The language of motion pictures has been mastered by a relatively small proportion of our population and this has resulted in a power imbalance that threatens the integrity of Democracy. Acquiring literacy in the language of motion pictures is essential for all people because the language of motion pictures dominates public discourse and increasingly business and personal communications.
One way to effectively engage people of all ages and abilities in the process of acquiring literacy in the language of motion pictures is to make a social, recreational game of it. Communities can establish Video Improvisation Ensembles as a non traditional alternative to Community Theatre and Team Sports. These Video Improvisation Ensembles can be open to people of all ages who then learn how to play cooperative activities called “Movie Games”. These games are challenging and fun and they teach the fundamental grammar of motion picture language through a process of group play. The more people play the games, the more their capacities for meaningful collaboration and creativity increase as well as their literacy in the language of motion pictures.
View Finders International Film Festival for Youth started offering workshops in the Video Improvisation Ensemble process to teachers and students in 2007. The response was overwhelmingly positive. Literacy Nova Scotia also embraced this process in 2007 and has introduced it successfully to adult educators and learners. The Kings Community Economic Development Agency recently had their staff trained in this process too. So it is clear that the video improvisation ensemble process is catching on in Nova Scotia.
You can learn more about this process at http://www.creativeaction.ca/mgames.html
Filed under: Uncategorized
