We recently completed the yearlong East Lyme Public Library iMovie Makers Project which was a series of 15 filmmaking programs for tweens. The purpose of the Project was for tweens to learn how to tell stories through moviemaking. The Project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Connecticut State Library. Funds were also provided by the East Lyme Public Library through its Annual Fund.
Workshop participants used the Library’s iPads to create their entire projects. The movies were scripted, filmed, edited, published, and projected from the iPads. In order to have sufficient time to work on their movies and to allow for various filming locations, the tweens were able to take the iPads home for a week between each workshop. In addition to providing iPads, the East Lyme Public Library hired professional filmmakers and multimedia artists to lead the workshops. Award-winning movie director, Gorman Bechard served as the project consultant and lead instructor. Mr. Bechard is also the co-founder of the New Haven Documentary Film Festival. Two films from the workshop were chosen as Official Selections of the festival which took place at Yale University. The two films chosen for the Festival were CSN: Cinema Shot News by 6th grader, Cora Muschinsky and Wooly’s World by 7th grader, Jasper Wright. Cora and Jasper were the youngest filmmakers to ever be featured in the Festival which took place at Yale University. After the screening, the tweens were invited on stage to answer questions from the audience. Jasper said that he has been making films since he was a kid, but Cora reported that this was her first filmmaking effort and also the first time she had ever used an iPad.
Although the official grant period is officially over, the iMovie Maker Project will continue for at least another year at the East Lyme Public Library.
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Our guest blogger is Rebecca Scotka. Rebecca is the Children’s and Young Adult Librarian at the East Lyme Public Library in Connecticut. She can be reached at rscotka@ely.lioninc.org.
Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.