WHO + WHAT

We have welcomed an array of filmmakers who have talked and screened their work, shared their own life stories about how film has become how they make a living. All of the invited guests have been extremely generous with their time and have inspired the children to make new work. Victoria Watson, for instance, set the school a challenge to make stop-motion films in a similar vein to ‘Every Step’ a short stop-motion of hers featuring wellies on the move. Pupils worked in teams with each person getting to choose a different job – director, editor, music/sound –and collaborated on their own films.

Click here for Sharing Stories film

Animators Tony Farquhar-Smith and Eleanor Stewart’s work was studied in depth. Tony has had different film roles including working on major features such as ‘Isle of Dogs’ and ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’. Pupils read the book and compared the film to the text. Eleanor brought props, paper puppets and focused a school project on silhouette animation. Everyone learned about the pioneering filmmaker Lotte Reiniger whose original puppets and films we were incredibly privileged to be loaned by a private individual. Eleanor was struck by the way the children supported each other, and by their passion for film-making:

‘I’m so impressed how well the children worked together and so impressed by how inspired they were to go on and make their own films!’

Several of the cinema’s young volunteers – Marley + Gracewere involved in this part of the programme and designed special Fantastic Mr Fox-inspired certificates which were presented to the participating children at the end of term event after a special cinema screening.