instrumental music and a story idea to share. Groups discussed and built upon these ideas until they agreed on one concept. Learners positioned themselves in different roles within their groups, each responsible for idea sharing, planning, and acting. The older learners had more responsibility as they took on directing and editing with the expectation that their experience enhanced their ability to take on a leadership role in the process. The teacher provided lessons on storyboarding and shot types, using YouTube videos as aids. Learners collaborated to create storyboards and shot lists, aiming to complete filming in three class periods. Groups conferenced with the teacher to ensure reasonable expectations for the time allowance and technology, and were asked to consider audience, purpose, and genre.

The guidelines required the films to be three to five minutes long and to tell a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end. Learners had creative control over the genre, music, and editing software, with most opting to use CapCut and adding special effects (like getting beamed into an alien spaceship) that were not part of the criteria. Every learner appeared in the film, though directors and editors could take smaller roles to focus on their other responsibilities. Learners had complete artistic control in their choice of storyline, genre, costuming, filming, and so on, allowing for voice and choice throughout.

Learners kept logs tracking their progress and contributions each day, and they set goals for the following day. Each log consisted of a section on what they accomplished that day, an example of how they collaborated well, and a reflection on how they could improve. A goal for the next day’s collaboration was set at the end of the class along with a plan for how to accomplish it. The goal setting allowed for a quick start the next day since groups had already decided where to start.

The project concluded with a film festival where the class watched and celebrated each other’s films.

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Dimensions of Global Competencies in Action

Collaboration

• Learners work with others to co-construct knowledge, meaning, plans, and goals.
• Learners build relationships to support collaboration.
• Learners value and put trust in others’ contributions.
• Learners work through differences and show a willingness to compromise or change perspective when appropriate.

Communication

• Learners express ideas and emotions while following context cues (e.g., text features, non-verbal communication, tone of voice, digital images or icons) and conventions.
• Learners use context cues (e.g., text features, non-verbal communication, tone of voice, digital images or icons) to enhance understanding when receiving messages.

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